If Kazuki had known that this plan was in motion, why would he have trained so hard?
Sasuke wished he could go back in time. If he had trained directly with Kazuki, his strength might have increased tenfold!
After hesitating for a moment, Sasuke asked tentatively, "Is it difficult to learn senjutsu?"
Kazuki glanced at him sideways and sneered, "Don't even think about it, it's absolutely impossible to learn senjutsu in one day."
Sasuke was speechless. He didn't expect all his thoughts to be seen through by Kazuki so easily.
"Come with me."
"Where are we going?"
"To meet your future teacher, of course. Where else? Don't you want to learn senjutsu? You can't master it in a short time, but if you become his disciple, you'll eventually learn it."
Sasuke nodded and followed Kazuki's footsteps.
At this time, Jiraiya was still practicing with Naruto and hadn't left Konoha. Kazuki instructed Karin to use Mind's Eye of the Kagura to quickly locate them.
Konoha bathhouse.
An old man and a young man were leisurely soaking in the hot water, enjoying the bath. They were naked from the waist up, with their lower bodies submerged in the water, hands resting on the edge of the pool, their faces covered with thick white towels.
They were so relaxed they hadn't noticed anyone approaching.
Sasuke observed them. He recognized one—Uzumaki Naruto, who used to be the weakest in their class. But in the past two months, Naruto had been training with Kazuki and improving rapidly.
The other was an older man with long white hair. Though his eyes were covered, his face had a lecherous look that Sasuke had only seen on lustful types before.
"You Pervy Sage, taking a bath, huh?"
"Ah? Ah! Oof!" Jiraiya and Naruto were startled, flailing in the water for a moment before regaining their composure.
"Kazuki?"
"Kazuki boy? What brings you here? And who's this?"
Jiraiya eyed Sasuke curiously, sensing something familiar but uncertain.
"He's your new disciple. A genius from the Uchiha clan—highly talented. What do you think?"
Kazuki introduced Sasuke with a smile, but Jiraiya didn't seem thrilled. He was merely surprised.
"Uchiha?"
Jiraiya hadn't thought much about the Uchiha clan since they were almost wiped out five years ago. It was a shock to see someone had survived.
He scrutinized Sasuke and asked, "Kid, have you met someone recently? You have a strange scent… like a snake."
Sasuke frowned slightly and answered calmly, "My Summoning Beast is a snake."
"Oh? Summon it for me, then," Jiraiya asked with curiosity.
Without a word, Sasuke formed a seal, and two small snakes appeared.
As Jiraiya approached the snakes, he wasn't the least bit afraid. The snakes attempted to bite him, but Sasuke restrained them.
"Huh? This scent… There's no doubt about it. These are snakes from Ryūchi Cave! Kid, is Orochimaru your master?"
"No," Sasuke said coldly.
"If not him, then how did you sign a summoning contract with Ryūchi Cave?" Jiraiya looked suspicious.
The summoning contract of Ryūchi Cave had been under Orochimaru's control for years, and obtaining it was no small feat.
"There's only one contract scroll for the holy places like Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest. If you've signed it, you must have gotten Orochimaru's approval. No one else can just sign that contract unless the immortals themselves find you worthy."
"But this is almost impossible… unless Orochimaru is dead!"
"I did meet Orochimaru some time ago," Sasuke explained. "He wanted to take me as his disciple, but I refused."
"When exactly? Where did you meet him?" Jiraiya asked urgently.
Jiraiya had been searching for any trace of Orochimaru for years, and now Sasuke had some of the closest news yet.
"About half a month ago, in a valley outside Konoha. I don't know its name," Sasuke said coolly.
Half a month ago, Orochimaru had helped him sign a summoning contract with Manda. Without his assistance, Sasuke wouldn't have earned Manda's approval. Summoning Manda unprepared would have resulted in him being eaten!
"A valley… half a month ago… Can you take me there?" Jiraiya asked, his excitement growing.
"Forget it," Kazuki cut in. "It's been too long. You won't find anything. Focus on training Sasuke. Orochimaru will come for him sooner or later, and you'll meet him then."
Jiraiya saw the sense in Kazuki's words but still hesitated. However, it was clear Kazuki wasn't going to let him go without taking Sasuke under his wing.
"So, you rejected Orochimaru, and he still let you sign the contract with Ryūchi Cave?" Jiraiya asked seriously.
Sasuke repeated what Orochimaru had told him, and Jiraiya nodded. He realized it had been a transaction, not a genuine offer to take Sasuke as a disciple.
"Orochimaru's Curse Seal research has been around for a while. Konoha got wind of it, but they never figured out its purpose," Jiraiya muttered, thinking back on past files.
"Whatever it is, you should never accept it! Even if it boosts your strength, it'll turn you into Orochimaru's puppet!"
Sasuke remained silent, uninterested. Who would choose the Curse Seal over learning true, powerful techniques?
"Kazuki said you could teach senjutsu here. Is that true?" Sasuke asked directly.
"Of course! As the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, I can teach you senjutsu. But whether I feel like teaching you…" Jiraiya grinned, his tone mischievous.
Naruto, standing nearby, rolled his eyes. After spending a month with Jiraiya, he had learned just how pervy the so-called sage really was.
"What do you want?" Sasuke asked, cutting straight to the point.
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+86 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg