Jiraiya and Minato dashed through the streets with near-instantaneous speed, only stopping after crossing several blocks.

  Under the dim streetlights, both of them appeared a bit disheveled.

  Minato’s face was flushed red. Although he had only sneaked a gnce and quickly turned away, he still caught sight of something... embarrassing.

  Jiraiya, on the other hand, surveyed his surroundings like a seasoned troublemaker. After confirming no one was around, he turned to Minato and asked, “Why did you follow me?”

  It was then that Jiraiya noticed Minato’s flustered expression, his face and neck completely flushed.

  “I... I thought you left because you had something urgent, so…” Minato stumbled over his words, unsure of how to expin himself.

  “Alright, alright, I get it.” Jiraiya waved his hand dismissively. Minato was clearly out of his depth, and Jiraiya understood—after all, this was his first time experiencing such a “life-changing event.”

  Then, Jiraiya’s expression grew a bit strange, and he stepped closer to Minato. “So, kid, what did you think of what just happened?”

  Minato turned his head slightly, and once again, he saw that slightly perverted look on Jiraiya’s face. He had no idea how to respond.

  “Well... that wasn’t really great, was it?” After a long pause, he finally managed to get the words out. No matter how smart or calm he was, he couldn’t help but falter when it came to this kind of thing.

  Jiraiya’s face darkened. “You just don’t get it, do you? That’s the true essence of life…”

  He went on talking to himself, but Minato’s bnk expression showed he hadn’t heard a word.

  “Heh, talking to you about this is a bit early, huh? You’re still just a kid after all.” Jiraiya rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Anyway, tomorrow morning at seven, meet me at Training Ground Seven. Don’t be te.”

  Before Minato could respond, Jiraiya had already vanished without a trace.

  The speed at which he disappeared was something Minato couldn’t even begin to comprehend.

  Standing under the streetlight, Minato stood frozen for a long time. His flushed face slowly returned to normal. Just as he was about to leave, a voice suddenly whispered in his ear.

  “Be careful... Jiraiya-sensei.”

  Minato froze. That red-haired woman appeared in his mind again. Though her face remained obscured, he could clearly see the sadness in the corners of her mouth.

  “Who exactly is she?” Minato’s heart pounded in his chest. He leaned against the streetmp, bending slightly as his piercing blue eyes narrowed.

  Her words echoed in his mind.

  Be careful, Jiraiya-sensei?

  It wasn’t a warning tone, though. She respected Jiraiya, that much Minato could tell from the way she addressed him as “sensei.”

  This woman who kept appearing in his mind was undoubtedly connected to Jiraiya. Perhaps, like him, she too was one of his disciples.

  Minato always felt that whenever he saw her, his emotions became uncontrolble—joy mixed with an overwhelming sadness...

  Thinking back, it all began the day he first met Kushina...

  Someone important enough to have the Third Hokage send Anbu to protect her, her identity was no simple matter.

  “She must be really unhappy, always being watched like this... Kushina, too, must feel the same.”

  Minato slowly stood up, the image of Kushina’s sorrowful face as she left the Ninja Academy weighing heavily on his heart.

  “Jiraiya-sensei might know something about Kushina…” Minato’s eyes lit up. His teacher was a disciple of the Third Hokage and a high-ranking figure in the vilge.

  And when Jiraiya visited the Ninja Academy to teach, it was likely to keep an eye on him. But that day, Jiraiya had intentionally approached both Mikoto and Kushina.

  There had to be a reason for that!

  Lost in thought, Minato returned home. Standing in the empty house, a warm feeling filled his chest, pushing away the uncertainty.

  The sense of mentorship Jiraiya gave him felt almost fatherly, filling the emptiness Minato had felt for so long.

  Putting aside the questions in his heart, Minato eagerly looked forward to his training the next day.

  Looking out at the Hokage Rock, becoming Jiraiya’s disciple meant he was one step closer to his dreams.

  The next morning, just as dawn broke, Minato left for Training Ground Seven.

  When he arrived, he found that Jiraiya was already there, having arrived long before him.

  “Sorry, Jiraiya-sensei, I’m te…”

  Even though Minato had arrived early enough, this was his first time training under Jiraiya, and to be te while his teacher had arrived first felt incredibly disrespectful.

  He stepped forward to apologize.

  But as Minato approached, Jiraiya’s closed eyes suddenly snapped open, and in an instant, his fist flew toward Minato’s face.

  Minato reacted quickly, but Jiraiya’s strike was fast, and he barely dodged it, twisting his body and nding on the ground in a half-crouch.

  Before Minato could fully recover, Jiraiya’s other fist was already on its way.

  The exchange of pure taijutsu had driven Minato to the brink in a matter of moments.

  Boom!

  However, when Jiraiya’s fist connected with Minato, a puff of smoke billowed out. In its pce was a shattered wooden dummy.

  “That was close…” Minato’s form appeared several meters away as he let out a quiet exhale.

  “Not bad for a new student at the Ninja Academy…”

  Jiraiya retracted his fist, seeing clearly that Minato had already begun forming the signs for a substitution jutsu when he dodged the first strike. That was the only reason Minato had been able to escape the second attack, despite the ck of space to move.

  This required not only lightning-fast reflexes, but also practical experience and a sharp mind.

  In that short moment, Minato had managed to create a pn that allowed him to escape, and he’d executed it fwlessly.

  Whoosh!

  As soon as Jiraiya’s fist retracted, his figure closed the distance between them in a fsh, aiming a palm at Minato’s face.

  At that speed, even a Chunin would have no time to react. But Minato, prepared for it, managed to sidestep the blow and immediately countered.

  There was no doubt about it—this was Jiraiya testing Minato’s strength.

  The two engaged in a fierce back-and-forth, exchanging blows for over a dozen rounds. But in the end, Minato was caught.

  Despite everything, the difference between their abilities was undeniable.

  With both of Minato’s arms pinned tightly, Jiraiya grinned and said, “You adapted to my ‘greeting’ pretty quickly…”

  Minato, trapped and smiling bitterly, replied, “As expected of you, sensei. Even your shadow clone is more than a match for me right now.”

  At this, Jiraiya’s expression shifted slightly before he smiled again. “You noticed, huh?”

  Boom!

  The Jiraiya holding Minato vanished in another puff of smoke, and the real Jiraiya appeared right in front of Minato.

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