Shiki sat carelessly in his seat, his hands stuffed into his pockets, his entire demeanor suggesting that the ongoing conversation had absolutely nothing to do with him. Minato looked respectfully at their mentor.
"Jiraiya-sensei, did I get all of that right?"
Jiraiya opened his mouth to speak but immediately snapped it shut. Wasn't he, as the great teacher, supposed to be the one enlightening his charges? He had been saddled with three students. One was obscenely strong, having effortlessly obliterated his shadow clone and awakened a Kekkei Tota in the form of Light Release, completely ruining his carefully crafted plan to "teach humility." The second was Minato. A modest, polite boy who, despite being a mere Academy graduate, already demonstrated such profound knowledge and talent that any experienced shinobi would be envious. And finally, the third—an erratic and wild girl, a jinchuriki with the strongest of the tailed beasts, the Nine-Tails, sealed within her body. The moment something didn't go her way, she instantly called him an old pervert.
Jiraiya's gaze darted restlessly between the trio until it finally settled on the blonde boy. Well, at least Minato is obedient, the Sannin sighed inwardly. The corners of his lips twitched nervously.
"Yes... that is all absolutely correct."
Kushina snorted disdainfully.
"Tch, who would have thought that such a mighty genius would turn out to be an ordinary cheapskate?"
Hearing this, Shiki instantly slid his sunglasses down his nose and looked at her with the utmost seriousness.
"Kushina, you aren't planning on wiggling out of your debt, are you?"
The girl turned away proudly.
"Relax, as soon as I get the money, I'll pay you back in full!"
Having received her guarantee, Shiki patted his chest in satisfaction.
"Splendid. You can pay me back in installments, but you are obligated to return it."
Such were his life principles. Sweeping his gaze over the towering mountains of empty plates on the table, Shiki checked his watch and let out a sweet yawn.
"Alright, it's getting late. Time to head home and get some rest."
Minato and Kushina nodded in agreement, rose from their seats, and left, leaving Jiraiya to stare in a stupor at the bill that had just been brought over.
"Um... Jiraiya-san, your bill for this evening comes to fifty thousand ryo..." the waiter said timidly, holding out the receipt.
And it wasn't because of the restaurant's exorbitant prices at all, but rather that Shiki and company had consumed an absolutely unfathomable amount of food. They had ordered fifty portions of meat alone! And that was even factoring in the discount they were given. But Shiki couldn't help himself. As the percentage of his Character Simulation System grew, his physical development accelerated rapidly. And the best way to support a growing body was, of course, to eat abundantly and heartily. Since Jiraiya was treating them today, it would have been a sin not to stuff his stomach to the bursting point. On an ordinary day, Shiki would never have allowed himself to blow such a staggering amount of money on meat.
Upon returning home, Shiki collapsed onto his bed with a blissful sigh and patted his full stomach. Today, he had publicly demonstrated the power of the Glint-Glint Fruit, which caused his simulation rate to creep upward once again—from twenty to twenty-three percent. As soon as real missions start, the percentage will surely grow even more, he thought with satisfaction.
That night proved to be a restless one for many. Shaken by Shiki's terrifying power, Minato and Kushina had barely returned home before they secretly began grueling supplementary training. Jiraiya, meanwhile, after much hesitation, retrieved a small jar of Toad Oil from his cupboard and began meticulously rubbing it into his skin. It was a special product from Mount Myoboku. The oil helped the human body better sense the natural energy suffusing the air, thereby facilitating the mastery of Sage Mode.
Unfortunately, Jiraiya had never shined when it came to talent in Senjutsu. Even with the aid of the Toad Oil, his body inevitably began to take on grotesque toad-like features. Had it not been for the shock he experienced from Shiki's sheer genius, the Sannin might have abandoned these attempts long ago. But the blinding flash of light that had cleaved through the forest today served as a harsh reminder: if he didn't get stronger right now, his own students would very soon be wiping the floor with him!
The next morning, at the crack of dawn, Jiraiya was already standing in the Hokage's office. Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't hide his surprise.
"You are suspiciously early today. That is completely unlike you."
Jiraiya chuckled bitterly.
"Sensei, you're already aware of what happened yesterday, aren't you?"
The Third Hokage gave a curt nod, confirming his awareness.
"Shiki, Minato, and Kushina—all three of them are incredibly gifted children," Jiraiya stated with the utmost seriousness. "Therefore, I want to start taking them on real missions as soon as possible."
Since the Third had entrusted him with such diamonds in the rough, he was obligated to take full responsibility for them. The Sannin had boundless faith in the trio's future. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, they would undoubtedly become the main pillars of Konoha. They would grow into towering trees, sheltering the village's young saplings in their shade and carrying within them the true Will of Fire.
Hiruzen interlaced his fingers and laughed good-naturedly, deepening the wrinkles on his face.
"I must admit, it's rare to see you so impatient, Jiraiya."
The Hokage knew his student inside and out. Jiraiya always tried to slack off and delay completing assignments until the very last minute. The fact that he had come asking for a mission on his own initiative was nothing short of a miracle. However, just to be safe, the Third clarified,
"Are you certain they don't need additional training?"
As a rule, freshly minted graduates needed about a week to get used to one another and learn how to work as a team.
But Jiraiya was firmly intent on skipping that phase. The corners of his lips crept upward into a proud smirk.
"Truth be told, these kids have exceeded all my expectations. Ordinary training would be nothing but a waste of time for them. I'm afraid that in another couple of days, I'll lose the right to call myself their mentor altogether!"
And although a hint of bitterness laced the Sannin's voice, Hiruzen could clearly see a reflection of himself in that smug grin. Many years ago, when he had first taken the young Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade under his wing, he had strutted around in front of Danzo with that exact same insufferably boastful look. What else could you do when your students were geniuses?