"Minato, what happened to your eye? Who did this? Tell me, and your teacher will avenge you!"
The next day, near 8:00 AM, Jiraiya looked at Minato—who had a bruised left eye and a wad of cotton stuffed up his nose—and spoke with an air of righteous indignation.
Even someone as good-natured as Minato couldn't bring himself to smile at that. Instead, he shot his unreliable sensei a look that was dangerously close to an eye-roll.
Jiraiya didn't seem to care. He leaned in close, whispering into Minato's ear with a gleam of anticipation. "Where's that brat Tatsuma? Did he get thrashed too?"
Minato's expression shifted from annoyance to pure, concentrated grievance. Before Jiraiya could dig for details, Tatsuma's energetic voice rang out from across the street.
"Morning! Jiraiya-sensei! Minato!"
Jiraiya turned and saw Tatsuma walking toward them, completely unscathed. He had even clearly taken the time to groom himself; his natural purple perm looked significantly less feral than usual.
"You didn't get hit yesterday?" Jiraiya blurted out.
Tatsuma puffed out his chest and struck a pose. "Ahaha! I, Sakamoto Tatsuma, walk a straight and honorable path. Why on earth would I be hit?"
"You liar!" Minato cried out, his voice cracking with betrayal. "Yesterday, you used the Transformation Jutsu to turn into one of the women from the bathhouse! The second I hesitated, you blended right into the mob that was chasing us! I'm pretty sure half these bruises are from you!"
"Namikaze Minato! Watch your mouth! When has a man like Sakamoto Tatsuma ever turned into a woman?!" Tatsuma declared with absolute, stone-faced conviction.
Jiraiya, however, looked unconvinced. He cleared his throat. "Actually, I believe Minato. Come on, Tatsuma—turning into a woman is a classic tactical maneuver. It's perfectly normal for a ninja."
"It wasn't me, I didn't do it, stop making things up!"
After his 'denial triple-threat,' Tatsuma clumsily pivoted the conversation. "Jiraiya-sensei, what's on the training menu for today?"
Jiraiya saw that Tatsuma's face was turning a shade of red that rivaled a tomato, so he decided to be merciful. He looked toward the Senju Clan Estate and said, "Tsunade will be looking after you for a while. I need time to draft your next phase of training. It's about time I started teaching you higher-difficulty Ninjutsu and how to apply your other chakra natures."
"Does that include the Shadow Clone Jutsu?" Tatsuma asked, his excitement palpable.
Jiraiya nodded. "Yes, it's time. But I'm warning you—no abusing it. For now, you'll focus on basic Medical Ninjutsu under Tsunade. And don't forget, Lady Mito promised to teach you the Sealing Arts. Watch closely and learn well; if you miss this chance, you'll regret it for the rest of your lives."
Tatsuma nodded vigorously. "Jiraiya-sensei, could we maybe… get the scrolls first?"
"Hmph, you greedy brat." Jiraiya chuckled and ruffled Tatsuma's hair, instantly ruining the neat styling the boy had worked so hard on. He pulled out two scrolls and tossed them over. "The Shadow Clone Jutsu. I had them ready for you. Once this next phase starts, I won't have as much time to supervise you every day. You two are going to have to start being more self-reliant."
Tatsuma and Minato both nodded solemnly. They knew that a Jonin of Jiraiya's caliber—especially one in the prime of his career—couldn't stay away from the front lines forever. He had spent over half a year dedicated solely to them, which was already an incredible luxury. The village would eventually demand his skills for A-rank and S-rank missions. From here on, his guidance would likely be limited to the gaps between his assignments.
Seeing that they understood, Jiraiya offered a proud smile. "Alright, go on and meet your new teacher. I need to speak with Lady Mito about Kincho."
"Yes, Sensei!"
The trio ventured deep into the Senju Estate for the second time. About a hundred meters from where the boys had waited during their last visit, Jiraiya suddenly stopped.
"Right, almost forgot. Your mission pay."
Jiraiya pulled out forty thousand Ryo and handed it to Tatsuma. Tatsuma looked at the stack, confused. "Wait, the total payout was forty thousand. What about your share, Sensei?"
"Sigh… just take it," Jiraiya said, looking toward the inner compound with a look of profound melancholy. "The second I step through that door, my money isn't really my money anymore."
Tatsuma had a moment of sudden realization. He counted out twenty thousand and handed it to Minato. Minato, remembering the gambling-debt scene from two years ago, nodded and tucked the cash away without a word.
With the finances settled, Jiraiya led them into the main porch. A voice rang out immediately.
"Jiraiya? Long time no see!"
Jiraiya's face twisted into an exaggerated scowl. "Nawaki! How many times do I have to tell you? Call me 'Big Brother.' And soon, you'll have to start calling me—"
"Calling you what?"
A distinctly displeased voice cut him off. Jiraiya's expression froze. He cleared his throat and shook his head. "Nothing, nothing at all."
Tatsuma, standing behind Jiraiya, examined the boy in front of them. He wasn't much older than they were. Tatsuma knew exactly who he was: Nawaki, the grandson of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
Nawaki's talent didn't quite reach the heights of his grandfather's, nor even his sister's, and he would famously die on the battlefield before he ever had a chance to truly shine. If Tatsuma remembered correctly, Nawaki died at twelve. Looking at him now, he seemed to be around ten.
Jiraiya walked over and ruffled Nawaki's hair, then grinned at an obviously annoyed Tsunade. "Nawaki's on break, right? Did Orochimaru not take him out for training?"
His attempt at changing the subject was about as subtle as Tatsuma's had been earlier. Nawaki ducked out from under Jiraiya's hand. "Orochimaru-sensei is out on a mission. He won't be back for a few days."
"Hmph! You call that creepy snake 'Sensei' but you call me by my name? I see how it is. Our bond has clearly withered," Jiraiya said, feigning a broken heart. Tsunade and Nawaki both rolled their eyes in perfect sync.
After the brief awkwardness, Jiraiya laughed it off. "Anyway, Tsunade, do me a favor and look after Tatsuma and Minato for a bit."
"I can take them, but—"
"I'm going to see Lady Mito now! Bye!"
Jiraiya didn't wait for her to finish. He bolted toward Uzumaki Mito's quarters. Having known Tsunade for nearly twenty years, he knew exactly what kind of "payment" she would demand for the favor. He'd spent the last six months grinding D-rank and C-rank missions; he didn't have nearly enough fat in his wallet for Tsunade to scavenge.
"Hmph!"
Watching Jiraiya flee, Tsunade turned an unfriendly gaze toward the boys. "You two have been busy with missions lately, haven't you?"
Minato was about to answer, but Tatsuma gave his sleeve a sharp tug. Tatsuma stepped forward with a charming smile. "Lady Tsunade, we don't have much money, but we did bring you this."
Tatsuma pulled out a fresh pack of playing cards. The moment she saw them, Tsunade's scowl vanished. She nodded with a satisfied grin. "Not bad, not bad at all. But you have to take them home with you every day."
"I understand perfectly," Tatsuma replied.
Nawaki stepped forward then, looking the two of them over. "So, you're the two geniuses Grandma is always talking about? You look pretty average to me. Want to go a round and see what you're made of?"
Minato looked hesitant, but Tatsuma's face lit up with the radiant, excited smile of someone who had just found a soulmate.
"As expected of the First Hokage's grandson! Truly brave and straightforward! I accept!"