If Jiraiya had said, "I want to take them as my disciples," it would have implied he was still weighing the decision. But the fact that he said he wanted to take them both as disciples suggested that he simply wasn't allowed to.
At the very least, he couldn't have both. Jiraiya clearly had the heart to mentor them, yet there was some external factor preventing it.
Based on Tatsuma's knowledge of the future, Minato was destined to be Jiraiya's disciple. Tatsuma himself, however, was an "anomaly." In a world with only one genius, it would be natural for Hiruzen Sarutobi to assign them to Jiraiya, who was eager for a student.
But with two geniuses appearing at once, Hiruzen had to worry about the problem of inequality—specifically among his own three students.
Orochimaru already had a disciple (Nawaki), and he had explicitly told Tatsuma he wouldn't be taking them on. Jiraiya couldn't take both because... one had to be reserved for Tsunade.
This realization left Tatsuma feeling conflicted. What was the benefit of becoming Tsunade's disciple?
In this world, lineage and mentorship—the Shisho relationship—were held in extremely high regard. Being assigned to a Jonin's squad didn't automatically make you that Jonin's disciple. Generally, the relationship between a Jonin leader and their Genin subordinates was one of superior and inferior, or at most, mentor and student.
It was just like the future Team 7. Kakashi was the Jonin instructor for Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, and they called him "Sensei," but he never formally took them as his disciples. Their true masters—their Shishō—were the Sannin: Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade. That was the true bond of inheritance.
Such a relationship wasn't just a status symbol; it meant the passing down of a specific "Way of the Ninja" and exclusive techniques. Of course, Orochimaru taking "a father" as a disciple was a weird exception.
If Tatsuma became Tsunade's disciple, his "pedigree" would be impeccable—perhaps even more "prestigious" than Minato's bond with Jiraiya. However...
Tsunade's specialties didn't suit Tatsuma at all. Monstrous Strength and Medical Ninjutsu were her fortes, yet those were precisely where Tatsuma felt most lacking. He didn't possess a special constitution, nor did he have any desire to follow the path of a medical ninja.
To him, Tsunade could offer little more than a powerful name for his resume.
Tatsuma glanced at Hiruzen Sarutobi. He thought he understood why the Third Hokage had placed them under Jiraiya's lead for now. Regardless of who eventually apprenticed under Tsunade, neither of them would truly be forced to inherit her specific path. Jiraiya would be the one to smooth out their future growth, allowing Tsunade to "take" a disciple without having to actually expend the effort to teach them from scratch.
Whichever boy became her disciple, the relationship would be one of mutual convenience: Tsunade's reputation would protect the student, and the student's future achievements would bring further glory to her name.
The only person getting the short end of the stick was Jiraiya, who would be doing the work for two while only getting credit for one. Then again, given Jiraiya's relationship with Tsunade, he'd probably jump at the chance to "suffer" for her even if she didn't ask.
Having reached this conclusion, Tatsuma allowed a smile to cross his lips.
Hiruzen, who had been observing the boys closely, saw Tatsuma's reaction and couldn't help but recall Mito Uzumaki's praise—that Tatsuma bore a striking resemblance to Lord Tobirama. If Mito had been referring to Tatsuma's decisiveness in battle, then his current display of foresight and his ability to see through the heart of a situation was undoubtedly reminiscent of the Second Hokage as well.
"Very well. Your squad should take some time to get acquainted," Hiruzen said with a wave of his hand. "Jiraiya, take these two and head out. If any issues arise, come see me."
Jiraiya nodded and looked at the boys. "Follow me, brats!"
With that, Jiraiya lunged toward the window. In a sequence that saw Hiruzen's expression shift from pride to instant fury, Jiraiya "accidentally" smashed through the window frame yet again and fled the scene of the crime.
Tatsuma and Minato shared a look with the fuming Hokage before cautiously scrambling out the broken window to follow their new leader.
They traversed half the village's core district before Jiraiya finally came to a halt on a rooftop. He turned back to see the two boys keeping pace without any visible strain.
"Not bad," Jiraiya remarked. "I thought you'd be barely Genin-level in mobility, but you're doing quite well."
Jiraiya obviously hadn't been going full tilt—he'd been moving quite slowly by his standards—but it wasn't a pace just any Genin could maintain. Even some fresh Chunin would have found it taxing. Yet Tatsuma and Minato weren't even out of breath.
Minato scratched his head with a sheepish grin. Tatsuma, ever the pragmatist, replied, "If you had used the Body Flicker Technique, there's no way we could have kept up."
Jiraiya didn't bother responding to the flattery. He leaned against a low wall and said, "Look, I know we're already well-acquainted, but we still need to follow the standard procedure. Let's do some introductions.
I'll start. My name is Jiraiya. I'm a Konoha Jonin. I'm proficient in almost all types of ninjutsu—except for Lightning Style. My hobbies include literary creation and 'gathering inspiration.' As for what I hate... well, I can't stand that damn snake, Orochimaru. My dream is to change the shinobi world—or at least guide the person who will. Your turn."
Minato nodded and spoke first. "I am Namikaze Minato, a Konoha Genin. I'm skilled in weapon projection and Taijutsu, though I'm not quite at Tatsuma-kun's level yet. My hobby is reading. As for things I hate... I can't really think of anything right now. My dream is to become a ninja who is recognized and trusted by everyone—just like the Hokage."
"The Hokage, huh? A common dream for kids your age," Jiraiya mused. He turned to Tatsuma.
Tatsuma nodded. "I am Sakamoto Tatsuma, a Konoha Genin. My skills are similar to Minato's, and we're about equal in level. My hobby is defeating people I acknowledge as strong. I do have something I specifically hate, and that's this natural perm. My dream... is to find and defeat every worthy challenger in the world. And ideally, find a way to make my hair straight and smooth."
"You really do have a fierce competitive streak," Jiraiya noted. "I've got the gist of your basics. But I'm hurt—you didn't even mention me. Are you still not 'proficient' in the jutsu I taught you?"
Jiraiya gave them a mock-stern look. Minato opened his mouth to explain, but Jiraiya reached out and ruffled his hair to stop him.
"From now on, you call me Jiraiya-sensei, or just Sensei. Even if this temporary squad eventually disbands, it doesn't change the fact that you're my students, no matter who apprentices under Tsunade. Got it?"
Minato nodded, but then the realization hit him. Tatsuma simply looked at Jiraiya with a deadpan expression. Jiraiya realized his blunder and scratched his head, laughing awkwardly.
"Ahahaha! Whoops. Slipped out. Oh well, you'd find out eventually anyway. For now, the most important thing is for you to learn: learn the skills of a ninja and learn how to be a ninja. Since you're my students, I won't hold back. Unless your affinity is strictly Lightning, I can teach you everything."
Jiraiya spoke with absolute confidence. Minato nodded eagerly; he had heard from Tatsuma that every ninja had a specific chakra affinity—one or more—but neither of them knew their own yet.
Chakra induction paper was far too expensive to be within their childhood budget. Jiraiya, however, seemed prepared. He reached into his pouch and pulled out several small slips of paper.
"First things first," Jiraiya said. "Let's test your chakra nature."