Looking at Jiraiya, Okamoto Dousuke slowly reached into his backpack and pulled out his wallet.
Just as he was about to count out the money, whoosh.
In the blink of an eye, the wallet was snatched from his hand and now rested in Jiraiya's. "Hey, why the hesitation? That's not very Konoha-like of you."
"Ninjutsu, Summoning Technique!"
Poof!
A toad the size of a newborn baby appeared in Jiraiya's place.
"Gamayi, I need you to do something for me," Jiraiya said to the small toad, seemingly having reappeared in the blink of an eye. It seemed Jiraiya held a position of considerable respect in Myoboku Mountain.
"Lord Jiraiya, what is your bidding?" Gamayi croaked respectfully.
"Take this money and pay for the ramen. And return the bowl as well." Jiraiya placed the empty ramen bowl Okamoto Dousuke had just finished eating on Gamayi's head.
Then, he swiftly extracted a wad of bills from Okamoto Dousuke's surprisingly full wallet and placed it in the bowl.
Poof!
The toad from the spirit world vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
"The training ahead will be quite rigorous. To prevent you from getting discouraged by hardship and fatigue, I'll be holding onto your wallet for the time being." With that, Okamoto Dousuke watched as Jiraiya neatly tucked his wallet into his ninja tool pouch.
"But, Master Jiraiya..."
"Hey, you're Tsunade's disciple, which automatically makes you my disciple too, Jiraiya's disciple! No need to call me 'sir.' Just 'teacher' will do," Okamoto Dousuke was interrupted by Jiraiya before he could finish his protest.
"Let's go, kid," Jiraiya said, cutting off any further argument and striding directly out of the village gates.
"Hey…" Looking at Jiraiya's departing figure, Okamoto Dousuke resigned himself to the likely temporary loss of his funds. He picked up his backpack and dejectedly followed his new teacher.
"Teacher Jiraiya, where exactly are we headed?" Okamoto Dousuke asked, catching up to Jiraiya, who was a few steps ahead.
"Well, naturally, I'm taking you to a place where we can properly begin your training in the Flying Thunder God Jutsu!"
"This is the first time Tsunade has ever asked me for a favor like this! She truly values you, Dousuke!" Jiraiya declared, striking a pose with his hands on his hips.
"I will do my very best and won't let Teacher Tsunade or you down," Okamoto Dousuke replied, nodding with determination.
"Alright then, let's get this show on the road! Best of luck for the rest of the journey, kid!"
Whoosh!
Jiraiya leaped onto a thick tree trunk and called down, "Keep up, we're leaving!"
"Okay, Teacher Jiraiya!" Okamoto Dousuke followed Jiraiya's lead, the two figures quickly rushing forward through the trees.
Jiraiya glanced back from time to time, observing Okamoto Dousuke keeping pace effortlessly beside him.
Unlike most people, Dousuke Okamoto had a unique way of traveling. He would lightly tap the tree trunks with his toes, and a subtle surge of water would propel him forward.
This ingenious method allowed him to conserve as much chakra as possible during their long journey.
As a newly graduated Genin, Jiraiya was quite impressed that Okamoto Dousuke could maintain his speed so easily.
And looking at Okamoto Dousuke's relaxed demeanor, it seemed the long distance journey wasn't posing too much of a challenge for the young ninja.
After confirming that Okamoto Dousuke could comfortably match his speed, Jiraiya gradually began to increase his pace.
The sun, once high above, slowly began its descent towards the horizon.
Seeing that dusk was approaching, Jiraiya finally stopped. "Alright, let's take a break here."
"Okay, Jiraiya-sensei," Okamoto Dousuke said, panting slightly as he wiped the sweat from his brow. His chakra reserves were nearing depletion from the constant effort of maintaining his speed.
He had to carefully regulate his chakra flow and output to keep pace, requiring constant attention to the rate of his chakra refinement and expenditure.
Jiraiya looked at Okamoto Dousuke, who had sat down nearby to rest, and swiftly lit a small bonfire.
"You rest here for a bit. I'll go grab us something to eat," Jiraiya said before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.
A short while later, Jiraiya returned to the campfire, carrying a few plump fish and offering Okamoto Dousuke a bottle of water.
"Come and sit down," Jiraiya called out from his spot by the crackling fire.
After taking a couple of refreshing sips of water, Okamoto Dousuke, feeling somewhat recovered from their travel, walked over and settled down, placing his backpack beneath him for added comfort.
He accepted the fresh fish from Jiraiya, who seemed to have procured it out of thin air.
With swift precision, a sharp chakra scalpel materialized at his fingertips, slicing across the fish's body with incredible speed, instantly removing its internal organs and scales.
Grabbing his waterskin with his other hand, Chakra was skillfully manipulated to draw water out, forming a delicate water orb that enveloped the fish, thoroughly cleansing it without damaging the precious meat.
This kid's chakra control is truly exceptional. No wonder Tsunade values him so highly, Jiraiya thought, observing Okamoto Dousuke's fluid and precise Water Style fish cleaning with admiration.
"Kid, you always need to remember that in a battle, conserving your chakra is paramount to survival," Jiraiya said, watching Okamoto Dousuke place the cleaned fish on the makeshift grill over the fire, sharing his hard-earned battlefield wisdom.
"I know, Jiraiya-sensei. I just often feel like I don't have enough chakra to do everything I want."
"Don't worry about that, you're still young. As you mature, your chakra reserves will naturally increase."
"The chakra levels of Genin, Chunin, and Jonin aren't fixed numbers. They vary greatly from individual to individual. What you need to focus on is finding your own personal balance between chakra output and extraction, so you can better anticipate and control the rhythm of any battle."
"Okay, Teacher Jiraiya, the fish is grilled. Please, try some," Okamoto Dousuke said, offering a perfectly grilled fish to Jiraiya.
"Well, kid, your grilled fish is surprisingly good!" Jiraiya's eyes widened in appreciation as he tasted the tender, flaky meat, enhanced by the subtle smoky aroma of the wood fire.
Despite the simple addition of basic salt as seasoning, the cooking skills Okamoto Dousuke had honed over years of living independently still managed to impress the seasoned Jiraiya.
He devoured the fish in large mouthfuls, discarding the bones onto the ground. Jiraiya was genuinely surprised by the simple yet delicious meal.
"Except for the main backbone, all the other tiny bones in this fish have been completely removed!" Jiraiya exclaimed, looking at Okamoto Dousuke, who was already grilling another fish.
His gaze then drifted towards the spot where Okamoto Dousuke had washed the fish earlier.
All that remained was a small pile of tiny white thorns, almost hidden beneath the discarded entrails and fish scales.
Did this kid use water jutsu to meticulously remove all those tiny bones while he was washing the fish? His chakra control is beyond abnormal!
"Teacher Jiraiya, would you like to eat more?" Okamoto Dousuke asked, offering him another freshly grilled fish.
"You eat it, kid. I'm stuffed," Jiraiya said, watching as Okamoto Dousuke took a bite of his own fish.
With this kind of unnatural chakra control, this kid might truly be a monster when he comes of age.
"Clean up the bonfire and any garbage after you finish eating," Jiraiya said, already leaping onto a nearby tree trunk.
"Got it, Jiraiya-sensei," Okamoto Dousuke replied.
A short while later, Okamoto Dousuke finished his meal and looked at the dwindling campfire and the remaining scraps.
His hands enveloped in a thin layer of chakra, Okamoto Dousuke prepared to dig a hole to bury the waste.
Watching Okamoto Dousuke about to create a makeshift pit, Jiraiya smirked. This kid's chakra control is certainly remarkable, but in most other areas, he's still quite average.
He jumped down from the tree, landing silently beside Okamoto Dousuke.
With a quick hand seal, Jiraiya placed his hands on the ground. The small bonfire, still faintly glowing, rapidly transformed into a small, muddy swamp, which slowly engulfed the remaining fire and garbage before hardening back into solid earth, leaving the area looking untouched.
"Mastering other types of jutsu is also a fundamental requirement for a ninja," Jiraiya said to Okamoto Dousuke, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.
"Well, since my only elemental affinity is water, I haven't had the chance to master escape techniques of other attributes yet," Okamoto Dousuke explained.
"It doesn't really matter. Mastery of non-native elemental releases is usually something learned by Jonin with significant chakra reserves."
"It might be a bit ambitious for you as a Genin right now, but I have a feeling you can pull it off. After you master the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, try giving it a shot," Jiraiya said with a wide grin.