I founded the "Bragging Cult" in Naruto.

Chapter 325 As a patient, I am very sensitive to the existence of this fellow patient.

"Me? Mount Myōboku? Shouldn't you be taking Minato there? I'm the successor of Shikkotsu Forest, what would I be doing at Mount Myōboku?"

Tatsuma was a little confused, while Jiraiya shook his head and said, "The last time the Great Toad Sage awakened, he ordered the first human 'Sage' of this era to see him. I thought it would be me."

"The Great Toad Sage"

Upon hearing this name, Tatsuma felt a sense of antagonism because the Great Toad Sage possessed the talent of "prophecy," and Tatsuma disliked prophets because they were "troublemakers."

He didn't know if the Great Toad Sage knew his secret, but sometimes, people will run away from things they don't want to face.

Whether the Great Toad Master knows or does not know Tatsuma's secret, these two states are superimposed before he intervenes to observe. However, if he goes to the Great Toad Master, these two states will collapse into one.

There was a fifty percent chance that Tatsuma didn't really want to face it, because he had finally managed to become a "local," and if his "outsider" identity was exposed, Tatsuma didn't know how to face himself or how others would treat him.

Tatsuma didn't show his emotions, but simply said, "Jiraiya-sensei, I'm still on a mission, so I'm afraid I can't go with you."

"You think your mission is really that urgent? You came back just to see me make a fool of myself?"

Jiraiya saw through Tatsuma's excuse at a glance. Recently, his strength hadn't improved much, but he had seen a lot of different kinds of people and his ability to judge people had improved a lot.

When Jiraiya called him out, Tatsuma wasn't embarrassed. Instead, he bluntly said, "Jiraiya-sensei, I don't really want to go."

Upon hearing this, Jiraiya scratched his head and said, "If Orochimaru didn't want to go to Mount Myōboku, I could understand, since toads and snakes have always been enemies. But why don't you, a member of Shikkotsu Forest, want to go?"

"Everyone has secrets. The Great Toad Sage has the ability to foresee the future, but I don't know if he has the ability to see into the past. I am very concerned that some of my secrets may be known by others."

"Tch, what secrets could a little brat like you possibly have? I already know your secrets a long time ago."

After Jiraiya finished speaking, he put his bare arm around Tatsuma's shoulder with a strange smile. Tatsuma raised an eyebrow. He didn't believe that Jiraiya knew his secret, but Jiraiya seemed too confident.

Even with Tatsuma's special perception, he could "see" that Jiraiya wasn't bluffing him, but had truly grasped his secret.

"So what secrets of mine do you know?"

Tatsuma asked with a smile, and Jiraiya lowered his body and voice, saying, "I know you look serious, but your brain is actually full of the same amount of dirty jokes as an adult! I've known that since you were eight years old, you're just as good as I was back then, hehe~"

Rolling his eyes, Tatsuma knew he shouldn't have had any hope for Jiraiya. How could he say that this scholar had dirty thoughts in his head?!

Okay, Tatsuma admits it.

He dared not speak of practical experience, but if we only talk about theory, not to brag, but even Jiraiya, that pervert, can't compare to him. It's just that Tatsuma never lets this knowledge control his life.

Those were all things that Chenma learned out of curiosity and ignorance before he truly matured in his previous life. Which boy hasn't been dominated by hormones and testosterone for a few years?

However, it was indeed a secret. Although it wasn't a secret that Tatsuma truly cared about, he still couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed when Jiraiya exposed it.

"Hehe~ I guessed right, didn't I? The only difference between you and me is that you're too timid to express yourself. But there's an advantage to that too; everyone thinks you're a pure and innocent girl, right?"

Sigh, my only flaw is that I'm too honest and can't pretend. If I had been a little more restrained like you were back then, Tsunade wouldn't have ended up like this~

Jiraiya sighed repeatedly. Tatsuma, seeing Jiraiya's dejected expression, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Jiraiya-sensei, think positively. Even if you didn't reveal your lecherous side, I still wouldn't be with you."

"You don't need to comfort Tatsuma! You bastard!"

Jiraiya also felt that Tatsuma wanted to comfort him, but when he returned to the future, he realized that he had been tricked by Tatsuma again. He grabbed Tatsuma's clothes and said, "What are you wearing?"

"Fine, I don't want to ask about your mission. Anyway, you have to come with me to Mount Myōboku, or I'm going back to the village!"

"What does your going back to the village have to do with me?"

"I'll tell the whole village that you're a lecherous man too!"

Do you think anyone would believe that?

Tatsuma looked at Jiraiya with confidence. He hadn't deliberately tried to create any persona, but with so many years of self-discipline, people who knew him would never believe that he was a young pervert.

Jiraiya was so angry he gritted his teeth. Tatsuma, that little bastard, was hiding his true colors so well that no one except him, a fellow enthusiast, could see through him.

He simply resorted to shamelessness, saying, "You have to come with me to Mount Myōboku. It's no use saying you're busy. I'll keep following you. Judging from your situation, you're on a mission in the Land of Water, right?"

"Heh heh, your Flying Thunder God Technique might be able to get rid of me, but can you avoid going to the Land of Water?"

Tatsuma made no attempt to hide it, rolling his eyes right in front of Jiraiya and saying, "Instead of using coercion, why don't you try bribing me? If you can offer me something I'm happy to go with you."

"Bribery? No problem!"

Jiraiya patted his chest and said, "I'll take you to the best hot spring inn, or the best brothel in the red-light district, and show you what real pleasure is. How about it?"

"No way, I'd never stoop to your level!"

Tatsuma said righteously, even moving a step away from Jiraiya, looking ashamed to be associated with him. He said that while it's possible to learn this kind of thing in theory, it's absolutely impossible to put it into practice.

He, Sakamoto Tatsuma, is definitely not that kind of person!

Jiraiya paused, then asked curiously, "You really don't agree to this deal?"

"I told you to use money, not sex!"

Tatsuma firmly stated his position, and Jiraiya understood. He scratched his head and said, "I don't have any benefits to tempt you. I've taught you most of the ninjutsu I know, and I even have to learn ninjutsu from you."

The rest are techniques from Mount Myōboku, which I can't teach you. Or have you been corrupted by Tsunade? Are you eyeing my savings?

"So, Jiraiya-sensei, you don't have any bargaining chips to offer?"

Tatsuma ignored Jiraiya's intentional or unintentional slander at the end, but instead gave him a deep look, and then slowly raised his hand as if to form a hand seal.

In fact, if he wanted to leave, he could have simply used the Flying Thunder God Technique without needing to form hand seals; this was just a show for Jiraiya.

Jiraiya instantly understood Tatsuma's meaning, moved closer again, grabbed Tatsuma's arm, and said, "How about we try a different approach? You tell me what you want, and I'll see if I can satisfy you?"

This put Tatsuma in a difficult position, since Jiraiya was not one to keep secrets. When teaching him and Minato, Jiraiya had no intention of holding back his knowledge.

Tatsuma learned all the ninjutsu he knew, except those related to Mount Myōboku, including the ridiculous "Transparent Release," which he had actually learned from Jiraiya as well.

Of course, he wasn't learning the so-called "peeping technique" to spy with a telescope; he was just learning how to use a telescope more skillfully.

In matters related to ninjas, Tatsuma had practically squeezed Jiraiya dry; Jiraiya really couldn't offer anything more to interest Tatsuma, as for money.

Tatsuma wasn't wealthy, but he wasn't at the point where he had to exchange something like this for money. He shook his head and said, "Master Jiraiya, do you really insist that I go to Mount Myōboku?"

"Yeah, who told you to master Sage Mode before me, you bastard?"

"Why don't you look for the reasons within yourself? If you were more assertive, I wouldn't have this problem."

Tatsuma wasn't going to take the blame and immediately shifted it back to Jiraiya, who then resorted to his usual shameless tactics, saying, "Anyway, you have to come with me."

"How about this, consider it a favor you owe me. Once I've figured out what I want, you can't refuse if you can do it."

Tatsuma could indeed leave using the Flying Thunder God Technique, but now that Jiraiya knows about this, given his decades-long obsession with finding the Child of Prophecy, he probably won't let him go.

Perhaps I really should open that box.

Jiraiya nodded and said, "As long as it doesn't harm the village, I can promise you. Don't worry, I'm different from Tsunade; I never skip out on my bill!"

"I've noticed you've been badmouthing my teacher a lot today. Have you unfollowed me and turned against me?"

Jiraiya couldn't understand what Tatsuma said at the end, so he waved his hand and said, "Just think of it as me having a mental breakdown from soaking in the hot spring for too long. Don't tell your teacher."

"OK."

Seeing that Tatsuma agreed, Jiraiya pointed towards the changing room and said, "I'm going to get dressed. You can't run away, okay?"

"I'm not like my teacher either."

After Tatsuma finished speaking, the two exchanged a smile. Jiraiya strode towards the changing room, but soon he was still fastening his belt as he hurried toward Tatsuma, seemingly afraid that Tatsuma would "skip out of the bill."

Seeing that Tatsuma was indeed waiting for him, and had even tidied up his paper, pen and headband, Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly pricked his finger to start forming hand seals.

Chenma stopped him and said, "Let's inscribe a reverse spirit summoning technique first. I really have a mission to carry out, so I can only spare some time to go with you."

"Um."

Jiraiya finished writing the incantation for a delayed-triggered reverse summoning technique before using the summoning technique. He then sent the toad back to Mount Myōboku to use the reverse summoning technique to bring the two of them to Mount Myōboku.

Aside from Shikkotsu Forest, which he had visited, Tatsuma was most familiar with Mount Myōboku among the three sacred sites, since he had seen it, of course, in the manga.

However, Jiraiya didn't give Tatsuma time to observe, immediately taking him to the building where the Great Toad Sage was located. A toad with white eyebrows, white hair, and white whiskers blocked their way and questioned them:

"Jiraiya! I told you to learn Sage Mode, why did you sneak off again?!"

"I...I..."

Jiraiya gaped, unsure how to explain. At that moment, Fukasaku's gaze also fell on Tatsuma, and he said, "Another boy. This is your new brother."

The moment Fukasaku saw Tatsuma clearly, his mouth dropped open, and he exclaimed, "Sage Mode?!"

Jiraiya snapped out of his daze, nodded, and said, "This is Sakamoto Tatsuma, my student, Tsunade's disciple, and the successor of Shikkotsu Forest. If I'm not mistaken, he is..."

The first human "sage" of this era, the one the Great Toad Sage previously prophesied.

Fukasaku looked at Tatsuma, then at Jiraiya with a look of utter disappointment, and said, "He's only a few years old! How old are you?! I think you should stop learning Sage Mode and just let Minato come and learn!"

Faced with Fukasaku's angry rebuke, Jiraiya dared not retaliate and could only pull Tatsuma aside, saying, "Seeing the Great Toad Sage is more important."

"Hmph! You've come at the right time. The Great Toad Sage has just woken up and shouldn't be asleep yet."

As Fukasaku finished speaking, the door slowly opened, and Jiraiya led Tatsuma inside. Deep inside was a table with a huge, old toad on it, wearing a necklace with the character "oil" engraved on its neck.

"The Great Toad Sage, is this the person you wanted to see?"

Jiraiya spoke to the Great Toad Sage, whose eyes were lifeless. Upon hearing this, the Great Toad Sage lowered his head, and when he saw Tatsuma, his eyes regained their light. He said:

"It was you I saw. You are very important in the future of this calamity."

Tatsuma pursed his lips, pondered the role he might play under typical circumstances, and asked in return, "Am I the one who brings calamity? Or the one who eliminates calamity?"

The giant toad immortal shook his head with difficulty and said, "No, none of those are true. You are... Calamity."

(End of this chapter)