[NTU] [ARC-24] Chapter : 321

Konoha Village.

With the Chūnin Exams in full swing, Konoha had transformed into a bustling hub of activity. Merchants from every corner of the world mingled with shinobi from all five great nations. The village had never felt more alive.

In a tavern tucked away from the main streets—one catered specifically to battle-weary ninja—a familiar white-haired man nursed his sorrows with sake.

It was Jiraiya, of course. The legendary Sannin sat slouched at the counter, wallowing in defeat—not from battle, but from love. His latest attempt to woo Tsunade had ended in yet another disaster.

He hadn't touched a single bite of food. Just kept tossing back cup after cup of sake, each one dulling the sting of rejection a little more. After months of determined pursuit, it always ended the same: just when things looked promising, fate threw him another curveball.

Even Jiraiya's ironclad perseverance was beginning to wear thin.

"Just give it up already..." he muttered to himself, his eyes glassy with drink. "I don’t have time to play ninja games with some kid. I’ve got a Tsunade to win over."

The irony wasn't lost on him. A shinobi’s most prized trait is perseverance—and he was hell-bent on using his to win Tsunade’s heart.

With a sigh, he shook the empty sake bottle, then waved toward the bar.
"Hey boss! Another bottle—no, make that two! And bring some snacks this time!"

"Pervy Sage, this isn't a game! It's training—serious training!"
Naruto, seated across from him, scowled. The blonde ninja was clearly frustrated with Jiraiya's lack of enthusiasm.

"Anyway, Tsunade-san’s never going to date you! No matter how hard you try, it’s hopeless! You’d be better off helping me train!"

Naruto wasn’t exaggerating. After barely scraping through the written test, and surviving the team-based trials in the forest, he had seen firsthand how powerful the other contestants were—Cloud, Rock, Mist... each one more intimidating than the last.

He knew that if he didn’t get serious now, he’d get crushed in the final individual round—and Sasuke would never let him hear the end of it.

“Pervy Sage… Pervy Sage…”
Jiraiya grumbled. “It’s your fault, you know. You kept calling me that. Ruined my image. No wonder Tsunade wants nothing to do with me.”

He waved Naruto off like a pesky fly. “I’ve got important things to plan—like how to win her over tomorrow. I don’t have time to babysit you.”

Then, with a snort, he added, “And calling those so-called ‘masters’ you’re worried about ‘powerful’—please. Only a naive kid like you would believe that.”

Jiraiya downed another shot of sake, clearly not impressed by the competition Naruto was so afraid of.

“Ugh…”
Naruto groaned in frustration. Jiraiya was useless. Kakashi was too focused on Sasuke to help. His mother could train him—but when it came to seals and technical stuff, Naruto just couldn’t keep up.

Try as he might, scrolls put him to sleep.

“Honestly…” he muttered, shaking his head, “your method of chasing Tsunade wouldn’t work even if you had a hundred years. It’s way too old-fashioned!”

A spark lit in Naruto’s eyes. He might not be book-smart, but he wasn’t dumb. If Jiraiya cared so much about winning Tsunade over, then that was the angle to work with.

“Tch. What would a snot-nosed brat like you know about women?”
Jiraiya scoffed.

“Hmph! I’ll have you know Sakura and Ino both asked me to write their love letters. Half the class owes their first dates to me!”

Naruto sat up straighter, puffing out his chest.
“I’m Uzumaki Naruto! The Love Master of the Ninja Academy. If I help, getting Tsunade will be a piece of cake!”

He was clearly bluffing—but if it got Jiraiya to help him train, it would be worth it.

“With how close my mom is to Tsunade, I know all her weaknesses. Trust me—follow my plan and she’ll be yours in no time.”

This part, at least, wasn’t a lie. Naruto had grown up around Tsunade enough to know her habits, her quirks... even her soft spots.

“Hmph. If I listened to you, I would be an idiot.”
Jiraiya scoffed again, unimpressed by the pitch.

“Fine, fine…” Naruto sighed.
“I’ll tell you the plan. But you’ve gotta promise—you help me train, no backing out!”

Jiraiya leaned back, half-listening, half-distracted.

“Alright, alright. Let’s hear it…”

He was a man in his fifties—if he still needed advice from Naruto on how to win a woman’s heart, it would be nothing short of embarrassing.

"Alright, I’ll take that as a yes!"
Naruto beamed with triumph, taking Jiraiya’s silence as agreement.

"Now, let me ask you—what’s Tsunade’s greatest weakness?"

Without hesitation, Naruto launched into his analysis like a strategist unveiling his master plan.

"You’re not talking about..."
Jiraiya’s brow furrowed as he leaned forward, the alcohol momentarily forgotten.
"...Nawaki?"

He looked troubled. That was a deep scar in Tsunade’s heart—something not to be taken lightly. Bringing that up could get him killed before he even knew what hit him.

Hemophobia? No. That had nothing to do with romance.

"Wrong again."
Naruto grinned mischievously, shaking his head.

For someone who had grown up alongside Tsunade, it was a bit pathetic that Jiraiya didn’t know this already. No wonder he had been single for so long.

"Tsunade’s biggest weakness... is gambling!"

Naruto had intended to build suspense, but seeing Jiraiya’s growing impatience, he dropped the answer with dramatic flair.

He had overheard some adults jokingly refer to Tsunade as a “Legendary Sucker,” and when he thought about it, the title fit all too well.

"Gambling?"
Jiraiya froze, his hand halfway to his sake glass.

Naruto’s words hit him like a bolt of lightning. Yes, Tsunade was hopeless when it came to gambling—she lost every time. But what did that have to do with romance?

Then, realization dawned. His drunken stupor faded in an instant.

"That’s right!"
Naruto said, puffing his chest with pride.

"Granny Tsunade always loses when she gambles, and she’s got the worst luck imaginable. So what if..."
He paused for effect.
"...you challenged her to a bet—with a date on the line?"

Jiraiya stared, stunned. It was so simple. So obvious. And yet… kind of genius.

Naruto had hit the nail on the head.

He and Tsunade were already closer than most—if he could just create the right opportunity, maybe the rest would fall into place.

"...But Tsunade’s not that easy," Jiraiya muttered, his confidence already starting to waver.

She might lose every coin toss, every poker game—but when it came to serious bets, ones with real consequences—she never lost.

What if he gambled... and lost?

SLAM!
Jiraiya smacked his palm against the table.

No more doubts. No more hesitation. He was too old to keep second-guessing himself.

He leapt to his feet, determined to put Naruto’s plan into action. So what if the idea came from a kid? Results were all that mattered.

"Huh?!"
Naruto blinked, confused as Jiraiya stormed toward the door.

"Hey! Didn’t you say you’d help me train if my idea worked?"

Jiraiya didn’t stop. Didn’t look back. Just kept walking like a man on a mission.

Naruto chased after him, blocking his path.

"Hey! We had a deal!"

"What deal? I never agreed to anything!"
Jiraiya said, brushing him aside.

Technically, he wasn’t lying—he had only listened to Naruto, not promised anything. He hadn’t expected the kid to actually come up with something useful.

"If you try to back out..."
Naruto narrowed his eyes, racking his brain for leverage.

Then it hit him—and his face turned red just thinking about it.

"If you don't train me, I’ll tell Grandma Tsunade that you take me to spy on the women’s bathhouse!"

Jiraiya stopped cold.

"You little—!"

Naruto grinned. Checkmate.

The old perv had no comeback for that one.

Jiraiya could only sigh, defeated. This kid was too good at finding people’s weaknesses—just like his mother.

If he didn’t train Naruto now, it would come back to bite him hard. Not just from Tsunade, either—Kushina would be after him too, and her wrath was a force to be feared.

Reluctantly, Jiraiya accepted his fate. Training it was.

From that moment forward, not just Naruto, but all the Genin preparing for the final round of the Chūnin Exams launched into intensive training.

As the exam date drew near, Konoha grew even more vibrant. Nobles, dignitaries, and wealthy merchants from across the continent poured into the village, eager to witness the competition.

The stage was set.

And for Naruto and Jiraiya, the real games were just beginning.