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"Sage Art… from Jiraiya himself."
Upon seeing the reward before him, even Kitagawa Gen, well-versed and experienced as he was, could not help but feel his breath quicken.
Sage Art!
This was the ultimate trump card of Prince Naruto, and even of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama himself!
Even a monstrous being like the Ten-Tails, whose power seemed limitless and invincible, likely carried chakra of this very nature within its immense form.
When Naruto once stood against the Ten-Tails, Kurama had told him…
The power of the Ten-Tails was the very force of natural energy that coursed through the world itself. An infinite, boundless strength.
Naturally, Kitagawa Gen had long taken an interest in such power. But for one, his bloodline had only just awakened.
And on the other hand, he possessed no means to harness it After all, recklessly absorbing natural energy could very well turn him into stone on the spot.
"The natural energy in this world is completely different from what I once knew… it's incredibly dangerous."
Before being sent into this world, he had read his fair share of novels, yet never had he heard anything dreadful about natural power.
Yet no matter how one looked at it, this remained one of the most supreme forms of power in this world. And now, at last, he could begin to grasp it for himself.
"Even though Jiraiya's Sage Mode is more for show, what truly matters is the knowledge he holds about sage chakra."
Knowledge—now that was priceless!
As he absorbed the information flooding his mind, Kitagawa Gen felt deeply satisfied.
With this experience to guide him, combined with the power of his own bloodline, mastering the technique should not prove too great a challenge.
After resting for another day in the Land of Waves, and once Kakashi had recovered enough to feel somewhat better, they immediately set out again.
Thanks to Kitagawa Gen's analysis, both Kakashi and Jiraiya were now convinced that Orochimaru and the others were likely hiding in the Land of Water.
But the Land of Waves lay far too close to their borders. After Uchiha Itachi and Biwa Jūzō had returned to report, who knew if someone might come looking for them?
So whatever the case, they needed to get out of there first.
Fortunately, the journey back posed no difficulties. In less than two days, they arrived once more at the gates of Konoha.
"Konoha is still the same as always… nothing has changed, has it?"
Standing before the great village gates, Jiraiya gazed at the familiar scene before him, and a deep emotion stirred within his chest.
There were times when he could not help but wonder—if he had not left ten years ago, would things have turned out differently?
Over the years, he had avoided returning not only because he had been tracking Orochimaru, but because he had not wanted to revisit those painful memories.
But the past was already written. No amount of thinking would change it now. What mattered most was the task at hand.
"Let's go."
Turning his head, Jiraiya looked toward Kakashi, who was being supported by Kitagawa Gen at his side.
"Kakashi, I'll take you to the hospital first. Then I'll go see the old man. Kid, keep an eye on Kakashi for a bit."
"No need for that. I'll go with you to see the Hokage."
Kakashi shook his head and flatly refused Jiraiya's offer.
"I'm still in decent shape, and something this important should be reported as soon as possible."
"Hey, don't push yourself too hard, alright?"
Jiraiya rubbed his forehead in concern. Kakashi's condition was giving him a headache, but the man remained as stubborn as ever.
"Don't worry. I know my own limits. I'm not going to overdo it."
"…Alright then."
Jiraiya could only nod in resignation. He turned his gaze toward Kitagawa Gen, who had remained silent all this time.
"Kid, I'm borrowing your teacher for a while. You're dismissed for now; you can go home."
"No problem!"
Kitagawa Gen nodded obediently, though truthfully, he had long wanted to get away.
With the two of them around, there was no way he could quietly explore the gold he had just received from that old geezer.
He had been holding back for so long that the urge was practically unbearable now.
"Oh, and don't forget to leave some room in your stomach."
Jiraiya stepped forward and gently supported Kakashi, then added in a casual tone—
"You completed your first mission, and though Kakashi can't celebrate with you right now, this sage will reluctantly take his place. If you've got any friends you want to bring along, go ahead. Just come find me at the hospital."
Jiraiya actually had a good impression of Kitagawa Gen.
Though the boy's tongue could be sharp at times, when facing Uchiha Itachi and Biwa Jūzō—two top-tier rogue ninja—not only did he refuse Kakashi's order to flee, but he also remained calm and made the right decisions. He even managed to deceive both of them, held his ground against Biwa Jūzō, and successfully saved Kakashi.
Even the subsequent analysis of that mysterious organization had come from this kid's insights.
A smart, loyal, and exceptionally gifted young ninja like this—of course Jiraiya would be fond of him.
Especially since he was Kakashi's student.
"Then I thank you for your generosity, Lord Jiraiya."
A chance like this was not something Kitagawa Gen would ever refuse.
Jiraiya certainly wasn't short on money. The old geezer was a best-selling author. As for Gen, even though he was now a shinobi, he still wasn't exactly swimming in wealth.
Following the two of them into the village, Kitagawa Gen realized that he didn't even need to fill out any of the usual cumbersome forms.
This made him glance once again at Jiraiya. Even Kakashi had to do a bit of paperwork thanks to his reputation, but with this guy around, even those things were simply waved away.
"At long last… I'm finally home."
Watching the two of them depart, Kitagawa Gen turned around and sprinted toward his own house.
But just as he was nearing his door, he suddenly caught sight of Naruto leaping down from his windowsill.
"Hey, hey, hey, what do you think you're doing?"
Seeing this unfold, Gen could only stare blankly, momentarily at a loss for words.
"Huh? You're back already?"
Naruto was just as startled, but he quickly failed to keep a straight face and burst out—
"Dammit, you jerk! You told me to water your plants, but you didn't even leave me a key!"
"Uh… is that what happened?"
Gen paused, his mind drawing a blank for a moment before it clicked. Right, he had indeed asked Naruto to take care of that. A flicker of awkwardness and embarrassment rose within him.
"Sorry, sorry. I only mentioned it in passing. Didn't think you'd actually show up."
"Exactly why you're a jerk."
Naruto gave a light snort, but then puffed up with a bit of pride as he continued.
"But even if you're a jerk, once I promise something I always follow through. Just like I'll pass the assessment and become a proper ninja."
"Weren't you the one saying you wanted to take the exam ahead of time? What happened, lowering the standards now?"
Gen blinked and asked with feigned innocence, and in that instant, Naruto's face froze. Before Naruto could say anything in response, Gen pressed on.
"And if you really want to pass, you ought to be studying. Don't you have class today?"
"Today's a day off..."
Naruto's voice faltered, growing softer, but the next moment he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Idiot, I'm going to pass for sure!"
"Alright, alright."
Gen scratched at his ear, feeling like this kid's voice could rattle his brain.
"I believe you. Sticking to your word, that's your ninja way, isn't it? I get it now."
"Huh?"
Hearing that, even Naruto was taken aback.
Stick to his word?
His ninja way?
It actually… sounded kind of perfect!
"Here, take this."
While Naruto stood there in a daze, Gen suddenly pulled out a kunai and a scroll from his ninja tool pouch.
"This kunai is the one I used the first time I took down an enemy. Consider it payment for watering my plants. I hope you become a ninja soon as well. As for the scroll, I bought it in the Land of Waves. It's a gift for you."
"Uh… th-thanks!"
Naruto hurriedly took the two items, his gaze fixed on them, wide-eyed and unmoving.
In that moment, he completely forgot that just a minute ago he had been calling this guy a jerk. His eyes were even starting to mist up with emotion.
"Hey now, don't get all sappy on me. We're friends, aren't we?"
Gen lightly punched Naruto in the chest. After all, he had freeloaded off Naruto's stipend more than once. It was about time he gave something back.
"And besides, I just completed my first mission, so we're having a celebratory dinner tonight. Save your appetite and make sure to come. Don't be shy about it."
"Ah…"
Naruto blinked, snapping back to his senses. At first, he looked excited, but then his expression shifted to one of caution.
"I… My stipend hasn't come in yet..."
"Idiot, someone else is paying. Just relax."
Gen did not give him any room to refuse. Without looking back, he turned and headed toward his house.
"And don't come bothering me later. These past few days have worn me out."
Without another word to Naruto, Gen stepped inside and shut the door firmly behind him. Then he dropped heavily onto his bed.
"Finally… I can really give this a try."
Closing his eyes, he began carefully reviewing the knowledge he had received from Jiraiya.
On the way back, he had already gone through it all mentally, organizing the information bit by bit. He just had not yet had the chance to actually put any of it into practice.
Time passed slowly, and as Gen remained with his eyes shut, fully focused on internalizing the knowledge, an hour slipped by unnoticed.
Then, all at once, his eyes snapped open. At the same time, a strange and potent aura began to emanate from his body.
In that very moment, a vivid crimson shadow appeared around his eyes.
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[Chapter End's]
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