That evening, Minato returned just in time for dinner—but he wasn't alone. He had brought a guest.
"Kushina, Yue, it's been a while! Hahaha!"
It was Jiraiya. However, he didn't look so good. His face was pale, his arm wrapped in thick bandages, though his laughter was still as boisterous as ever.
"Jiraiya-sensei, what happened? How did you get injured?"
"It's nothing, nothing, just a small wound for someone like me. I didn't interrupt your evening, did I?"
"Not at all, Jiraiya-sensei. Let me get you some chopsticks and a bowl."
Kushina got up to attend to their guest, while Yue remained seated, quietly observing Jiraiya with a thoughtful expression.
"Yue, have you been mesmerized by my handsomeness? Hahaha!"
Hearing Jiraiya's shameless boast, Yue averted his gaze, clearly unwilling to entertain him, which made Jiraiya a little embarrassed.
"Jiraiya-sensei, who injured you? And why did you return with Minato?"
"It was Lord Orochimaru who injured Sensei…"
Noticing Jiraiya's mood dampen at the mention of the incident, Minato answered in his place and briefly explained the situation to Kushina.
Early that morning, Minato had just stepped out when he was summoned by the Third Hokage. Apparently, Orochimaru had lost all sense of morality, kidnapping villagers for human experimentation, and was discovered by the Third Hokage's Anbu.
The Third, along with the Anbu, attempted to apprehend Orochimaru the previous night. However, after an intense battle, Orochimaru managed to escape.
As for Jiraiya…
He had coincidentally run into Orochimaru while returning to the village. Having been traveling for over half a year, Jiraiya had decided to visit his old friend and his student's family. He never expected to encounter Orochimaru fleeing madly toward the Land of Fire's border before he even reached the village.
Completely clueless about the situation, Jiraiya casually greeted Orochimaru—only to receive a barrage of explosive tags in response, leaving him utterly dumbfounded.
Determined to figure out what was going on, Jiraiya gave chase, leading to a fierce battle.
The result was obvious—he lost. He took a sword strike to the shoulder. Their fight hadn't been to the death, but Jiraiya had been too softhearted, constantly holding back. If Orochimaru had truly wanted to kill him, he would've been in deep trouble.
The Anbu who had been sent to pursue Orochimaru failed to catch him but did manage to find a half-dead Jiraiya lying on the ground. So they brought him back instead.
"I never imagined Orochimaru would become like this… I really am a failure…"
"Let's not dwell on that. Here, try my cooking. See if it suits your taste."
"Mm… It looks delicious! But Kushina, you feel a little… different. Something about you seems strange…"
At that moment, Yue noticed that Kushina looked as if she were about to erupt like a volcano. He recalled Minato mentioning that Jiraiya had feelings for Tsunade but was constantly rejected due to his personality. Now, Yue understood why…
With Jiraiya at the table, dinner felt noticeably livelier. Despite being stabbed by his closest friend less than 24 hours ago, Jiraiya's booming voice and laughter never ceased. His optimism remained unshaken.
"So, how does it feel to be Hokage, Minato? And did that old geezer finally pass down that technique to you? You know, the one…"
Taking advantage of the moment when Kushina was cleaning up in the kitchen, Jiraiya leaned in close to Minato's ear and whispered, his face looking incredibly perverted.
Yue overheard but was puzzled. He didn't know what technique Jiraiya was referring to. However, judging by the lecherous grin on his face, it wasn't hard to guess…
"Jiraiya-sensei!"
Murderous intent.
All three men turned toward the kitchen.
Kushina stood at the doorway, holding a bowl in one hand and a scrubbing brush in the other. Her eyes were blazing with fury, her hair splitting into nine sections floating in the air, and her entire being radiated murderous energy.
It was the second time Yue had seen Kushina like this. The first was when that short-lived fool from the Uchiha clan tried to mess with him when he was less than a year old.
'How does she do that…?' Yue wondered.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya's face stiffened with cold sweat, and Minato could only scratch his head awkwardly.
'It's over… I'm already injured, and now this. Will I be bedridden for months…?'
"If you dare say that kind of thing in front of Minato and Yue again, I'll make sure you never forget it!"
With that furious warning, Kushina stormed back into the kitchen. The door slammed shut with such force that the entire house shook.
"Phew… I'm still alive… Motherhood really does change a woman. If this were before Yue was born, she would've sent me flying into orbit…"
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Jiraiya patted his chest in relief.
"Kushina really has changed a lot."
"Hahaha, all thanks to Yue!"
Suddenly, Jiraiya struck a dramatic pose, placing one foot on the coffee table, giving Yue a thumbs-up, and flashing a grin so wide it seemed to sparkle.
'What an idiot…'
Yue stared at him as if he were a fool, making Jiraiya shift uncomfortably while Minato continued to scratch his head.
"Kushina, are you done yet? I have a gift for your family."
"Just a moment, I'm almost finished."
Once Kushina was seated, Jiraiya took out three books from his robe and placed them on the table.
"Well, calling them gifts is a bit of a stretch. I actually want you guys to help me review my new book. Could you take a look?"
For once, Jiraiya looked a little nervous. Minato handed one book each to Kushina and Yue, and the three of them began reading on the spot.
"The title is The Legend of Tenacity. Seems to be about a strong and determined ninja."
The room fell silent, leaving only the sound of pages flipping. Jiraiya seemed a little anxious.
'What kind of plot is this…?'
Yue lost interest after reading about ten pages. Though he was usually cold and indifferent, his emotional intelligence was high enough to notice Jiraiya's nervousness and the couple's engagement with the story. So, he forced himself to keep reading.
After about half an hour, Minato and Kushina finally closed their books at the same time. Jiraiya couldn't wait any longer.
"So? What do you think?"
"It's a really interesting story! Especially the protagonist—such a great ninja. No matter what hardships he faces, he never gives up. His way of the ninja is to always keep his promises. I wish I could be a ninja like that."
"Hahaha! Minato, you're already an incredible ninja! I'm proud to have a student like you!"
Hearing the praise for his book, Jiraiya finally relaxed, grinning in satisfaction.
Minato turned expectantly toward Yue.
"Yue, what do you think of the book? I think you'll grow into a ninja just like the protagonist!"
'What kind of artistic taste do they have…?'
Yue didn't want to comment.
"I think it's pretty good."
A simple and indifferent reply. Minato and Kushina, knowing Yue well, didn't mind. But Jiraiya looked a little awkward—he could tell Yue wasn't too impressed.
"Also, I think Jiraiya-sensei chose a great name for the protagonist."
"Huh? The name?"
"Yes. Naruto."
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