"Faster, boy! Don't let that rock roll you down again!"
Fukasaku's croak echoed across the misty cliffs of Mount Myōboku, where the air shimmered with chakra so dense it almost felt alive. The stone beneath my sandals trembled as I charged upward while holding a boulder twice my size, veins bulging at my temples. My legs burned, chakra flaring under my soles as I kept my focus sharp.
Tree-walking and boulder-carrying. A horrifying combination.
Unfortunately I couldn't shout back at the toad as. I grit my teeth at the scary fact of how high up in the sky I was. On top of only chakra on the soles of my feet keeping me from my death right now.
"Move those legs, ya slug!"
'Fuck.' A single thought was in my head.
Despite the distraction my practise with such exercises made it so something like this wouldn't make me fall off. It seems like my training has been paying off someway.
The slope ahead was practically vertical now. Each step sent pebbles tumbling into the abyss below. I planted a foot, channeling chakra into the soles to keep from slipping, then lunged upward, dragging the boulder another few meters.
Life and death situations really made a person lock in huh.
Every few seconds, the boulder's weight threatened to pull me backward.
"Keep your focus, Jiraiya-boy!" Fukasaku called from atop a nearby mushroom. "If your chakra flow wavers, that rock'll flatten ya!"
As if I needed the reminder.
The boulder shifted. My chakra flickered for an instant and the stone lurched a little side ways. My heart jumped into my throat.
"Not today!" I shouted, tightening up the core of my body. The boulder halted in place as my thighs slightly adjust it back. It used up most of my strength as the air in my lungs were nearly gone.
Thankfully the peak was just a few seconds away.
When I finally reached the top of the ridge, I collapsed forward, arms spread wide. The boulder rolled to the side and cracked the ground next to me. I lay there gasping, sweat dripping into my eyes, chest heaving.
*CRACK*
"Haah… haah… how's that… for a warm-up…" I wheezed.
Fukasaku hopped beside me, arms folded with a wide smile. "A warm-up, eh Jiraiya boy? Then I suppose ya wouldn't mind another round?"
I groaned into the dirt. "Let me live old toad."
"You'll thank me later, boy," he said, his tone softening slightly. "Yer control's improving. Chakra output's steadier now."
I cracked an eye open. "Coming from you, I'll take that as high praise."
He chuckled, the sound gravelly but warm. "You've got grit, I'll give ya that. As a prize I'll show you what sage mode can do, follow me."
His words immediately got my attention.
Despite my body practically begging for any type of rest, right now that wasn't the current priority. I needed to see what this small bugger could do with nature energy. Better yet how strong he was despite his size.
'Did Fukasaku show Naruto in the anime?' A random thought was in my mind as I hopped off my ass.
The main part I remember about sage mode is the toad's fighting style. More specifically the frog katas where because of the nature of sage mode, you can hit a person even without "hitting them" physically yourself.
Basically nature chakra can be an extension of yourself.
Basically just chakra arms but invisible and extremely lethal, being able to attack from any angle no matter where you're facing. It's perfect for someone like me who'll want to get in there for a battle often.
Makes the risks of myself being hit or injured drop, much less poisoned.
'Although I'll need to think of over ways to get stronger.'
Sage mode won't fully take me over the hump in battle, especially since a half cooked sage mode on top of a boss summon was the original Jiraiya's peak. While still impressive as it was stated he could reach a stalemate or beat Pain if he knew the diva paths.
As much as I want to admit, even when Jiraiya outclasses most Kage and most of the Akatsuki. His hax is not enough to compete with the main threats that I'm currently trying to fight.
Unless of course we go down that, I'm gonna train the future Naruto since birth.
'In all fairness, most of Konoha's future problems are easy to fix.' I thought with some sweat going down my face remembering Danzo Shimura.
For now though the future isn't set.
Fukasaku led me deeper into Mount Myōboku, past glowing ponds and twisting vines that hummed with vitality.
We stopped in a clearing surrounded by stone pillars shaped like ancient toads. "Watch close, boy," Fukasaku said, crouching low. "This is the true power of nature chakra!"
The air shifted.
The world seemed to breathe as it felt like some sort of energy was being sucked in towards Fukasaku. In an instant, the toad's wrinkles smoothed slightly, his eyes sharpened, and faint orange pigmentation spread around them. The pressure that followed made my hair stand on end.
The ground cracked as he leapt, vanishing in a blur. Taking the opportunity he gets under on of those huge stone frogs and effortlessly lifts it upwards for ten seconds.
*CRASH!*
"Woah..." I mutter jaw on the floor.
"You see now?" Fukasaku chuckled.
I nodded slowly, awe creeping up my spine.
"Jiraiya boy, didn't you say something earlier?" Fukasaku says interrupting my thoughts. "About a mission?"
"Yeah," I said, scratching the back of my neck. "My first C-rank. Sensei says it might involve bandits or rogue ninja outside the village. Nothing major, but…" I hesitated. "I'll probably have to get my first kill."
Fukasaku's expression softened. "Aye. That's a line every shinobi crosses sooner or later."
"Doesn't make it any better knowing that," I muttered. "I just… don't want to freeze when it happens."
Hearing my honest thoughts, Pa just huffed out.
"Then don't go alone," the old toad said simply. "Summon Gamabunta if things turn ugly. He's a stubborn one, but he wouldn't anything to harm you. I'll tell him to keep an eye on ya. If you're feeling out of it, summon him before or after the kill."
I blinked. "Is that alright?"
"That rogue bastard just sits and idles all day anyways!" Pa's laughed louder than usual because of his still enhanced state.
Something in his tone steadied me. I gave a slow nod. "Thanks, Pa. I'll remember that."
He smiled, tapping my forehead lightly with his webbed hand. With a laugh, I formed the hand seals and vanished in a puff of smoke. Returning home to face Hiruzen and whatever waited next.
...
Splash
Cold water smacked my face as I hit the lake.
Again.
The voice of Hiruzen sensei could be slightly heard under the water as I swim back up.
"Focus, Jiraiya!" Hiruzen's voice boomed across the clearing. He stood perfectly balanced atop the rippling surface, his arms behind his back as if he were taking a casual stroll. Seeing this my mouth twice.
I surfaced, sputtering. "You say that like I'm not trying, sensei!"
He smiled faintly. "Trying isn't enough when your opponent isn't going to wait for you to find balance."
I groaned, pulling myself back to land and then channeling chakra to my feet once more to fight.
"This lake," Hiruzen said, gesturing to the still surface, "is your battlefield. Your chakra must remain calm and steady no matter what storm hits it. Now attack me."
"Attack?" I said, blinking. "You sure you don't want to switch that up? Maybe you can go first this time?"
He raised an eyebrow. "I'm not the one who needs practice being aggressive."
'Fair point.' I thought to myself not disagreeing.
I lunged forward, water splashing beneath my steps as I threw a punch. Hiruzen sidestepped effortlessly, flicking his wrist to parry. His other hand jabbed into my gut before I could react.
Now this was some bullshit.
This is some Kakashi treatment because aint he meant to lower himself to my level or somewhat above. He's not going back and forth, just beating my ass. This sucks.
Coughing, I dragged myself out. "You didn't have to go for the stomach!"
"You left it wide open," he said simply. The smug look on his face told me otherwise though. "If this were real combat, that would've been a kunai, not a fist."
I growled, shaking water from my hair. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
His smirk was answer enough.
We continued like that for several rounds of me charging in, him countering and knocking me back into the lake every few minutes. Between splashes and gasps for air, his voice cut through, calm and relentless.
"You hesitate too much. Always waiting, always observing. Shinobi don't wait, Jiraiya they strike first."
"I like to think before I swing!" I shot back, lunging again.
"And you'll think yourself dead one day!" He deflected my strike, spun me by the arm, and sent me tumbling once more into the freezing water. "Being the aggressor is often the only way to win. You either seize initiative or lose it."
I broke the surface with a gasp. "You could've just said that without drowning me six times!"
He ignored me completely. "That's why assassinations are so common. The first strike could decide everything. This is why innate sensors and the Hyuga clan bring such value to a team."
'Was this a hint?' I thought for a split second as it was bashed out of me.
"Reaction time, instinct, strength, speed. All things you must hone to a terrifying degree the way you've been fighting and seemingly want to in the future. Your style cannot have any hesitation!" He shouts as he comes flying in with a flying kick.
What the fuck.
The sight of him in the air and due to my previous injuries prevented me from dodging.
"Uh-" I groan out in pain.
'I'm going to feel that for a while you fuck.'
Hiruzen appeared behind me in a blur, hooking my ankle and flipping me into the air before sending me flying into the water again with a palm strike. This bastard might actually be trying to kill me!
Splash
...
Steam drifted lazily around the mountain springs outside Konoha, the air thick with heat and the faint scent of cedar. My muscles still ached from being Hiruzen's personal punching bag, but at least now, I was in water that wasn't trying to drown me.
Plus I'm not paying!
"Alright," Hiruzen said from where he sat across the rocks, towel around his neck. "You've been pestering me about that 'secret infiltration technique' of yours. Let's see it."
My mind paused at his words.
'Ahh shit, here we go. Wait I haven't even brought this up since the original Jiraiya pestered him. This perverted bastard is the one insisting.' I proceed to side eye him in disbelief.
Hiruzen was the one who was looking forward to this!
"Are you sure about this..."
He coughed into his closed fist while a shy look adorned his face. It looked weird as hell but as the person who's paying for all my food, plus the spa we are current doing. There's no harm showing the Hokage right.
The technique itself was the [Transparant Escape Technique]. From the old Jiraiya's memories it made you transparent but it doesn't cover things such as sound you make, smell and other schematics.
Still very useful though.
"Fine, but just because you pay for my food sensei," I said humouring him, grinning ear to ear.
This caused Hiruzen to nod approvingly.
I did a few hand seals and after the fourth one. My body started to be transparent, even making my clothes and such blend in with the surrounding. Hiruzen who saw this had an interested look on his face as if studying what was in front of him.
Seeing his hand raised I was confused.
"Hey-" He rubbed the top of my head as he laughed out loud. "Stop that!"
"This is very interesting, you're a little visible but the same colour as the surroundings. Quite the useful technique you made. Would you consider selling it to the village, I'll compensate you of course."
Eh, why not.
Maybe the original Jiraiya would have been hesitant but I feel no connection to a personally made ninjutsu. And as weird as it sounds, trying to get as much brownie points with Hiruzen while a bit weird. Will pay off eventually in the long run.
'It's not like he's mistreating me anyways. His presence along will Tsunade and Orochimaru are sort of the only reason I'm happy.' The more I thought about it the more I realised that there were some changes.
It seems like the original Jiraiya's personality rubbed off on me a little bit.
Wait does that make me a pervert now?
Do I still like ass over tits? Of course I do nevemind...
If anything I was more outgoing and not extremely depressed which was a stretch. Considering I'm still in a world such as Naruto but I'd rate the experience a 7/10. Being a super human is cool as hell with ninjutsu.
"Wait sensei, important question." I say with a serious tone which got his attention. "Ass or boobs."
Oh yeah Jiraiya definitely rubbed off on me.
"Hmmm, w-well the beautiful female figure-" He says trailing off, looking away.
"Don't try to talk out of it sensei! This is important." I interrupt him with a wide grin now. Watching the Hokage stutter was quite the entertainment. "You're really a top tier perv!"
"Well I'd say former is my preference." He finally answers staring at the wall which was where the woman's side would be with a contemplative look.
"Great minds think alike!" My words causing the both of us to laugh.
Despite myself not wanting to, "we" decided to do it.
Getting out of the water and now with towels over us, we started to scale the great wooden wall for the one piece on the other side...[1]
[1] Maybe I'll make an omake chapter if ya'll want it xD