章 179: Chapter 179: Sneaking into the Hidden Rain Village
(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
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The next day, Colt found Jiraiya's contact toad in the village early in the morning.
Soon after, Jiraiya returned to the village through reverse summoning and met with him.
"Ready to go now?" Colt asked, feeling a bit embarrassed, assuming Jiraiya must have been anxious from waiting so long.
However, Jiraiya waved his hand dismissively.
"No need to rush. I've suffered long enough on Mount Myōboku with Naruto. Let's take it easy for now."
Colt asked curiously when he heard that.
"Has Naruto's Sage Mode training been successful?"
Considering the time, Naruto had been there for almost a month, and Colt wondered about the results.
Jiraiya sighed, looking both pained and slightly relieved.
"He's made good progress, but the duration is still short, and he needs to use toad oil to absorb natural energy. But it won't be long before he masters it completely."
Jiraiya felt a mix of shame and pride that his disciple was learning so quickly.
'Minato, your son has finally grown up,' he thought to himself.
As Ashura's reincarnation and the possessor of the Sage Body, Naruto's affinity for natural energies grew stronger with age. His power was increasing faster and faster.
Compared to Indra's reincarnations, Ashura's were late bloomers.
Kind, but slow to develop—except for the outlier, Hashirama, who had been rivaling Madara since childhood.
Since Jiraiya wasn't in a hurry, Colt didn't press to leave immediately.
They agreed to set off early in the morning three days later.
Three days later, Colt found himself staring at Jiraiya lying on a hospital bed, the corners of his mouth twitching. Jiraiya was covered in bandages, with even one of his eyes patched up.
It looked as if he had just escaped from the Hidden Rain Village instead of going to it.
"Shizune, what on earth happened here?" Colt asked helplessly, turning to the woman who had brought him there.
Shizune glanced at Jiraiya in disgust before explaining the whole story to Colt.
It turned out that upon returning to the "flower world" of Konoha from the ascetic environment of Mount Myōboku, Jiraiya's perverted heart had started beating wildly again.
After drinking heavily, he decided to "gather research material" at a women's hot spring.
Unfortunately for him, he happened to encounter Tsunade and Shizune, who were there to relax after work.
Tsunade's first thought upon seeing Jiraiya was that the old lecher had come to peep on her.
And then...
"Stop, I get the picture," Colt interrupted, not wanting to hear the tragic details.
He looked at Jiraiya speechlessly.
"Can't you change this nasty habit? Aren't there enough women in the red-light district for you?"
"Ouch!" Jiraiya struggled and waved his arm, but the movement pulled at his wounds, causing him to wince in pain.
"Colt, Tsunade-sama specifically instructed you not to treat Master Jiraiya today, to teach him a lesson he wouldn't forget," Shizune reminded from the side.
Colt waved his hand.
"We can't delay any longer. The Akatsuki's activities are becoming more frequent, and if we wait, they might come knocking at our door. As for Jiraiya's punishment, we'll deal with that when he returns."
"Well..." Shizune hesitated, then nodded.
"I'll go back and inform Tsunade-sama."
Half an hour later, Colt and Jiraiya walked out of Konoha's gate, with Izumo and Kotetsu waving goodbye.
"Your medical ninjutsu is truly extraordinary," Jiraiya remarked, looking at his now-intact face.
"It has surpassed Tsunade's." There were no traces of injuries left on his body.
Colt rolled his eyes.
"Flattery won't get you anywhere. When you get back, you'll be joining Naruto on Mount Myōboku to eat the bugs."
Jiraiya laughed heartily, not bothered at all.
He was used to eating bugs by now.
The two didn't use the [Flying Thunder God Technique] to travel, as Jiraiya had a habit of gathering intelligence along the way.
When not indulging in his vices, he was indeed quite reliable.
After three days of intermittent travel, they reached the outskirts of the Hidden Rain Village.
"I hope this time we can find the mastermind behind the Akatsuki," Jiraiya said, his expression complex.
He had been tracing the organization's information ever since Orochimaru had joined it.
But now, the Akatsuki had evolved into the root of all evil in the ninja world.
Colt remained silent.
The concept of a "mastermind" still made him uneasy in this world.
He remembered the online debates about the final boss when watching the series...
At first, everyone thought the kind-looking Third Hokage was the big boss.
Then Orochimaru appeared with his cold demeanor and strange jutsus, seeming to fit the bill.
When the shadowy leader of the Akatsuki was revealed, various speculations arose.
The most outrageous theory was that the Fourth Hokage had founded Akatsuki and was its leader.
Later, when Pain appeared, his overwhelming presence made him seem like the true boss.
Then the masked man, Tobi, dropped his act, killed Konan, and stole the Rinnegan.
He claimed to be Uchiha Madara's puppet...
And Madara, with his unparalleled aura and lofty, if unrealistic, ideals, became the perfect villain.
But shortly after his resurrection, Black Zetsu tore out his heart.
Sighing, Colt looked at Jiraiya.
"What's your plan?"
Jiraiya's expression turned solemn.
"The Hidden Rain Village has a well-developed drainage system, and there's a lake nearby connected to their pipes. You've left your [Flying Thunder God] mark on me, so wait until I activate it for you to enter."
Colt nodded, placing his hand on Jiraiya's body to reinforce the mark.
"Be careful," he warned.
Jiraiya gave a thumbs up, flashing his shiny teeth to reassure Colt.
"[Summoning Jutsu]!" Jiraiya called forth a toad and climbed into its stomach.
It seemed he had learned a few tricks from his old friend Orochimaru.
Inside the Hidden Rain Village, a manhole cover suddenly popped open.
A toad leaped out, its mouth wide open as Jiraiya emerged.
Looking at the surrounding towers, the gloomy weather, and the perpetual rain, Jiraiya frowned slightly.
The oppressive atmosphere made him feel a bit suffocated.
He still preferred Konoha's warm winters and cool summers.
Without delay, Jiraiya made his way to an alley. Seeing no one around, he activated the [Flying Thunder God] mark.
In an instant, Colt appeared before him.
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