Jiraiya cracked his knuckles as he stood by the riverbank, watching Naruto balance effortlessly on the water's surface. The kid's stance was casual, his hands stuffed in his pockets, as if gravity didn't even exist beneath his feet. Not a single ripple formed around him.
The Toad Sage squinted. "Huh. Most people struggle with this for days. When did you learn to walk on water?"
Naruto glanced at him, his blue eyes impassive. "When I was a mantis."
Jiraiya blinked. "What?"
"Nothing." Naruto shrugged, as if he hadn't just said something completely insane.
Jiraiya stared at him for a long second before deciding that he didn't have the energy to unpack whatever that meant. Instead, he pulled out a long, weathered scroll and unrolled it with a dramatic flick of his wrist. "Alright, kid. We're moving on. You're going to learn the Summoning Jutsu."
Naruto peered at the scroll. "What do I do?"
"First, sign your name in blood, then press your fingerprints below it. After that, I'll teach you the hand seals. It's simple, really."
Naruto tilted his head slightly. "Why in blood?"
"Because it's a contract. Blood makes it official."
"Oh. Like a pack bond."
Jiraiya opened his mouth, then closed it. "Uh, sure."
Naruto didn't question it further. He bit his thumb without hesitation, letting the blood pool before pressing it onto the scroll. His name appeared in sharp, red strokes, standing proudly among the names of shinobi before him. He followed with his fingerprints, then stepped back. "Done."
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Most people hesitate at least a little before signing in blood."
"Humans are weird."
Jiraiya was starting to think Naruto wasn't entirely human himself. But again, not enough energy to unpack that right now. Instead, he nodded toward the kid. "Alright. Hand seals: Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram. Try it out."
Naruto's hands moved through the sequence effortlessly, each seal forming in rapid succession. His movements were sharp, precise.
"Good. Now," Jiraiya gestured to the open field, "pour your chakra into it and mean it. Visualize what you want. Then slam your hand down and shout 'Summoning Jutsu.'"
Naruto took a step forward. His blue eyes narrowed slightly.
Hand seals.
A slow inhale.
Then—
"Summoning Jutsu!"
The world exploded.
Smoke erupted in a massive cloud, surging outward with a force strong enough to rattle the trees. Jiraiya took an instinctive step back, shielding his face from the wind that followed. The river trembled. The birds scattered.
And when the smoke cleared—
A gigantic toad sat in the middle of the field.
Orange skin, a deep blue vest, a massive pipe clamped between its wide lips. It towered over everything, casting a huge shadow across the land.
Jiraiya grinned. "Well, well. You went straight to the boss."
Naruto stood on the massive toad's head, blinking down at the world beneath him.
The toad blinked back.
Then it scowled. "Hey. Who the hell summoned me?"
"Me," Naruto said simply.
The toad's large golden eyes snapped toward Jiraiya. "You put this brat up to it?"
"Nope." Jiraiya smirked. "All him."
"Tch." The toad turned back to Naruto, narrowing his eyes. "You. What's your name, brat?"
"Naruto Uzumaki."
The toad went very still.
A long silence stretched between them.
Then—
"Uzumaki?"
"Yes."
The toad stared at him for a long moment. Then, slowly, its frown deepened. "Well, well. This just got interesting."
Jiraiya huffed out a laugh. "Told you."
"Shut up, Jiraiya." The toad turned back to Naruto, scrutinizing him. "You've got guts, brat. But do you have what it takes?"
"To what?"
"To earn my respect."
Naruto thought about that for a moment. Then—
"Do I need your respect?"
Jiraiya wheezed.
The toad stared at Naruto, stunned. Then, after a long pause—
"Hah!" A deep chuckle rumbled from its massive chest. "You've got some nerve, kid. I like it."
Naruto tilted his head slightly. "So does that mean we're in a pack now?"
The toad squinted. "A what?"
"A pack. A bond."
The toad hummed. "I haven't heard it put like that before, but yeah, kid. You summon me, I'll be there. Just don't waste my time."
"Alright."
"Good."
Then, poof!
The giant toad disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Naruto hopped down from the air and landed lightly on his feet. He turned to Jiraiya. "What's next?"
Jiraiya just stared at him.
Naruto blinked. "What?"
Jiraiya sighed, rubbing his temples. "You are so not normal."
"Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"Okay."
Jiraiya exhaled sharply. "Training's going to be interesting with you, huh?"
"Yes."
Jiraiya groaned. "Come on, brat. We've got work to do."
And just like that, Naruto's real training began.