Chapter 22: Kaito chapter 22: meeting jiraiya
Kaito chapter 22: meeting jiraiya
After Kaito had a practice fight with Itachi in the early morning and spent some time thinking about how he's getting better while looking at the village, he decided it was time to head home for lunch. He got up, turned around, and dashed to his house. He knew his mom, Kushina, would be there, ready with a meal. He hopped from one rooftop to another, moving quickly.
When Kaito got home, he called out, "I'm home, kaa-chan!" and walked inside. His mom, Kushina, welcomed him warmly from the kitchen.
"Welcome back, Musuko," she said.
As Kaito entered the kitchen, he spotted Minato sitting at the table with a tall man. This man had red markings on his face and long, untamed white hair. Kaito instantly knew him as Jiraiya, one of the famous three ninjas known as the legendary sannin, and also Minato's teacher.
Minato, spotting Kaito, greeted him, "Welcome back, Kaito... This is Jiraiya sensei. Sensei, meet Kaito."
Once introduced, Jiraiya exclaimed, "He's grown a lot since the last time I saw him! I am Jiraiya, the great toad sage of Mount Myoboku!" He introduced himself with a lively dance and a knowing look.
Watching his sensei's playful antics, Minato couldn't help but chuckle and scratched the back of his head, a bit embarrassed.
Kaito admired Jiraiya's character in the series, but the way he treated Naruto left Kaito feeling conflicted.
"In my opinion, Jiraiya the Toad Sage is awesome," Kaito thought, "but in the role of a godfather, not so much. If that hadn't happened, I would be okay with it."
He acknowledged Jiraiya's strength and recognized that his beliefs were worth considering.
Kaito held a strong opinion about Jiraiya's teaching methods and personal flaws. He believed that given Jiraiya's age and life experiences, there was no excuse for him not trying to address these issues.
"In all honesty," Kaito thought, "Jiraiya made a terrible teacher. He had some serious character flaws that he never even attempted to rectify. He abandoned Naruto for the first 12 years of his life. If he wasn't willing to fulfill his role as a godfather, he shouldn't have accepted the title. He should have asked Minato and Kushina to choose someone else. By accepting, he took on the responsibility and duty to step in as a guardian, to nurture, teach, and train Naruto in case anything happened to them. Considering how Naruto grew up, Jiraiya's failure is even more glaring. It's not just Naruto who suffered; he let down Minato and Kushina as well. And we haven't even touched on his shortcomings as a teacher."
In two and a half years, just like Minato before him, Naruto was under his guidance as an apprentice. However, what did he truly absorb during this time? Some basics in tactics, a focus on developing a Rasengan—concentrated on power and size, rather than honing true mastery, offering a shortcut instead of instilling discipline. There was an attempt to tap into the Nine-Tails' chakra, but it ended in failure, which seemed quite foolish considering they already knew that Itachi and Kisame were tasked with capturing him. This indicated the need for skills beyond relying solely on the fox's power since both adversaries could nullify his use of it. There was a touch of collaboration with the toads, a slight refinement in his Taijutsu skills, and instruction on how to dispel simple genjutsu. However, any increase in speed and strength appeared underwhelming, as it seemed more a natural result of his maturation than actual dedicated training.
There were a handful of things he could have and should have focused on. He could have genuinely honed his strength, speed, and reflexes. He could have genuinely mastered Shadow Clones. He could have truly mastered Rasengan, even achieving the feat of using it with just one hand, as both Minato and Jiraiya had accomplished.
Absolutely, there were numerous opportunities he missed. He could have started and possibly even mastered Wind Style. Strangely, he never even broached the subject of nature manipulation with Naruto. They could've undertaken missions to gain practical experience and possibly earn a field promotion. It might have been beneficial for him and Jiraiya to occasionally team up with village squads for missions and assessments.
It's worth noting that he stopped short after teaching Rasengan and the Toad summoning techniques. The experienced spymaster neglected to educate his apprentice on the intricacies of his primary responsibilities, nor did he impart the specialized techniques crucial for those tasks—like invisibility, capture techniques, interrogation methods, frog transformation, and deploying detection barriers.
It wasn't just about raw power. He was spot on when he emphasized to Naruto that being a shinobi required more than just combat prowess. It demanded acquiring the wisdom to make sound judgments, which directly aligns with his aspiration of becoming Hokage. It was imperative for Naruto to cultivate intelligence and discernment along with his strength.
Teaching Naruto wasn't an overwhelming task, especially with the clever use of shadow clones. You see, Orochimaru and Tsunade were rather persistent in passing on their knowledge and skills to their own apprentices. In contrast, Naruto received a rather limited education.
I understand that Jiraiya took on a fatherly or mentor-like role, but we mustn't forget the dual purpose of their journey. First, it was about ensuring Naruto's safety by keeping him hidden from the Akatsuki and training him at the same time, all while staying off their radar. Second, it was crucial to prepare Naruto specifically to confront the Akatsuki. This was a clear mission and goal that needed focused attention. So, it's reasonable to expect a more comprehensive approach to Naruto's training during their time together.
t's truly infuriating and deeply unjust that Jiraiya took money from a 12-year-old. This is a child who's already working tirelessly just to make ends meet, to survive, and to cover his own expenses. It's a real betrayal of trust and a serious lapse in responsibility on Jiraiya's part.
And that's not even delving into the darker aspects of Jiraiya's character. Think about Naruto's upbringing - a life with hardly any friends and practically no family, except for a manipulative grandfather figure who would only show up, if he was lucky, once a month. Not to mention, the relentless isolation, mental torment, emotional scars, and even instances of physical abuse, like shoving a 10-year-old to the ground and hurling objects at him - just to give you an idea of the kind of hardship Naruto endured from almost the entire population of his own village. It's truly heartbreaking.
When Naruto tries to show, in his own way, that he craves some care and support from his mentor and godfather, whom he spends a lot of time with even if he's not fully aware of their relationship, the response he gets is hurtful. Instead of understanding or encouragement, Jiraiya chooses to put him down and mock him. This is especially painful considering that Naruto is simply expressing a very normal need for a 13-year-old.
Naruto, unfortunately, has become accustomed to enduring mistreatment. It seems he's willing to endure just about anything, even emotional abuse if it means he can experience moments of affection from people like Sakura and Sasuke.
Now, is this Jiraiya a "bad" person? Not necessarily. But it's clear he has significant flaws. Given his age and experience, it's hard to find an acceptable reason for this behavior.
Before the time skip, Sasuke was undoubtedly the most skilled member. Naruto was more of a tank, while Sakura struggled to contribute significantly to the team.
However, after the time skip, Sasuke took his abilities to a whole new level. He not only refined his Chidori technique and created variations of it, but he also developed a host of his own original techniques. Additionally, he learned numerous powerful techniques from Orochimaru. His education and knowledge expanded significantly, and he trained diligently to reach a high A-rank level in terms of power. Sasuke also achieved a level of mastery over his Sharingan, enhancing his combat capabilities. His overall strength, speed, tactical thinking, reflexes, and mastery over his curse mark all experienced exponential growth. In essence, he gained a wealth of both education and practical experience, making him a formidable ninja.
Sakura, who was trained by Tsunade, seamlessly collaborated with Chiyo despite their initial lack of experience together. She ascended to become one of the leading medical authorities in the Elemental Nations. Notably, she successfully cured one of the most intricate poisons ever devised. Her knowledge and expertise far surpassed her earlier self.
In contrast, Naruto learned a bigger Rasengan, manipulating Kyubi chakra to some extent, and the ability to dispel basic Genjutsu.
Undoubtedly, Naruto emerged as a vastly superior shinobi after the time skip. However, when one reflects on his starting point prior to the journey, the extent of his progress seems disappointingly inadequate, and this can be attributed entirely to Jiraiya's shortcomings as a mentor.
After the time skip, a noticeable transformation takes place. Kakashi, who had previously struggled as a teacher, finally shifts gears and begins to instruct Naruto effectively. The change is remarkable. He guides Naruto in mastering shadow clones, providing valuable insights into their intricacies, as well as delving into elemental manipulation and advanced chakra theory. Kakashi aids him in honing his elemental abilities, devising a highly efficient training regimen, and ultimately contributing to the creation of one of Naruto's most formidable techniques. He collaborates closely with Naruto, serving as a trusted sounding board for his ideas. With this newfound dedication and proper guidance, Naruto achieves mastery over his wind-based chakra nature in just a matter of days. Astonishingly, within a mere month, he successfully amalgamates his wind element with the Rasengan, a feat many believed to be unattainable. This achievement marks the completion of his father's technique. And then, Naruto goes on to develop and perfect his formidable S-rank technique: the Wind Style: Rasenshuriken.
Indeed, one can't help but ponder the potential progress Naruto could have made if Jiraiya had taken his role as a teacher more seriously. Within just a few months, Kakashi's focused and dedicated instruction propelled Naruto to incredible heights. If Jiraiya had set aside his vices and truly committed to his responsibilities, the results could have been nothing short of astounding. It's disheartening to consider the missed opportunities due to his penchant for indulgence in drink, hedonism, and inappropriate behavior. A Naruto under Jiraiya's sincere and attentive guidance might have achieved feats beyond imagination.
After his internal tirade, Kaito resolved to assist his mother in the kitchen, leaving his father Minato to entertain Jiraiya. As they awaited the meal, Minato settled into a chair at the dining table, producing a book and immersing himself in its pages.
Observing Minato engrossed in his book, Jiraiya playfully slapped him on the back and quipped, "Ah... you're reading my 'Tales of a Gutsy Ninja,' aren't you? It's my first published work, but the sentences are a bit childish, and I didn't do a stellar job," scratching the back of his head.
In response, Minato looked up and earnestly stated, "No, I don't think so, Sensei. This story is wonderful."
Jiraiya beamed at Minato's compliment and took a seat across from his former student.
"Each chapter reads like one of your numerous legendary exploits... It's almost like an autobiography," Minato continued, genuinely impressed.
Hearing this, Jiraiya embraced the compliment, yet with a hint of disappointment. "But... it didn't sell at all... For my next one, I think I'll add some sexy elements to spice it up a bit," Jiraiya said with a mischievous grin and a perverted expression.
"The main character of this book... I thought his determination to never give up was really cool. He's a lot like you, Sensei," Minato said, engrossed in the story.
"Is that so?" Jiraiya replied, clearly a bit embarrassed by the praise.
Minato continued, "So I was thinking. I really hope my unborn child can become a ninja just like this main character!" He closed the book and carefully placed it on the table. "Which is why I'd like your permission to name my son after him."
Shocked, Jiraiya exclaimed, "Hey! Are you sure? It's just a random name that I thought up while eating ramen."
"Naruto... It's a wonderful name," Kushina chimed in, gently rubbing her belly as she and Kaito emerged from the kitchen.
Upon hearing Kushina's words, Jiraiya scratched the back of his head, a mix of astonishment and humility in his expression. He then mustered the courage to ask, "Cripes... so that makes me his godfather?... Are you sure about this?" His gaze shifted between Kushina and Minato, seeking confirmation.
Minato replied with heartfelt sincerity, "You are my sensei!... and you are a great ninja who possesses the true talents of a ninja! There's no other like you."
On the side, Kaito couldn't help but let out a sigh. He knew how bad Jiraiya was as Naruto's godfather, and he was resolute in his determination not to let Naruto suffer as he had in the original timeline.
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