Chapter 43 - Fourth Year 06.

[Chapter Size: 1900 Words.]

Third Person POV

Konoha, Year 35.

...

...

As night deepened in Konoha, Minato and Kushina left the Hokage stones to return to the village, taking the same path they had climbed up the mountain. They returned to the village, and Minato escorted Kushina to the Senju mansion.

"Then we'll see each other another time," Minato said with a smile, and Kushina looked at him suspiciously.

"Are you going to send a clone to school again?" she asked.

"On days without theoretical lessons, I intend to do just that. I plan to leave my original to train other important things; the clones can absorb the lesson and train in chakra refinement that teacher Fuumi will give us," Minato explained, scratching his head.

"I understand... But anyway, thanks for the walk, I enjoyed it much more than I imagined, so we'll go another time, Minato!" She said with a shy smile and went to the entrance of the complex. Minato nodded and headed back to the orphanage.

After briefly explaining to Madame Gorete about his delay, he did his things before resting for the next day.

As the weeks in Konoha unfolded, filled with learning and growth, Minato continued to hone his skills and knowledge with the help of his clones at his usual training ground.

"I think I can start this kind of training today..." Minato murmured, looking at his goal for the day.

It was a sunny day with the sun already high in the sky, and the wind gently blowing through the leaves. Minato found himself in a clearing surrounded by tall, robust trees. He looked up, observing how the branches intertwined, forming a complex pattern against the blue sky. This is where he would test himself, where he would learn to climb.

'This hasn't been taught at the academy yet, but as I remember, you need to concentrate your chakra in the soles of your feet in a balanced way... I already know how to distribute chakra throughout my body to enhance physical conditions, however, this is a bit more complex...' Minato reasoned before crossing his hands in a seal.

Focusing deeply, Minato began the exercise. He knew that the key to success was meticulous control of the chakra he had been training for a long time, allowing him to adhere to the tree's surface without using his hands or feet.

After feeling the chakra in his feet and trying to regulate its amount, Minato lifted his foot to the tree before starting to walk. He managed to fix his feet and was climbing.

'This isn't so difficult...hm?' At that moment, his foot sank into the tree, causing him to lose balance and fall from the tree.

He didn't hurt himself, landing on his feet, but he wouldn't have bothered otherwise, as his body enters a state of light at any damage.

He tried again, going in a slightly longer direction before having the same result.

"I think I understand how this works now, I just need to practice..." Minato thought before crossing his arms but then noticed something with his observation haki.

'Someone is coming at high speed, but it's not an anbu like my spies, this one is certainly not making an effort to hide his presence.' Minato analyzed the person coming at speed and it didn't take long for them to arrive, but the identity left Minato quite surprised.

It was Jiraiya, his face was young, he was wearing his normal village headband instead of the sage one he had in classic and Shippuden Naruto.

"Hmm...? What do we have here? A young ninja training?!" He said with a smile, and Minato almost rolled his eyes, he knew this meeting wasn't by chance, Jiraiya already knew he would find Minato here.

"Who are you?" Minato asked with narrowed eyes; he couldn't say, hello Jiraiya.

"Hm? The boy doesn't know the famous Jiraiya?" Jiraiya asked as if Minato had committed a crime.

"No." Minato replied calmly, he wasn't lying, after all, he only knew a 2D character, not a real one.

"What? The famous Jiraiya is unknown to an academy child, but we can resolve that!"

"You don't know the disciples of the current Hokage?" Jiraiya asked with a growl, hoping Minato would know.

"Of course, there's Tsuna's mother, Tsunade Senju, some weird guy named Orochimaru, I think that's his name..." Minato said, hand on chin.

"Yes, yes, and the last one?" Jiraiya maintained his expectant face in his twenties.

"I think that's all, I don't know any others..." Minato finally spoke.

This made Jiraiya fall to the ground in depression.

"Are you okay, uncle?" Minato asked worriedly, but inside he was laughing at the situation.

"I am, it's just that I didn't expect to be not so famous..." Jiraiya lamented.

"So who are you?" Minato asked with a curious tone.

"I guess I'll have to introduce myself..." He said still in a sad tone, but when the last word left his mouth, he changed the tone to someone more excited.

With a dramatic movement, Jiraiya adopts a heroic pose, and, mysteriously, a pompous and theatrical sound seems to emerge from nowhere, filling the air around him.

'Where is that sound coming from?!' Minato wonders, clearly intrigued. He had never heard anything like it, and for a moment, wonders if Jiraiya is capable of more than he appears.

"I am the successful ninja writer, whose novels will soon be best-sellers in all bookstores of Konoha and beyond!" Jiraiya begins with a flourish, his tone full of pride and a glint of enthusiasm in his eyes. "But writing is just one of my many facets!"

He pauses dramatically, allowing his words to settle in the air before continuing. "I am also known as the Sage of the Mountain, whose feats are spoken of throughout the country, whose strength and wisdom are legendary!"

His voice grows in enthusiasm, almost as if he himself is being carried away by the stories he tells. "And let's not forget, of course, my reputation among women, particularly those who frequent the bathhouse. Ah, it's a hard life being so adored," he says with a roguish smile, adding a note of irreverent charm to his presentation.

Minato becomes increasingly dazed by this character and his poses and speeches.

"But above all, I am Jiraiya, the direct disciple of the Third Hokage and an apprentice of the wise toads of Mount Myōboku. I am destined for great deeds and epic adventures!"

His presentation ends with another dramatic pose and the mysterious sound resonating once more, as a final touch to his words. Minato watches, speechless.

"Well... what's your name again?" Minato asked again, wanting to forget everything he saw, causing Jiraiya to fall to the ground again.

"How can you forget my name after my epic presentation, it's Jiraiya!" Jiraiya shouted at Minato.

"Well... then it's a pleasure, Jiraiya..." Minato honestly didn't know what to say.

"Well, I said my name, what's yours?" He crossed his arms.

"Minato Namikaze..." Minato murmured.

"Minato? The one who is the prodigy of the academy in the elite/prodigy class??" Jiraiya asked pretending to be a little surprised.

"I guess so..." Minato replied calmly.

"Wait, shouldn't you be at the academy at this moment?" Jiraiya raised the issue.

"I send a shadow clone; theoretical lessons can be dealt with clones." Minato responds easily, he has no reason to hide this from Jiraiya, moreover, Jiraiya must have observed him out of his reach of haki, he just didn't expect Jiraiya to see him using his light ability.

"Shadow clone? At 9 years old, that seems to be a great feat! I saw you are starting the tree climbing training, as one of the most powerful ninjas in Konoha, I noticed your difficulties and will assist you with that!" He said seeming quite helpful.

'Is he being nice to me? Well, maybe he's already interested in me, after all, I will be part of his team in the future.' Minato wouldn't waste a teaching from Jiraiya, so he agreed with a few words, since it still wasn't taught in the academy and he only had the knowledge from the work in the Naruto era.

With a nod of approval, Jiraiya approaches Minato, ready to share his wisdom and experience with a smile.

"Minato, climbing trees using chakra control is a fundamental skill for any shinobi. It's not just about strength or the amount of chakra, but about fine control and perception," Jiraiya begins, his tone now completely focused on training.

"You need to feel the tree, sense how the chakra interacts with it. It's as if you're asking permission to climb, not forcing your way," he explains, walking up to the base of one of the trees and placing his hand on the bark.

Watching closely, Minato sees Jiraiya concentrate a small amount of chakra in the palm of his hand, which glows softly against the tree. "See, it's gentle, almost like a dance. You need to balance your chakra in such a way that it's strong enough to support you but not so strong that it damages the tree or throws you off balance."

Jiraiya then steps back and, with surprising grace, begins to climb the tree, each step carefully measured and controlled. Minato watches, impressed by the ease and fluidity of Jiraiya's movements as an elite jonin.

"You also need to be aware of your own body, Minato. Every movement should be precise and intentional. Any hesitation or excess force, and you'll lose your balance," Jiraiya continues, now speaking from above, easily balanced in the tree.

Minato nods, absorbing every word. He then focuses, attempting to mimic the technique Jiraiya demonstrated. Initially, he still finds it challenging, but with Jiraiya's guidance and his own relentless determination, he begins to make visible progress.

"That's it, Minato! Just like that. Feel the flow of chakra, feel the tree. It's a delicate balance, but you're getting the hang of it," Jiraiya encourages, watching from the heights as Minato practices.

With the unexpected help of Jiraiya, Minato feels a new surge of confidence and understanding. He continues to practice, each attempt taking him a little higher, each movement becoming a bit more natural.

As the training session progresses that afternoon, Minato not only improves his tree-climbing ability but also gains a new perspective on chakra control. And, perhaps more importantly, he gains a new respect for Jiraiya, not just as a colorful and flamboyant figure, but as a skilled shinobi and a generous future mentor.

When he finally masters the technique after an hour of training, Minato looks up at Jiraiya with gratitude and respect. "Thank you, Jiraiya. I learned a lot today," he said atop the tree, maintaining the proper flow of chakra in the soles of his feet.

Jiraiya just smiles, shrugging with false modesty. "Ah, it was nothing. Just doing my part to help the next generation. But remember, Minato, the path of the shinobi is long and filled with challenges. Keep training, keep learning, and who knows? One day, you might even surpass me," Jiraiya spoke with a smile and turned around.

"I'm off now; I need to do some research... I mean, the Hokage is calling me!" He said and left, jumping between the trees.

Minato knew he was going to spy on the women's hot springs, but he felt grateful for Jiraiya's support in their first encounter.

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