Chapter 67: An Unexpected Audience
Jiraiya's sharp gaze swept over his shoulder, his voice cold. "Come out. The kid who's been following me."
His eyes were locked directly on Aizen's hiding spot.
Despite Aizen's best efforts to conceal his presence, the faint fluctuations of his chakra had not escaped the notice of Jiraiya's keen, Sannin-honed senses. Jiraiya's original purpose had been a simple detour to gather "inspiration" for his novels and, incidentally, to teach Naruto some ninjutsu. He hadn't expected to pick up a tail along the way.
What Jiraiya could never have guessed, however, was that this was a flaw Aizen had deliberately exposed, all to engineer a plausible reason to approach him.
As the silence stretched, Aizen finally stepped out from the shadows, presenting himself openly before Jiraiya.
"Following an elder all this way is quite presumptuous, young man," Jiraiya said, his eyes like daggers, meticulously examining every micro-expression on Aizen's face, searching for any clue to his intentions.
He was disappointed.
Under the heavy, deep-sea pressure of Jiraiya's presence, Aizen's face remained unchanged, his heart as still as ancient stone. He showed not a trace of guilt or fear. A gentle, friendly smile was perpetually etched on his lips, so kind and approachable it was disarming.
Jiraiya frowned, about to press further, when Uzumaki Naruto's excited shout cut him off.
"Aizen! What are you doing here? Are you here to train too?"
Naruto was enthusiastic, greeting Aizen proactively. Aizen's decisive victory over Yakushi Kabuto in the preliminaries had left a deep impression on him. Furthermore, their shared experience of being mocked as "dead-lasts" when they first entered the academy created a sense of camaraderie in Naruto's eyes. This was what one might call a resonance of spirit.
"'Aizen'? You know him?" Jiraiya asked Naruto, his tone suspicious.
"Of course! Aizen's a genius, just like me! We both made it to the final round of the Chunin Exams, hehe," Naruto said, proudly boasting about Aizen while not forgetting to include himself.
This shameless display earned him a stern side-eye from Jiraiya.
Naruto scratched his head, as if suddenly remembering something. "But, speaking of which, who are you, Uncle? I've never seen you in Konoha before."
"No, I should call you 'Pervy Sage'! You were openly peeping into the women's bath!" Naruto declared, pointing an accusing finger at Jiraiya.
Jiraiya could only sigh in exasperation at Naruto's antics.
Soon, his attention returned to Aizen. For some reason, he felt an unshakable resilience emanating from this young man. It was as if this boy was a born king, destined to shake the world.
Just as Jiraiya was lost in these thoughts, Naruto interrupted him again.
"Hey, Pervy Sage! You knocked out Ebisu-sensei! So who's gonna teach me ninjutsu now?" Naruto complained, then gradually sidled over to Aizen's side. "Aizen, let's train together!" he suggested enthusiastically.
Aizen offered a slight smile and nodded in agreement. He could see clearly that Jiraiya's purpose here was to teach Naruto. By leveraging Naruto's invitation, he could secure a place by Jiraiya's side and get closer to the mysterious power that had captured his interest.
"I'll handle the teaching," Jiraiya said, "but this young man..." He looked hesitant, seemingly unwilling to include Aizen.
"Hmph! He's a Konoha ninja and my friend! Why can't he learn ninjutsu?" Naruto declared with righteous loyalty, completely ignoring Jiraiya's expression. "If you won't teach him, then I won't learn either!"
Finally, worn down by Naruto's stubbornness, Jiraiya reluctantly agreed to his condition and allow Aizen to join their training for the day.
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior," Aizen said humbly, his posture deferential. His earnest, studious demeanor caused Jiraiya's internal vigilance to relax, if only a little.
By the edge of the hot spring, steam rose and heat wavered in the air.
The three of them stood on the bank, ready to begin.
Outwardly, Aizen looked excited, but inwardly, his mind was elsewhere, wholly focused on the mysterious energy fluctuations emanating from Jiraiya.
Naruto was practically vibrating with enthusiasm, his eyes shining with expectation.
"The task I'm going to teach you today is simple," Jiraiya announced solemnly. "It's how to control your chakra with greater precision."
With that, the one-month immersion training officially began.