章 246: Chapter 246: A contest with a Sage
"Since you say you are a Sage, do you have any particularly impressive skills?" Obito asked after examining Jiraiya for a moment.
In Obito's mind, only exceptionally skilled people could be called Sages, such as the Six Paths Sage recorded in the textbooks, or Mutsuki Sage who always provided him with assistance.
If Shadow Clone Jutsu could be used for tasks without the memories flowing back, Obito might call Senju Tobirama the Clone Sage. However, after discovering the significant drawbacks of Shadow Clone Jutsu, he decided Senju Tobirama didn't qualify.
"I can enter Sage Mode and use extremely powerful Senjutsu!" Jiraiya said proudly.
When he was young, he was quite unremarkable. His teammates were Tsunade and Orochimaru. Tsunade was the granddaughter of the God of Ninja, Senju Hashirama, and had the Senju bloodline with inherently strong Chakra. Although Orochimaru, like him, was a commoner, he was exceptionally talented and learned everything quickly. Compared to them, Jiraiya was like a tail ender.
But now things were different. All three had their own opportunities and signed Summoning Contracts with the three great sanctuaries, but only Jiraiya could use Sage Mode.
Although he needed the assistance of the two Sages, Fukasaku and Shima, to use it, there was a fundamental difference between being able to use it and not being able to.
In the past, he trained alone, suffering and being tied to a pillar. Now, he had learned Sage Mode and a large amount of Senjutsu. He was confident he could defeat any Konoha Ninja except for Sarutobi Hiruzen, including Tsunade and Orochimaru.
"It sounds like you just mastered a very powerful Ninjutsu," Obito said, implying that simply mastering a powerful Ninjutsu was not enough to be called a Sage, especially since Jiraiya didn't develop Sage Mode himself.
"I see you really don't understand. But if you're not convinced, why don't you challenge my disciple to a duel?" Jiraiya suggested with a smile.
It was too troublesome to explain Sage Mode and Senjutsu to a child.
"Alright, then frog uncle, call out your disciple," Obito agreed immediately, thinking that Jiraiya's disciple would be about his age.
"Minato, someone wants to challenge you to a duel. Come over here," Jiraiya laughed and called out to Minato.
"Huh?" Obito looked at the face that resembled Mutsuki's and was dumbfounded. How could he fight against that?
He had never seen Minato in battle but had seen Minato use the Flying Thunder God Technique, disappearing in an instant.
Moreover, Mutsuki had mentioned before that Minato's strength was very strong, surpassing many Konoha Jonin.
Obito did have a record of defeating Jonin, but that was with the cooperation of his teammates, not by himself. Furthermore, Minato was one of the elite Jonin.
"How about it, goggle-wearing brat, are you scared?" Jiraiya looked at Obito with a smile.
"I'm not scared, but your disciple has trained many more years than I have. It's unfair," Obito thought that if they were the same age, he wouldn't necessarily lose.
"Jiraiya-sensei, stop teasing Mutsuki's disciple," Minato said helplessly as he walked over. There was no way he would actually fight Mutsuki's disciple.
Jiraiya laughed a few times and stopped teasing Obito. He just thought Obito was an interesting kid.
"Mutsuki, are you interested in discussing cooking with the sages of Mount Myoboku?" Jiraiya remembered his promise to Sage Shima and asked Mutsuki.
"The two sages I summoned during the battle," Jiraiya briefly explained the existence of Mount Myoboku to Mutsuki.
"Sage Shima and Sage Fukasaku have lived for over eight hundred years. They are knowledgeable, powerful, and have mastered various Sage Arts," Jiraiya tried to pique Mutsuki's interest by emphasizing the strength of the two sages.
A thoughtful look flashed in Mutsuki's eyes.
Based on Kuro's behavior, his cooking skills also had a significant impact on Summon Beasts. It should work on the toads of Mount Myoboku as well, and earning their favor shouldn't be difficult. However, Mutsuki was somewhat concerned about the Great Toad Sage.
The Great Toad Sage had a mystical ability to see the future through dreams. In the original story, his prophecies were almost always realized, making them quite accurate.
Mutsuki had some difficulty understanding the ability to predict the future. At this point, he was already considered a master of Jonin techniques, having mastered many kinds of Ninjutsu. He could understand why the Tailed Beast Bomb had the terrifying power to destroy a city in one blow and why Amaterasu could burn continuously. However, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't understand how it was possible to see the future.
Mutsuki felt that being able to see the future was a very frightening thing. If the future could be observed, did that mean everything was predetermined? Even the act of observing the future would be a predetermined event.
"Whether the future can be changed will soon be known," Mutsuki calmed his mind, stopping his wandering thoughts.
Without his intervention, Might Duy would open the Gate of Death and die in battle to protect Might Guy, Obito would turn into a maniac and kill Minato and Kushina, and Shisui would be assassinated by Danzo and then commit suicide.
However, if he continued his training at his current pace, by the time the war between Kirigakure and Konoha broke out, Might Guy would at least have mastered the Constant Breathing Technique and opened the first five gates of the Eight Inner Gates, which would surely mean that Might Duy wouldn't need to open the Gate of Death.
Shisui's situation is easier to handle. By that time, regardless of Mutsuki's development, even Shisui will be far stronger than in the original story, making him much harder to ambush.
Mutsuki believes the most challenging issue is Obito because what happens to Obito is not due to war but because he is targeted by Uchiha Madara.
At this stage, Mutsuki does not have a foolproof solution. The best he can do is to enhance the strength of both Obito and Kakashi. Greater strength can handle more dangers, which is always beneficial.
"Very interested. Sages who have lived for over eight hundred years must have deep insights into cooking," Mutsuki nodded with a smile.
Although he is somewhat wary of the Great Toad Sage's prophetic abilities, the benefits of interacting with Mount Myoboku outweigh the risks.
To improve his strength, Sage Mode is an excellent choice. Among the three great sanctuaries where one can learn Senjutsu, Mutsuki currently considers Mount Myoboku the best option.
Getting along with Tsunade to access Shikkotsu Forest isn't easy, and the Sage Mode of Shikkotsu Forest was never clearly shown in the original story.
Regarding Ryuchi Cave, Orochimaru is too dangerous. Mutsuki has many secrets and doesn't want to attract Orochimaru's interest for now.
After considering everything, Mutsuki agreed to Jiraiya's suggestion of discussing cooking.
Whether Mount Myoboku would form a contract with him is uncertain, but having a chance to gain favor is always beneficial. Having more friends is never a bad thing.
"Summoning Jutsu!" Seeing that Mutsuki agreed, Jiraiya used the Summoning Jutsu to summon the two toad sages.
"Little Jiraiya, why are you summoning us at this time?" Sage Fukasaku asked, puzzled, seeing that there was no battle.
"Yes, I was just about to sleep. I have to get up early to make breakfast tomorrow," Sage Shima yawned and said.
"Didn't I mention that after the battle, I would introduce you to a cooking expert? His name is Mutsuki Yumi. I've traveled the entire ninja world and haven't tasted anything better than his cooking," Jiraiya introduced Mutsuki solemnly to the two sages.
He genuinely believed that Mutsuki's cooking had reached an unsurpassable peak. Not only was it incomparable, but Jiraiya also felt that he hadn't even tasted cooking that was half as good as Mutsuki's.
"His cooking skills are worthy of being called the best in the ninja world?" Sage Fukasaku looked surprised, not expecting Jiraiya to hold Mutsuki's cooking in such high regard.
"I wouldn't dare claim to be the best. There might be an even better chef hidden away in some unknown mountain," Mutsuki said modestly, thinking it would be too arrogant to declare himself the best.
"Indeed, the cooking skills of the housewives in our mountain shouldn't be underestimated either," Sage Shima said, looking at Mutsuki more favorably.
Jiraiya recalled the meals Sage Shima had made for him before, and his mouth twitched. In a certain sense, they were indeed formidable.
"Since little Jiraiya says you are the best in the ninja world, let me, a humble housewife, challenge you, the best chef in the ninja world," Sage Shima said with interest.
Mutsuki smiled and nodded in agreement.
Hearing that the two were going to have a cooking contest, Jiraiya immediately felt uneasy. He was happy to eat Mutsuki's cooking, but Sage Shima's insect dishes were another matter.
"Then, little Jiraiya and I will be the judges," Sage Fukasaku said with a smile, finding the idea quite amusing.
With Sage Fukasaku saying this, Jiraiya knew he couldn't escape tonight. Having summoned them during the day to fight the Tailed Beasts, he couldn't very well refuse now.
"Minato, Dekai, Sohei, since you're free, come and be judges too," Jiraiya coughed lightly and invited his disciples.
"What a great opportunity!" Dekai instantly beamed with joy, feeling that Jiraiya was too kind, always remembering them when there was food involved.
He had just been reminiscing about the taste of Mutsuki's cooking, and now he could eat it again.
Sohei nodded with a smile. Though not as excited as Dekai, he felt similarly.
Minato also smiled and agreed. Getting to taste Mutsuki's cooking was naturally a good thing.
Although Minato had signed a contract with Mount Myoboku, he had not yet been there and thus didn't know that Sage Shima's cooking consisted mainly of insect dishes.
Having roped in his three disciples, Jiraiya then thought of Obito, who had just challenged him.
"Since it's a competition involving your sensei, you should join as a judge too," Jiraiya invited Obito.
Obito immediately agreed and brought along Guy and Kakashi to support Mutsuki.
Seeing this, Jiraiya couldn't help but chuckle, already imagining their reactions when they saw Sage Shima's insect cuisine.
"I'm going back to cook. Summon me again in about an hour and a half," Sage Shima said.
Although there were insects here, Sage Shima believed that only the insects from Mount Myoboku had the best taste. For a competition, she would use the best materials.
Jiraiya released the Summoning Jutsu, allowing the two sages to return to Mount Myoboku.
After the two sages returned, Mutsuki briefly pondered and quickly began searching for ingredients to start cooking.
Throughout the process, Jiraiya and the others followed Mutsuki closely—some wanted to help, while others were curious about how Mutsuki managed to create such delicious dishes.
"It seems that besides being proficient in every aspect, there doesn't appear to be anything particularly special," Sohei commented with increasing puzzlement after observing.
"Yeah, Jiraiya sensei, do you understand?" Dekai looked towards Jiraiya.
"His technique has reached its peak, returning to the fundamentals. Every step is perfectly executed, similar to mastering ninjutsu where each training step is taken to the extreme, making the ninjutsu immensely powerful," Jiraiya thought for a moment and responded.
"I see, that makes sense. No wonder, Jiraiya sensei," both nodded in agreement, finding Jiraiya's explanation quite reasonable.
"Uncle Toad, you have a keen eye for this. Yumi-sensei's cooking skills are at the level of a cooking sage," Obito remarked, pleased with Jiraiya's praise of Mutsuki.
Jiraiya had grown lazy about correcting Obito's address. He didn't mind what the kid called him; Mutsuki's cooking skills were truly indisputable in this regard.
An hour later, the group sat inside a tent with a long table. Jiraiya used the Summoning Jutsu to bring the two sages back again.
"You guys are lucky. Normally, I only cook for husband," Sage Shima boasted proudly as she prepared to serve her insect feast.
Dekai looked at the spread: there were dishes and soup, but the soup's color was odd—it was purple, with thick greenish-gray worms floating in it. The vegetables were finger-thick pink worms drenched in an unknown brown sauce.
"Ugh," Obito's throat twitched, almost wanting to vomit. He quickly glanced at Mutsuki's dishes to steady himself.
Dekai, Sohei, and even Minato glanced questioningly at Jiraiya.
Jiraiya's eyes drifted upwards; as long as he didn't see it, it was like nothing had happened.
"Jiraiya-sensei, I suddenly feel very full from dinner and can't eat anymore," Dekai looked at the purple soup and greenish-gray worms, sweat breaking out on his forehead, wanting to back out.
"If you're full, just eat a little less, but this is a rare chance to taste Sage Shima's food," Jiraiya said firmly, implying there was no escape.
"No, seriously, is this soup not going to kill us?" Obito couldn't help but ask. He even felt like there might be poison in the soup, given its color.
"It might not be poisoned; but the bugs themselves could be toxic," even Guy, who usually ate anything, shivered at the sight of Shima's insect feast.
He believed a man shouldn't be picky, but Shima's dishes didn't look like they were meant for human consumption.
"Forgive me, but this is a special restorative soup I made. It's great for replenishing energy after training and battles," Sage Shima said indignantly.
"Exactly, Sage Shima's cooking is beneficial for training, so you all should eat more," Jiraiya nodded in agreement, then reached for Mutsuki's dishes with his chopsticks.
Mutsuki prepared two dishes and a soup. The soup was a jade-like creamy broth, while the dishes included tempura and stir-fried wild vegetables with meat.
"I've had my share during previous training, so I'll take a bit less. Let's leave Sage Shima's cooking to you guys and enjoy more of Mutsuki's," Jiraiya tasted the tempura and immediately had a revelation.
Kakashi: ...
Jiraiya's image continued to crumble in Kakashi's mind; he dared not imagine how Orochimaru and Tsunade behaved privately.
"Jiraiya-sensei, please don't say that. You're one of the Konoha Sannin and potentially the future Hokage. Your strength is crucial for Konoha. Let us take this hit instead," smiling, Sohei heard Jiraiya's words and picked up a piece of wild vegetable to eat.
Sohei immediately felt as if he had transformed into a blade of grass, merging with nature, everything feeling so serene and harmonious.
"Hokage? There's no way I could become Hokage," Jiraiya laughed heartily as he continued picking up food. If Sarutobi Hiruzen ever asked him to be Hokage, he would outright refuse.
Deep down, Jiraiya had no desire to become Hokage. Not only did he find the responsibilities of the Hokage too burdensome for his private research, but he believed his mission to find the Child of Prophecy was far more important.
"Uncle Toad, why do you lack ambition? I believe I can become Hokage," Obito proudly declared.
"Well then, you better train hard. With your current state, you won't become Hokage," Jiraiya replied, encouragingly, not taking Obito's words too seriously.
Although he himself didn't aspire to be Hokage, he didn't think it was a bad dream.
"Of course! With Yumi-sensei teaching me, I'll definitely be stronger than your disciples in the future, even stronger than you," Obito chuckled.
"Youth is about embracing challenges! A true man should be fearless!" Guy pumped himself up, finally summoning the courage to pick up a red bug, chew it, and swallow.
Although he also wanted to try Mutsuki's cooking, *Guy felt that the dish Sage Shima had labored over for an hour shouldn't go to waste.
A bitter, sour, and strangely unpleasant taste exploded in *Guy's mouth. He gritted his teeth hard to prevent himself from spitting out the food.
Next, *Guy took a sip of the purple soup. He had prepared himself to faint after drinking it, but surprisingly found that the soup tasted a bit better than the pink bugs. Though still unpleasant, it was much better compared to the bugs he had just eaten.
If *Guy were to describe it forcibly, the taste of the bugs just now was like making unwashed socks into sauce, pouring it over mud, and eating it directly. It was almost that kind of taste.
"Thank you for your hospitality!" *Guy smiled and gave Sage Shima a thumbs-up.
"Your taste isn't bad after all," Sage Shima, who had been somewhat displeased before, saw *Guy give her a thumbs-up and started to feel better.
Jiraiya didn't really eat all of Mutsuki's cooking either. He was just joking around with his disciples. With his good relationship with the toads, how could he not eat? After eating a few bites of Mutsuki's cooking, Jiraiya also took a sip of the bug soup and quickly grabbed another piece of Mutsuki's tempura and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Even after hundreds of years, it's still as delicious as before," Sage Fukasaku praised with a smile after eating the bug dish.
He wasn't complimenting Sage Shima just because she was his wife; he genuinely thought it was tasty.
After all, it was a competition. Although Sage Fukasaku didn't particularly like the strange foods humans ate, he picked up a piece of wild vegetable and tasted it.
At that moment, Sage Fukasaku was instantly amazed. In that instant, he felt like he wasn't just a toad anymore but a flourishing green grass thriving in nature.
"Husband, is the food that person made not as delicious as mine?" Sage Shima asked.
After reminiscing about his experience just now, Sage Fukasaku shook his head and said:
"Although your cooking is very delicious, Mutsuki's cooking allows one to comprehend the true essence of nature. The gap between you two is like that between ordinary Ninjutsu and Senjutsu."
In that moment of eating, Sage Fukasaku was truly shocked. Having lived for over eight hundred years, he had never eaten such cuisine before. The feeling was so profound; he could almost sense a pulse of natural power.
"Does it deserve all this praise?" Sage Shima heard her husband praising an outsider so much and felt a bit disgruntled.
So she picked up the wild vegetable that Sage Fukasaku had just picked up.
After eating it, Sage Shima's discontent immediately disappeared, and the dissatisfaction on her face turned into astonishment.
"Since when did human cuisine become so delicious?" Sage Shima exclaimed in surprise.
"And just now, the feeling was so genuine. How did you manage that?" Amazed, Sage Shima was filled with curiosity.
However, Sage Shima quickly put aside her surprise. She had to eat quickly, or else others would finish everything.
Soon, Mutsuki's cooking was swept clean, and Shima's bug feast was also dealt with after the others showed expressions of resignation.
"Little Mutsuki, what do you think of my cooking?" Sage Shima asked Mutsuki about his impression of her cooking.
"For a family cook, it's quite excellent in every aspect, but it's not suitable for ordinary human consumption," Mutsuki adjusted his expression and smiled as he gave his assessment.
"Indeed, it's not as good as your cooking, Mutsuki." Sage Shima was quite satisfied with Mutsuki's assessment.
"Jiraiya, what do you think of Mutsuki?" Sage Fukasaku suddenly asked Jiraiya.
"He's excellent, both in skill and other aspects," Jiraiya thought for a moment before replying.
Although Jiraiya hadn't interacted with Mutsuki much, he had a very favorable impression of him.
In the past, Jiraiya might have taken Mutsuki as a disciple, considering having two such talented and capable students would be excellent.
But now Jiraiya's mind was focused on finding the Prophecy Child. After the war, he would continue on his journey and wouldn't have time to mentor Mutsuki.
"Well, after you have time, you must bring Mutsuki to visit Mount Myoboku. I'm really looking forward to him cooking a feast with Mount Myoboku's ingredients," Sage Fukasaku said with a smile.
Jiraiya understood Sage Fukasaku's meaning and laughed, nodding his head. "I'll definitely make time for that."
Mutsuki heard their conversation and speculated that perhaps the two Sages found him favorable enough to potentially become a contract holder for Mount Myoboku. However, since they weren't very familiar with him, they asked Jiraiya to observe him. If he passed, he could be taken to Mount Myoboku.
Of course, it couldn't be ruled out that Sage Fukasaku simply liked his cooking and wanted him to visit Mount Myoboku for that reason alone.
For Mutsuki, it was a win-win situation. After all, he was just making a few dishes, which was effortless for him.
To prevent any interference from Hidden Rock, Mutsuki stayed in the war camp for a few days without incident before bidding farewell to Minato and Jiraiya.
"Minato, do you want me to pass any messages to Kushina? I can go back and talk to her on your behalf," Mutsuki asked with a smile.
Minato thought for a moment. He did have many things he wanted to discuss with Kushina. He wondered if it was exhausting for her to host a monster inside her, and if she felt lonely when training alone. However, if Mutsuki had to convey all of this, it would probably require writing a lengthy letter. Minato condensed his thoughts into a single sentence.
"Tell her I'm doing well, and remind her to take care of her health, not to stay up late, and to eat on time."
"I'll relay your exact words," Mutsuki memorized every word and nodded in agreement.
"Mutsuki, I've already passed on all your merits from the battlefield. There might be a surprise waiting for you when you return," Jiraiya said with a big smile as he bid farewell to Mutsuki.
On the first day after the battle ended, he transmitted the news of their victory. Jiraiya specially wrote a letter to Sarutobi Hiruzen, detailing Mutsuki's performance in the war and suggesting more investment in Mutsuki's development.
"Thank you very much, Jiraiya-sama," Mutsuki gently smiled and thanked him for acknowledging his efforts.
"If you want to thank me, then make me a feast when I return. Also, your three disciples are all very good. Keep nurturing them," Jiraiya added.
Obito and the others had grown accustomed to following Mutsuki, training wherever he went. These days at the camp, they continued their training diligently. Jiraiya noticed their excellence and realized they were among the strongest of their age group.
"Continuing like this, there might be a chance to become the next generation of Sannin. But having three men and no woman feels a bit strange," Jiraiya thought to himself.
"Goodbye, Minato-senpai, and Frog-sensei," Obito waved goodbye to Minato and Jiraiya.
Minato, as humble and excellent as Mutsuki, had left a very good impression on Obito during their days together. As for Jiraiya, despite sometimes being frustrating, Obito felt he was still a good person.
"Goodbye, Dekai-senpai! Let's have more youthful battles together in the future," Guy gave a thumbs-up to Dekai.
After discovering that Dekai was skilled in Lightning Release and Taijutsu, Guy had challenged him once, albeit losing miserably, but they got along well.
"Haha, if you pick a good time, I'm up for it," Dekai laughed heartily and agreed.
"Jiraiya-sama, Minato-senpai, goodbye," Kakashi politely bid farewell to each of them.
After the farewells, Mutsuki returned to Konoha with his disciples and the supply convoy.
On the way, Obito kept fiddling with his camera, looking at the photos he had taken.
"So many different types of plants, you wouldn't notice if you didn't look closely," Obito remarked, realizing that what seemed like just green trees actually had many different kinds with varying leaves.
When he flipped to the picture of Minato smiling that Jiraiya had taken, Obito couldn't help but laugh and ask, "Yumi-sensei, are you really going to show this to Minato-senpai's girlfriend?"
Obito felt that if Minato's girlfriend saw this kind of picture from him, he might not dare to show his face in front of her for two days.
"This is a precious one. She should like it," Mutsuki replied with a smile.
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