Chapter 246: Sparring with a Sage (7k words)

Chapter 246: Sparring with a Sage (7k words)



"Since you claim to be a sage, do you have any extraordinary abilities to prove it?" Obito examined Jiraiya for a moment before asking.

In Obito's mind, only exceptionally skilled individuals could be considered sages, like the Creator God, the Sage of the Six Paths, from his textbooks, or Mu Yue, the sage who had always offered him guidance and assistance.

If the Shadow Clone Technique could be used to solve problems and retain memory, Obito would be inclined to call Tobirama Senju a Clone Sage. However, upon discovering the technique's significant drawbacks, he believed Tobirama fell short.

"I can enter Sage Mode and wield incredibly powerful senjutsu!" Jiraiya boasted, his face filled with pride.

As a child, he had been unremarkable, with teammates like Tsunade and Orochimaru. Tsunade was the granddaughter of the Ninja God, Hashirama Senju, possessing the powerful Senju bloodline and a naturally robust chakra. Although Orochimaru came from a civilian background like himself, he was exceptionally gifted and picked up techniques swiftly. In comparison, Jiraiya felt inferior, like the deadweight of the team.

But now, things were different. All three of them had signed summoning contracts with the three holy lands due to their unique opportunities. However, Jiraiya was the only one who could enter Sage Mode.

While he required the assistance of the two great sages, Fukasaku and Shima, to access this mode, the ability to do so was fundamentally different from those who couldn't.

In the past, Jiraiya had endured solitary training, tied to a pillar. Now, having mastered Sage Mode and a plethora of senjutsu, he was confident he could defeat any Konoha ninja, except for Hiruzen Sarutobi. This confidence extended to Tsunade and Orochimaru as well.

"Is that so? It just sounds like you've mastered a powerful jutsu. That doesn't make you a sage, especially since you didn't even create Sage Mode yourself," Obito remarked, unimpressed.

"I think you truly don't understand," Jiraiya said, smiling. "But if you're not convinced, how about a one-on-one spar with my disciple?"

Explaining Sage Mode and senjutsu to a child would be too tedious.

"Alright then, bring out your disciple, Uncle Frog," Obito agreed, assuming Jiraiya's disciple would be around his age.

"Minato, someone wants to spar with you. Come on out!" Jiraiya laughed loudly, calling out to Minato.

"Huh?" Obito turned to look at the face that resembled Mu Yue's, feeling a little stunned. How was he supposed to fight this?

He hadn't witnessed Minato in battle, but he had seen him use the Flying Thunder God Technique, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Moreover, Mu Yue had once mentioned that Minato's strength surpassed that of many Konoha jonin.

While Obito did have a track record of defeating jonin, he had done so with the help of his teammates. He had never won against a jonin alone, especially one as exceptional as Minato.

"Well, Goggle-kun, are you scared now?" Jiraiya teased, a smile playing on his lips as he watched Obito.

"I'm not scared, but your disciple has been training for many more years than I have. It's not fair," Obito argued, believing that if they were the same age, he might not lose.

"Teacher Jiraiya, please don't tease Mu Yue's disciple like that," Minato said with a helpless smile as he walked over. There was no way he would actually fight Mu Yue's disciple.

Jiraiya laughed heartily for a moment before stopping his teasing of Obito. He simply found the boy amusing.

"Mu Yue, are you interested in discussing cooking with the sage of Mount Myoboku?" Jiraiya then remembered his promise to the Toad Sages and turned to Mu Yue with a question.

"They're the two sages I summoned during my battle," Jiraiya explained briefly to Mu Yue about the existence of Mount Myoboku.

"The Toad Sages, Fukasaku and Shima, are both sages who have lived for over 800 years. They are knowledgeable, powerful, and have mastered a wide array of senjutsu," Jiraiya continued, trying to pique Mu Yue's interest by emphasizing the strengths of the two sages.

A thoughtful look flashed in Mu Yue's eyes.

Based on Black Feather's performance, he knew that his culinary skills could be deadly to summoned beasts. He suspected that his cooking would have a similar effect on the toads of Mount Myoboku, making it easy to gain their favor. However, Mu Yue was a little concerned about the Great Toad Sage.

The Great Toad Sage possessed a rather bizarre ability to foresee the future in his dreams, and his prophecies in the original story had almost always come true with startling accuracy.

Mu Yue struggled to comprehend the ability to predict the future. As a master of various nature transformation ninjutsu himself, he could understand the destructive power of the Tailed Beast Ball or the perpetual burning of Amaterasu. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't wrap his head around the concept of seeing the future.

Mu Yue found the idea of seeing the future terrifying. If the future could be observed, did that mean everything was predetermined, including the act of observing the future itself?

"We'll know soon enough if the future can be changed," Mu Yue said, snapping himself out of his thoughts and steadying his mind.

Without his intervention, Might Guy would open the Eighth Gate to save Might Dai, and they would both perish. Obito would descend into madness, leading to the deaths of Minato and Kushina. Kakashi would fall victim to Danzo's schemes, and Itachi would be forced to take his life.

However, if he continued to train at his current pace, by the time the war between Kirigakure and Konoha broke out, Might Guy would have at least mastered the Eight Inner Gates, if not more. There would be no need for Might Dai to open the Death Gate.

Itachi's situation was more straightforward. By the time they reached that point in the timeline, even if Mu Yue hadn't developed his strength to a certain extent, Kakashi would be far stronger than in the original story, making him much harder to assassinate.

Mu Yue believed that the most challenging person to deal with was Obito. The events surrounding Obito were not driven by war but by the fact that he had caught the attention of Uchiha Madara.

At this stage, Mu Yue didn't have a foolproof solution, so he could only focus on improving Obito and Kakashi's strength. Greater strength meant they could handle more dangers, and that could only be beneficial.

"I'm very interested. Sages who have lived for over 800 years must have profound insights into cooking," Mu Yue said, smiling as he nodded.

Despite his wariness of the Great Toad Sage's prophetic abilities, he knew that establishing connections with Mount Myoboku would bring more benefits than drawbacks.

If he wanted to enhance his strength, Sage Mode was an excellent option, and of the three holy lands that taught senjutsu, Mu Yue believed that Mount Myoboku was currently the best choice.

After some consideration, Mu Yue agreed to Jiraiya's suggestion of a culinary discussion.

It was uncertain if they would sign a contract with Mount Myoboku, but it was always beneficial to have more friends. Any opportunity to increase favorability was worth taking.

"Summoning Jutsu!" Jiraiya cast the Summoning Jutsu to bring out the two toad sages.

"Little Jiraiya, why have you summoned us at this hour?" Fukasaku asked, puzzled, as there didn't seem to be any battle taking place.

"Yes, I was just about to go to bed. I have to get up early tomorrow to make breakfast, too," Shima said with a laugh.

"Didn't I mention that I would introduce you to a culinary master after the battle? His name is Mu Yue, and I've traveled all over the ninja world, yet I've never tasted cuisine more delicious than his," Jiraiya said solemnly as he introduced Mu Yue to the two sages.

He sincerely believed that Mu Yue's culinary skills had reached an unsurpassable pinnacle. Not only had he never tasted anything as delicious as Mu Yue's cooking, but he also felt that he had never even come across cuisine that was half as good.

"His culinary skills are worthy of being called the best in the ninja world!"

"The best in the ninja world?" Fukasaku exclaimed, surprised by Jiraiya's high praise for Mu Yue's culinary prowess.

"I dare not claim to be the best," Mu Yue humbly replied. "Perhaps there is some unknown master chef hidden away in the mountains whose skills surpass mine."

"Indeed, the homemakers in our village are also quite skilled in the culinary arts," Shima added, looking at Mu Yue with a more favorable gaze.

Jiraiya recalled the meals Shima had prepared for him, and his lips twitched slightly. In a certain sense, they were indeed quite remarkable.

"Since Little Jiraiya claims that you are the best in the ninja world, I, as a homemaker, shall compete with you, the best chef in the ninja world," Shima said, intrigued.

Mu Yue smiled and nodded in agreement.

Upon hearing that the two would be competing in a cooking contest, Jiraiya immediately felt uneasy. While he loved eating Mu Yue's cuisine, he was less enthusiastic about Shima's bug feast.

"Then, I and Little Jiraiya will be the judges," Fukasaku said with a smile, finding the idea rather amusing.

With Fukasaku's suggestion, Jiraiya knew he couldn't back out. He had just summoned them to fight the tailed beasts, so he couldn't very well refuse now.

"Minato, Deidara, Shuo Ping, you're all free. Why don't you join us as judges as well?" Jiraiya coughed lightly and extended an invitation to his disciples.

"We get to join in on this, too?" Deidara's face lit up with joy, feeling that Jiraiya was treating them too well. He had been savoring the taste of Mu Yue's cooking, and now he would get to taste more.

Shuo Ping nodded with a smile, sharing Deidara's excitement.

Minato also smiled and agreed. Being able to enjoy Mu Yue's cooking was certainly a welcome opportunity.

Although Minato had signed a contract with Mount Myoboku, he had not yet visited the village and was unaware that Shima's specialties were bug feasts.

After dragging his three disciples into the matter, Jiraiya thought of Kakashi, who had recently sparred with him.

"It's your teacher's competition, so why don't you come and be a judge as well?" Jiraiya invited Kakashi.

Kakashi readily agreed and brought along Might Guy and Obito to support Mu Yue.

Jiraiya couldn't help but snicker, anticipating the looks on their faces when they saw Shima's bug cuisine.

"I'll head back to start cooking. Summon me again in an hour and a half," Shima said.

Although there were bugs in this area, Shima believed that the bugs from Mount Myoboku tasted the best. For the competition, he wanted to use the finest ingredients.

Jiraiya dismissed the Summoning Jutsu, sending the two sages back to Mount Myoboku.

After they left, Mu Yue briefly contemplated before quickly setting out to gather ingredients and start preparing his dish.

During this time, Jiraiya and the others followed Mu Yue, with some intending to help and others curious about his culinary techniques.

"Aside from being extremely skilled and fluent in his techniques, there doesn't seem to be anything particularly special," Shuo Ping said, growing more perplexed.

"Yeah, Jiraiya-sensei, did you figure anything out?" Deidara asked, turning to his teacher.

"This is a case of his techniques reaching the pinnacle, returning to the basics. Each step is executed perfectly. It's like cultivating a ninjutsu; when each step of the cultivation process is taken to the extreme, the ninjutsu becomes incredibly powerful," Jiraiya explained after some thought.

"I see, as expected of Jiraiya-sensei," the two disciples remarked, finding his explanation very reasonable.

"Toad-san, you have a good eye for this. Mu Yue-sensei's culinary skills are indeed on par with a culinary sage," Kakashi said, looking at Jiraiya with newfound respect.

Jiraiya was too lazy to correct Kakashi's way of addressing him, deciding to let the kid call him whatever he wanted. However, he couldn't deny that Mu Yue's culinary prowess was indisputable.

An hour later, the group sat in a tent with a long table. Jiraiya used his Summoning Jutsu to bring the two toad sages back.

"You're in for a treat. I usually only cook for my husband," Shima said proudly as she presented her bug feast.

Deidara observed the spread—there was soup and a dish. The soup had a peculiar purple color, with thick gray-green bugs floating in it. The dish consisted of pink bugs the size of fingers, drenched in an unknown brown sauce.

Jiraiya's gaze drifted upward, pretending not to see anything. As long as he didn't witness it, it was as if nothing had happened.

"Teacher Jiraiya, I suddenly feel so full from dinner that I can't eat another bite," Deidara said, looking at the purple soup and gray-green bugs. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead, and he wanted to back out.

"If you're full, just eat a little less. Opportunities to taste Shima Sage's cooking don't come often," Jiraiya said, indicating that backing out was not an option.

"Is it really safe to drink that soup? I mean, are you sure it's not poisoned or something?" Bandit asked, unable to shake the feeling that the soup might be laced with poison, given its unusual color.

"It might not be poisoned, but those bugs could be venomous in themselves," Might Guy said, shuddering as he eyed Shima's bug feast. He usually wasn't a picky eater, but even he had his limits.

"How rude! This is a special tonic soup I made. It's great for replenishing energy after training and battles," Sage Shima said, clearly unhappy with their reaction.

"Indeed, Shima Sage's cooking is very beneficial for cultivation. You all should eat more," Jiraiya nodded in agreement, then picked up some of Mu Yue's dish with his chopsticks.

Mu Yue had prepared two dishes and a soup: Jade White Soup, fried tempura, and a stir-fry of fresh wild vegetables and meat.

"I already ate a lot during my training, so I'll take one for the team and eat more of Mu Yue's cooking. Let's leave Shima Sage's dish for you guys," Jiraiya said after tasting the tempura. A vision flashed in his mind, causing his image of Kakashi to crumble further. He dared not imagine what Orochimaru and Tsunade were like in private.

"Teacher Jiraiya, don't say that. You're one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha and a future candidate for Hokage. Your strength is crucial for the village. We should be the ones eating Shima Sage's cooking," Sho Ping said with a smile, popping a wild vegetable into his mouth after hearing Jiraiya's words.

Sho Ping immediately felt like a blade of grass, seamlessly blending into the harmony of nature.

"Hokage? I'll never become the Hokage," Jiraiya laughed loudly as he continued to eat. If Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted him to be the Hokage, he would refuse outright.

Jiraiya had no desire to become the Hokage. He found the responsibilities too cumbersome, and he believed he had a more important mission—to find the Child of Prophecy.

"Uncle Frog, why are you so unambitious? I believe I can become the Hokage," Bandit said proudly.

"Then you'd better train hard. You're not cut out for it right now," Jiraiya casually encouraged him without giving much thought to Bandit's words.

While he had no desire to be the Hokage himself, he didn't think there was anything wrong with aspiring to the position.

"Of course, with Teacher Mu Yue's guidance, I'll definitely become stronger than your disciples and even surpass you," Bandit chuckled.

"Youth knows no fear, and real men embrace challenges!" Might Guy tried to psyche himself up and finally mustered the courage to pick up a red bug and pop it into his mouth.

Although he also wanted to taste Mu Yue's cooking, he felt that it would be a waste not to eat Shima Sage's dish, which she had prepared for an hour.

A burst of sourness and a very peculiar but unpleasant taste exploded in Might Guy's mouth, and he had to clench his jaw tightly to keep from spitting it out.

He then took a sip of the purple soup, steeling himself for a bitter end. To his surprise, the soup tasted better than the pink bug, though it was still unpleasant.

If Might Guy had to describe the bug's taste, he would say it was like smothering dirty, unwashed socks in sauce and then eating them with mud—that's how bad it was.

"Delicious! Thank you for the meal!" Might Guy forced a smile and gave Sage Shima a thumbs-up.

"You have good taste," Sage Shima said, her initial displeasure melting away as she saw Might Guy giving her a thumbs-up.

Jiraiya didn't really eat only Mu Yue's cooking, either. He was just teasing his disciples. Given his close relationship with the toads, how could he not eat their food? After tasting a few bites of Mu Yue's dish, he also drank some of the bug soup and quickly followed it with another piece of Mu Yue's tempura.

"It's been centuries, but it's still as delicious as ever," Sage Fukasaku praised after tasting the bug cuisine.

He wasn't just saying that because Sage Shima was his wife; he genuinely enjoyed the meal.

Since it was a competition, Sage Fukasaku, despite his preference for toad cuisine, picked up a wild vegetable that Mu Yue had cooked and took a bite.

In that instant, Sage Fukasaku was stunned. He no longer felt like a toad but like a blade of grass thriving in the vibrant embrace of nature.

"Honey, isn't my cooking better than his?" Sage Shima asked.

Sage Fukasaku savored the aftertaste and then shook his head. "Your cooking is delicious, but Mu Yue's cooking can help one understand the true meaning of nature. The gap between the two is like the difference between regular ninjutsu and senjutsu."

The moment he ate it, Sage Fukasaku was truly shocked. In his eight hundred years, he had never tasted such cuisine. The sensation was so vivid that he felt a stir of natural energy within him.

"Is it that amazing?" Sage Shima asked, a little put off by her husband's praise for a stranger's cooking.

Intrigued, she picked up the same wild vegetable that her husband had just tasted.

After eating it, the displeasure on her face vanished, replaced by astonishment.

However, her amazement soon turned to urgency as she realized she needed to eat quickly before the others devoured everything.

Before long, Mu Yue's culinary creations were devoured, and despite the grim expressions on their faces, even Shima's bug feast was consumed.

"Little Mu Yue, what did you think of my cooking?" Shima asked, seeking Mu Yue's opinion after tasting her food.

"For a homemaker, it's quite excellent across the board. However, it's not really suitable for general human consumption," Mu Yue replied, adjusting his expression to a smile as he diplomatically critiqued her dish.

"Indeed, it's not as good as your cooking, Little Mu Yue," Shima acknowledged, satisfied with Mu Yue's assessment.

"Little Jiraiya, what do you think of Little Mu Yue?" Fukasaku suddenly asked, turning to Jiraiya for his thoughts.

"He's outstanding, both in terms of strength and other aspects," Jiraiya answered thoughtfully, reflecting on his limited interactions with Mu Yue.

In the past, Jiraiya might have considered taking Mu Yue on as a disciple, especially since having two talented and similar disciples would be quite beneficial.

However, Jiraiya's mind was now occupied with the search for the Child of Prophecy, and once the war ended, he would resume his journey, leaving no time to mentor Mu Yue.

"Then, when you have free time, bring Little Mu Yue to visit Mount Myoboku. I'm really looking forward to seeing him create a culinary masterpiece with the ingredients from our mountain," Fukasaku said with a smile, extending an invitation to Mu Yue.

Jiraiya understood Fukasaku's intentions. With a loud laugh, he nodded in agreement, "Sure, we'll definitely come by."

Mu Yue, upon hearing their exchange, formed some speculations. Perhaps the two hermits had taken a liking to him and were considering making him a contractor of Mount Myoboku. However, since they weren't well-acquainted, they asked Jiraiya to observe him first, and if he proved worthy, they would invite him to their mountain.

Of course, it was also possible that the hermits simply craved his cooking and wanted to invite him for a visit.

Either way, Mu Yue saw no downside. Preparing a meal for them was a simple task, and he was always happy to cook.

To prevent any mischief from the Rock Village, Mu Yue remained in the war camp for a few more days. When nothing untoward happened, he finally bid farewell to Minato and Jiraiya.

"Minato, is there anything you want me to tell Kushina?" Mu Yue asked with a smile.

Minato thought for a moment. He had so many things he wanted to say to Kushina—he wanted to ask if she was tired from having a monster inside her, if she ever felt lonely during her solitary training. But conveying all these thoughts would require a thesis-length letter, so Minato condensed his message.

"Tell her I'm doing well, and ask her to take care of herself, get enough sleep, and eat on time," Minato said.

"I'll convey your message verbatim," Mu Yue assured him, committing each word to memory.

"Mu Yue, I've sent news of your achievements on the battlefield back to the village. There might be a pleasant surprise waiting for you when you return," Jiraiya said with a boisterous laugh as he bid farewell to Mu Yue.

On the very first day after the battle, Jiraiya had sent a message back to the village, specifically writing a letter to Hiruzen Sarutobi to praise Mu Yue's performance in the war, suggesting that they should further nurture his talents.

"Thank you for the trouble, Jiraiya-sensei," Mu Yue replied with a gentle smile, expressing his gratitude for Jiraiya's efforts in commending him.

"If you want to thank me, then treat me to a grand meal when I get back," Jiraiya said with a grin. "Also, your three disciples are exceptional. Keep nurturing them well."

Obito and his team had grown accustomed to following Mu Yue's lead, training wherever they went. During their stay in the camp, they continued their diligent cultivation, and Jiraiya, upon witnessing their prowess, recognized their extraordinary talent.

"If they keep this up, they might have a chance to become the next generation's Three Ninja Legends. Though, having two males and one female does feel a bit odd," Jiraiya mused to himself.

"Sensei Minato, Uncle Gama, goodbye," Obito waved goodbye to Minato and Jiraiya, affectionately referring to Jiraiya by the nickname 'Uncle Frog'.

Minato, like Mu Yue, possessed a humble and admirable character, and after spending a few days with him, Obito formed a positive impression of his sensei. As for Jiraiya, while he could be infuriating at times, Obito acknowledged that he was a good person at heart.

"Dekai-senpai, let's battle with youthful vigor again in the future," Might Guy gave a thumbs-up to Dekai, eager for another spar.

After discovering that Dekai was a master of Lightning Release ninjutsu, Might Guy had challenged him to a duel and suffered a resounding defeat. Nonetheless, the two had formed a friendly bond.

"Haha, anytime you're ready for another round. Just let me know," Dekai readily agreed, his laughter echoing loudly.

"Jiraiya-sensei, Sensei Minato, farewell," Kakashi bid his farewells politely, one by one.

After the goodbyes, Mu Yue led his disciples and the food transport team back to Konoha.

Along the way, Obito fiddled with his camera, flipping through the photos he had taken.

"There are so many types of plants out there. If you don't look closely, you'd never notice the differences," Obito marveled, realizing that what he had previously perceived as indistinguishable green trees actually encompassed a diverse array of plant species, each with unique leaf shapes.

As he flipped through the photos, he landed on the one Jiraiya had taken of Minato's beaming smile, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Teacher Mu Yue, are you really going to show this to Sensei Minato's girlfriend?" Obito asked, unsure if he could bear to show such a goofy photo of himself to Yoshino.

Obito felt that if he showed a similar photo of himself to Rin, he might not dare to face her for days.

"This is the most precious one. She'll definitely like it," Mu Yue assured him, his smile warm and confident.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end