Chapter 52: Interlude
A cool breeze was blowing, and the sun was bright.
On the rooftop of a relatively tall building in Konoha.
Kakashi was leaning lazily against a wall, bathing in the warm sunlight.
"Jiraiya-sama, it's been a long time! You haven't been back to the village in several years, have you? Is there something you need me for?"
Jiraiya leaned against the railing, overlooking the scenery of Konoha. In the gentle breeze and bright sun, Konoha was like a lazy and elegant woman, leisurely stretching her soft body.
"To be precise, I'm not looking for you," Jiraiya paused for a moment. "But that child..."
Jiraiya turned his head and looked at Kakashi seriously.
"Kakashi, give Naruto... to me!"
Kakashi was taken aback.
"...Jiraiya-sama?"
"Aren't you going to be focused on guiding Sasuke from now on? Then for this one month before the third exam, just leave Naruto to me!"
"Phew..." Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief. "Is this just to temporarily protect Naruto?"
"That will depend on how the situation develops. I'm worried that things might get to a point where even you can't handle it... Kakashi, you should know that I've been traveling the nations all these years after leaving Konoha and have gathered a lot of intelligence..." Jiraiya said in a deep voice.
"I've discovered an organization called 'Akatsuki,' which has taken in many dangerous and powerful wanted criminals, including even Itachi... They are gathering information about the Tailed Beasts everywhere and seem to be harboring sinister intentions!"
Jiraiya recounted the intelligence about the Akatsuki to Kakashi.
"You mean, they might make a move on Naruto?"
"That's what I'm worried about. After all, the Nine-Tails is the most powerful source of chakra in history..." Jiraiya said heavily. "Naruto will one day understand the destiny he carries. Before that day comes, I hope he can have the power to protect his own life. So, if necessary... I will take Naruto away. I will teach him personally!"
Jiraiya glanced at Kakashi.
"Naruto has grown quickly under your guidance, but for the subsequent instruction, it's more appropriate for me to take over. After all, your path is quite different from Naruto's. You should go and keep an eye on Sasuke..."
"I understand," Kakashi nodded gravely, agreeing to Jiraiya's proposal.
"If that's the case... could I trouble you to take one more child?"
"Are you talking about Haruno Sakura from your team?"
"Yes. I'm sure you've heard a little about her situation. To be honest, I'm also feeling a bit at a loss when it comes to guiding her!"
"I've heard of her, I suppose. The genius ninja who could develop a powerful water jutsu at the age of ten..." Jiraiya smiled faintly. As a powerhouse who had grown from a dead-last, he didn't actually care much for the titles of so-called geniuses.
He had already seen too many so-called geniuses who either died young on their path of growth or faded into obscurity after growing up.
There were only two geniuses that Jiraiya acknowledged from the bottom of his heart. One was his disciple, the Fourth Hokage.
And the other...
Was his former teammate, one of the Sannin, Orochimaru.
Even a genius like Kakashi, who graduated from the Ninja Academy at five, was promoted to Chunin at six, and became a Jonin at twelve, was, in Jiraiya's eyes, still a step behind.
And as for a so-called genius like Sakura, he had seen too many of them, so naturally, he paid her no mind.
What's more, from what he knew of Haruno Sakura's situation, he didn't recognize this kunoichi as having the potential to become a Kage-level powerhouse.
Jiraiya was not interested in Sakura.
However, since Kakashi had seriously made such a suggestion, Jiraiya would certainly not dismiss it lightly. Not to mention he had just taken a disciple from Kakashi's hands, Kakashi's character alone was worthy of Jiraiya's serious consideration.
"What's going on? Just an ordinary ninjutsu genius is giving even you a headache, Kakashi?" Jiraiya teased.
"It's not just that she's ordinarily talented in ninjutsu... You'll know when you see her jutsu. She already independently developed Minato-sensei's Wind Style: Rasengan some time ago," Kakashi said with a hint of pride. "Not to mention the two water jutsu she created herself."
"Oh?" Jiraiya's eyebrows couldn't help but rise.
Independently developed the Wind Style: Rasengan?
Jiraiya knew what the Rasengan represented. It was a very difficult and powerful ninjutsu. The Fourth Hokage had spent three years creating it, and its difficulty was ranked A.
And the Wind Style: Rasengan...
Was a ninjutsu that had only existed in the Fourth Hokage's conception, something that even Minato had not truly completed, with a difficulty of S-rank...
Such a ninjutsu was actually developed by a wet-behind-the-ears little girl?
Jiraiya was speechless.
"—An Orochimaru-style genius?" A wicked figure couldn't help but pop into Jiraiya's mind.
"No," Kakashi shook his head. "If I had to say, she's more like Minato-sensei. In some aspects, you could even say she's a carbon copy of sensei!"
A Minato-style genius... Jiraiya's favorability towards her instantly rose.
"I'm not suitable to guide a genius, Kakashi," Jiraiya said, standing up straight. "But, perhaps there is someone more suitable to guide her."
"You mean... that person? But she's not in the village."
"You'll be seeing her soon, I guarantee it," Jiraiya winked at Kakashi. "Alright, I'll go check on Naruto first!"
Jiraiya waved his hand without looking back and disappeared from the rooftop with a Body Flicker.
On the other side of Konoha, in the Hyuga residence.
Thud, thud, thud—
A tall, slender figure and a petite figure were engaged in a duel of Gentle Fist versus Gentle Fist in the Hyuga clan's training ground!
The tall, slender figure's long hair flew, his face handsome. It was Hyuga Neji, who had just been defeated by Sakura.
The petite figure was graceful, with delicate features. It was Hyuga Hinata, who had just advanced to the third round of the Chunin Exams.
Heh, hah!
Fists and palms came and went, figures advanced and retreated, weaving and turning. Amidst the fierce confrontation, the two's shouts, one clear and one deep, could be heard from time to time.
A duel of Gentle Fist from the same source. The siblings' moves were almost identical, as if they were fighting another version of themselves.
Unlike other fighting styles, the Gentle Fist used by the two, every punch and every palm, looked light and without force, but in fact, it contained a hidden power that, once it struck true, was immensely powerful!
The two siblings, who knew the terror of the Gentle Fist well, faced each other's seemingly probing moves with extreme caution, as if treading on thin ice!
After a probing exchange, the two finally clashed head-on. Neji's long palm and Hinata's slender hand pressed together. The two hands, one large and one small, contained comparable power. The fierce collision of chakra unfolded in their palms, and then erupted!
The two siblings were simultaneously forced back a step by this explosive force.
"Hmph!" "Ngh!" A muffled groan and a suppressed gasp came from their mouths.
Phew— Neji let out a long breath.
Hinata walked to the side of the training ground, took two clean white towels, patted her own face with one, and handed the other to Neji.
"Neji-niisan, take a break and wipe your sweat!"
Neji was slightly taken aback, then accepted the towel from Hinata's hand, which still carried a faint scent of soap.
When training with Team Gai, he didn't have such good treatment. At home, there were prepared towels, snacks to replenish energy, and a professional training ground, and so on—these were but the tip of the iceberg of the Hyuga's foundation as a powerful Konoha clan.
More importantly, he also had a gentle, cute, and strong younger sister as a training partner.
Neji thought, looking at his sister who was completely defenseless in front of him.
Recently, his life and his thoughts had changed a little.
In the preliminary matches, after the battle with the young girl Haruno Sakura, which had started as an even match and ended with him being mercilessly crushed, Neji admitted that some of his deeply rooted beliefs had been shaken.
The words of the strong always carry a bit more persuasive power than those of ordinary people.
And the defiance against destiny from a strong person who had grown from a girl of ordinary aptitude had moved Neji even more.
Immediately after, that same night, the scene of the head of the Hyuga clan, the high and mighty main family head, Hyuga Hiashi, kneeling deeply before him, had changed Neji's thinking even further.
Perhaps there was an element of acting in Hiashi's kneeling. But the bond between the two brothers, Hyuga Hiashi and Neji's father Hizashi, was a sincere one where they were willing to die for each other.
And this sincerity was also genuinely conveyed to Neji.
Neji, who had resented the main family and the clan head Hiashi for his father's death all this time, at this moment, finally let it go.
Father died for his older brother.
Perhaps there were still many things worthy of Neji's resentment in this, but Neji was relieved.
There was still a lot of sorrow, a lot of pain, a lot of dissatisfaction in his heart, but he had let go of his hatred, let go of his mental block, let go of his stubbornness.
He had cast off his shackles.
Neji, whose heart was liberated at this moment, looked back at his past self, a self full of narrow-minded ideas, and couldn't help but find it laughable. Now, he finally understood what it meant to have the disposition of a strong person.
A so-called strong person is not one who is physically strong, but one who can control their own heart.
After his injuries healed, the next morning, he stepped into the Hyuga training ground, a place he hadn't been to since his father's death.
Hinata was sparring with her father, Hiashi. In a daze, Neji seemed to see his younger self and his father, Hizashi, practicing the Gentle Fist.
The morning sunlight shone through his shoulders onto the two on the field, warm and gentle.
Like his father's warm, large hand.
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