Chapter 122: Jiraiya
Rain fell, soaking the grass completely.
At this moment, two children were hiding in the grass.
They wore ill-fitting raincoats they had picked up somewhere. Both were gaunt and malnourished as they listened to the distant battle.
"Yahiko."
Konan asked in a worried tone, "Isn't this too dangerous?"
"Do not worry."
Yahiko lowered his voice and said, "We are just two kids. They will not pay attention to us."
"But..."
Konan raised her head. Rainwater slid down her pale face, but she did not care.
In her eyes, the adults called shinobi were far too brutal.
"It will be fine."
Yahiko comforted her.
He naturally knew that what they were doing was dangerous, but he had no choice.
The Second Shinobi World War had been fought in the Land of Rain for too long. Many residents had been affected and displaced.
They were the same.
Their family, relatives, and friends had all died in the war.
The only way they had to survive was to scavenge supplies from piles of corpses.
But they were young and could not compete with others.
Because of that, they had never eaten their fill and were in an extremely unhealthy state.
If this continued, they would definitely starve to death.
Yahiko had also tried stealing.
But they were children, so they were easily discovered.
Moreover, in the current Land of Rain, every household had no food to spare. What could they even steal?
The noble families did have extra food, but they also had guards. The two of them could not even enter the courtyards.
With no other choice, Yahiko came up with a method.
That was to approach shinobi who were in the middle of battle.
Generally speaking, after a battle ended, shinobi would take away the corpses of enemy Jonin.
Genin and Chunin had too little value, so they would be abandoned.
But to Yahiko and Konan, these abandoned bodies would still carry many supplies, especially food.
It was just a desperate gamble.
No one could guarantee whether those shinobi would attack them.
Because of that, Yahiko could only keep as much distance from them as possible.
They would only approach after the battle ended.
"I wonder if they are done fighting."
Yahiko widened his eyes, but because the distance was too far, and because of the rain blocking his vision, he could not see even a single figure.
Fortunately, many shinobi made quite a lot of noise.
The sounds of battle were loud, and the ninjutsu they released were also very conspicuous.
That was how they had noticed this battle.
If it had been the kind of battle that relied on ambushes, they would have had a hard time discovering it right away.
Just then, Konan noticed that the rain above her head had stopped.
She subconsciously raised her head and saw a black umbrella, as well as Natsuki.
Although Natsuki was quite handsome, in that instant, she felt as though her heart had been seized, and fear appeared on her face.
Yahiko had only just called out one word when he also noticed Natsuki.
He instinctively grabbed Konan's wrist and swallowed. His small face turned pale, and his heart began pounding violently.
Although Natsuki looked very young, anyone who could appear in front of them without making a sound had to be a shinobi.
The kind of shinobi who could kill them with a single movement of his finger.
"Shi... shinobi-sama, we did not do anything!"
Yahiko endured the fear in his heart and hurriedly spoke.
"My name is Natsuki. I am a shinobi from Konoha."
Natsuki smiled and said, "I have no ill will toward you."
Yahiko and Konan were slightly startled.
Although they did not fully believe him, they relaxed a little.
After all, Natsuki's attitude seemed fairly good.
"Let's find somewhere out of the rain before we talk."
Natsuki looked around and said, "We will go under that tree."
Konan subconsciously looked at Yahiko.
Yahiko hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.
He understood very well that they had no right to refuse.
If they angered Natsuki, they might die here.
The three of them arrived under the tree.
With the leaves blocking the rain, it became much lighter.
Natsuki raised his hand. Armament Haki flowed out from his body and formed a barrier above his head.
The rain was immediately blocked completely.
Yahiko and Konan felt shaken when they saw this, but what followed was envy.
If they could become shinobi, they definitely would no longer need to suffer from hunger and cold.
Perhaps it was precisely because of this kind of thought that, in the original work, they would risk their lives to seek out the Legendary Sannin.
But the ninjutsu that shocked them had not ended.
With a wave of Natsuki's hand, two bento boxes flew out from his shadow.
"So... so amazing."
Konan could not help murmuring.
Yahiko also nodded subconsciously.
To them, this was truly far too incredible.
"Bento."
Natsuki handed one bento box to each of them.
"For... for us?"
Yahiko could not believe it and could not help asking.
"Take it."
Natsuki smiled and said, "If you are not hungry, I will take them back."
"Thank you, shinobi-sama!"
Yahiko quickly accepted the bento box.
Seeing this, Konan also accepted one.
The two opened the bento boxes and immediately froze.
An unprecedented fragrance rushed toward them.
More importantly, the food inside the bento boxes was so exquisite that they did not know how to describe it.
Konan swallowed.
She instinctively picked up a piece of fried shrimp and put it into her mouth.
An unimaginable taste spread through her mouth.
Konan froze, and her eyes blurred.
"It is so good!"
Yahiko's reaction was not much better than hers.
To them, simply having food was already rare. As for taste, they had never dared to hope for anything.
But the bento Natsuki gave them was delicious. So delicious that they would never forget it for the rest of their lives.
Natsuki thought for a moment, then took out some firewood.
Soon, a fire was lit.
Natsuki had considered that he might meet Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan, but he had not expected it to happen this early.
Clearly, at this point, Yahiko and Konan had not yet met Nagato.
Natsuki rubbed his chin and fell into thought.
Should he take Yahiko and Konan back with him?
How should he put it?
The two of them were most likely not part of Madara's plan.
Especially now, when they had not yet met Nagato.
Madara probably had not noticed them.
Taking them back would not carry much risk.
It just did not quite fit Natsuki's plan.
He was planning to take advantage of Hanzō's death after the Second Shinobi World War ended to rebuild Ame and the Land of Rain.
In that case, he could try to unlock Artoria Template's Excalibur.
The best method was to follow the plot of the original work and let the three of them establish Akatsuki, while he also took part in it.
Besides, would Yahiko and Konan be willing to leave with him?
All three of them had dreams and wanted to bring peace to the Land of Rain.
After thinking it over, Natsuki decided to follow the Akatsuki route.
Because even without Akatsuki, there would be some other organization.
Akatsuki had a deep influence on the future of the shinobi world.
Natsuki needed to take part in it and obtain the corresponding intelligence.
By the time Akatsuki began the Eye of the Moon Plan, his strength would probably already be enough to deal with Madara and Black Zetsu.
In short, trust the system.
Moreover, judging from the original work, Madara and Black Zetsu did not care about how Akatsuki developed in its early days.
They did not even stop Jiraiya from teaching Nagato and the others for three years.
"Are you full?"
Natsuki came back to his senses and found that their bento boxes were already empty.
"We are full!"
Yahiko immediately said.
Konan froze for a moment, then lowered her head.
Natsuki understood as soon as he saw it.
They definitely were not full. They simply did not trust him, or were worried that eating too much of his food would make him unhappy.
"You do not need to be polite with me."
Natsuki took out two more bento boxes and said, "I brought plenty of bento."
Yahiko could not help hesitating, but in the end, he could not resist the temptation and accepted the bento box.
"Thank you, shinobi-sama."
Konan also accepted the bento box.
After eating another bento, their complexions looked better than before, and they seemed more energetic.
"Where do you live?"
Natsuki put away the empty bento boxes and asked.
Yahiko and Konan looked at each other, both a little hesitant.
But after thinking about the bento just now, they quickly made up their minds.
"We live in a cave not far from here."
A sunny smile appeared on Yahiko's face as he said, "That is my secret base."
"Can I visit it?"
Natsuki asked again.
"Of course."
After Yahiko finished speaking, he smiled embarrassedly and said, "As long as shinobi-sama does not mind how simple it is."
"Let's go."
Natsuki stood up and handed them two umbrellas.
Yahiko opened his umbrella and walked at the front.
Natsuki and Konan followed him out.
Half an hour later, they entered a dense forest.
After walking through the forest for a few minutes, they arrived before a cave.
The cave was not deep, and the space inside was not large, but it was more than enough for two people to live in.
Natsuki looked around.
Inside the cave was a small shelter built from vines.
More accurately, it was a makeshift shelter built around vines.
"Shinobi-sama, please sit."
Yahiko moved out a crude wooden stool woven from vines.
"Is it only the two of you?"
After Natsuki sat down, he asked.
"Originally, it was only me. Later, I met Konan."
Yahiko explained.
"It truly is not easy for two children to live through such chaotic times."
Natsuki thought for a moment and said, "I will be staying in the Land of Rain during this period. If you are willing, I can teach you ninjutsu."
"Teach us ninjutsu?"
Yahiko immediately stood up and asked, "Really?"
Konan was also full of shock.
"Why would I lie to you?"
Natsuki asked back.
"Thank you, shinobi-sama!"
Yahiko immediately pulled Konan along, about to kneel and bow to Natsuki, but he stopped them in time.
"Those formalities have no meaning."
Natsuki shook his head and said.
"Shinobi-sama!"
Yahiko hurriedly said, "Konan and I will definitely remember your kindness!"
"I will start by teaching you the basics of chakra extraction and the Three Basic Techniques."
Natsuki wasted no words and began explaining chakra extraction.
Chakra extraction was undoubtedly the key to whether a person could become a shinobi.
Naturally, there was no need to worry about Konan and Yahiko.
Although their talent was not comparable to Nagato's, they could still be considered geniuses.
After a day of teaching, they had already grasped the basics.
"During this time, do not go out. Stay here and train."
Natsuki took out a summoning storage scroll and said, "Inside are enough supplies for you to live for a week. I will give you new supplies after a week."
"Thank you, shinobi-sama!"
Yahiko said gratefully.
"Thank you, Natsuki-sensei."
Konan thought for a moment and changed the way she addressed him.
"Thank you, Natsuki-sensei!"
Yahiko suddenly realized and hurriedly called out as well.
Natsuki immediately felt something subtle.
With his strength, there was indeed nothing wrong with being their teacher, but they were Yahiko and Konan, not ordinary people.
[You have awakened the Jiraiya Template.]
The sudden line of text made Natsuki's head fill with question marks.
That subtle feeling became even stronger.
Although awakening the Jiraiya Template was reasonable, because in the original work, he was Yahiko and Konan's teacher.
Natsuki thought of another question.
Awakening the Jiraiya Template might not only be related to Konan and Yahiko.
Because Jiraiya was a very classic teacher-type character.
He was not only Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato's teacher, but also Minato and Naruto's teacher.
It was no exaggeration to say that he was a key character who influenced the original plot.
Natsuki had once imagined obtaining a teacher-type character, but he had never thought it would be Jiraiya.
The main reason was that most of the characters he had obtained came from other works.
The only template he had obtained from Naruto before this was the Uzumaki Naruto Template.
But under normal circumstances, the Jiraiya Template would not be weak.
Among the Legendary Sannin, in terms of pure combat ability, Jiraiya was the strongest.
Because he had Sage Mode.
In the original work, Sage Mode could be called one of the underlying foundations of power.
Even when fighting Kaguya, it was still very useful.
That was even more true against ordinary shinobi.
Aside from a very small number of exceptions, few shinobi could be opponents for Jiraiya in Sage Mode.
But the question was whether the Jiraiya Template he had awakened had Sage Mode.
According to the system's usual pattern, the harder a template was to awaken, the stronger it would be.
If it was only because he had taught Konan and Yahiko, then the Jiraiya Template he awakened most likely did not have Sage Mode.
But if his previous teaching of Tsunade, Nawaki, Nonō, and the others was also included, then perhaps it did have Sage Mode.
Natsuki suppressed the doubts in his heart and looked at the newly obtained Jiraiya Template.
[Name: Jiraiya.]
[Period: Third Shinobi World War.]
[World: Naruto.]
[Rank: S-rank.]
[Ability One: Fire Release Talent, Unlocked.]
[Effect: Possess Fire Nature and Jiraiya's talent for Fire Release.]
[Ability Two: Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet, Locked.]
[Effect: Spit out three fire dragons and control them to fly toward the target. Upon hitting, they turn the target to ash.]
[Unlock Condition: Learn seven Fire Release ninjutsu.]
[Ability Three: Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld, Locked.]
[Effect: Create a huge swamp, trapping the opponent so they cannot escape until they are buried.]
[Unlock Condition: Defeat three Jonin skilled in Earth Release.]
[Ability Four: Fire Sealing Method, Locked.]
[Effect: Seal the target's Fire Release ninjutsu into a scroll.]
[Unlock Condition: Defeat five Jonin skilled in Fire Release.]
[Ability Five: Sage Mode, Locked.]
[Effect: A mode that allows the use of senjutsu chakra, increasing the power of one's ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu.]
[Unlock Condition: Have Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato possess Jonin-level strength.]
After Natsuki finished reading, his spirits could not help lifting.
Because it had the Sage Mode he wanted.
Ability One, Fire Release Talent.
Natsuki had to say, as expected of an S-rank character template. It directly gave him Fire Nature and Jiraiya's talent for Fire Release.
In the original work, the ninjutsu Jiraiya was best at was none other than Fire Release.
Even after using Sage Mode, he did not abandon Fire Release.
This first ability alone could allow any shinobi to grow into an excellent Fire Release Jonin.
Natsuki thought of the Uzumaki Naruto Template he had obtained before.
Its first ability only had Wind Nature.
Ability Two, Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet.
This Fire Release ninjutsu could be considered the most powerful Fire Release ninjutsu Jiraiya used.
Of course, this referred to his normal state.
There was no need to say much about its power. It was astonishing.
And the unlock condition was to learn seven Fire Release ninjutsu.
Without Ability One, Natsuki estimated that he would have to learn for quite a long time.
But with Ability One, it would not be particularly troublesome for him.
Ability Three, Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld.
This Earth Release ninjutsu could be considered a very good area-control ninjutsu.
In the original work, Jiraiya used Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld to immobilize Orochimaru's summon.
Its unlock condition was fairly conventional, defeating three Jonin skilled in Earth Release.
Ability Four, Fire Sealing Method.
This sealing jutsu did not look particularly impressive.
After all, in battle, why waste time sealing the target's Fire Release? Would it not be better to dodge directly or clash with Water Release?
But in the original work, this sealing jutsu could seal Amaterasu.
Amaterasu was one of the Mangekyō Sharingan's dōjutsu, black flames that never went out.
Naruto could also be called the legend of eyes.
And those eyes mainly referred to the Mangekyō Sharingan.
As for the Rinnegan, it could also be considered an advancement of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
By comparison, the Byakugan had little role. Its advancement, the Tenseigan, only appeared briefly in a movie.
Its unlock condition was also to defeat Jonin, but Fire Release Jonin, and five of them.
Natsuki felt that if this continued, he would end up fighting every Jonin in the shinobi world.
Ability Five was the most important one, Sage Mode.
Because Sage Mode was simply too difficult to learn.
In the original work, the number of shinobi who could learn Sage Mode could be counted on one hand.
However, Jiraiya's Sage Mode had one problem. Its duration was limited.
To extend the time, he would summon Fukasaku and Shima of Mount Myōboku to help.
But the problem was that Natsuki was currently not a contractor of Mount Myōboku.
His teacher was Orochimaru, so he would definitely become a contractor of Ryūchi Cave first.
There were certain differences between Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode and Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode.
He did not know whether it could be adjusted when the time came.
But he would unlock it first and talk about that later.
Even if the duration was short, it was still Sage Mode.
Its unlock condition could not be called difficult, but it could not be called simple either.
With Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan's talents, becoming Jonin would happen sooner or later.
It just required time.
(To be continued.)
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