Naruto nodded.
"How do you plan to teach?"
His question was very direct.
Jiraiya smiled. He knew that the usual master-disciple sentiment wouldn't even get him through the door with this child.
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he mimicked Naruto, crossing his arms and scrutinizing the menacing Chainsword with an appraising gaze.
"In your opinion, what is the fundamental difference between this 'saw' in your hand and the most ordinary shuriken?"
This question made Naruto fall into a brief thought.
Jiraiya cleared his throat. His usual carefree demeanor vanished, replaced by a feigned rigor befitting a technician, an image more likely to earn Naruto's approval.
"First, there's the center of gravity. A shuriken's center of gravity is stable and singular, allowing Chakra to attach evenly. But your weapon—the hilt, the blade, the teeth—each part has a different mass distribution. The center of gravity is dynamically changing. If you inject Chakra in a single mode, it will inevitably lead to an imbalance in energy flow."
He extended a finger, drawing in the air.
"Second, there's the Chakra attachment area and structural complexity. A shuriken is a flat surface, while your sword is a complex three-dimensional structure. If you try to replicate it as a whole, it's like asking a craftsman to carve a precise clock from a single block of wood in one go. This violates the basic principles of 'manufacturing.'"
"Finally, there's the stability of energy flow. Chakra's conductivity differs between the metal teeth and the main body of the blade. Your crude infusion will only make the Shadow Clone act like an appliance with an internal short circuit, collapsing on itself the moment it forms."
Every word Jiraiya spoke was like a precisely aimed senbon, hitting the exact reasons for Naruto's failures.
He didn't understand those specialized physics terms, but he used his decades of combat intuition to piece together this explanation, which best fit Naruto's way of thinking.
He didn't talk about will, he didn't talk about emotion; he only talked about technique, efficiency, and principles.
For the first time, in Naruto's ice-blue pupils, a ripple of emotion, named "recognition," emerged for this "peeping pervert hermit" before him.
This person possessed "communicable value."
Hinata watched quietly from the side, covering her mouth, her eyes filled with surprise.
She had never witnessed such a scene.
Naruto, who dared to talk back to the Hokage and kept almost everyone at arm's length, was now listening intently and focusedly to an elder's "lecture."
Two hours later.
Within Training Ground Number Seventeen, the dull scraping sound of metal echoed.
Under Jiraiya's theoretical guidance, Naruto changed his strategy.
He no longer crudely injected Chakra into the Chainsword like a flood.
Instead, he first used the most refined Chakra to construct a transparent energy "mold" in his mind, completely identical in structure to the Chainsword.
This mold was the ultimate embodiment of his understanding of the weapon; from the counterweight of the hilt to the subtle nicks on each saw tooth, it was precise to the smallest detail.
First, construct the framework, then fill in the details.
After dozens of failures caused by unstable Chakra output power.
Naruto formed a hand seal once again.
"Chainsword Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
He carefully injected a vast and stable Chakra into the invisible mold suspended in his imagination.
Buzz—
The air vibrated violently.
Ten Chainswords, identical to the original, appeared out of thin air, hovering around Naruto.
Each one hummed, its teeth spinning at high speed, generating intimidating electric arcs and wind pressure.
The entire training ground became saturated with killing intent due to the presence of these ten instruments of slaughter.
Although they still flickered slightly, showing signs of instability, they were successful.
Jiraiya watched this scene, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.
He was astonished by Naruto's terrifying learning ability and Chakra control.
But deep down, a deeper worry, like a vine, began to entwine him.
He felt as if he wasn't guiding a lost youth, but rather installing more lethal components onto an already formed, highly efficient killing machine.
With the objective achieved, Jiraiya didn't give Naruto much time to savor the moment, immediately striking while the iron was hot.
"Kid, this level is far from enough. Even with new weapons, the Shadow Clone's ability to take a beating is still too weak."
He spoke with a more solemn tone.
"Do you want to acquire a truly independent, highly intelligent strategic support unit?"
"For example, a Summoning Beast, or perhaps, a toad from Mount Myōboku—powerful and... loyal."
Jiraiya smiled. Before meeting Naruto, he had done a lot of homework, meticulously analyzing everything from Naruto's speech habits to his way of thinking.
This sentence, like a precisely guided missile, instantly hit the bullseye of Naruto's needs.
Naruto dispelled the Chainsword clones in the air, turned his head, and in his ice-blue pupils, the light of analysis flickered.
He immediately drew a conclusion.
The strategic value of a powerful Summoning Beast capable of independently assessing the battlefield in many complex combat environments.
That would be a true "ally unit," not merely a "consumable."
"Alright."
Naruto agreed.
Jiraiya was ecstatic, but he maintained a profound expression on his face.
He believed that if he took Naruto to Mount Myōboku and let the straightforward and honorable Gamabunta and his kind influence him, it would surely melt this millennia-old block of ice.
Jiraiya took out a huge scroll from his embrace and unrolled it on the ground.
The ancient scroll was covered with densely written names.
"Sign your name here with your blood."
Naruto didn't hesitate for a moment, biting his fingertip.
With his blood-stained finger, he carefully and solemnly wrote his name, stroke by stroke, in the blank space.
Uzumaki Naruto.
Every character carried his undeniable, iron-like will.
The contract was established.
"Summoning Technique!"
Naruto formed hand seals, without a single wasted movement, and slammed his palm onto the ground.
Jiraiya watched with anticipation.
However, the familiar, enormous white smoke he expected did not appear.
Instead, there was a dull, spatial distortion sound, as if countless metal parts were grinding and compressing against each other.
A black mist slowly emerged from the magic circle.
The mist was mixed with the strong smell of gunpowder, acrid ozone, and an old, almost black, scent of blood.
The ominous and heavy aura instantly froze the smile on Jiraiya's face, his expression changing drastically.
As a holder of the toad contract for decades, he had never seen or heard of such a bizarre Summoning phenomenon.
This was not a gateway to Mount Myōboku at all.
This power completely exceeded any contract category he knew.
"Something's wrong! Naruto, quickly dispel it!"
Jiraiya shouted anxiously.
But Naruto didn't move.
From that ominous black mist, he felt no threat, only an incredibly familiar, cold sense of order belonging to iron and blood.
And an absolute loyalty to a supreme "leader," etched deep within his soul, spanning countless times and planes.
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