Nobunaga walked over.
The river sparkled under the sun, shimmering. On the bank, Naruto was standing on the water, wobbling as if he might fall at any moment.
"Pervy Sage! Look! I can stand!"
Naruto's voice came from that direction, full of excitement.
Jiraiya stood on the bank, arms crossed, a smug look on his face.
"Not bad, not bad. Faster than I expected."
Naruto stood on the water, swayed twice, then stabilized. He looked down at his feet, then up at Jiraiya, his eyes incredibly bright.
"Pervy Sage! What's this move called?"
"Basic Chakra control training," Jiraiya said, "Water Walking. Once you learn this, you can learn more powerful techniques later."
Naruto grinned.
Then he saw Nobunaga.
"Huh? Nobunaga?"
He jumped off the water, splashing, then ran over.
"Why are you here?"
Nobunaga looked at him.
"Jiraiya-sensei called me."
Naruto blinked.
"Oh right, you guys are going to discuss that... literature?"
He scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.
"That... Nobunaga..."
"Hmm?"
"I saw your fight with Rock Lee that day," Naruto said, "It was amazing."
Nobunaga looked at him.
Naruto's expression was serious.
"I used to think you were... uh..." He paused, scratching his head, "Just pretty ordinary. I didn't expect you to be so strong."
Nobunaga didn't speak.
Naruto continued, "Rock Lee is also very strong. When he fought Gaara that day, he opened that... Eight Gates? It almost scared me to death too."
Nobunaga's eyelashes twitched.
"How is Rock Lee?"
Naruto's expression dimmed.
"Still in the hospital," he said, "Seriously injured. Might Guy-sensei said he might not be able to be a Ninja anymore."
Nobunaga fell silent.
"He'll be fine," Nobunaga said.
Naruto looked up.
"Really?"
"Yeah." Nobunaga nodded, "He's the kind of person who won't give up."
Everyone is complex, with good and bad sides.
But there were two people Nobunaga absolutely couldn't dislike.
Rock Lee and Might Guy, people who were hardworking, upright, and optimistic.
Naruto looked at Nobunaga, then smiled.
"You think so too? I think so too! That guy Rock Lee, even though his bushy eyebrows are weird, he definitely won't just give up!"
"What are you two brats chatting about?"
Jiraiya's voice came from behind.
He walked over, placing one hand on Naruto's head and the other on Nobunaga's.
"I didn't call you here to chat."
Naruto struggled to get out from under his hand.
"Pervy Sage, don't press down on my head!"
Jiraiya ignored him and looked at Nobunaga.
"Did you bring the manuscript?"
Nobunaga pulled out the stack of papers from his clothes.
"Yes. Chapter Two."
Jiraiya took it and flipped through it.
He nodded as he flipped.
"Not bad, not bad. It's an improvement over Chapter One." He looked up at Nobunaga, "You've got talent, kid."
Nobunaga didn't speak.
Jiraiya put the manuscript away.
"Alright, business is done. Now let's talk about publishing."
He found a rock and sat down, patting the spot next to him.
Nobunaga walked over and sat beside him.
Naruto also came closer, squatting nearby to listen.
"Regarding your 'small story after the rain'," Jiraiya said, "I've already asked the publisher about it."
Nobunaga was stunned for a moment.
"You asked for me?"
"Of course." Jiraiya said matter-of-factly, "You're a junior I've taken a liking to, if I don't help you, who will I help?"
He paused.
"Those guys were very interested when they heard I recommended it. But they had a condition."
"What condition?"
"The authorship needs to be under my name," Jiraiya said, "They said it would sell better that way."
Nobunaga was silent for a second.
This was originally his plan. To use Jiraiya's name and let the Pervy Sage take the blame.
But now that Jiraiya brought it up himself, he felt a little...
"What's wrong?" Jiraiya looked at him, "Don't want to?"
"No," Nobunaga said, "It's just..."
"Just what?"
Nobunaga looked at him.
There was a light in Jiraiya's eyes. A very open and honest light.
"You don't mind?" Nobunaga asked, "Using your name?"
Jiraiya smiled.
"Mind what?" he said, "I've been writing for so many years, do I care about one more or one less book? Besides, your book is indeed well-written. Using my name will help it sell more. You can use the money to focus on your writing in the future."
He patted Nobunaga's shoulder.
"Young man, don't overthink it. I'm helping you because you're worth helping."
Nobunaga didn't speak.
He suddenly felt that his previous plan of "diverting disaster" was a bit...
"Alright, stop dawdling." Jiraiya stood up, "Leave the publishing to me. You just write, don't worry about anything else."
He looked at Nobunaga.
"By the way, do you know Summoning Jutsu?"
Nobunaga was stunned for a moment.
"No."
Jiraiya nodded.
"Perfect then. I'm going to teach Naruto Summoning Jutsu later, do you want to learn with him?"
Nobunaga looked at him.
Jiraiya's expression was casual, as if he was talking about something very ordinary.
But Nobunaga knew this was no ordinary matter.
Summoning Jutsu. Mount Myōboku's Summoning Jutsu. That was one of Jiraiya's most treasured techniques.
He was taking him as a disciple.
Not just in literary creation, but on the path of a Ninja.
Nobunaga fell silent.
He looked at Jiraiya. The white-haired man stood there, the sunlight falling on him, making him glow.
He remembered those things from earlier.
Jiraiya helped him ask the publisher. Jiraiya said he would help him publish. Jiraiya said, "You're worth helping."
He had originally just wanted to find someone to take the hit.
Letting Jiraiya take the blame, letting Mei Terumī go after him, while he hid behind the scenes.
But now...
"No need," Nobunaga said.
Jiraiya was stunned for a moment.
"No need?"
"Yeah." Nobunaga nodded, "I won't learn Summoning Jutsu."
Naruto interjected from the side.
"Why? The Pervy Sage's Summoning Jutsu is amazing! He can summon giant toads!"
Nobunaga looked at him.
"I know."
"Then why aren't you learning it?"
Nobunaga didn't speak.
How could he explain?
Say that he didn't want to form any more bonds? Say that he had experienced enough loss? Say that every time he formed a bond, he ended up watching those people fall?
He couldn't say it.
"I have my own path," he said.
Jiraiya looked at him.
There was a light in those eyes. A very deep light.
"Alright," he said, "If you don't want to learn, then don't."
He didn't press. He didn't persuade. He didn't say, "Think about it again."
He just nodded.
"Then let's continue talking about literature."
He sat back down on the rock and patted the spot next to him.
Nobunaga sat beside him.
Naruto scratched his head and squatted down as well.
The sunlight fell on the three of them.
The river flowed at their feet, shimmering.
"Your second chapter," Jiraiya said, "There are a few places that could be revised."
"Where?"
"Here." Jiraiya pointed to a spot on the manuscript, "This dialogue is too direct; adding some psychological description would be better."
Nobunaga looked at the spot and nodded.
"And here, the plot transition is a bit stiff."
The two began to discuss.