Since the prison was adjacent to the Uchiha clan compound, it didn't take long for Jiraiya to reach the main gates. He chose not to barge in, instead politely informing the guards of his presence.
"Wait here," one of the Uchiha guards replied. "I'll go report your arrival."
Soon, Ryōsuke walked out to the gates. He looked at Jiraiya, who now sported a thick, messy beard and looked quite disheveled. Ryōsuke asked with a smirk, "Jiraiya, it's been a while. How was life in the cell?"
Ignoring the mockery, Jiraiya spoke in a cold voice, "I've served my time. Now, it's time you told me who the Child of Prophecy is."
"Of course. Follow me," Ryōsuke replied, turning to lead the way into the compound.
Jiraiya was slightly surprised. 'Could the Child of Prophecy actually be a member of the Uchiha clan? That would be unbelievable.'
In Uchiha Fugaku's courtyard, Naruto and Sasuke were engaged in their morning practice, sparring with basic taijutsu. At this stage, they were focused on building a solid foundation, constantly refining their chakra extraction techniques without neglecting their physical conditioning. This was the advantage of being part of a great clan; their starting point was already much higher than that of children from ordinary families.
Seeing Ryōsuke approach, the two boys stopped their training and ran over happily.
"Brother Ryōsuke!"
Jiraiya's brow furrowed the moment he saw the two youngsters. 'The Child of Prophecy is this small? How is he supposed to lead a revolution in the shinobi world? Did I come at the wrong time?'
Looking at the boy with spiky black hair, Jiraiya knew at a glance he was an Uchiha. He found it hard to believe someone from this clan could be the prophesied one. Then he looked at the other boy—the one with golden-blonde hair. He looked strangely familiar; such hair color was rare in Konoha.
'Is he the one?'
Naruto, meanwhile, was eyeing the strange man. He looked scruffy, unkempt, and slightly perverted, and he was staring at him intensely.
"Brother Ryōsuke, who is this weird old guy?" Naruto asked.
Ryōsuke chuckled. "This is Jiraiya. He's here to take you on as his disciple."
Naruto looked surprised, then a look of distaste crossed his face. He had heard the name Jiraiya before—the village had been buzzing with talk about the "legendary peeping tom" recently.
"I don't want to be the student of a peeping tom!"
Jiraiya felt a wave of depression. Even a kid this small knew about his "hobby." He realized he had to salvage his image. He cleared his throat, smoothed out his hair, struck a bizarre pose, and shouted, "I am the Toad Sage, Jiraiya! A true Sage!"
Having mastered Sage Mode, he did indeed possess the abilities of a sage. This caught Naruto's interest. Being called a "Sage" sounded powerful, and he thought the man might be able to teach him some amazing ninjutsu. Still, he felt conflicted.
"Brother Ryōsuke, do I really have to take this guy as my master?"
Jiraiya was slightly annoyed that the boy felt the need to ask an Uchiha for permission to study under him. However, Ryōsuke simply smiled and said, "Jiraiya is actually very powerful. He was also your father's teacher."
Up until now, Fugaku had been the one teaching Naruto, which hadn't been an issue. However, as Naruto grew older and began to learn more advanced ninjutsu to increase his strength, a problem would arise. Naruto didn't have fire-nature chakra, nor did he possess the Sharingan. He wasn't suited for the Uchiha clan's combat style, which relied heavily on their ocular powers.
Ryōsuke naturally wanted Naruto to become strong. In the original timeline, Naruto had also studied under Jiraiya and became significantly more powerful through his careful guidance.
Naruto's eyes lit up. "My father's teacher?"
The man who taught his father to become the Hokage and a hero of the village had to be incredible. Despite the peeping habit, Naruto decided it was worth considering.
"Can he teach me to become someone like the Hokage?" Naruto asked.
Jiraiya was also stunned. He hadn't asked the boy's name yet, but the golden hair was unmistakable. It was Minato's signature trait. He had planned to check on Minato's son after returning to the village anyway; it seemed fate had brought them together here. He was now determined to take him as a student.
"As long as you become my disciple, I will train you until you have the qualities of a Hokage," Jiraiya promised. As the reformer of the shinobi world, the boy would need immense power.
Hearing such a confident answer, Naruto was swayed. "Okay! I'm willing to take you as my teacher."
Jiraiya beamed with joy. "Then from today on, you are my disciple! Uchiha Ryōsuke, can I take him to train now?"
"You can," Ryōsuke replied, "but Naruto is still young. He's currently in the foundation-building phase."
Jiraiya had almost forgotten in his excitement that the Child of Prophecy was still a toddler. He couldn't teach him too much yet. Besides, for a first lesson, it was better to teach something fun. Should it be the Rasengan or the Summoning Technique?
After some thought, he realized neither was suitable yet. He felt a bit frustrated. There really wasn't much he could teach a child this age.
"Naruto, you're still a bit too small," Jiraiya explained. "Wait until you're a bit older—at least until you graduate from the Ninja Academy. Then, I'll teach you your father's signature move, the Rasengan, as well as the Summoning Technique so you can summon a giant toad!"
Naruto didn't mind the wait. He knew that building a strong foundation was the most important thing for learning advanced ninjutsu later. "Understood, Master Jiraiya!"
Jiraiya was pleased; Naruto seemed more sensible than he had expected. Since his business here was concluded, he decided it was time for a proper drink. The prison hadn't exactly provided top-shelf sake. He also needed to clean himself up; he was a bit of an embarrassment to the title of Toad Sage in his current state.
After Jiraiya left, Sasuke looked at Naruto with envy. "Brother Ryōsuke, can you be my teacher too?"
Even if Jiraiya was a Sage, Ryōsuke had personally defeated him and locked him in jail. That meant Ryōsuke was even stronger than a Sage. Sasuke believed that if he studied under Ryōsuke, he could easily surpass Naruto.
Ryōsuke found himself in a bit of a bind. It wasn't that he didn't want to teach Sasuke, but rather that he didn't really know how to teach.
"In truth, your father is already an extremely powerful ninja," Ryōsuke said. "Learning from him is more than enough for you."