Chapter 8: The Rain-Soaked Land
"Master Jiraiya, can you hurry up a little?"
Land of Rain, Long Bridge.
Liumu held a bamboo umbrella over his head, looking helplessly at the endless grey sky as he muttered to himself.
"This damn place is really cursed. It's been raining nonstop since the day we entered the Land of Rain."
Jiraiya led Liumu into a shallow cave to take shelter. Shaking the rain from his wild white hair, he looked at Liumu, who was still full of energy after days of travel, and grinned. "You youngsters have such good stamina."
Hearing this, Liumu smiled back. He pulled two rice balls from his pack and handed one to Jiraiya.
"Master Jiraiya, where are we going exactly?"
"To find your senior brother and sister," Jiraiya replied, his expression turning serious as he gazed out at the relentless downpour. "It's been so long, and with the Land of Rain in such chaos… I don't know how they're faring now."
Though he didn't ask for names, Liumu knew exactly who Jiraiya was talking about.
After all, as the future godfather of the protagonist, Naruto, and the holder of the Rinnegan, Nagato's life was a tragedy orchestrated from the shadows. Selected early by Madara as a crucial pawn for his resurrection plan, even the legendary Rinnegan eyes were implanted in him.
His life was one of suffering, and his fate was heartbreaking.
But now, having somehow become their junior brother, Liumu felt a surge of resolve. If I can, I must do something to change their tragic ending.
Just then, Jiraiya, who was eating, suddenly froze. His hand shot behind his back, producing a kunai. "Be careful," he whispered to Liumu. "Someone's approaching."
Liumu: "???"
Although Liumu possessed the template of One-Punch Man Saitama, his sensory abilities as a ninja were not exceptional. So, seeing Jiraiya's sudden tension, he stood up in confusion.
Whoosh!
A black shadow flashed past the cave entrance. The figure held a gleaming blade and shot toward Liumu's chest like a bolt of lightning.
Seeing this, Jiraiya's eyes widened in alarm, but the suddenness of the ambush left him no time to intercept. "Liumu—!" he could only shout.
However, before the cry fully left his lips, he saw Liumu make a simple, almost bored movement.
Snap.
Jiraiya heard a crisp sound. He saw Liumu, his face etched with annoyance, now holding the attacker's wrist, the blade inches from his own chest. With a look of utter irritation, Liumu glared down at the black-clad man who had collapsed at his feet.
"What the hell? You scared me!" Liumu growled, raising his leg and delivering a swift kick to the man's midsection. "Don't you know how scary sudden noises can be?!"
Jiraiya: "..."
...
...
"No forehead protector. No obvious identifying marks."
Jiraiya searched the black-clad man's belongings but found nothing to indicate his allegiance. The attacker hadn't used any recognizable ninjutsu or spoken during the ambush. Otherwise, someone as worldly as Jiraiya could have guessed his origin from his accent alone.
However, when Liumu heard the words "forehead protector" from Jiraiya, a sudden realization dawned on him, connecting to a previous thought.
The first task the system had announced was for him to become a ninja.
He had clearly passed Jiraiya's assessment, so why hadn't the system indicated the task was complete?
"I waited five years for this big-shot system. It can't possibly be this unreliable!"
[Ding. The Ultimate Template System reminds the host that the symbolic item required for official ninja status has not yet been obtained. The mission is not considered complete at this time.]
As the question flashed in his mind, Liumu was startled by the sudden mechanical voice. But as he processed its meaning—the symbolic item for becoming a ninja…
Liumu paused, the pieces finally clicking into place. He asked doubtfully, "Could the system mean… I haven't obtained a Konoha forehead protector yet?"
Recalling scenes from the anime, it was when Naruto received his forehead protector from Iruka that he was officially recognized as a ninja.
But now…
Liumu looked over at Jiraiya, who was still examining the unconscious assailant. He crouched down and asked curiously, "Master Jiraiya, why do you wear a forehead protector with the character for 'Oil' on it, instead of the one from Konoha?"
"Oh?"
Jiraiya hadn't expected this question. Seeing the genuine curiosity in Liumu's eyes, he smiled lightly. "There's no special reason, really."
As he spoke, Jiraiya bit his thumb. His hands flew through a series of seals, and with a final clap, he slammed his palm onto the wet ground. A network of chakra spread out like a web.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Poof! A large cloud of white smoke erupted. As the breeze scattered it, a red toad, roughly half the size of a man, appeared beside Jiraiya.
Looking at the creature, Liumu felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
"This is Gamawenta, my summon. Say hello."
"Gamawenta…" Liumu's eyes flashed with recognition, then confusion. He hopped over to peer at the toad, examining it up and down. He frowned. "Why is it so… small? I remember…"
He caught himself, stopping the words before they could fully escape. In his memories, the Great Toad Sage and the boss toads of Mount Myoboku were colossal, their sizes rivaling tailed beasts in the later series. Jiraiya had stood upon them, looking tiny by comparison.
But now…
"My summons come from Mount Myoboku, the dwelling of the toad sages. As one of the few who can form a summoning contract with them, I naturally become their representative in this world." Jiraiya pointed to the symbol on his headband. "The character for 'Oil' is the mark of Mount Myoboku."
"What an impudent brat!" Gamawenta snorted, his horizontally-slitted eyes glaring at Liumu's hand, which was now resting on top of his head. "Jiraiya! You didn't summon me just to introduce me to this kid, did you? Don't tell me you want to…"
"Ah, no! Not that!" Jiraiya cut him off before he could finish.
"Liumu is my new disciple," Jiraiya explained, patting Liumu's shoulder with a proud smile. "So, as part of the family, of course I should introduce you. As for whether he can sense the natural energy of Mount Myoboku and become a new summoner… that will depend entirely on his own ability."
"Summoning beast?" Liumu seemed to catch a significant implication in their exchange.
However, as a transmigrator with a system, Liumu had no intention of tying himself to the toad clan, powerful as they were. They couldn't even handle a tailed beast on their own, he thought dismissively.
With that in mind, Liumu offered an awkward smile. At the moment, he barely had enough chakra to perform basic ninjutsu. How could he possibly learn a summoning jutsu that required massive chakra reserves?
After Jiraiya finished explaining his headband and exchanged a few more words with Gamawenta, the toad vanished in another puff of white smoke.
(End of Chapter)
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