Naruto: Faint Smile - CH 89

[Arata Takeshi - POV.]

Jiraiya had been grumbling under his breath for the last ten minutes. Something about how the world didn’t appreciate his “research,” which I supposed was another word to say “porn,” and how certain people should mind their own business. The source of his frustration? Probably me.

We had arrived at the hot springs an hour ago, and true to what I had heard about the old Sannin wasted no time in trying to sneak off to “gather inspiration” for his next porn novel. Of course, I interrupted him, by reminding him of why we were really here. I had no qualms about him… doing his perverted things.

Frankly, I couldn’t care less.

However, I would not let his desires monopolize my time. Essentially, if he wanted to do his things, he needed to train me.

“Jiraiya-sensei… You’re supposed to be training me, not spying on women,” I said, my voice calm. “Should I inform the staff that you aim to violate the terms of service?”

Jiraiya scowled, muttering something about brats not understanding the complexities of a writer’s work. But after some more grumbling and a long, dramatic sigh, he eventually agreed to “postpone” his research and focus on me. “You are one annoying kid, you know that?”

I’ve been told.

After my interruption of his research, we moved to a clearing just outside the village where the hot springs were located. It was quiet, the perfect place to train, if Jiraiya could stay focused, that is.

“So,” Jiraiya said, standing with his arms crossed. “Before we start, let’s talk about you.”

I blinked, watching him curiously. “Me?”

“Yeah, you,” he said, sounding more serious now. “I’ve read your file, you know. Genius, talented, strong, all that stuff. Pretty impressive file.”

I waited, knowing there was more to come. He didn’t strike as the kind of person to… give compliments, unless you had a pair of breasts he wanted to see, so there had to be more than this than met the eye.

Jiraiya let out another sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. “But... you’re still a mediocre shinobi.”

Huh, I knew there was something… But that was unexpected. Hiding my surprise, I simply tilted my head slightly, my faint smile still in place. “Mediocre?”

“Yeah,” Jiraiya said bluntly. “Mediocre.”

I waited, not offended by his evaluation of me, just curious. While I didn’t think he was one to give compliments without a reason, the same thought applied insults. Based on my short time with him, I knew enough to know that the old Sannin wasn’t the type to sugarcoat things, meaning there was more to it than just trying to attack my ego.

“You’ve got talent, sure,” Jiraiya continued. “You’re strong. You’ve got unmeasurable talent. And your Claymore? Impressive stuff. But here’s the problem, kid… you’re a one-trick pony.”

I raised an eyebrow. “A one-trick pony?” I did not see that coming.

Jiraiya nodded. “You rely too much on that sword of yours. You’re overly dependent on it. And don’t get me wrong, it’s a hell of a weapon. But if that’s all you’ve got, you’ll never reach your full potential. To summarize brat… Talent and genius alone don’t make a shinobi great.”

 I had heard variations of this before. People always pointed out my Claymore. How it was unusual for a shinobi. How I wielded it with precision. But no one had ever said I was too reliant on it. Though I suppose Shisui did make a comment along those lines, but I will never acknowledge that.

“There are a lot of geniuses out there, more than I can count,” Jiraiya said, continuing his explanation. “A lot of strong shinobi. But only a few ever reach the top. Even fewer become the strongest. You know why?”

I shook my head slightly, curious about where he was going with this.

“It’s because they don’t rely on just one thing,” Jiraiya said, tapping his temple. “They adapt. They grow. They’re not just strong in one area—they become strong in every area.”

I stayed silent, processing what he was saying.

“You’re talented, sure,” Jiraiya continued. “But you’re stuck in a rut. You’ve got your Claymore, and you’re damn good with it, but you’ve got to become more than that. More than just the kid with the big sword.”

I nodded slightly, acknowledging his point. “So, what do you suggest?”

Jiraiya grinned, and I could already tell he had something planned. “Simple. We’re going to push you out of your comfort zone. You’re going to learn how to fight without relying on that sword of yours. We’re going to break down your style and build it back up from scratch.”

“Without my Claymore?” I asked, not out of protest, but more out of curiosity.

“That’s right,” Jiraiya said, his grin widening. “No Claymore. At least, not until you’ve mastered fighting without it. You need to make others fear you even when you don’t have that weapon in your hand.”

It made sense. I couldn’t argue with his logic. Relying too much on one thing could be a weakness and a detriment to my growth. Granted, I had never had the opportunity to grow outside my claymore, because of my rank and age making it hard to get the appropriate training, however, that was no longer the case.

“So, where do we start?” I asked.

Jiraiya stretched his arms, cracking his neck. “First things first—we start with the basics. Hand-to-hand combat. We’ll focus on speed, technique, and agility. You’ve got the strength, but strength means nothing if you can’t hit your opponent.”

I nodded, accepting the challenge. “Alright.”

“And one more thing,” Jiraiya added, his tone more serious now. “You won’t be using your sensing…”

Oh, I see… he really wanted to break my foundation down, building me up from scratch… if I am reliant on my blade, I am much more reliant on my sensing. He’s quite perceptive for a world renown pervert.

Jiraiya was watching me closely, as if gauging my reaction. When he saw that I wasn’t rattled, he nodded. “Good. You’re going to need that attitude.”

He stepped back, motioning for me to take a stance. “Alright, let’s see what you’ve got without that fancy sword of yours. Don’t hold back, it’s not like you can hurt me anyways.”

I nodded again, stepping forward, my body falling naturally into a combat stance. This was going to be interesting.

Jiraiya grinned, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “Here we go.”

"Before that… how am I supposed to not use my sensing?” I asked, tilting my head. "I am all for it… but I don’t really do sensing, it comes naturally to me. I just… feel the chakra around, I can’t turn it off."

"Ah, that's a good question," Jiraiya said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "You're right, of course. For a sensor like you, not using your sensing abilities is like telling you to stop breathing."

“Any ideas?” I replied.

At this, his thoughtful expression breaks into a full-fledged grin. "Why, Takeshi, my boy, don’t you fear! The Great Jiraiya! always has a solution for everything!" Before I could question what he meant by that, he lunged forward. I barely had time to react, my body instinctively trying to pull back. But it was too late. With lightning speed, Jiraiya’s hand landed squarely on my stomach, right above my navel, the center of my chakra system.

The impact knocked the wind out of me, and I felt a jolt of pain surge through my body. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced, a disruption of my chakra, static and disoriented. It felt as though my senses were suddenly submerged underwater, muffled and blurry. I staggered back, grappling with the disconcerting silence that had replaced the once constant hum of energy around me.

"I… I can’t feel it anymore…." I gasped, struggling to regain my footing, as for the first time in my life… I couldn’t feel the world around me, there was nothing but silence all around, and me.

"Exactly," Jiraiya chuckled, dusting off his hands as if he'd just completed a hard day's work. "A seal of mine, it works wonders with sensors like you who do what they do naturally."

Had… the world always been this silent? This… empty?

“I see…” I replied, a faint smile on my face. “The world around me… feels empty.”

"Ah, that's to be expected, kid. You've never been without your sensing abilities before," Jiraiya snickered. "It's like losing one of your senses. It's disorienting and strange."

That much it was… it felt odd, like a part of me was missing. It was hard to explain.

“Anyway kid… are you ready to get your ass kicked, I mean, train?” Jiraiya cracked his knuckles, a teasing grin on his face.

“Should I be worried you are far too happy with the prospect of beating me up?” I replied, tilting my head.

“It’s not a beating if it is for training besides… you really thought there wouldn’t be consequences to interrupting my research?” Jiraiya replied, a vindictive smile on his face.

Oh I see… this was part training, part vengeance for interrupting his research. Oh well, if that means I get to train, I suppose I will have to endure.