Jiraiya patted his shoulder, comforting him. "It's no big deal. Torifu Nii-san is right here in the village; you'll definitely run into him." He added, "Besides, our Sensei and Torifu Nii-san are good friends; you can ask him for help."
But Hiruko seized on a loophole in Jiraiya's words. "Huh? That's not right, is it? Torifu-sama and our Sensei are of the same generation, so how can you call him Nii-san? Doesn't that mess up the hierarchy?"
Jiraiya waved his hand. "Oh, who cares! Aren't you tired of thinking so much all the time? We'll each address him as we please; our old man won't get angry." If Hiruzen heard him say that, he might just cough up blood! The little rascal, he was only twenty-two years old! How did he become an old man?!
Orochimaru just watched Jiraiya and Hiruko bicker while practicing Ninjutsu. By the time Jiraiya and Hiruko finished arguing, Orochimaru had successfully released a Ninjutsu once, astonishing his two companions.
"Orochimaru, you're so disloyal! How could you secretly train behind our backs!"
"Exactly! Watch my 'All Shuriken Out' Jutsu!"
The children started playing around in the courtyard. They were, after all, six-year-olds. Except for Orochimaru, the other two couldn't sit still.
Just then, Torifu noticed an acquaintance walking towards him. It was Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had just gotten off work. Hiruzen also saw Torifu and said with a smile, "Torifu, what are you doing here?"
Torifu smiled. "I found these three children quite interesting, so I stopped to watch for a bit." He asked, "Are they your new disciples?"
Hiruzen also smiled. "Yes, their talent is quite good, don't you think?"
Torifu nodded. "Of course, they're all promising. I didn't expect Hiruzen Nii-san to already be a teacher. Why didn't you say anything when you came this morning?"
Hiruzen replied somewhat embarrassedly, "I just took them as disciples, you see. I wanted to wait until they achieved something before showing them off; otherwise, I'd be too embarrassed."
Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Hiruko in the courtyard naturally saw their teacher arrive, but they couldn't see Torifu's presence. In their eyes, their teacher seemed to be vividly communicating with thin air, as if possessed, sometimes awkward, sometimes happy. The three children's faces turned pale, then green, and they were almost scared into running back inside to find their parents.
But in the end, Jiraiya was a bit braver. He walked to the doorway and said to Hiruzen, "Sensei, who are you talking to? I can't see anyone."
"Can't see?" Hiruzen somewhat suspected he had taken on a blind disciple. How could he not see someone standing right in front of him?
Torifu chuckled upon hearing this. "My fault, my fault." Then he dispelled his Chakra Concealment Technique.
Immediately, a yell echoed from the courtyard!
"Torifu-sama!!!! I admire you so much!!"
Hiruko scurried to the courtyard gate, his big, watery eyes fixed on Torifu. "I know, I heard everything you just said."
Hiruko suddenly felt embarrassed, recalling if he had said anything bad earlier, so he wouldn't leave a bad impression on Torifu.
Looking at the bewildered Hiruzen, Torifu explained, "You know, the villagers are too enthusiastic, so I learned a Chakra Concealment Technique from the Aburame Clan and improved it. That's how it is."
Hiruzen nodded upon hearing this. So that was all it was. But then he suddenly remembered, what did that little brat say just now? Admire Torifu?! Why would his own disciple admire Torifu?! And from the expressions on these kids' faces, two of them seemed to have already known Torifu!
"Torifu, what's going on? You seem very familiar with my disciples."
Torifu waved his hand. "It's a long story. I'll tell you slowly later."
Alright, alright. Since he said that, Hiruzen couldn't press the issue and simply changed the subject. "How are you coming along with the Ninjutsu I gave you yesterday?"
Jiraiya was the first to raise his hand and honestly said, "Didn't learn it at all!"
Hiruzen nearly tumbled over upon hearing this. This honesty was truly fearless of a beating! "Good, good, good! Just wait until your butt gets bruised!"
Jiraiya's smile immediately vanished and shifted to Hiruko's face.
"What are you laughing at! How's your training coming along?" Hiruzen admitted there was some personal vendetta mixed in. His own disciple admiring someone else — how could that make him feel good?
"I've got a bit of a knack for it, and the Jutsu is already halfway done."
"Oh?" Hiruko's answer greatly surprised Hiruzen. The Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu was a difficult Ninjutsu to learn after all. He had originally just wanted to test their patience, as the training for this Ninjutsu was cumbersome. But he hadn't expected this child to be so talented?
"Come! Quickly tell your teacher what you've completed!"
Hiruko, with his hands behind his back, said with a serious expression, "I already possess one shuriken!"
At this remark, the entire place fell silent, with only Orochimaru's parents, who were eavesdropping inside the house, bursting into wild laughter! Their laughter echoed into the courtyard, washing over Hiruzen's mind and brain repeatedly. Then Torifu also couldn't hold back and secretly chuckled.
But Hiruzen was not happy at all at this moment, because he was already fuming! "If you don't know it, just say so directly! Why say these pointless things! And didn't I give you the shuriken already!"
Hiruko, with the same expression, continued, "Reporting, Sensei, because I wanted to be humorous and appear more profound."
Torifu was on the verge of internal injuries from suppressing his laughter; heaven knew how hard it was to hold back. Hiruzen's scolding words were already at the tip of his tongue, but he finally swallowed them. "So profound, do you want to die?"
"Reporting, Sensei, I am still young and wish to live."
"Get lost, get lost! Go away!"
When he chose his disciples, why didn't he notice this child was so fond of talking back? Hiruzen was bursting with unvented anger. The last one was Orochimaru. If he was also so unreliable, then Hiruzen would truly have to give them a good lecture.
"Sensei, I think I've learned it."
At these words, half of the anger in Hiruzen's heart immediately dissipated. However, to prevent a repeat of the previous incident, Hiruzen still asked, "What do you mean 'I think I've learned it'?"
"I only used it for the first time just now, and I'm not proficient yet. There was also a element of luck, so that's why I said 'I think.'"
But then Orochimaru began to put it into practice. He threw a shuriken towards a large tree in the courtyard! Then he began to form hand signs, one by one, neither fast nor slow, just right. For a six-year-old child to be able to do this was already quite impressive.
"Shuriken - Shadow Clone Jutsu!"