Chapter 69 – The Test of a Master and Disciple
"Why so cheerful today, Jiraiya-sensei?"
"Ah, Minato! Hahaha—now this is a lucky day! Double blessings!" Jiraiya boomed, his laughter hearty and genuine. "Didn't expect you to be back in the village too!"
He turned with a grin, ready to introduce his prized student to Taichi.
But Minato's smile faltered the moment he got a good look at Jiraiya's face.
"Uh… sensei," he said, eyes widening. "What happened to your face?"
Even for someone as strong as Jiraiya, those bruises and scrapes looked… excessive. There were red finger marks on his cheek, a faint shoe print on his back, and his hair—usually immaculate—was an unholy mess.
Minato couldn't even imagine who in Konoha could do that to his master.
Meanwhile, Taichi was sitting quietly on the side, one hand covering his mouth as his shoulders trembled from barely contained laughter.
That only deepened Minato's confusion. "...Did I miss something?"
Jiraiya froze for a second, then forced out an awkward laugh, waving dismissively. "Ahaha—nothing, nothing! Field research accident! You know how it is."
Before Minato could press further, Jiraiya grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him toward the table.
"Anyway! Come meet someone important," he said quickly, steering the conversation elsewhere. "This here's your junior, Tsunade's student. I've personally guided him a bit myself!"
Turning to Taichi, he gestured grandly. "Taichi, this is Namikaze Minato — one of Konoha's youngest jōnin, and my most talented disciple!"
Taichi immediately bowed, adopting his most polite tone. "Nice to meet you, Minato-senpai!"
Minato's expression softened instantly. "And nice to meet you too, Taichi-kun. To become a shinobi at your age—impressive. Keep it up."
Taichi grinned, seizing the chance to curry favor. "Senpai, have some sake!"
He poured a full cup for Minato before the older man could refuse.
Minato chuckled and nodded his thanks before glancing at Jiraiya. "So, sensei… you still haven't told me what's got you in such a good mood?"
Jiraiya grinned and jabbed a thumb toward Taichi. "Him! The brat's the reason. Turns out Tsunade didn't just teach him medical ninjutsu—she's officially taken him as her disciple."
Minato's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "Really? That's great news!"
But the smile faded from Jiraiya's face. He slumped slightly, his voice lowering. "…It's great, yeah. Just a little late, that's all."
There was a heaviness in his tone that even sake couldn't hide.
Minato frowned slightly. "Sensei, what's wrong? Did something happen?"
Jiraiya sighed, setting his cup down. "Tsunade left the village."
"What?!" Minato's shock was clear. "You mean—Tsunade-sama actually left Konoha?"
"Yeah," Jiraiya said, his voice quieter now. "She took Shizune with her about half a month ago."
Minato's brows furrowed. Even among the Sannin, Tsunade was a pillar of Konoha—her departure would weigh heavily on the village.
Jiraiya waved a hand, forcing a grin. "Bah, forget it. No use dwelling on it. If anyone should be worried now, it's the Hokage and this little brat here."
He nodded toward Taichi, who had been silently listening the whole time.
Taichi met his eyes and nodded solemnly. He had already made his decision—if Tsunade had left, then he'd be the one to bring her back someday.
The fire in his heart burned quietly, but steadily.
---
"Minato-senpai, you haven't eaten yet, right?" Taichi said suddenly, noticing the untouched dishes before him. "Why don't I order a few more plates? We can eat together."
Minato smiled warmly but shook his head. "No need. I was just picking up some food to take home—Kushina's waiting for me."
The mere mention of her name brought a faint blush to his face, the kind of tenderness that made even Jiraiya smirk.
"Oh, that fiery redhead," Jiraiya chuckled.
Minato laughed softly. "Actually, sensei, Kushina keeps talking about you. Says she wants to cook for you next time you visit."
"Ah—ah, no, that's not necessary," Jiraiya said quickly, his smile twitching. Beads of cold sweat began forming on his forehead.
He had eaten two kinds of food in his life that haunted him to this day: the bug dishes of Mount Myōboku, and Kushina Uzumaki's cooking.
"Really, no rush. None at all. Tell her… maybe another time!"
Before Minato could reply, Jiraiya suddenly grabbed Taichi by the arm and stood up.
"Anyway! Didn't you say you wanted training advice? Let's go. Right now."
"Eh? Wait—Sensei! The bill—!"
"Forget it! Training comes first! Minato, you cover it for us. Have this brat pay you back later!"
By the time Minato looked up, the two of them were already gone—vanished in a puff of dust.
He sighed, smiling helplessly. "Kushina's cooking… can it really be that bad?"
---
Far from the izakaya, as they walked down the path toward the Third Training Ground, Taichi finally couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Jiraiya-sensei, was that really necessary? Is Kushina-senpai's food that awful?"
Jiraiya gave him a withering glare. "You've never eaten it, kid. Someday, I'll take you over there. You'll understand what true terror tastes like."
Taichi chuckled nervously. "Guess I'll take your word for it."
Jiraiya's expression softened, a sly grin curling at the corner of his mouth. "Though now that I think about it—you're not bad at cooking, are you? Next time we visit, you can show that girl what real food tastes like."
Seeing the mischievous glint in his sensei's eyes, Taichi could only sigh. "Jiraiya-sensei, you said you'd teach me some new techniques today. You're not planning to run off again, are you?"
"Of course not!" Jiraiya said, smirking as he rubbed the side of his still-bruised face. "When did I ever break a promise to my student?"
He turned, his long white hair fluttering in the wind. "Come on. Let's head to Training Ground Three."
Watching his teacher's back, Taichi frowned slightly, wondering why Jiraiya seemed so oddly eager this time. But then he smiled. Whatever the reason, being taught by a Sannin was an opportunity few ever got.
He quickened his pace to catch up.
---
Training Ground No. 3
The air was crisp, the earth marked with old scars from countless battles.
Jiraiya stood at one end, arms crossed, his tone firm.
"Taichi—show me what you've got. Don't hold back. I want to see exactly how much you've improved."
Taichi nodded. He understood this was no ordinary spar.
It was a test—a true measure of how far he'd come.
And this time, he wouldn't disappoint him.
All his previous fights against high-level ninja had relied on luck and clever tactics, not pure ability. This time, he wanted to fight head-on—with everything he had.
"I'm coming, Jiraiya-sensei!"
With a sharp shout, Taichi charged forward, drawing the short blade from his back. The edge shimmered as wind-natured chakra wrapped tightly around it, forming a faint azure glow.
Seeing this, Jiraiya's eyes lit up with surprise. "He's coating his blade with elemental chakra already… impressive."
He didn't dare underestimate him now. From his pouch, Jiraiya drew a kunai and channeled chakra into it until it hummed with power.
The two clashed in an instant—
Clang!
Sparks scattered from the impact, a crisp, metallic ring echoing through the field.
Taichi staggered back several steps from the collision. His small frame trembled under the recoil. Even with the reach advantage of a short sword, his raw strength was nowhere near Jiraiya's.
"Hah! You've got skill, but your strength's still lacking, kid," Jiraiya teased with a grin, though inwardly he was astonished. This boy's power… it's growing fast. Much faster than anyone his age should be capable of.
After that initial exchange, Taichi wisely stopped trying to overpower Jiraiya. Using his smaller size and faster movements, he began attacking from sharp, unpredictable angles.
His blade flashed from every direction—low sweeps, diagonal cuts, deceptive feints. Each strike carried the precision of an assassin and the speed of a storm.
Jiraiya parried and dodged, his smile fading as the pace intensified. So this is Tsunade's disciple, huh? The kid's learning fast.
The short sword met the kunai again and again, their clashes sending shockwaves through the clearing.
Taichi twisted his body mid-strike, bringing his blade down in a sweeping arc that sliced through the lingering afterimage of Jiraiya's movements. The air itself seemed to ripple from the force.
Jiraiya braced both hands on his kunai, blocking the blow—but then felt the weight vanish.
What—?!
Taichi had pulled back, pivoting on one heel. The horizontal slash transformed mid-motion into a lightning-quick thrust.
The tip of his blade stopped an inch from Jiraiya's chest.
Eyes narrowing, Jiraiya kicked off the ground, springing backward. His kunai flicked up just in time to deflect the strike with a ringing clang.
But Taichi didn't let up. He stepped forward in pursuit, twisting his hips as he swung the short sword diagonally. When that missed, he spun with the motion and snapped a roundhouse kick toward Jiraiya's side.
Caught off guard, Jiraiya barely managed to raise his arm to block—
Thud!
The impact sent both of them sliding back several meters before they separated, each landing on opposite sides of the field once more.
Jiraiya grinned, rubbing his forearm where the kick had landed. "Not bad, brat. You've been practicing."
Taichi, breathing heavily, raised his blade again, a fierce spark burning in his eyes. "I'm just getting started, Sensei."
And with that, the spar was far from over.