"Haruto, I have a surprise for you!"
I heard my father's voice from the living room. I looked up. When Dad came in he was smiling. But I didn't feel the happy jumping feeling that kids are supposed to have.
Dad left for a few moments. When he came back, he was holding a small cage. Inside was a tiny puppy. He looked gentle. His eyes were big and black.
"His name is Max," Dad said. "Isn't he cute?"
He opened the door, lifted the puppy, rubbed his head a little, then put him in my arms.
I held him. He was warm and so light. So skinny. I thought: *How can something so small even exist?*
Dad crouched down so his eyes were at the same height as mine.
"I have to go to work now. I got him so you won't be bored when I'm gone."
His voice sounded tight, like something bothered him. I didn't ask why. I already knew. Mom died when I was born. I didn't know why? I wanted to ask but Dad works all the time and when I ask he seems annoyed so I stopped asking about Mom. When Dad is gone, Obaasan Yukiko takes care of me.
"Take care of yourself, okay?" he said. "Obaasan will be a little late today. If you're hungry, there are sandwiches in the fridge."
"Okay," I said.
"See you later, Haruto."
Then he left. The door closed with a click. The house became very quiet. It was just me and the puppy.
I stroked his fur. He pressed his head against my hand, like he wanted more. His tail moved a little.
My fingers moved by themselves. They closed around his neck. It wasn't hard at first. Just… holding.
"Woof woof woo..."
The puppy started to feel bothered. His body became stiff. His eyes changed expression.
"He is so hapy" I thought Max was happy when I squeezed his neck.
I squeezed harder. I was curious what would happen next. Max started to tremble. His little legs kicked. I started to smile. I didn't know why, but my mouth made a smile all by itself. I squeezed as hard as I could.
He moved for a while twitching, scratching my hands with his tiny paws. After two minutes he stopped.
I looked down at him. He wasn't moving anymore.
"Why aren't you moving?" I asked him.
He didn't answer. He just lay there like a toy that broke.
I didn't know what was happening. But I wanted to know. I carried him to the kitchen. I took the big knife from the drawer the one Obaa-chan uses for vegetables. I put the puppy on the table.
I pushed the knife into Max's tummy.
Red came out. Lots of red. It smelled warm and metallic. "What is this?"
I cut more. I wanted to see everything. Why did the moving stop? I was still looking inside Max's tummy when I heard the front door open.
When Obaasan entered, she froze, looking at me with a startled, fearful expression
I turned around. My hands were red.
Obaasan's eyes got very big. Her mouth opened, but at first no sound came out.
"Haruto—! Hiiiiiiikkkkkkk!!"
Obaa-chan screamed like something inside her tore apart. Her hands flew to her face. She staggered one step back, her knees shaking.
I just stood there, still holding the knife, looking at her curiously, wondering why she looked so scared?
---
Haruto woke up with a start, He was drenched in sweat. His heart pounded hard against his ribs.
"That dream again."
The incident with the dog had happened twelve years ago. Everything changed after that day. His father had him committed to a psychiatric clinic.
"Why did you do it?"
The psychiatrist had asked him.
Haruto stared curiously at the woman dressed in a white coat. He thought to himself: What did I do? I was just curious why Max stopped moving.
After a few moments, he answered:
"Max is really cute. I was playing with him. I squeezed his neck, and Max started kicking his little paws he looked so happy. But after a while he stopped moving. I wanted to see what happened, so I took Obaa-chan's knife and opened his tummy to look inside."
The woman in white looked at me for a moment, then turned and went to say something to my father.
After that Haruto's life changed. Whenever he saw blood, he felt ecstasy
At kindergarten, he felt different from the other children. He found it strange when he watched them play. He found these games 'boring'
In second grade, an older boy pushed him while walking towards his sit. Haruto fell hard and hit his head. The boy's name was Yukito he was the school bully, the one everyone feared.
Before that moment, Haruto had often wondered: *Why are all the other kids so scared of him?* Maybe Yukito was different. Maybe the liquid inside him wasn't the same red as Max's. Maybe if I play with him, he won't break.
Haruto stood up slowly. He grabbed the nearest chair, lifted it high, and slammed it into Yukito's stomach with all his strength. Yukito doubled over and dropped to his knees.
Haruto threw himself on top of him, pinning Yukito's arms under his knees. He forced the boy's mouth open, grabbed his tongue, pulled it out as far as it would go and then stabbed it hard with a freshly sharpened pencil.
Yukito wet himself. His body jerked once, twice, then went limp. He passed out.
Haruto stared down at him, disappointed. The liquid was the same color as Max's. If he play with Yukito any longer, he would break like Max. And Haruto didn't want to be sent back to that building full of people in white coats.
He felt bored. He stood up, brushed off his uniform, and walked away.
The whole classroom erupted in screams.
An old teacher dragged him to the office and yelled at him and called his father.
"Sit there and wait," the old man ordered, pointing to a chair.
An hour passed. Finally, his father arrived. Haruto watched as the teacher shouted at him. A few minutes later, Yukito's parents came in too. Yukito's mouth was wrapped in thick bandages; he looked small and pale between them.
Haruto saw his father drop to his knees in front of Yukito's parents. He pulled out an envelope and pressed it into their hands.
After that dayHaruto was suspended for three weeks.
My father started looking at me differently. He hated me for my lack of emotions, but he couldn't bring himself to abandon me because I looked exactly like my mother.
When Haruto returned to school, the other kids were terrified of him. They whispered, avoided his eyes, ran to the opposite side of the playground. He didn't care.
To him, they were all too weak just like Max. If he played with them, they would break too. He watched them run and scream and cry, and felt nothing but faint curiosity.
---
Haruto got up from bed, went to the bathroom, and took a shower.
"I missed the new episode of Naruto last night."
Haruto watched Naruto because of a cousin his father had basically forced into their home. His dad would bring the cousin over so someone would talk to his son since he himself never had time because of work and was worried about Haruto's personality.
The cousin had told him to watch Naruto, saying maybe he would feel some emotions when he saw how Naruto never gave up, how determined he was, how he cared for and loved a village that had hated him his entire childhood.
*Why does he smile in every situation? Why is he so determined to become Hokage? Why does he protect people who hate him? What is hatred? What is love? What's so interesting about being a hero? I can't understand those emotions*
Is he like Max he is hapy while the villagers play with him?
Haruto had always wondered about these things. Even if he didn't actually like the anime, the curiosity wouldn't let him stop watching.
After he finished his shower and brushed his teeth, Haruto got dressed in his usual simple clothes: black hoodie, dark jeans, and his worn-out sneakers. He went into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and looked inside for a few seconds.
"No more milk for cereal. I need to go buy some."
He took his keys and wallet from the small table next to the door. He checked the lock twice, then stepped out into the hallway. The building was quiet, it was still early in the morning. Most people were probably still sleeping. He walked down the three flights of stairs instead of taking the elevator. The stairwell smelled like old concrete and someone's breakfast cooking somewhere below. Outside, the air felt cool. Gray clouds covered the sky. Cars moved slowly on the main road. The convenience store was only about five minutes away if he walked at a normal speed. He put his hands in his pockets and started down the sidewalk. A few people passed by: an old woman with a small dog, a delivery guy on a bicycle, a couple arguing quietly about something. Haruto didn't look at them. He kept walking, eyes mostly on the ground. When he reached the big intersection, he waited for the light to change. The cars stopped. The pedestrian signal turned green. He stepped off the curb without thinking much about it. His mind was somewhere else half on the missed Naruto episode, half on nothing.
He was halfway across the street when he heard the sound. A low, heavy rumble that got louder very fast. He looked up. A big delivery truck was coming straight toward him. It was going much faster than it should have been at the intersection. The driver must have been distracted or in a hurry. The truck's horn blared long and loud. Haruto stopped walking. His feet felt stuck to the pavement. He saw the truck's front grille getting bigger and bigger, the headlights bright even in the daytime.
The driver hit the brakes hard. The tires screamed on the road. It was too late.
The truck hit him directly from the side.
The impact felt like being smashed by something huge and unstoppable. His body lifted completely off the ground. His arms and legs flailed for a second, then he crashed hard onto the asphalt about ten meters away. His back hit first. Pain exploded all over his body at once, then went numb almost right away.
Haruto lay on his back, staring up at the gray sky. He tried to move his fingers. Nothing. He tried to move his legs. Nothing. He couldn't feel anything from the neck down. Only his face. Only his breathing, which was getting wetter and heavier. Blood started coming out. First from his mouth he tasted thick, metallic blood on his tongue. Then he felt it spreading under him, warm and sticky against his skin. He turned his head a little, just enough to see it pooling around his arms and legs. Bright red on the dirty gray road. He stared at the color. A slow smile spread across his face. It hurt a lot but he didn't care.
"Ahh… this red is so beautiful. Max, you were weak like this too."
People were shouting now. Someone screamed. Footsteps ran toward him. A woman's voice yelled for someone to call an ambulance. A man knelt nearby and said something like "Don't move, stay with me," but Haruto barely heard him.
His breathing got slower. Each breath felt heavier. His vision started to darken at the edges, like someone was turning off the lights. Even so, he kept smiling. His last clear thought came slowly and calmly:
*This life is so boring. All living things are so weak… they break so easily. But this color*
His eyes stayed open for a few more seconds, still fixed on the spreading red. Then everything went quiet. The ambulance arrived a few minutes later, but by then Haruto was already gone.
....
"Naruto, are you okay? Wake up, don't scare me!"
Haruto slowly opened his eyes. "Where am I… I didn't die?"
He thought to himself: *My injuries were too serious. How did I survive?*
Haruto tried to move. He was surprised to find he could actually move his body. He looked around and saw an old man with white hair standing there. A memory flashed in his mind: *Jiraiya? How is Jiraiya standing in front of me? My brain must be damaged from the crash.* Jiraiya put his hands on Haruto's shoulders. "It's good you woke up, Naruto. You really scared me. That's enough training for today. I know you want to get stronger so you can bring that Uchiha kid back to the village. But you have to understand health matters too. You need to know your limits when you train."
Haruto's mind froze. *Naruto? Who? Me?*
After a few moments, Haruto tried to think clearly. He looked at Jiraiya and asked, "You called me Naruto? Am I Naruto?"
Jiraiya stared at him and sighed. "If you're not Naruto, why would I call you Naruto?"
Haruto was shocked, just staring at Jiraiya in silence. Suddenly, a huge pain exploded in his head. He sat up, dropped to his knees, clutched his head with both hands, and started screaming. Jiraiya panicked. "Don't worry, kid! I'm taking you to the hospital right now, just hold on a little, everything will be fine." Jiraiya lifted Naruto onto his back. With a quick Body Flicker, he disappeared.
A few minutes later, Jiraiya arrived in front of a hospital in Yugakure. He rushed inside and told a nurse, "My student is in danger i need a doctor please help me! Is urgent"
"Ok sir don't worry"
The woman quickly led Jiraiya to a room, helped him lay Naruto on the bed, then ran to get a doctor.
After a few minutes, the doctor came in. Jiraiya grabbed him by the shoulders. "Please, save my student. I'll give you whatever you want my name is jiraya one of the three sanin."
The doctor looked at jiraya a little surprised and said bowing his head
"Jiraya-sama, please calm down. I'll examine him right away."
About fifteen minutes later, the doctor spoke to Jiraiya.
"Jiraya-sama, don't worry. The boy is fine he's just exhausted. He'll recover after a few hours of rest. But there's one problem. I checked his chakra channels of the brain, and they're chaotic. He might have memory loss. We don't know when or if he'll remember everything."
Jiraiya let out a relieved sigh and smiled. All his worries melted away.
"It's fine as long as he's okay. He can make new memories."
He looked over at Naruto. The boy was still asleep, but his face kept twisting from the pain. Jiraiya gently patted his head.
"Rest easy, Naruto. Everything's going to be alright."
A few hours passed, and night had fallen outside. Naruto slowly opened his eyes. He looked around he was in a small hospital room, lying on a single bed. Next to him sat an old man with long white hair, dozing off in a chair.
"Where am I?"
Naruto raised his hands and stared at them. "Who am I?"
A big empty feeling filled his head, like important parts were gone.
Jiraiya woke up instantly when he heard the voice.
"Naruto! You're awake! Tell your sensei—how do you feel?"
Naruto turned to him with a puzzled, curious stare.
"Sir… who are you? Where am I? And… And can you tell me who am I, please?"
Jiraiya let out a deep sigh, looking straight at the boy. A sharp pain stabbed in his chest, but he quickly put on a big, warm smile to make Naruto feel at ease.
He stood up dramatically, striking a classic kabuki-style pose with one hand raised and the other on his hip.
"I'm glad you asked! I'm the Hermit of Mount Myōboku. The Wise and Immortal Spirit. That's right! It is I, the Toad Mountain Sage!"
He bit his thumb, slammed his hand on the floor, and with a burst of smoke, a huge toad appeared half as tall as Jiraiya himself.
Jiraiya hopped up and sat on it in an exaggerated, almost silly way, grinning wide.
"I am Jiraiya-sama… your master!"
Naruto stood frozen, his jaw dropping as a giant toad suddenly materialized in the middle of the room. "Where did this huge frog come from?!" he stammered, his eyes wide with shock.
Jiraiya let out a hearty laugh at the boy's bewildered expression. "Haha! Listen up, brat! This is a toad summoned all the way from Mount Myoboku. Only those who have a special contract with the toads of the mountain can perform a Summoning Jutsu like that."
Gama, the toad, looked at Naruto curiously and started to ask Jiraiya what was going on, but the old man cut him off. "I'll explain everything later. For now, please head back. I need to speak with Naruto alone." With one last glance at the boy, Gama vanished in a large puff of white smoke.
Once the summon was canceled, Jiraiya sat down and looked at Naruto with a gentle expression. "You are my student, and your name is Naruto. You are a shinobi from the Hidden Leaf Village, Konoha. You've been away from home for two years now, traveling with me to train. Because you pushed yourself a bit too hard in our last session, you're suffering from some temporary memory loss."
Naruto, still processing the disappearing act of the giant toad, began to soak up every bit of information. "What exactly is a shinobi?" he asked, his voice filled with genuine curiosity.
Jiraiya smiled warmly. "To be a shinobi means you are a protector. The word actually means 'one who endures.' It means that even when things are scary or difficult, you have a strong heart that doesn't give up. You use your strength to help your friends and keep your village safe. And to do those amazing things, shinobi use a special energy inside them called Chakra."
"What is Chakra?" Naruto's eyes were as big and curious as a small child's.
Jiraiya explained it simply, showing no signs of impatience. "It's like a warm light sitting right in your belly. It's made by mixing two things: your physical energy, the strength of your body and your spiritual energy, the power of your mind and heart. When you mix them together, you can walk on water or jump over mountains."
"Am I a ninja too?" Naruto whispered.
"Ofcourse you are," Jiraiya replied with pride. "I've been training you for two years. You're a respectable ninja of the Leaf."
"But now I don't know how to use my chakra... can you teach me, Jiraiya-sensei, please?"
Jiraiya felt a swell of pride and a bit of amusement thinking to himself: 'This brat is actually being polite now! He's not calling me "Pervy Sage" for once. Come to think of it, maybe this memory loss isn't such a bad thing, hehe!'
"Of course I'll teach you. Now, get some sleep. Tomorrow morning I'll have the doctor check you over, and if you're fit, I'll start your training tomorrow afternoon. Sound good?"
"Thank you, Master!" Naruto said, finally feeling a sense of peace as he drifted off.
Jiraiya looked at Naruto one more time, satisfied that Naruto was okay now, then left for the inn to sleep.
While Naruto slept, he fell into a dream.
He was in a room, but he looked different he was a child with black hair. With his small hands, he was squeezing the neck of a tiny puppy. The dog writhed and whimpered under his grip. Naruto tried to stop he screamed inside himself to let it go but his fingers squeezed even tighter. The puppy's legs kicked weakly for a few seconds, then went still. Its body became limp.
The scene changed.
Now he was in a kitchen. He went straight to a drawer, pulled out a large knife, carried the dead puppy to the table, and laid it down. Without hesitation, he began to cut into its belly. Blood spurted out, bright and warm. He cut deeper, pulling things apart, watching everything spill out.
Inside the dream, Naruto was screaming.
Stop! Stop! I don't want this!
But his hands kept moving. They didn't listen. The more he cut, the more a strange, sick warmth spread through his chest like satisfaction, like pleasure. He hated it. He wanted to vomit, to run, to disappear but he couldn't. The feeling was real.
The dream was so vivid that it didn't feel like a dream at all. Every detail burned: the metallic smell of the blood. Naruto's mind kept screaming, louder and louder:
I don't want this, stop!
But deep down, in the part of him that couldn't lie even in sleep, he knew the truth: while he was tearing the puppy apart, a part of him felt… good.
He woke up gasping, eyes wide in the dark hospital room, his heart pounding so hard it hurt.
When morning came outside, Jiraiya returned to the hospital. He went straight to the doctor, and after talking for a bit, the two of them headed toward Naruto's room.
As they entered, Jiraiya looked at Naruto and said, "Good morning, kiddo! Did you sleep well last night?"
Naruto lifted his head, looked at Jiraiya, and replied, "Yes, master. Thank you for worrying about me!"
Jiraiya felt a little uncomfortable. "Naruto, I already told you I'm your master. We're practically family. You grew up right in front of my eyes. You don't have to be so polite!"
Naruto nodded. "No, master. On the contrary, I must respect you because you are my master."
Jiraiya clenched his fists, thinking to himself: *Even though it feels good to be respected by this kid, I still miss the old Naruto. I hope he recovers his memories soon.*
The doctor cleared his throat softly. Hearing him, Jiraiya felt a bit embarrassed and said, "Okay, Doctor, please go ahead and check him."
"Okay, Jiraiya-sama. Thank you."
The doctor examined Naruto for almost thirty minutes before finishing. "This boy's body is incredibly strong, he recovered in just one night." The doctor was amazed at Naruto's speed of recovery.
Jiraiya thought to himself that it was probably because of the Nine-Tailed Fox.
"Okay, the boy is fine, but no heavy training for a while, Jiraiya-sama."
"Yes, Doctor, I understand. For now, I'll just teach him how to control chakra. Thank you very much." Jiraiya pulled out a wallet full of money and handed it to the doctor.
The doctor tried to refuse because of Jiraiya's reputation as one of the Sannin, but Jiraiya insisted and forced him to accept it.
After Jiraiya signed a few papers at the hospital desk, he and Naruto left together.
"Naruto, let's go get something to eat."
"Yes, Master."
Jiraiya's lips twitched slightly at the formal way Naruto spoke, but he didn't say anything. They walked in silence until they reached a small restaurant nearby.
Once inside and seated, Jiraiya looked across the table and said, "Naruto, order whatever you want. You need to eat properly. I never want anything like yesterday to happen again. You have to take care of your health."
"Yes, Master. Thank you very much."
Naruto ordered a simple bowl of chicken soup.
Jiraiya watched him with a strange expression. He knew the normal Naruto would have piled the table with multiple huge bowls of ramen or ordered yakiniku with extra meat. Instead, Naruto ate quietly his simple soup politely no slurping, no loud chewing, no mess. He used his chopsticks carefully, taking small, neat bites.
Jiraiya didn't touch his own food. He just poured cup after cup of sake, one hand resting on his knee, staring at this different "Naruto" with a heavy sigh escaping every few minutes.
Naruto noticed. He looked up curiously at his master and asked, "Master, are you okay? You seem worried."
Jiraiya forced a small smile. "I'm fine, kid. Just thinking about my next research trip."
Naruto's eyes widened with genuine curiosity. "What is 'research'?"
"Naruto, research is… pe… *cough cough* Shut up, kid! It's not good for you to know—you're way too young for that kind of thing!"
Jiraiya's face turned a little red. He looked embarrassed, scratching the back of his head and avoiding eye contact for a second.
Naruto stared at his master, curiosity burning even brighter in his eyes. But he could see the discomfort on Jiraiya's face, and a small wave of fear stopped him from pushing further. He didn't want to upset or annoy the man who was taking care of him.
"Okay, Master. I'm sorry. I won't ask about your research anymore in the future."
"Hmph. Good. As long as you understand."
Jiraiya let out a long, relieved breath. He felt a rush of satisfaction finally free from the innocent but relentless questions of this unusually polite and curious disciple. He took another sip of sake, trying to look casual again, though a small, awkward smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Naruto went back to eating his soup quietly, glancing up at Jiraiya every now and then, wondering what secrets his master was hiding but deciding, for now, to keep silent.
After they finished eating, Naruto looked up at Jiraiya with bright, eager eyes.
"Master, now can you please teach me how to control chakra?"
Jiraiya glanced at him and smiled. Seeing Naruto so impatient and excited made him think: *This kid is kind of cute.*
"Okay, kid. Let's go."
Naruto jumped up immediately and followed close behind, practically bouncing with anticipation. He wanted to learn how to control this 'amazing power' his mind kept telling him shouldn't even exist in the real world. He didn't know where that strange thought came from it just felt true somehow but right now, all he cared about was mastering it.
The two of them walked out of the Yugakure village and soon reached a quiet, open training area surrounded by trees and a small stream. The ground was soft with grass and patches of dirt, perfect for practice. No one else was around.
Jiraiya stopped in the center of the clearing and turned to face Naruto.
"Alright, Naruto. First things first: you need to learn how to sense and feel your chakra. It's the energy inside you your life force mixed with spiritual and physical energy. Everyone has it, but most people never really notice it until they train."
He sat down cross-legged on the grass and motioned for Naruto to do the same.
"Sit like this, facing me. Close your eyes. Put your hands together like this palms pressed flat, fingers pointing up, like you're praying. Relax your shoulders. Breathe slowly in through your nose… and out through your mouth. Good. Do it a few more times."
Naruto copied him exactly. He closed his eyes, pressed his palms together, and focused on breathing. In… out… in… out.
"Now," Jiraiya continued in a calm, steady voice, "imagine there's a warm light or a gentle current somewhere inside your body. It could be in your stomach, your chest, your head anywhere. Don't force it. Just search for it quietly, like you're listening for a distant sound. It might feel like a tingle, a warmth, a buzzing, or even a small river flowing under your skin. When you find it, don't grab it. Just notice it. Let it be there."
Naruto stayed silent, breathing evenly. At first, nothing happened. Then after only a few seconds something shifted.
A faint warmth bloomed low in his belly, right behind his navel. It spread slowly, like warm water trickling through his veins, soft but unmistakable. It wasn't strong yet, but it was definitely there. A gentle, pulsing energy that felt alive, like it had always been waiting for him to notice.
Naruto's eyes snapped open in surprise.
"I… I feel it, Master! It's warm… right here." He placed a hand on his stomach.
Jiraiya's eyebrows shot up. He laughed once, short and impressed.
"Already? On your first try? Perhaps it's an instinctive response. Your body holds the memory"
He stood up and clapped Naruto on the shoulder.
"Great job. That's step one: awareness. Now that you can feel it, controlling it is next. But we'll take it slow. Let's just practice making it flow a little stronger or weaker with your breathing. In… stronger. Out… calmer. Try it."
Naruto nodded eagerly, closed his eyes again, and focused. The warmth responded almost instantly growing brighter when he inhaled deeply, then settling when he exhaled. After about an hour of focused practice, Naruto opened his eyes with a bright, happy smile. He could feel the chakra flowing smoothly now steady and controlled, responding exactly to his breathing and intent. Jiraiya was leaning against a nearby tree, scribbling something in a small notebook. His expression looked a little disappointed, his brows slightly furrowed.
Naruto's heart sank instantly. He panicked, thinking his master wasn't satisfied with his progress. He hurried over, his voice trembling a bit.
"Master, I'm done now! I can control chakra really well. If something's wrong, please tell me, Master. Don't abandon me…"
His words came out fast and desperate. Without any memories, the thought of being left alone terrified him. He had no one else, nowhere to go.
Jiraiya, still leaning against the tree, had actually been lost in his own thoughts: *Now that Naruto's like this… I don't feel good about leaving him alone anymore.* He sighed inwardly, realizing his usual "research" trips would have to wait. He just didn't have the heart to disappear like before. When he heard Naruto's panicked plea, Jiraiya reached over and lightly smacked the back of the boy's head not hard, just enough to snap him out of it.
"You stupid disciple! How can you even think something like that? Is that really what you think of your master?"
Naruto rubbed the spot, eyes wide. "No, Master! I was just scared… scared I didn't meet your expectations for me."
Jiraiya let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "Idiot. You did more than well. Sensing and controlling chakra isn't that easy—most people take a full month just to get a clear feel for it. Your body's already used to it somehow; that's why you picked it up so fast."
Naruto looked down, embarrassed. "Okay, Master… I'm sorry for misunderstanding."
"It's okay, kid."
Naruto slowly raised his head again, eyes shining with cautious hope. He hesitated for a second, then asked softly,
"Master… could you please show me a ninja technique now?"
Jiraiya looked at Naruto's eager expression and smiled.
"Okay, I'll show you a technique created by my student, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze. Watch closely, Naruto. This jutsu requires **no hand seals**. It's pure chakra shape transformation and rotation. A spinning ball of chakra so powerful it can drill through almost anything."
Jiraiya held out his right hand, palm facing up. Chakra began to gather first a faint blue glow, then a swirling mass of energy. The air around his hand started to hum and shimmer. In seconds, a perfect sphere of spinning chakra formed: bright blue, crackling with power, rotating so fast it almost looked solid.
He slammed it into a nearby tree trunk.
The **Rasengan** drilled in with a loud, grinding roar. Wood splintered and exploded outward in a shower of splinters and dust. When Jiraiya pulled his hand back, there was a clean, basketball-sized hole straight through the thick tree.
Naruto's mouth fell open. He stared at the smoking hole, then at Jiraiya's hand, completely speechless for a few seconds.
Jiraiya let the Rasengan disappear with a small *pop*, grinning widely.
"I'll explain. If you want to learn it, you have to follow three steps:
1. **Rotation** Gather your chakra in your palm and spin it violently in multiple directions at once, like a tiny tornado.
2. **Power** Keep adding more and more chakra while keeping that spin going. Don't let it collapse.
3. **Containment** Shape it into a perfect sphere and hold it together with your chakra control so it doesn't explode in your face.
Most people need a water balloon to practice rotation, a rubber ball for power, and then an air-filled balloon for containment. But you… I think you can skip most of that."
Naruto's eyes lit up like stars.
"Can I try? Right now? Please, Master!"
Jiraiya laughed.
"Alright kid, here's your starting point."
He formed a small Rasengan in his own hand again just enough to demonstrate and held it steady.
"Copy what you see. Focus chakra in your right palm. Spin it fast, layer the rotation, add power steadily, and shape it round."
Naruto nodded, took a deep breath, and extended his right hand. He closed his eyes for a second, feeling the familiar warmth of his chakra pool in his palm.
He started spinning it slow at first, then faster. Blue light flickered. The chakra wobbled, almost collapsed, then stabilized. He poured in more power. The spinning grew violent, the air around his hand humming louder and louder.
Suddenly a perfect sphere snapped into shape: bright blue, spinning furiously, completely stable.
Naruto's eyes flew open.
"I… I got it!"
He stared at the Rasengan in his palm in pure awe.
"Good job, brat! You just formed a complete Rasengan on your very first attempt!"
Jiraiya thought to himself: *This is going to be easy. Naruto will regain his abilities quickly. His body already remembers.*
"Alright, kid — carefully disperse it. Just relax your hold and let it fade."
Naruto did as he was told. The Rasengan vanished with a soft *pop* and a swirl of blue sparks.
"Can we practice more? I want to make it bigger and Stronger master!"
Jiraiya ruffled Naruto's hair roughly.
"One step at a time, tomorrow we'll work on powering it up. For now, you've earned a break. Let's head back to the village you've done more in one day than most shinobi do in months."
As they started walking, Jiraiya glanced sideways at the boy, thinking:
*This version of Naruto… he's polite, he's focused, and he learn fast. The old one was loud and chaotic… This one might become terrifying.*
Naruto walked beside him, quietly flexing his hand, already imagining the next, even bigger Rasengan he would create. For the first time, the emptiness in his mind felt a little less empty replaced by the thrill of power.
...
After two months, Naruto's hair had grown longer over the past two months, now falling just past his shoulders in soft, slightly messy strands.
He was dressed in a black hoodie made of lightweight, durable fabric, with subtle orange stitching along the seams and hood edges. Paired with it were simple black pants that fit comfortably without being too baggy.
Naruto didn't know exactly why, but he no longer liked the clothes he used to wear. They felt childish to him now. He had now mastered all the techniques he knew before losing his memories. He could now perform them with ease and precision, as if his body remembered what his mind had forgotten.
Right now, Naruto was hiding behind a thick tree, quietly watching Jiraiya. His master was peeking over a low wall at the women's side of the onsen, a goofy grin on his face and a small notebook in hand, scribbling notes like always.
Naruto tilted his head in confusion.
*Why does Master do this?* he wondered. *He's so strong. In the last two months, I've started to understand a little how powerful he is.*
He thought back to the training: the way Jiraiya moved, the overwhelming chakra he could unleash, the stories of battles against legendary enemies. It all seemed impossible for one person to be that strong.
*Maybe… one of his secrets to becoming so powerful is watching naked women?*
The idea popped into Naruto's head completely seriously. *If peeking at women while they bathe is part of his training, then if I do the same… could I become as strong as him?* Naruto's eyes lit up with sudden determination. He felt a rush of excitement.
*Yes! I have to try it later. If that's what Master does to get stronger, then I'll do it too!* He stayed hidden, watching Jiraiya a little longer, completely convinced that this was a legitimate path to power eager to test it out as soon as he got the chance.
After waiting more than an hour and a half hidden behind the tree, Naruto finally saw Jiraiya leave with a big, satisfied grin on his face, notebook tucked under his arm like he'd just finished the best "research" session ever.
*Finally, my turn!* Naruto thought excitedly. *If this is how Master gets so strong, I'm going in!*
With a quick Body Flicker, he appeared exactly where Jiraiya had been perched for over three hours—right at the perfect peephole in the wooden fence surrounding the women's side of the onsen.
He leaned forward eagerly and peeked inside.
His brain froze.
There were dozens of naked women laughing, splashing, relaxing in the steaming hot water—completely unaware. Steam rose everywhere, skin glistened, curves and… everything… was on full display.
Naruto's face turned tomato-red in less than a second. His heart slammed against his ribs so hard he thought it might pop out.
*Must… resist… for power!* he told himself, forcing a serious, determined expression. *This is training! Master does this every day! I can do it too!*
But he didn't notice one woman—a beautiful kunoichi with sharp eyes and the unmistakable posture of a jōnin—had just stepped into the water. Almost immediately, she felt it: a strange, intense stare boring into her from the other side of the fence.
Her eyes narrowed. Without a word, she rose from the water in one smooth motion. In the next instant, she vanished from the pool and reappeared right in front of the fence—right in front of Naruto.
Naruto's eyes widened in pure terror. *Oh no—time to run—*
Too late.
A fist smashed through the wooden fence like it was paper. Splinters flew everywhere. Before Naruto could even blink, a strong hand clamped around his throat and yanked him through the hole.
He dangled there, feet kicking uselessly in the air, face still bright red.
The women in the onsen screamed at first then froze when they saw who it was.
A teenage boy. Fully clothed. Hair a little long and messy. Face burning crimson. Looking like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole. The jōnin woman tilted her head, studying him with a dangerous little smile.
"Hehe… a handsome little pervert like you needs a proper punishment."
She grabbed him by the wrist, spun once, and hurled him straight into the hot spring with a massive splash. Naruto landed face-first in the water. When he surfaced, gasping and sputtering, every single woman in the onsen was standing up, staring at him.
Silence.
Then—
"He's… so handsome…"
"Who is that boy…?"
"Look at those eyes…"
Their cheeks turned pink. Then red. Then they started giggling.
The jōnin woman stepped forward, grabbed the front of Naruto's hoodie, and with one casual yank—riiiiip—tore it off, followed by his shirt, pants, everything. In seconds, Naruto was as naked as the rest of them.
"Hehehe… let's punish this naughty boy properly, girls~"
The women looked at each other. Smiles spread. Wicked, delighted smiles.
Naruto's eyes went huge. A cold shiver ran down his spine despite the hot water.
"Hehe…"
"Hehehehe…"
All of them started laughing low at first, then louder.
Naruto realized too late: this was not the kind of "training" he had signed up for.
One hour later…
Naruto burst out of the onsen area, sprinting through the streets of Yugakure completely naked, clutching his shredded clothes to his chest like a shield. His face was the color of a ripe tomato, steam still rising off his skin.
*If THIS is how you become strong… I'd rather stay weak forever!!!*
Mothers on the street gasped, slapped their hands over their children's eyes, and shouted after him:
"Don't look, sweetie!"
"Cover your eyes!"
"Somebody catch that pervert!"
Naruto just kept running, mortified, humiliated, and swearing to himself he would **never** try Jiraiya's "secret training method" again.
Behind him, faint giggles still echoed from the direction of the onsen.
Lesson learned: this 'research' is better left to the master.
When Naruto finally stumbled back to the inn, still clutching his torn clothes to his chest like a shield, he burst through the front door completely naked, face flaming red, hair dripping wet, and steam practically rising off his skin.
Jiraiya was lounging in the common area, legs crossed, sipping sake from a small cup and flipping through his notebook with a smug, post-research grin.
The moment he looked up, his eyes went wide. His legendary "developed nose" twitched once then twice. He sniffed the air dramatically.
The unmistakable scent hit him: soap, hot spring minerals, and the unmistakable perfume of **multiple women** clinging to Naruto's skin like a cloud.
Jiraiya's cup froze halfway to his mouth.
"Hey, brat! What the hell did you do?!" He jumped to his feet, pointing accusingly. "You've got a girlfriend and didn't tell your master?! And why the hell are you buck-naked?! Don't tell me she's married and her husband caught you mid-action?!"
In Jiraiya's mind, a full-color montage exploded like one of his Icha Icha Paradise chapters: Naruto pinned against a wall by a furious (but secretly thrilled) married beauty, clothes flying, dramatic sweat drops, exaggerated sound effects*bam! crash! gasp!* followed by the classic chase scene with an angry husband wielding a giant cleaver.
Jealousy flared in Jiraiya's eyes like twin bonfires. His own disciple his innocent, polite little student had somehow scored the ultimate "research" jackpot without even trying, while he, the great Toad Sage, had spent three hours just peeking and taking notes!
"You lucky little—!"
Naruto didn't say a word. His face somehow turned an even deeper shade of red (if that was physically possible). With a mortified squeak, he bolted past Jiraiya, bare feet slapping against the wooden floor, and vanished up the stairs toward his room, leaving a trail of steam and embarrassment behind him. Jiraiya stood there, mouth hanging open, sake cup forgotten in his hand. After a long beat of silence, he muttered to himself, half in awe, half in bitter envy:
"… that damn lucky disciple…"
He shook his head, took a long swig of sake straight from the bottle this time, and slumped back into his chair.
"Kid's got game and doesn't even know it. Meanwhile, I'm out here writing romance novels… Life is unfair."
He sighed dramatically, flipped open his notebook, and started scribbling furiously.
"Chapter 47: The Naked Disciple's Hot Spring Escape… yeah, that's gold."
...
After three months, Jiraiya sat Naruto down one evening and spoke seriously.
"Naruto, it's time for us to head home to Konoha."
Naruto looked up quickly, a flicker of worry crossing his face.
"Master, we lived so much here… Can't we stay a little longer?"
Jiraiya sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Naruto, I know you're scared. You don't have your memories, and the idea of meeting your old friends and everyone in the village feels overwhelming. But trust me everything will be fine. Konoha is a friendly place. You'll like it there. People will welcome you back."
He paused, his expression turning more serious.
"The Akatsuki have started moving. I need to go investigate what they're planning. I've told you about them over these past five months… about their hunt for the jinchūriki. I don't want anything to happen to you. That's why your master is taking you home first. I can't bring you along on this mission—it's far too dangerous."
Naruto froze the moment he heard the word "Akatsuki." In the last five months, Jiraiya had explained everything: the organization's goals, their members, and most shocking of all Naruto's own identity as the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails. When he first heard it, Naruto felt like the sky had crashed down on him. It was impossible to believe. But Jiraiya's calm, steady words had eventually soothed him, helping him accept the truth little by little.
Naruto's voice came out small and shaky.
"Master… please don't go on this mission. If something happens to you… I don't know what I'd do without you."
Jiraiya laughed heartily, ruffling Naruto's longer hair.
"Hahaha! Don't worry about me, kid. Your master is plenty strong. I've handled worse than this."
Naruto looked down for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"Okay, Master… I trust you. We leave for Konoha tomorrow morning, right?"
"Yes, Naruto. Get ready we're heading out at first light!"