The setting sun's afterglow dyed the Third Training Ground in a warm golden hue.
Sora leaned against the fork of a thick tree branch, arms folded behind his head, eyes closed, breathing steady.
He wasn't asleep.
He was waiting.
Patient waiting was the most basic quality of a hunter.
Last night's banquet wasn't just a celebration; it was also an investment.
For Kakashi, Yamato, Kaede, and Itachi, it was an investment in personal connections—a cornerstone for consolidating the foundation of his future empire's team.
For Jiraiya, however, it was a risky investment.
To obtain Sage Mode, he had to go through the toads of Mount Myōboku. And to contact the toads, he had to go through Jiraiya.
This lecherous yet powerful Sannin was the only key.
A faint, almost imperceptible sound of breaking wind arrived.
He was here.
Sora didn't move, maintaining his leisurely napping posture.
Until a figure reeking heavily of alcohol stumbled and appeared below the tree.
"Ahem, sorry, sorry."
Jiraiya, with his messy white hair, wore a face of hangover fatigue and embarrassment. He looked up at Sora in the tree, scratching his head awkwardly.
"Last night... uh... we partied too late."
Only then did Sora slowly open his eyes. He sat up, jumped down from the branch, and landed steadily on the ground.
He didn't complain; he just gazed quietly at Jiraiya with those pure amber eyes, his face wearing a bitter, aggrieved expression.
That look was exactly like a child full of anticipation who had been stood up by an adult, looking so wronged he was about to cry.
Even someone as thick-skinned as Jiraiya felt uncomfortable under his stare.
"Ahem!"
Jiraiya coughed heavily twice, forcibly steering the topic back on track and putting on an elder's dignified air.
"Alright, enough chit-chat! My time is very precious!"
He crossed his arms over his chest and puffed it out.
"Tell me, kid! What powerful ninjutsu do you want to learn from this Toad Sage Jiraiya?"
He was hooked.
Sora's heart stirred, and the grievance on his face instantly transformed into excitement and anticipation—his face-changing speed was masterful.
"Lord Jiraiya! I want to learn Summoning Technique!"
"Summoning Technique?"
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised.
"Why do you want to learn that?"
"Because it's so convenient!" Sora's answer was full of a young boy's innocence and straightforwardness. "I saw Captain Kakashi's summoned ninja dogs—they can track, deliver intelligence, and even help in battles! So cool!"
This reason was solid and reasonable.
"And also..." Sora seemed to hesitate. He lowered his head, lightly drawing circles with his toe, a shy blush appearing on his face.
"Captain Kakashi said... my fighting style is a lot like the Fourth Hokage's..."
He looked up, his amber eyes sparkling with admiration for his hero and a hint of uncertain hope.
"So, I was thinking... maybe I have talent for space-time ninjutsu too? I want to try!"
A lie.
A complete, meticulously crafted lie.
He didn't need to learn space-time ninjutsu at all—his Mangekyō Sharingan was the ultimate space-time bloodline limit.
He brought up "Namikaze Minato" just to provoke Jiraiya.
To stir the deep nostalgia and pride this man felt for his sun-like brilliant disciple.
Seeing the mixture of longing, nervousness, and determination on the boy's face, Jiraiya was momentarily dazed.
So similar.
Really too similar.
Back then, that golden-haired youth had the same confident and radiant smile when he decided to learn the Summoning Technique.
He also recalled Kakashi's evaluation of Sora last night.
"Sora's the best five-nature user I've seen besides the Third Hokage."
A boy from civilian origins, without a bloodline limit, yet possessing such astonishing talent—and so resembling Minato.
Was this fate?
The string in Jiraiya's heart called "valuing talent" was plucked hard.
The frivolous expression on his face gradually faded.
In its place was an unprecedented seriousness.
"Good!"
Jiraiya spoke solemnly, enunciating each word.
"In that case, this Toad Sage Jiraiya will teach you the Summoning Technique of Mount Myōboku today!"
Success!
A wave of ecstatic joy surged in Sora's heart.
The stepping stone to Sage Mode was in hand!
But on his face, he showed just the right amount of overwhelming surprise, almost jumping for joy.
"Really? That's great! Thank you, Lord Jiraiya!"
He bowed deeply, his attitude extremely respectful.
"Don't get too excited yet."
Jiraiya waved his hand, his expression grave.
"The Summoning Technique isn't an ordinary ninjutsu. It's a contract—a blood alliance with powerful beings from another world."
As he spoke, he pulled out an enormous scroll from his bosom and unfurled it on the ground with a thud.
The scroll was ancient and worn, with names written in blood, exuding an aura of primordial vastness.
"This is the summoning contract of the toad clan of Mount Myōboku."
Jiraiya pointed at the scroll.
"To summon them, you must first write your name here with your own blood."
"Then, use your chakra to activate the technique. Mount Myōboku will decide what kind of toad to send based on your chakra volume."
"But!"
Jiraiya's tone sharpened. He crouched down to eye level with Sora, his usually playful eyes now piercingly sharp.
"Summoning is bidirectional. If you sign the contract but don't gain Mount Myōboku's approval, or if your chakra isn't sufficient to support the technique, then..."
"You'll be reverse-summoned to Mount Myōboku."
He leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"The toads there aren't all as friendly as you might think. They'll treat you as an intruder, as... a snack, and even feed you bugs."
Snack.
Bugs.
Jiraiya's scare tactic echoed in Sora's ears.
But he felt no fear whatsoever.
On the contrary.
He raised his head, his amber eyes burning under the sunset with a flame that felt unfamiliar to Jiraiya.
"I'm not afraid!"
His answer was resolute and resounding.
"I'm going to become the man who will be Hokage!"
"A little setback like that couldn't possibly stop me!"
These words struck like thunder in Jiraiya's mind.
He froze completely.
The man who will become Hokage.
Such familiar words.
Such... nostalgic words.
In his mind, a face involuntarily emerged.
Golden short hair, azure blue eyes, always wearing a sun-warm smile.
Minato.
His disciple.
They had both said the same words to him with the same firm posture.
And now.
Jiraiya looked at the flaxen-haired boy before him, at those pure amber eyes burning with conviction.
In a daze, the two figures gradually overlapped in his vision.
"Haha..."
He chuckled softly at first.
"Hahahahahaha!"
Then he burst into hearty laughter, bold and refreshing, full of genuine delight that dispelled all the dusk in the training ground.
"Good!"
"Well said!"
He reached out with his fan-like large hand and patted Sora's shoulder forcefully, the strength making Sora's whole body sway.
"Ambitious! Worthy of someone I've taken a liking to!"
"In that case, let's sign the contract right here!"
Jiraiya unfurled the massive scroll again.
On the ancient scroll, crimson names told tales of legends.
Jiraiya's finger traced over those names, finally stopping at one particularly elegant and free-spirited one in the middle.
Namikaze Minato.
"See that, kid." Jiraiya's tone carried unmistakable pride. "This is the name of my proudest disciple, the Fourth Hokage."
"He signed his name right here back then too."
Sora quietly gazed at that name.
Namikaze Minato.
One of the contributors to his initial save file.
A powerful and gentle man who only existed in records.
No ripples in his heart.
But on his face, he showed immense longing and reverence.
"Here." Jiraiya handed over a brush. "Bite your finger and write your name with your blood."
Sora didn't hesitate.
He took the brush, then put his right thumb in his mouth and bit down hard.
A sting.
Fresh blood welled from the fingertip.
He pressed the bloodied thumb pad onto the brush tip, instantly soaking the dry bristles with his life's mark.
Then, he raised the brush.
Below and after Namikaze Minato's name was a blank space.
His wrist steady, he wrote stroke by stroke in that blank area.
Akashi.
Sora.
Three characters—not particularly sharp, but carrying a steadiness and profundity mismatched with his age.
"Then, press your five-finger blood print." Jiraiya's voice pulled him back from his thoughts.
Sora extended his bloodstained right hand and pressed it firmly beside his name.
A clear, blood-scented palm print was branded onto the ancient scroll.
Contract established.
"Done." Jiraiya rolled up the scroll, a satisfied smile on his face. "From today on, you're a contractor of the toad clan of Mount Myōboku!"
"Next is your first summoning."
He began explaining the hand seals for the Summoning Technique to Sora.
Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram.
"Remember, after the seals, concentrate your chakra in your palm and slam it on the ground!"
Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram.
Five seals, extremely simple.
Sora's fingers moved in a stable and precise rhythm, forming them one by one.
With each seal completed, his chakra grew more active.
Jiraiya stood aside, arms crossed, observing seriously.
With this kid's talent and chakra volume, there shouldn't be any issues.
For a first summoning, calling a tadpole or a palm-sized small toad was normal.
Back then, Minato's first only summoned a small toad half a person's height—and that was already genius-level.
This kid couldn't possibly be more outrageous than Minato, right?
This thought inexplicably popped into Jiraiya's mind.
He shook his head, thinking he was overthinking.
Whose parents were this child's? Such massive chakra at a young age—it was unreasonable.
When the Senju clan integrated into the village...
Could this kid be a distant descendant of the Senju clan?
As Jiraiya's mind wandered.
Sora completed the final seal.
"Summoning Technique!"
He let out a clear shout, and an enormous chakra vortex instantly formed and spun wildly in his right palm.
Then, he slammed it heavily onto the ground!
Jiraiya instinctively stepped back half a pace, preparing for the expected small puff of white smoke.
He even had his follow-up lines ready.
"Hahaha, not bad, not bad—solid entity on the first try, real talent!"
However.
Reality gave him a resounding slap.
BOOM!!!
It wasn't a small puff of white smoke at all!
It was a violent white explosion that shot skyward, obscuring the entire training ground—and even the sunset!
Terrifying smoke spread madly in all directions like a tsunami.
The ground beneath trembled and wailed violently.
A gust mixed with moisture and primordial aura blasted toward him, making Jiraiya's red haori flap wildly, nearly knocking him unsteady.
Jiraiya froze completely.
He maintained his arms-crossed posture, but his body was as if petrified, unmoving.
What the hell?
What exactly did this kid summon?!
The smoke came quickly and dissipated quickly.
When the sky-obscuring white smoke gradually cleared.
A colossal silhouette, large enough to cast a gigantic shadow, appeared in the center of the Third Training Ground.
It was a toad as huge as a small mountain.
Wearing a blue short jacket, with an enormous short sword at its waist, puffing on a signature pipe.
A pair of golden eyes with cross patterns scanned the surroundings unhappily.
The boss toad of Mount Myōboku.
Gamabunta.
The training ground fell into dead silence.
Only Gamabunta's heavy breathing, like a bellows.
"Who is it?!"
A muffled, irritable voice like rolling thunder echoed through the skies.
"Which bastard summoned the great me to this damn place?!"
Gamabunta's giant pupils slowly turned, finally fixing on the dumbfounded white-haired man nearby.
"Jiraiya! It's you again, kid?!"
"Every time it's nothing good! Did you get caught peeping again and need the great me to clean up your mess?!"
Jiraiya still didn't respond.
Not that he didn't want to—his brain had completely crashed.
His thoughts were still stuck on that palm slam from Sora.
How...
How is this possible...
First try... summoning Bunta?
This wasn't something talent could explain!
This was straight-up cheating!
Teaching a Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato was already the proudest thing in his life.
Minato's talent was publicly recognized in the ninja world.
But even Minato couldn't do something this outrageous!
And at the center of this storm.
Sora stood quietly in front of Gamabunta's massive webbed foot.
Compared to that colossal creature, his figure was as small as a toy.
The wind tousled his flaxen short hair, but he stood firm, without the slightest waver.
He looked up, calmly gazing at this legendary being with his pure amber eyes.
Jiraiya was thoroughly petrified.
His facial expression froze in a complex state between shock, bewilderment, and self-doubt.
Gamabunta.
This irritable boss toad that almost no one but him and Minato could control had been summoned on the first try by a thirteen-year-old boy.
Was something wrong with the world?
"Jiraiya! You deaf, kid?!" Gamabunta's booming voice like a great bell rang again, full of extreme displeasure.
But at that moment, Sora took a step forward.
Standing before Gamabunta's massive webbed foot, he looked up without a trace of fear—only pure curiosity and respect.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Bunta."
His voice was clear and calm, exceptionally distinct amid the chaos caused by the giant's arrival.
"It was me who summoned you."
Gamabunta's huge cross-patterned pupils slowly shifted downward, finally noticing the tiny human boy at its feet, like an insect.
"You?"
Its voice was full of doubt.
"Yes." Sora nodded, a brilliant, unclouded smile on his face. "My name is Akashi Sora. I just signed the contract with Mount Myōboku today. Pleased to meet you!"
This neither humble nor arrogant attitude, even somewhat familiar, stunned Gamabunta for a moment.
It had seen countless ninjas.
Some who peed themselves in fear before it.
Others arrogant, trying to challenge its authority.
But this was the first like the boy before it—greeting it like an ordinary senior.
Gamabunta sized up Sora, then glanced at the still disheveled Jiraiya nearby.
It could sense the boy's chakra was unimaginably vast.
"Hmph, interesting kid."
Gamabunta puffed a thick cloud of smoke from its pipe.
"Since you've signed the contract, you're one of us. If there's a fight you can't handle in the future, you can call the great me out to stretch my legs."
It paused, then added.
"But if you disturb my sleep for some trivial nonsense, I'll stuff you in my pipe and smoke you!"
"Yes! Got it!" Sora immediately replied loudly, his smile even brighter. "Thank you, Boss Bunta!"
Calling it "Boss" really pleased Gamabunta.
It grunted, its massive body "poof" turning into another sky-obscuring white smoke and vanishing.
The training ground returned to silence.
Leaving only a huge crater from the impact and the surrounding devastation.
And a Jiraiya whose worldview was being reshaped.
Sora turned around, trotted to Jiraiya, looked up with sparkling amber eyes full of expectation for praise.
"Lord Jiraiya! How did I do? Pretty good, right?"
"..."
Jiraiya opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word.
Pretty good?
This was beyond good!
It was outrageous! Monstrous! Defying heaven!
"Ahem ahem!"
Jiraiya suddenly coughed violently, as if trying to cough up his lungs.
He couldn't stay any longer.
He needed to calm down.
"Uh... excellent! Very excellent!" He waved his hands haphazardly, not daring to meet Sora's eyes. "You've mastered the Summoning Technique! Learn from analogy and practice well!"
"I... I suddenly have inspiration! Yes! Exactly! Inspiration surging like a fountain! I must go record it right away!"
"We'll continue your lessons another day! Another day!"
With that.
Whoosh!
Jiraiya's figure vanished instantly from the spot, like fleeing a plague.
Sora stood there, watching the direction Jiraiya disappeared, his smile slowly fading.
What an unreliable teacher.
But the goal was achieved.
The gate to Sage Mode had opened for him.
This crucial "key," Jiraiya, was now firmly in his grasp.
...
Meanwhile.
In the Hokage's office.
The window was suddenly pushed open from outside, and a white figure leaped in, carrying a travel-worn aura.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up at the visitor, somewhat surprised.
"It's you, Jiraiya. When did you return to the village?"
"A few days ago." Jiraiya walked to the desk, pulled out a chair and sat down uninvited, his face unusually serious. "I won't be staying long this time."
"Anything the matter?" Hiruzen set down his pipe.
"I met an interesting kid." Jiraiya got straight to the point.
"Oh?"
"His name is Akashi Sora."
Hiruzen's movement paused.
That name again.
"Get me his file." Jiraiya requested directly.
Hiruzen picked up his pipe again and took a deep puff.
"What, planning to take a disciple?"
"Still observing for now." Jiraiya's answer was very cautious. "I just... taught him the Mount Myōboku Summoning Technique."
Hiruzen's movement stiffened again.
"You gave him the Mount Myōboku Summoning Technique?"
"Yes." Jiraiya nodded, then dropped a bombshell.
"On his first summoning, he called out Bunta."
"Incredible talent."
The office fell into dead silence.
This intelligence's impact was no less than yesterday's classified report on the "Rinnegan."
After a long while.
Hiruzen slowly picked up his pipe again, speaking in a complex tone.
"Yes, that child... has incredible talent."
"And a strong Will of Fire."
"I have high hopes for him."
"You see potential in him too, old man?" Jiraiya was a bit surprised.
"Then I'll observe a bit more." Jiraiya stood up. "If nothing unexpected happens, I might take him as my disciple."
A subtle flash of relief passed through Hiruzen's turbid old eyes.
If Jiraiya could guide this child, it might be the best choice.
"Is that so? Then do it. Guide the child well."
"Alright, is this all the file?" Jiraiya pointed at an ordinary dossier on the desk. "I'll take it to look over. If there's nothing else from you, old man, I'll be going."
Hiruzen looked at Jiraiya, his lips moving.
About the Rinnegan...
Should he tell him?
Jiraiya was the one searching for the Child of Prophecy. Pain's existence was crucial to him.
But...
This intelligence was too high-level.
Before full confirmation, the more people who knew, the greater the risk.
In the end, he chose silence.
He waved tiredly at Jiraiya, indicating nothing else.
Jiraiya picked up the surface-level file on Akashi Sora, leaped out the window, and soon vanished into the night.
In the office, only Hiruzen Sarutobi remained.
He silently opened the bottom drawer of his desk and took out another scroll sealed with "S-Class Top Secret."
It was the full report Sora had brought back yesterday on Amegakure and the "God."
He unfurled the scroll, quietly staring at the word circled in red ink.
Rinnegan.