Konoha: You're letting me build up my bonds, but you're offending the entire ninja world.

On the roof of a bathhouse not far away, a white-haired man was lying on the tiles, his long white hair swinging back and forth like a hedgehog, occasionally letting out a lewd grin.

It's already dark, and there are no streetlights over there, so unless you have excellent eyesight, you wouldn't be able to spot it.

Shimura Gengetsu gave a soft hum and began to rapidly form hand seals.

"Wind Style: Wind Blowing Cut!"

Several thin, sharp blades of wind were spat out from Shimura Gengetsu's mouth and flew swiftly toward the white-haired man.

As they drew nearer, the white-haired man sensed something was amiss. He casually formed hand seals, and the white hair on his back rapidly expanded and hardened, enveloping his entire body.

But to his utter surprise, the ninjutsu was not aimed at him at all, but at the tile next to him!

laugh!

The roof tiles shattered instantly, large pieces falling into the bathhouse. A panicked scream erupted from within. The white-haired man jumped up in a flurry, landing in front of Shimura Gengetsu and Uzuki Yugao in a few quick movements, and angrily said:

"Kid, do you even realize you've ruined a great research project?! Countless readers will be sending you death threats!"

"All I know is that I stopped a scoundrel from taking advantage of me," Shimura Gengetsu said bluntly. "If your wife were also taking a bath in there and someone was peeping at you, how would you feel?"

"Oh, wait a minute." Xuan Yue suddenly realized and slapped her forehead. "How could a sleazy old man like you possibly find a wife?"

puff!

The white-haired man looked up and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Damn it, I actually got my guard down by a seven-year-old!

Upon seeing the white-haired man's face and the distinctive 'oil' character on his headband, Uzuki Yugao immediately recognized him. Her face paled, and she took a step back, shielding Shimura Gengetsu in front of her.

His expression still carried a hint of fear.

Have no idea.

If they were enemies, Uzuki Yugao would protect Shimura Gengetsu even at the cost of her own life, but this one...

Every woman would feel scared, right?

"Jiraiya-sama." Uoyuki Xiyan greeted timidly.

Shimura Gengetsu frowned slightly. "Why do you call everyone 'sir'? Does he deserve it?"

"What?!" Jiraiya leaned back abruptly, then forward, his eyes wide as he met Shimura Gengetsu's gaze.

"You don't even know who I am?"

"How could I not know? Isn't he just an old rogue?"

"Damn it! You brat, listen to me!"

boom!

A giant toad appeared amidst the smoke, and Jiraiya stood on it, performing a bizarre and exaggerated dance:

"With bare backs and heads raised, heroes naturally emerge!"

"I am Jiraiya, the toad spirit of Mount Myōboku, the Immortal Sovereign, commonly known as the Toad Sage, one of the three... I pay my respects!"

"Well, now you know!"

Jiraiya withdrew his hand, crossed his arms triumphantly, and awaited Shimura Gengetsu's surprise.

Shimura Gengetsu slowly circled around, as if deep in thought. Only when Jiraiya was growing impatient did he slowly ask, "Is it the Jiraiya who wrote 'The Tale of the Strong-Willed Ninja'?"

"Kid, you know about that book too?!"

Jiraiya's face immediately became even more smug, but he pretended to be humble and said, "My humble work, it's all my humble work. I didn't expect you to be able to read such profound books at such a young age. Not bad, I have high hopes for you, kid. You are a very promising book lover."

“Who’s your book fan?” Gengetsu Shimura looked at him with displeasure. “I often read that book when I have insomnia. I can fall asleep in less than a minute. I have no recollection of what it’s about.”

puff!

Zizai coughed up blood again and collapsed onto the toad, unable to get up again.

Chapter 48: Affinity with Immortal Arts, Hiruzen Sarutobi's Renewed Ambitions

For Jiraiya, writing books was even more sacred than being a ninja.

Having been brutally attacked by Shimura Gengetsu, he now felt like dying.

"Let's go, ignore this old scoundrel."

"Ah."

Ignoring Jiraiya's antics, Shimura Gengetsu had Uzuki Yugao hold his little hand and prepared to leave.

"Wait a minute!"

Jiraiya, who was lying dead, grabbed Gengetsu's ankle and said incredulously, "Kid, are you really that heartless?"

"I'm one of the legendary Sannin, aren't you afraid I'll teach you a lesson?"

"So what?" Shimura Gengetsu said indifferently, "Didn't we have one of the Sannin in the village before? My grandfather still chased them away."

“If you peep into the women’s bathhouse again, I’ll tell the security department and have those envious people arrest you.”

Jiraiya fell silent.

Whether it's driving away Orochimaru's arrogance or his naive desire to have the police arrest him, he doesn't know how to answer.

"Kid, Orochimaru is my friend. You're telling me in front of me that Danzo drove him away. Aren't you afraid I'll get angry?"

Jiraiya slowly rose, abandoning his nonchalant and lazy demeanor.

An aura belonging to a legendary ninja burst forth from his body. Yugao Uzuki, who was beside Xuan Yue, could not withstand it at all. She groaned and was forced back a few steps before she could feel her body regaining sensation.

"Was my grandfather wrong?" Shimura Gengetsu remained completely unaffected, calmly meeting Jiraiya's unwavering gaze.

"Your friend hurt the villagers, so he was driven away. Instead of going after him, you're going after my grandfather. Are all adults this unreasonable?"

Jiraiya was stunned.

The anger that had just risen was completely dissipated by the series of questions.

Yes

Even if Danzo had his own motives for betraying Orochimaru, he did not do anything wrong in this matter alone.

Orochimaru was the one who was wrong.

"Hahahaha." Jiraiya suddenly laughed, reverting to his carefree demeanor. "Your grandfather was Danzo? Then you must be... Shimura Gengetsu, right? The Third Hokage mentioned you to me."

"He defeated the genius of the Uchiha clan and even called him the Third Hokage to his face. It's a pretty good title, and I like it very much."

“That’s right, it’s me.” Shimura Gengetsu raised his head, inwardly cursing.

He had a gut feeling that Jiraiya was most likely after him.

Jiraiya dispelled the summoning jutsu, sent the toad back to Mount Myōboku, and then gave Gengetsu's head a good rub.

Gengetsu Shimura tried to dodge, but he was not as fast as Jiraiya, so he had to suffer in silence.

"Kid, you're right. Danzo did nothing wrong. The ones who are wrong are Orochimaru and me."

Jiraiya's eyes became incredibly serious. "I will definitely bring him back and make him realize his mistakes."

"Then will you still peep into the women's bathhouse?"

"I'm not watching anymore!" Jiraiya waved his hand dismissively, then his expression turned into a lewd grin. "Hehe, everyone in the village is one of us, so I'll just go out and watch, won't I?"

After saying that, he stomped his foot heavily, the wooden clogs making a crisp sound as they struck the ground, and a cloud of smoke burst out from the ground.

When the smoke cleared, Jiraiya had already disappeared.

At the same time, Shimura Gengetsu also heard a system notification in his mind.

[The host has established a bond of appreciation with Jiraiya, and is rewarded with the special talent 'Sage Art Affinity (Beginner)']

Ok?

Good stuff...

Immortal arts are beyond the norm; in a sense, they represent energy at the sixth level of the Dao.

However, Jiraiya's talent for Sage Mode wasn't that great. After decades of training, it would still take him a long time to reach the final level, and he would need the assistance of two Toad Sages to unleash its full power.

Unlike the future Naruto Hashirama, who claps his hands together to activate Sage Mode.

Xuan Yue's mood brightened considerably.

"Phew...They're finally gone."

Uzuki Yugao breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at Gengetsu with lingering fear, "You were too bold just now, daring to drink and talk to Jiraiya-sama like that."

"So what?" The two set off again toward the Shimura residence. "My grandfather is Danzo. Who in the entire Hidden Leaf Village would dare to bully me?"

"Lord Jiraiya is not afraid of Elder Danzo."

“But he’s afraid of the third-generation old Deng, and the third-generation old Deng won’t allow him to bully me, otherwise my grandfather will slam his door.”

.......

Hokage Building.

After a long day of heavy official duties, Hiruzen Sarutobi dragged his tired body out of the office and slowly walked home.