Sage Mode is a power that countless ninjas dream of, yet find difficult to master.
Jiraiya originally thought that Satoshi's talent would be slightly greater than his own. With the help of the toads, he might barely touch the threshold of Sage Mode.
He hadn't expected that Satoshi would not need anyone's assistance at all. There was no lengthy preparation, no time needed to gather Chakra. With just a blink of an eye, the immense natural energy was perfectly harmonized within his body, and he instantly entered Sage Mode.
Moreover, Satoshi's Sage Mode was quite perfect. Aside from a slight golden eyeshadow around his brows and eyes, there was almost no discernible difference.
Satoshi's first attempt achieved such astonishing success, causing an unprecedented stir at Mount Myōboku. Toads of all sizes and colors from Mount Myōboku scrambled over. They curiously observed the white-haired kid, whispering amongst themselves.
Even Gamabunta, known for his strange and somewhat arrogant personality, couldn't help but exclaim, "This kid is even more formidable than Minato."
He remembered the young blonde who had died prematurely. He always had a smile like a little sun.
Many years ago, Jiraiya brought him to Mount Myōboku, where he learned with the help of the Great Toad Sage.
Compared to Jiraiya, Minato's Sage Mode was already far superior, with minimal changes to his face. However, he still needed time to gather Senjutsu Chakra and could only maintain it for a limited duration.
And this white-haired kid was even more outstanding than Minato.
A monster, truly a monster.
Satoshi's aura gradually stabilized, and he carefully felt the power within his body.
Power overflowing!
If it weren't for the inappropriate setting, he would have performed an authentic Uchiha maniacal laugh.
The Great Toad Sage observed Satoshi for a long time. This child's performance far exceeded his expectations.
He remembered that the last ninja who could instantly activate Sage Mode was someone named Hashirama.
The Great Toad Sage looked at Satoshi kindly. "How do you feel?"
Satoshi replied, "Very good, a feeling I've never had before."
The Great Toad Sage fell into thought again.
How long had Satoshi's Sage Mode lasted? It must have been seven or eight minutes, right?
He seemed to be maintaining it quite well, his aura was stable, and his Chakra was flowing smoothly. There was no sign of strain.
"Jiraiya, you've taken on a remarkable student."
After speaking, the Great Toad Sage stared at Satoshi for a while longer.
"I can dream of all the big and small things in the Ninja World, down to a single ant, but why is it that there's no trace of you in my dreams? It's as if you don't belong to this world."
Satoshi looked at the Great Toad Sage in surprise.
You figured that out? What a genius.
Gamamaru took one last look at Satoshi, then closed his eyes and drifted back into slumber.
Seeing this, the surrounding toads gradually dispersed, fearing they might disturb his rest.
Before leaving, Fukasaku and Shima once again cautioned Satoshi.
"Do not use the Summoning Technique when there is no danger. And even more so, do not use the Summoning Technique when you encounter danger."
Satoshi's lips twitched. "What if I get beaten to death then? Won't the two of you feel heartbroken?"
"Hmm... In that case, we'll go help out then, if we have time."
"Alright, let's go."
Satoshi grinned widely, it wasn't a wasted trip. He learned Sage Mode and gained a large group of helpers. They might not be able to defeat the big boss, but cleaning up some small fries shouldn't be a problem.
Jiraiya and Satoshi left Mount Myōboku.
Having achieved his goal, Satoshi was humming a tune and about to leave when Jiraiya called him back. He was now full of interest in Satoshi.
"Do you want to try Konoha's traditional bell-snatching game?"
Satoshi showed a playful smile. "Are there any restrictions?"
Jiraiya hung the bells on his waist and said, "Give it your all, just like when you fought Orochimaru."
The two stood facing each other, the air seemingly solidified.
"I'm coming!"
As soon as the words fell, Satoshi's figure instantly vanished.
"So fast!"
Jiraiya's pupils constricted slightly, feeling a strong gust of wind behind him. He sharply twisted his body, delivering a powerful, heavy spinning kick fiercely sweeping towards Satoshi's chest.
Satoshi didn't dodge or evade, raising his arm to easily block it. Immediately after, he exhaled and unleashed a punch like a cannonball towards Jiraiya.
Bang.
Jiraiya grunted, actually being sent flying several meters by this pure force, breaking a few branches before stabilizing himself.
"Tsk, this kid has so much strength, it feels like he could even rival Tsunade." Jiraiya's eyes became incredibly serious.
He rubbed his numb arm and said, "Continue."
The two of them fought for a long time. They only stopped when both were out of breath from exhaustion.
As for the bells, they had long since been knocked into some unknown corner. Perhaps they had already been shattered.
"Satoshi, I feel like there's nothing more I can teach you."
Jiraiya leaned against a tree, pulling out a copy of "The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Ninja."
"This book is for you, I hope it's useful to you."
Satoshi knew without asking what Jiraiya was going to do next.
Search for the legendary Child of Prophecy.
He didn't know what to say. Jiraiya spent all his time pondering vague dreams.
Couldn't he use that time to properly look after Naruto and train him?
Sigh, old pervert, nothing to say.
"Satoshi, for this period, please look after Naruto for me."
Satoshi was stunned for a moment.
Why did that sound so alarming?
Like entrusting a child.
Jiraiya looked into the distance and said, "When I find the Child of Prophecy and capture Orochimaru, I'll return to the village and become a carefree old man."
Satoshi was breaking out in a sweat. At this moment, Jiraiya was like an old general on a stage, covered in death flags. However, calculating the time, Jiraiya still had several years to live. Before then, he just needed to clear out the Akatsuki.
"I'm leaving, help me pass on a message to the old man."
After saying that, Jiraiya staggered away.
Satoshi quietly raised a middle finger. Irresponsible old geezer, what kind of teacher teaches for one day, throws a book, and then washes his hands of it?
If this were modern society, he would have been reported a million times already.
Deduct your salary!
Jiraiya's departure did not cause any ripples in Konoha. Everyone was living their own lives.
Except for Danzo.
Deep within the dimly lit Root base, Danzo raised his single eye, coldly staring at the uninvited figure before him.
"Orochimaru, you dare to come to Konoha. Don't you know they are all searching for your whereabouts?"
From the shadows, Orochimaru's figure slowly emerged, his golden snake-like eyes gleaming with dangerous light.
"They are just a bunch of arrogant fools. The person who can catch me hasn't been born yet."
Danzo did not argue further with Orochimaru on this matter, but instead asked about the Wood Release he had been longing for.
"I've spent so much money and gotten you so many test subjects. Has the Wood Release experiment not made any progress?"
Orochimaru shook his head. "The quality of the test subjects is too poor, it's not worth wasting any time on them."
Danzo suddenly snorted coldly, "Wasn't that Uchiha who invaded Konoha your subordinate?"
Hearing this, Orochimaru was infuriated.
Why was he always blamed for everything?
It was bad enough that Konoha was unaware, but even Danzo was pinning the blame on him.
Fools, all of them!
"I'm telling you again, that matter has nothing to do with me. If I were behind it, Konoha would have already completely collapsed by now."
Danzo was silent for a moment, no longer dwelling on the matter, and instead applied pressure.
"Hiruzen's trust in me is far less than before. You must hurry and get me what I want."
Orochimaru slowly licked his lips, revealing a greedy and sinister smile. "Help me kill Satoshi and bring his body to me intact. Perhaps then, what you desire will have hope."
Danzo's eyes widened.
What? Kill Satoshi?
Orochimaru, are you alright?