Naruto: Starting from Eating the Gold Fruit

Chapter 208 Jiraiya: Yes, yes, yes! That's exactly what I want to learn!

In a remote village in the northwestern part of the Land of Fire.

Jiraiya, with a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, was embracing two girls on either side and recounting his "glorious achievements."

This includes, but is not limited to, turning various "hearsay" about war that one has heard into one's own knowledge, then embellishing them and using them as bragging rights.

This made the two girls giggle.

After a comfortable and pleasant night, Jiraiya heard some news from the bartender at the village tavern early the next morning.

The Hidden Stone Village and the Land of Rain are going to cease hostilities.

Upon hearing this, Jiraiya ran out in his underwear without even putting on his pants.

There was a reason he was in such a hurry. He was traveling the world and searching for the prophesied child in accordance with the Toad Immortal's instructions. During this time, apart from his personal life, although he was idle and wasting his time, he still took some time to complete the prophecy.

The Great Toad Sage said he also wrote a novel during his travels, and Jiraiya has indeed been thinking about doing just that recently.

Moreover, he has already started writing his work, and he has even thought of the protagonist's name, which he came up with while eating ramen.

Naruto, a very good name.

However, he then encountered a problem.

Because he never experienced war...

He wanted to write a story about ninjas who went through hardships and finally defeated their enemies, helping their village achieve victory.

However, he had never been on a battlefield and couldn't imagine what ninjas on the battlefield were like.

Just as he was having a headache, he heard the news.

The Hidden Stone Village and the Land of Rain are at war again.

At first he didn't care, but when he heard that the fighting was getting bigger and bigger, he couldn't sit still. He traveled all the way from the Land of Bears in the southeast of Konoha, crossing the entire Land of Fire. He was about to enter the Land of Rain when you told me that you had stopped fighting.

Jiraiya was on the verge of tears. After making some inquiries, he learned that the Third Hokage had sold ten chakra cannons to the Land of Rain. The Hidden Stone Village considered the matter and decided that while they could fire ten cannons, it might result in the loss of hundreds or even thousands of ninjas. After some deliberation, they decided it wasn't worth it and decided to give up and go home to farm.

Jiraiya gritted his teeth, but the other party was his older brother, so what was there to say?

Okay, let's just go check out what fun things there are nearby.

And then this day came...

……

He saw an old man with white hair under a tree.

He didn't want to pay attention to him because the other person looked slovenly, and he couldn't be bothered with such a beggar.

Having stayed in Konoha for a long time, he developed an instinctive aversion to beggars who had hands and feet, because in Konoha, as long as you had hands and feet and were willing to work, you could not possibly starve to death.

Therefore, Jiraiya would generally ignore these beggars when he encountered them.

If such a beggar appeared in a village, he would be taken away and forcibly assigned work within ten minutes.

Konoha is desperately short of people. You're not disabled and you look to be only in your fifties. How can you be so lazy?

However, as Jiraiya passed the figure lying under the tree, he saw the blood seeping from the bandage under the other person's kimono.

Jiraiya was somewhat surprised.

Is he injured?

Jiraiya thought to himself, and stopped what he was doing.

Jiraiya, now 28, is at the prime of his life.

In just a moment, he thought of many things.

They even imagined that the other party was a ninja who had escaped from the battlefield between Iwagakure and Amegakure.

Ultimately, he couldn't just stand by and watch someone die.

After all, this isn't Konoha Village, and no one would offer help to such a disheveled beggar.

So, that night, he lit a fire.

The crackling sound of the burning wood seemed to wake the injured old man.

He groggily opened his eyes, then struggled to sit up. Seeing the young man's figure by the fire, the old man stared blankly for a long while, then suddenly gave a bitter laugh:

"Is this the underworld...? I can even see my younger self..."

Jiraiya frowned immediately: "Old man, if you can't speak properly, you don't have to. Look at me, so dashing and spirited, I don't look like you did when you were young!"

Actually, Jiraiya was just talking nonsense. When he saw the two oil paint marks on the old man's face, Jiraiya felt that he looked alike with the old man.

But he certainly couldn't accept the fact that he looked almost identical to a scruffy old beggar.

As the saying goes, what you care about is what you get upset about once it's pointed out.

Upon hearing this old man say that, Jiraiya naturally jumped up in anger.

After a brief period of confusion...

The person opposite suddenly slammed their fist on their hand: "Oh right, I forgot this is another world..."

So... I'm still young in this world?

Jiraiya looked at the old man opposite him and shook his head helplessly.

This old man seems to be out of his mind; he can't believe he's spouting such utter nonsense.

and……

Jiraiya looked the old man up and down. Apart from the hair color, face shape, and face paint being exactly the same as his own, there weren't many other similarities...

Well, it's only a tiny bit similar. I'll never become like that in the future.

However, the other party seemed to have taken a liking to him. The old man arrived at Jiraiya's side with remarkable speed, grabbed him, and laughed heartily: "I really didn't expect this. After arriving here, I had bad luck and the first person I ran into was that bastard Orochimaru. I thought his experiment had succeeded, which is why he was so young. Turns out I'm only this old too~"

"Come on, come on! Since I'm young, I must know where there are good brothels around here, right? Take me there, take me there! Once I get there, all my injuries will be healed."

Jiraiya slapped the old man's shoulder in annoyance: "Don't be so familiar, I don't know you at all!"

The old man chuckled, then blurted out Jiraiya's deepest secret: "You're currently traveling through the Land of Fire because of the Toad Sage's prophecy, right?"

Jiraiya was somewhat surprised, because he hadn't even told his older brother, the current Hokage, about the Toad Sage. How did this old man know?

Is it...

No…impossible!

I will definitely not look like this when I get old!

However, the old man produced even more evidence.

One of them was exactly what Jiraiya wanted to do.

This is about him currently writing his first novel...

The older Jiraiya saw his younger self and understood a lot. Although it was strange that in this world, he should be participating in the war in the Land of Rain at his age, and then soon meet Nagato, Yahiko and the others.

However, this world lacked the atmosphere of war; it seemed as if I was simply traveling.

But it doesn't matter, he's here to investigate anyway, he can investigate for as long as he wants.

First, gain the trust of this world, after all...

I'm completely penniless right now...

Jiraiya fell silent.

Humans are actually strange creatures; you never know what you'll be like when you get old.

But one day, a slovenly old thug who looks like a loser appears in front of you. Although you are probably pretty sure that this is your older self after a careful look, you still feel resistant to this conclusion.

It's something like: Why am I still this awful-looking when I'm old? — a thought that's probably similar.

Jiraiya is now caught in this self-doubt.

Fortunately, the elderly Jiraiya provided an explanation.

When Jiraiya heard that he was actually from another world, his first reaction was to breathe a sigh of relief.

Strictly speaking, most people should be very shocked to hear this news.

Especially when I first heard it.

But compared to this being my future self...

It would be easier to accept that it's an alternate version of yourself from another world that has absolutely no connection to you.

Especially after Jiraiya refused to take the old man to the Dark Tower for some fun, the elderly Jiraiya started to act shamelessly, which made Jiraiya even more convinced of his belief.

I certainly won't look like this when I get old.

Then the old man Jiraiya proposed a "transaction".

Simply put, he can provide Jiraiya with some help, such as battlefield experience, which Jiraiya desperately needs for material to write a book, and he really does have that.

Because he really did go to the battlefield.

Jiraiya, of course, did not believe it.

The elderly Jiraiya smiled slightly and said, "In order to gain your trust, I can tell you some information from my world as the basis for your trust."

Jiraiya hesitated for a long time before finally agreeing.

Then the elderly Jiraiya told Jiraiya a story.

The story of Konoha Village being attacked by four other major powers at the same time.

In their world, this war is known as the Second Shinobi World War...

"Wait, a second time? You mean there won't be just one or two wars of this magnitude? There won't be a third one, will there?"

The elderly Jiraiya blinked, thought for a moment, and asked, "Has Konoha in this world never been attacked by other villages?"

Jiraiya thought for a moment and said, "If I really had to say, it would probably be when I was still young, when Konoha was attacked and invaded by Kumogakure."

At that time, Iwagakure also wanted to attack us.

The elderly Jiraiya sighed helplessly. Isn't this just like their world?

So, is it possible that the time for this world to arrive just hasn't come yet?

"And then what happened?"

Jiraiya: "Later, my elder brother took charge of logistics and stabilized Sunagakure by engaging in trade with each other. He also persuaded Kirigakure to retreat and withstood the frontal attacks from Iwagakure and Kumogakure. Um... after that, for some reason, the Second Mizukage and the Second Tsuchikage fought each other and died. In the end, Kumogakure couldn't hold out any longer and surrendered, paying a reparation of 2 billion ryo."

The elderly Jiraiya's eyes bulged with shock, and even snot was running down his face.

What you said...

Why is this different from what I know?!

The elderly Jiraiya shook his head. This is another world, this is another world...

but……

"Who's your older brother? He sounds really impressive!"

The elderly Jiraiya asked, seemingly casually.

In fact, this question already falls under the category of intelligence gathering.

Yes, the older Jiraiya, compared to the much more inexperienced Jiraiya, knew from his younger self that he could obtain the information he needed.

In fact, when he first came here, he wanted to impersonate Jiraiya of this world. After all, he had already obtained a panoramic picture book of Konoha Village in this world from Tsunade, as well as basic information about Konoha Village in this world.

But those are just the most basic pieces of information.

What he wanted to know, naturally, was the division of administrative departments in Konoha, preferably how their powers were divided, how the administrative departments worked, the division of labor among the different ranks of ninjas, and the various sub-departments of the research department...

This is what the Yamato Squad heard about during their month here, but because they lacked the necessary permissions, they weren't even qualified to enter, let alone investigate.

He knew, of course, that the Hokage of this world was not Tsunade, nor even Hiruzen Sarutobi, but someone he had never heard of.

And so he wanted to test himself in this world.

Jiraiya thought for a moment, then looked at his older self and said, "Well, although it might sound like I'm showing off, it's not like I can't say it."

My older brother is the current Hokage.

The elderly Jiraiya smiled slightly. When the other party was willing to tell him this news, which was not particularly important, the distance between them naturally shortened.

The elderly Jiraiya then explained the history of their world.

Jiraiya was already a bit confused: "Wait, you mean Hiruzen Sarutobi is the Third Hokage in your area? Can he really be the Third Hokage...?"

Oh, it's not that I don't trust my teacher, it's just... compared to my older brother, I'm definitely not qualified...

[Hiruzen Sarutobi: Damn it, your apprentice is really... really... spouting such nonsense...]

Then Jiraiya, while listening, exclaimed in shock: "What?! Tsunade's younger brother, Nawaki, is dead?"

The elderly Jiraiya clenched his fist. All of this was to build rapport, all of this was to build rapport…

So he continued his story...

"What? You guys went to the battlefield too? And you even got the title of one of the Legendary Sannin along with Tsunade and Orochimaru?"

The elderly Jiraiya took a deep breath, suppressing his discomfort once again.

You can listen to what I'm saying, but can you please stop making such a fuss?

Can you be a little more composed?

Who did you get your personality from?!

So, he continued his story:

"What? Tsunade's boyfriend is dead too? Her boyfriend was Kato Dan? Hmm... who is that? I thought he was my older brother..."

The elderly Jiraiya fiercely restrained himself. No, he couldn't lose his temper; he had to endure it...

Wait, what did he just say?

"What did you say?! Who do you think this is? What does this have to do with your older brother?!"

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that? Why isn't Tsunade's boyfriend my older brother? Where is my older brother then?"

"Wait, isn't your older brother the current Hokage?! Why is he involved with Tsunade?!"

"Nonsense! They're married, so what's the relationship?!"

"What?!" The elderly Jiraiya was even more shocked than before, sticking out his tongue.

Only then did he remember something mentioned in the intelligence he had seen...

"Wait, I remember Tsunade in this world had two children, so could it be...?"

"Yes, she's with my older brother."

"..."

The elderly Jiraiya seemed to have grasped the crux of the problem...

"Now... I've told you about the situation in my world, it's your turn." The elderly Jiraiya suddenly became very interested in the history of this world.

……

In fact, there was one more thing that the elderly Jiraiya didn't say, and that was about Orochimaru.

It wasn't that he deliberately hid it, it's just...

In the end, he still didn't completely consider Orochimaru his enemy...

Of course, if he returns to his own world and sees Orochimaru, he will definitely take action immediately and bring him back to Konoha.

Just like... how Naruto saw Sasuke.

That night, after discussing the histories of their two worlds, the old man and the young man were left with only sighs...

"This world... is quite good." The elderly Jiraiya looked across at the other side, as if seeing the past, then he smiled gently, "Take good care of it, and don't let it really end up like our world... with so many tragedies."

Jiraiya snorted coldly: "Of course, I will. I will protect this world."

No wonder she's 28; she easily said things that were incredibly awkward when she was a kid.

Such words are too childish for little kids, but they are just right for people of this age.

"Well, before that, I'd like to see your book. Of course, I won't plagiarize; I just want to see what kind of content my other self wrote so I can learn from it. You know, I've never been on the battlefield, so I need material."

The elderly Jiraiya was suddenly stunned. Of course, he remembered the contents of his first book from his youth; after all, it was his first book, and he couldn't possibly forget it. But...

He didn't have it with him.

And what about his body...?

Well, it definitely belongs to the category of high-quality items, but...

Looking at his younger self, the older Jiraiya fell into deep thought. After a moment, he laughed heartily, patted his younger self on the shoulder, and pulled out a book with a yellow cover depicting a man chasing a woman from his clothes. He handed it to his younger self: "This is the book I wrote. It was very popular in my world and has been reprinted dozens of times."

Jiraiya looked at the other person in astonishment: "Dozens of times? Really? You're that good? Could it be... you're an artist?"

Well, if you always think that someone who looks slovenly is a beggar, then you'll definitely think that person is nothing special.

But when they heard that the other person was a writer, and a very successful one at that, a legendary author who had had his books reprinted dozens of times, they immediately realized that he was a top-tier writer.

Discovering someone's slovenly appearance is actually a manifestation of acting on impulse.

Jiraiya opened the book with great anticipation; he wanted to become an artist like that too!

then……

A minute later, he realized something was wrong...

What I want... seems to be based on war...

This isn't the kind you're looking for.

Ten minutes later, Jiraiya was somewhat withdrawn, wondering what he had been looking at.

Half an hour later, Jiraiya stared intently.

An hour later, all that could be heard was the sound of turning pages.

Two hours later, Jiraiya closed the book, his eyes shining as he looked at the elderly Jiraiya:

this!

This is it!