"Not bad, not bad at all. Hehe..."
"Perverted Hermit, come and take a look! I've made quite a lot of progress with my Summoning Jutsu!"
"Shut up, Naruto! Don't bother me. I'm in the middle of gathering material. I don't have time for you right now!"
?_? (confused expression)
Naruto watched as the Perverted Hermit leered at a group of charming girls frolicking by a nearby pond. His drool was practically pooling on the ground.
Well, if that's how he wants to be...
"Sexy Technique!"
"Perverted Hermit, come and help me check it out~"
The Perverted Hermit, intently staring at the girls, suddenly felt a soft touch on his back. The unique fragrance of a young girl wafted straight to his heart.
He turned around with eager anticipation, expecting to see a scene straight out of a fairyland. But reality gave him a harsh slap in the face!
"What? It's just you, Naruto!"
(▼ヘ▼#) (angry expression)
"What's with that attitude? Didn't you promise to help me with my cultivation? Now you're not even bothering to check on your student's progress. All you do is stare at young and pretty girls!"
Faced with Naruto's outburst, the Perverted Hermit nonchalantly picked his ear, blew out the earwax, and said casually,
"Really? Then hurry up and start! My time is precious!"
Naruto's forehead veins bulged as he saw the Perverted Hermit's non - committal attitude. He remembered how patiently and meticulously Assistant Teacher Sasuke used to teach him. Compared to Sasuke, the Perverted Hermit was so irresponsible! But there was nothing he could do. He still needed the Perverted Hermit's help with his cultivation.
"Watch this! I'm about to show you something really cool!"
Naruto formed hand seals with both hands, splayed his fingers, and slapped the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
With a puff, a tiny frog was summoned. It hadn't fully evolved from a tadpole yet and still had a little stub of a tail.
(?ω?) (surprised expression)
"Is this it? Is this really worth dragging me over here? Can't you see it still has a tail! Sometimes I really can't tell if you're a genius or a complete idiot!"
Jiraiya laughed while covering his face and sighing. During his time with Naruto, he'd discovered that Naruto was a very perseverant boy. He usually seemed a bit dim - witted, but he'd always have a flash of inspiration at critical moments to find a way to break through.
Previously, this kid was learning an A - ranked super - difficult Ninjutsu. Through sheer determination, he managed to master it in just three weeks. At that time, Jiraiya couldn't help but think that another genius had been born!
There were still a few days until the Third Chunin Exams. Since he had nothing better to do, he'd taught Naruto the Summoning Jutsu. As long as one signed the contract, learning this Ninjutsu shouldn't be a problem.
But Naruto had gone from summoning a tadpole at the beginning to where he was now. With the exams just around the corner, he still couldn't summon a fully - formed frog!
Yet, if you said he hadn't made any progress, it wasn't true. He had indeed gone from a tadpole to a frog with a tail. But this progress just felt so... subtle.
Jiraiya had long noticed that Naruto's [Five Elements Seal] had been undone, yet Naruto was still so unmotivated. Jiraiya rubbed his aching head, and a glint flashed in his eyes. It seemed that he had to use some drastic measures!
"Come on, Naruto. I know a place where your ninjutsu can make rapid progress!"
"Really, Perverted Hermit? That's great! I always thought you were an irresponsible teacher. Now I realize I misjudged you!"
Jiraiya originally had a twinge of hesitation and guilt in his heart, thinking that there was no need to use such a radical method to make Naruto learn the jutsu all at once. But this little brat really talked so offensively! Well, then don't blame me for being merciless.
...
"Wow, it's so high. Why is this crack so deep? It's so dark that I can't see the bottom!"
Naruto was taken by Jiraiya to a crack in a canyon. The crack was so dark that he couldn't see the bottom. He casually picked up a stone and gently threw it down. It took a very long time before he heard the sound of it hitting the ground.
He silently swallowed his saliva, wondering what the Perverted Hermit had brought him to such a place for. If he fell into such a deep crack, he really wouldn't be able to climb out.
"Naruto, have you heard this saying?"
"What saying?"
"When a lion trains its cub, it will push it off a cliff to toughen it up."
"Huh? What does that mean?"
Jiraiya showed a pained and guilty expression.
"Sorry, Naruto. Forgive me. I'm doing this for your own good."
"Perverted Hermit, you're acting so weird - what the hell are you doing? --------------"
Before Naruto could finish his words, the Perverted Hermit gently pushed him from behind. By the time he realized it, his whole body was plummeting rapidly. As he let out a miserable cry, he heard the Perverted Hermit shouting from above.
"Naruto, the walls here have been washed by rain all year round and are too slippery to grab. If you want to live, use the Summoning Jutsu well!"
"Are you trying to kill me, you bastard -----"
Feeling the strong gravitational pull, Naruto couldn't help but feel a growing sense of fear in his heart. This place was gloomy and dark, and the walls were wet and slippery. He just tried to use a kunai to stop his falling, but it didn't work at all.
The fear of death was approaching. Was he really going to die in this pitch - black canyon? Was he really going to be killed by the Perverted Hermit's method of forcing premature development (like pulling up seedlings to help them grow)? No! Absolutely not! He hadn't become the Hokage yet, and he hadn't competed with Sasuke. He definitely didn't want to die like this.
At this moment, the suffocating feeling of being on the brink of death made him sense the Chakra of the Nine - Tailed Fox inside his body.
Naruto, who had his eyes half - closed, suddenly became energetic.
"Now is the time! Summoning Jutsu"
As he slapped his palm down, his blue Chakra and red Chakra inside his body were released together.
The huge frog stretched its four limbs in all directions, stopping his downward fall. After a moment of dizziness, Naruto looked at his achievement with great joy.
"Ha! Great! The frog I summoned this time has no tail and has all four limbs intact. It's really great! I finally succeeded!"
Upon seeing the giant frog he had summoned, Naruto was so excited that he jumped for joy, patting the frog's huge body and shouting.
"From now on, buddy, I'll count on you!"
Just as he was laughing merrily, a roar rang out.
"You little brat! How dare you summon me to this place! Where's Jiraiya? Call Jiraiya to see me!"
"Eh!"
?_?
Naruto looked down at Gamabunta, the frog under his feet, who was cursing, and couldn't help but wonder. Why was the frog summoned by the Perverted Hermit so big and well - behaved, while the one he summoned was yelling at him?
.................
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