Chapter 423: Educating Jiraiya
"You old fossil, what do you think you're doing?!"
Chiyo kicked Ōnoki away with one strike, then flicked her right hand. Chakra threads shot out, binding him tightly like a puppet.
Uchiha Madara, who had just arrived and witnessed this shocking scene, was initially surprised.
But when he heard the familiar name "Ōnoki", he became even more surprised.
Taking a closer look… it really was him.
Ōnoki hadn't changed much from his younger days, so Madara recognized him immediately.
"Well, well, you've really grown up, Ōnoki. That little runt from back then is still a little runt now. But to think you'd come to another village chasing a woman. At your age, and you're even trying to force things? Quite impressive."
Madara walked over, his tone laced with mockery.
"Madara, you're already a dead man. You're not qualified to give Chiyo happiness. Let go of her and let me do it!"
"And you too, Chiyo, calm down! Think carefully about what I just said, Madara is definitely not sincere!"
Ōnoki struggled and shouted as he remained bound.
With his strength, even with his hands restrained and unable to form hand seals, he could still break free.
But this wasn't a situation that required fighting, so there was no point.
"So, have you decided?"
Madara ignored Ōnoki's yelling and turned his gaze to Chiyo.
He didn't know Ōnoki well.
Even if he had some impression of him back then, decades had passed, people changed.
So seeing Ōnoki act so passionately toward Chiyo didn't strike him as strange.
If anything, compared to himself, it seemed far more reasonable for this old man to be pursuing her.
As for the question "Have you decided?", it referred to why Madara hadn't been by Chiyo's side earlier.
After proposing the "revive first, then revive later" plan, Chiyo had said she wanted time alone to think.
So Madara gave her space.
Only now had he come back for an answer.
Chiyo, however, felt rather speechless.
This old fool Ōnoki had just offended her, and now he was desperately signaling with his eyes, trying to get her to cooperate.
What, was he trying to avoid alerting Madara?
Was that even necessary?
Hadn't he noticed how weak Madara's aura currently was?
Or was his psychological shadow so deep that he was simply ignoring it?
—
Meanwhile, in Amegakure Village.
Senju Hashirama had just arrived and immediately ran into a rather "unsavory" master-and-disciple duo, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Jiraiya.
Jiraiya was currently asking Hiruzen to lend him some money so he could buy a batch of the blue military ration pills endorsed by Rōshi.
Of course, this wasn't truly endorsed by Rōshi.
Recently, Kurotsuchi had some free time and decided to look for him.
But the Land of Earth was vast, and as a jinchūriki and top-tier expert, Rōshi had plenty of experience hiding himself. If he truly wanted to stay hidden, he would be extremely hard to find.
So instead of searching for him directly, it was better to make him come out on his own.
After all, even the most persuasive words were useless if the other person never heard them.
To convince Rōshi, they first had to find him.
So how could they make him appear?
Post a missing person notice so he knew Iwagakure was looking for him?
Or spread word that Ōnoki regretted his actions?
Neither would work.
Unless they claimed Ōnoki was dying and wanted to see him one last time, that might have a chance.
But even that could easily be exposed.
Better to use provocation.
It might be an old trick, but it worked.
Classic methods became classics for a reason.
So Kurotsuchi, as Tsuchikage, authorized Amegakure to use Rōshi's likeness in advertisements.
Someone simply used a Transformation Jutsu to take on Rōshi's appearance, struck an "attack" pose, and became the face of the blue ration pills.
Recently, these ads had even started playing before romance films, Rōshi leaned against a wall, looking troubled.
A voiceover began: "Sometimes, when your body feels drained, it's like your tailed beast has been taken away. Don't worry. With Amegakure Village's blue ration pills, you can be as vigorous as the Sage of Six Paths."
Then "Rōshi" began performing signature poses alongside someone in a Four-Tails costume.
Background voice: "Good tailed beasts, good you. The essential medicine for building harmony with your tailed beast."
No matter how strange this ad was, it actually worked very well.
Even Jiraiya, who normally dismissed movies as too shallow to bother watching, had heard of it.
If even he knew, then no matter how deep in the wilderness Rōshi hid, as long as he needed supplies, he'd eventually find out.
Jiraiya himself wasn't short on money.
The reason he was borrowing from Hiruzen was because he didn't want the retail version, he wanted the special "Tailed Beast–grade" ration pills.
Rumor had it they were extremely potent. After a full course, even someone weakened by certain treatments could be restored to peak masculinity.
But because they were custom-made, he had to purchase the entire course upfront before production would even begin.
And for that, Jiraiya didn't quite have enough money.
"No, Jiraiya. I'm already dead. I'm no longer the head of the Sarutobi clan, I have no right to touch that money! Even my personal funds are now inheritance, left to my grandson Sarutobi Konohamaru! And Jiraiya, get a grip. Have you forgotten what your perfect Sage Mode relies on? Are you really willing to give up your strength, and possibly your life in the future, just for a bit of personal desire?"
"It's not just your life. What if Naruto needs your power? Have you thought about that? All you're thinking about is yourself! About your 'little brother'!"
Hiruzen now looked like a strict sensei, scolding Jiraiya.
Watching this scene, Hashirama felt quite satisfied.
The "monkey" was still a qualified sensei, after all, he knew how to guide his disciple properly.
"…You're right."
Jiraiya looked ashamed.
He really had gotten carried away.
He had almost forgotten, without his so-called "Naruto-assisted Sage Mode", he wouldn't be able to enter Sage Mode quickly and perfectly.
This wasn't the era of the Third Great Ninja War anymore, when someone like Hanzo could be called a demigod.
Now, with the Ōtsutsuki descending, the so-called "God of Ōtsutsuki" was the true god. The Ōtsutsuki themselves were the demigods.
And Sage Mode, natural energy, these were essential tools to fight them.
Yet just now, for the sake of a few minutes of pleasure, he had nearly been willing to destroy his own path to power.
That was unacceptable.
"Recognizing your mistake and correcting it, that's what makes a good student."
Hiruzen patted Jiraiya's shoulder, offering comfort.
But inwardly, he was thinking something else.
As someone revived through Impure World Reincarnation, he couldn't enjoy such things.
And yet Jiraiya had the nerve to bring it up in front of him?
Wasn't that just rubbing salt in the wound?
Not long ago, Hiruzen had even heard that Impure World Reincarnation bodies could regain certain sensations, so he had subtly asked Orochimaru about it.
The answer he got was no.
They might have perception, but they didn't have blood.
(End of this chapter)