🌟 Patreon Shoutout Time! 🌟
A massive, heartfelt thank you to 'Luke' for becoming a part of our Patreon family and joining us on this incredible journey! 🥳🔥
Your support truly means the world to me 💖 and helps keep this adventure alive and growing every single day.
To everyone supporting me — thank you so much! 🙌✨ Let's keep moving forward together and make something amazing! 🚀
Want even more awesome perks and exclusive content? 👀
👉 Unlock exciting rewards by joining higher tiers! 🎁
🔗 patreon.com/Myth_Valley
***********************************
Naruto chuckled, closing the book with a snap. "Face it, Ero-sennin. You're not a sage of romance, you're just a creepy old man with bad metaphors."
Jiraiya's soul shriveled at the words. His pride, his dignity, his legacy as a writer, torn apart by the brat who should've been worshipping him.'Is this what karma feels like…? Minato, why does your kid have to be this savage?'
Still, he wasn't giving up.
He straightened, wagging his finger. "Listen here, brat. Someday, when you're older, you'll understand the true genius of Icha Icha. And when that day comes, you'll come crawling back, begging me to teach you everything I know."
Naruto just smirked, tossing the book back into Jiraiya's lap like trash. "Keep dreaming, old man. If I ever start writing stuff like 'twin moons', I expect you to smack me."
After a little bit more bantering, Naruto crossed his arms and chuckled.
"Tch… fine! I'll take you as my teacher," He said, his eyes narrowing slightly. Then, with a sly smirk tugging at his lips, he jabbed a finger in Jiraiya's direction. "But don't get any wrong ideas. I'll only call you the Pervy Sage. That's what you are anyway... just a pervert. And you better teach me something useful, or else…"
His voice sharpened, conviction brimming. "…I'll have to find someone else who can!"
The air hung for a moment, heavy with his bold challenge.
Jiraiya, who had been lazily scratching his chin, suddenly stopped. The joking gleam in his eyes dimmed for a heartbeat, replaced by something sharper, older, like a blade unsheathed. He snorted, folding his arms across his chest, the folds of his cloak shifting with the motion.
"Brat…" He muttered, his tone carrying both annoyance and pride. "You really don't know who you're talking to."
Naruto blinked, but before he could retort, Jiraiya's lips curled into a cocky grin. His voice rose, booming with unshakable confidence.
"I've got dozens, no, hundreds of secret techniques you've never even heard about. Jutsu so powerful, they'd make your head spin faster than one of your shadow clones!"
He leaned forward, wagging a finger right in Naruto's face, his grin widening.
"Just watch, kid. By the time I'm done with you, you won't be calling me Pervy Sage anymore. You'll be begging to call me Handsome Teacher Jiraiya."
Naruto recoiled, making an exaggerated face of disgust, waving his arms. "Handsome teacher?! Yeah right! More like Hopeless Geezer!"
That hit a nerve. Jiraiya's brow twitched, but he masked it with a chuckle that rumbled deep in his chest. "You'll eat those words, brat. I'll whip you into shape, and then we'll see who's hopeless."
------
The streets of Konoha were lively, filled with the chatter of vendors and the smell of freshly grilled skewers wafting through the air.
A tall man with long, wild white hair walked side by side with a boy whose golden locks shone brightly in the afternoon sun. The man's crimson cloak brushed against his legs as the giant scroll strapped across his back swayed with each step.
Together, Jiraiya and Naruto stopped outside a bustling restaurant, the noise of laughter and plates clattering spilling out into the street.
Jiraiya turned to Naruto with a serious expression that almost managed to disguise the twinkle of mischief in his eyes.
"Oi, Naruto! Do you know what restaurants and food places are really good for?"
Naruto tilted his head, unimpressed. "What? Ramen?"
Jiraiya smirked knowingly, wagging his finger. "Information!"
Naruto gave a small shrug, eyes half-lidded. "Tch. Obvious. You can overhear people gossiping, see who sits with who, read body language… an easy way to figure out who's hiding something."
For a moment, Jiraiya blinked, surprised by how casually the boy had listed things that most shinobi needed years to grasp. Then his lips curled into a grin. "Heh… as expected from Minato's kid. Sharp instinct. You're right."
They stepped inside. The restaurant was alive with energy.
Shinobi fresh from missions, sharing drinks, merchants in fine robes talking deals, villagers laughing loudly as waitresses bustled between the tables, balancing trays. The smoky aroma of grilled meat mixed with the tang of sake.
Naruto took it all in quickly, scanning faces and attire with a single sweeping glance. It was a habit drilled into him: always know your surroundings.
"Remember, Naruto," Jiraiya murmured, lowering his voice just enough to sound like he was about to impart divine wisdom, "The first thing to do when you enter a crowded place… is to take just one second. One look and from that, you should know the number of people, their attire, their mood, who's drinking too much, who's whispering secrets. You understand?"
Naruto's blue eyes darted through the crowd. "Already done."
Jiraiya chuckled, clearly pleased. But then his gaze froze, landing on a particular woman seated by the far wall. She had long dark hair cascading down her shoulders, her smile warm as she laughed with a friend, the faint scent of perfume drifting even across the crowd.
'Ohhh… what a vision. Perfect curves, radiant skin… she's flawless. A goddess dropped into this mortal world just for me! What luck, Jiraiya, what luck!'
The corner of his lips curled into a grin. That familiar, all-too-recognizable grin.
Naruto noticed instantly. His jaw tightened, eyes narrowing as he followed Jiraiya's line of sight. And sure enough, there she was... The poor woman who had no idea she had just become 'research material.'
Naruto sighed so heavily it was almost theatrical.
'Hmph. This old man is… hopeless. No wonder Mom used to threaten to hit him with a frying pan. And Tsunade? If she were here, she'd flatten him into the floorboards before he could even blink.'
Jiraiya, of course, was oblivious to the daggers Naruto was glaring into his back. Instead, he confidently shoved his travel bag into Naruto's arms, puffing up his chest.
"Now, Naruto, why don't you sit yourself in a corner, hm? Observe the people. Learn how to watch quietly, gather details without drawing attention."
His eyes, however, were still glued to that woman.
Naruto's lips twitched in irritation as he muttered under his breath, "Yeah, right. Observe the people. More like observe that one woman."
But he took the bag anyway, slinging it lazily over his shoulder. His gaze swept the restaurant until he found an empty spot by the far corner. He trudged over, muttering to himself.
'Great. Babysitting duty for a Pervy Sage. If Mom were here, she'd tie him up in the cellar for even thinking about this. And Tsunade? She'd probably break his legs just for breathing in that direction.'
Naruto slumped into the corner seat, dropping the bag beside him. His eyes flicked toward Jiraiya, who was now casually making his way toward the woman, pretending he wasn't staring like a lovestruck idiot.
Naruto leaned back, resting his chin on his hand with a tired sigh.
"Unbelievable. And this is supposed to be my teacher? If he doesn't show me something useful soon, I swear… I'll find someone else. Or just train myself. Anything's better than being the assistant of the world's number one pervert."
Still, a small, mischievous smirk tugged at Naruto's lips. Because one thing was certain that this was going to be very entertaining.
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
📢 Author's Note 📢
If you're enjoying this story and want more chapters right now, I invite you to check out my Patreon. There you'll find:
✅ Daily updates – never miss a day of new content
✅ Advanced chapters – read far ahead of public releases
✅ Exclusive perks & extras – only available to patrons
Your support not only gives you early access but also helps me dedicate more time to writing and expanding this story. Every reader who joins makes a huge difference.
👉 Dive into more chapters today: patreon.com/Myth_Valley
Let's keep the adventure alive! 🔥📚✨