Chapter 81: Toads are ugly

(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)

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A few days earlier, Jiraiya, who was following Orochimaru's trail, had returned to Konoha.

His first action was to meet with the Third Hokage.

"How long will you be staying this time?" the Third asked, his mood improving at the sight of his disciple.

Despite their many disagreements, Jiraiya still maintained respect for his teacher. And the third was equally proud of his student.

"I'm just here to check on Minato's kid. It won't be long."

"Jiraiya…Can't you just stay here for once? If you do, you could become the Hokage after the Chūnin exams, and relieve this old man from this heavy duty" The Third looked hopeful.

Jiraiya smiled bitterly.

"Old man, you know my temperament isn't suited for that position. Besides, you've been at it for so many years, you might as well keep going."

Having seen more of the village's darker side, Jiraiya's original passion had waned.

These days, he only wanted to find the "child of prophecy" mentioned by the Great Toad Sage and bring peace to the ninja world. His secondary goal was to correct Orochimaru's misguided path.

The Third snorted softly. Already aware of such a response.

"It's fine if you don't want to be the Hokage. It's not like there aren't any promising candidates. Worst case, I'll just hold on for a few more years."

This piqued Jiraiya's interest.

"Who's caught your eye?" From the Third's words, he clearly implied that there was someone worthy, but still needed some time before he could assume the position.

The Third smiled and recounted Colt's story with pride filling his tone: An orphan and distant relative of the Senju clan who had awakened a special bloodline limit, graduated at the top of his class like Kakashi, and even managed to kill an Elite Jōnin.

He also recounted about the recent events, where he had fought against Orochimaru without losing, even driving him away. Most importantly, he emphasized how he possessed the Will of Fire and knew how to cherish his comrades.

Jiraiya was speechless for a long time after hearing this.

A thirteen-year-old who could fight Orochimaru to a standstill? Wasn't that on par with his own abilities? Could such a genius really exist?

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Back to the present.

"Colt, how did you meet Pervy Sage?" Naruto looked curiously between Jiraiya and Colt, wondering about their encounter.

"I caught someone peeping at the women's bath, I delivered punishment to him, and then followed him here" Colt replied matter-of-factly.

"Ah, I see." Naruto understood immediately.

He was looking at Jiraiya with contempt.

He too had met Jiraiya at the hot springs when the Sannin was peeping.

"Ahem!" Jiraiya coughed, embarrassed.

"You brats just don't understand the adult matters. This isn't peeping! It's... research on the well development of the village's residents."

Colt cast a scornful look. That was certainly a poetic way of putting it.

Jiraiya seeing that it wasn't working, quickly tried to change the subject.

"Brat, I see you have an extraordinary potential. You're a prime candidate for learning ninjutsu," Jiraiya said.

He summoned a toad and struck a pose. "I have a certain [Scroll of Summoning] here. It belongs to the Toads of Mount Myōboku. If you become my student, I'll let you use it. How about it?"

Ever since the Third had told him of Colt's deeds, Jiraiya had wondered if this might be the child of prophecy he sought after for so long.

Don't think that he was being casual about this assumption… after all, he would never dare joke about such a thing.

So, he produced the Mount Myōboku Summoning scroll to entice Colt into becoming his student.

However, Colt's reaction was unexpected.

"No thanks, the toads are too ugly," Colt refused decisively.

Among the three holy places, the toads were too ugly and the snakes were disgusting.

And while others might disagree, only Katsuyu looked normal to Colt.

He had no desire to sign a contract with these toads Jiraiya was talking about.

"Brat, didn't you hear me well? This is Mount Myōboku's Summoning contract, it's not like summoning contracts can be found around on the ground, okay? And what did you say about the toads? They're ugly? Are you serious?" Jiraiya asked incredulously.

Colt shook his head.

"I said no, and I mean no." He remained firm.

"Now then… Since you have nothing else for me, I'll be going. See you later, Naruto" With that, he bid farewell to Naruto and left.

"See you" Naruto waved and continued his training.

Only Jiraiya stood there, stunned.

What was with young people these days? Was appearance more important than strength? Looking back at Naruto, who was still clumsily practicing the Summoning Technique, Jiraiya felt relieved.

At least there was still one normal kid here.

In truth, Colt had deeper reasons for not signing the contract with Mount Myōboku.

The Great Toad Sage, Gamamaru, seemed suspicious to him at first glance. No matter how you looked at it, that guy didn't seem that innocent. The Sage of Six Paths wouldn't have turned against Kaguya without his influence and arrangements after all.

Moreover, Colt, having practiced [Sage Mode] recently, keenly sensed that the natural energy in the world shouldn't be so scarce. Most likely, it was due to the Chakra fruit. Thus, to maintain the natural energy on which the three sacred lands thrived even to this age, everything the Great Toad Sage did became traceable.

With his hot spring plans ruined by Jiraiya, Colt changed his schedule. He decided to check on Hinata and Ino's training progress.

Arriving at the Hyuga compound, he met Hinata without any hindrance.

"Colt!" Hinata exclaimed. Seeing each other after just a day felt like a reunion after years apart. She leaped directly into Colt's arms, hugging him tightly. The fatigue accumulated over several days of training seemed to melt away.

Hinata was more and more comfortable around him.

Colt returned the embrace tenderly, casting a slightly reproachful look at Hiashi Hyuga, who stood there like an awkward third wheel. He could see how much Hinata had suffered in the past few days; she looked completely worn out.

Hiashi was also at a loss for words but simultaneously relieved. This boy clearly loved Hinata deeply, so at least he wouldn't have to worry about her being mistreated in the future.

Behind the door, Hanabi scratched her chin, peering inside curiously. In her mind, her sister had always been soft and meek, but she hadn't expected Hinata to have such a wild side. It was quite amazing to witness.

The two shared a warm moment before Hinata brought up the topic of training again.

"Why don't we stop the training? You and Ino won't really fight anyway, so there's no need to push yourself so hard," Colt suggested softly.

Hinata gently but firmly refused. "Colt, I'm not taking the exam just for the Chūnin rank. Rather, I want to ensure I won't be a burden to you in the future."

Hearing this, Colt sighed but didn't try to dissuade her further. It was Hinata's choice, and he chose to support it.

Seeing Hinata and Hiashi resume their training, Colt quietly backed out. As he left, he noticed a young girl staring at him intently.

Colt smiled. "Hello, Hanabi,"

He came closer and squatted next to her.

"By the way, little brat, why are you sneaking around?"

The little girl pouted. "Elder Brother, don't treat me like a child. I'm already seven years old. And I'm not s-sneaking around at a-all" Her eyes were darting around.

'This brat… she's even cuter than Hinata was at that age.' He thought.

Colt smiled inwardly, reaching out to gently ruffle her long, smooth hair.

Hanabi showed an expression of enjoyment.

This was a technique Colt had perfected over the years, using just the right amount of pressure.

He decided to chat with her a bit.

And as such, the two bonded easily, and soon Hanabi was settled very close to him, having taken a liking to him.

"So, you and big sister have been together since you were young?" Hanabi asked, fascinated by Colt's stories of how he and Hinata met and grew closer.

She realized how happy her sister was outside the compound.

Thinking of the boys in her class, Hanabi looked displeased.

A bunch of snotty kids who called their eyes monstrous. Didn't they hear how her elder brother complimented their eyes, calling them beautiful?