Naruto: Faint Smile - CH 87

[Sarutobi Hiruzen - POV.]

I stood at the memorial stone, gazing down at the names etched into it, the weight of my years as Hokage pressing down on me. The wind was gentle, carrying with it the faint scent of the flowers that grew near the graves. It was quiet here, a solemn kind of quiet that I had grown accustomed to over the decades. The sun was low, casting long shadows over the names of those we had lost, the ones who had given everything for the village.

Amongst the many names, two stood out, Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina.

Their graves sat side by side, just as they had stood together in life. I stared at their names longer than I intended, the memories of that fateful night flooding back. The loss of Minato, and Kushina, whose fiery spirit had been snuffed out too soon. I couldn't help but feel the lingering sorrow of their deaths, even now, years after their death, the loss of a generation that had carried the village on their shoulders.

I had failed them in many ways, as both their mentor and their leader.

I didn’t hear Jiraiya arrive, but I felt his presence. He had always been able to move silently when he wanted to, especially if it involved women, despite his usual boisterous nature. He approached the graves slowly, carrying a small bundle of flowers in his hand. Without a word, he knelt and placed a few flowers at Minato’s grave, then Kushina’s. The flowers were simple, unadorned, but they meant a lot.

For a long moment, neither of us spoke. We simply stood there, each lost in our thoughts, surrounded by the ghosts of our pasts.

“It’s been a long time since you ordered me to do something, sensei,” Jiraiya said at last, breaking the silence. His voice was low, uncharacteristically serious. “You usually ask. Or suggest. But this time, you didn’t leave me a choice.”

I sighed, the sound heavy in the quiet air. Jiraiya was right. I had summoned him two months ago, with a direct order to take Takeshi under his wing. Not a request, not a suggestion, but an order. It wasn’t something I did lightly, but the situation demanded immediate action.

“Things have changed,” I replied, my gaze still fixed on Minato’s name. “I didn’t want to push you into this so soon. I know you needed time to grieve.”

Jiraiya didn’t respond right away. Instead, he stood beside me, looking down at the graves. He had lost more than just a student. He had lost someone he had mentored, someone he had believed would change the world. Minato had been his pride, and his death had left a wound that I knew Jiraiya hadn’t fully recovered from.

“I would’ve preferred to give you more time,” I continued, “But the circumstances have changed. I know you would’ve taken Takeshi as your student eventually. But now... we can’t afford to wait.”

Jiraiya finally looked up, his eyes distant as he stared at Minato’s grave. “I know. I have a good grasp on the situation, outside what you shared through our letters.” He paused, the wind ruffling his white hair. “Gamamaru summoned me not long after the incident.”

I glanced at him, surprised. “Gamamaru?”

Jiraiya nodded. “Yeah. The Great Toad Sage himself. He told me about the situation... I had never seen that old toad so… anxious, he said that the amount of Natural Energy Takeshi, wasn’t natural.”

I frowned, the implications of that statement settling in. “You didn’t mention this before.”

Jiraiya shrugged, though it was clear the news weighed on him. “I needed time to process it myself. The Old Toad didn’t give me much to go on, just that Takeshi’s chakra is deeply tied to Natural Energy, and that it’s something we need to be careful with. Dangerous, even.”

I let out a slow breath. “And you agree that he needs training.”

Jiraiya’s expression tightened. “It’s not about agreeing or disagreeing, sensei. It’s necessary. Years ago, I thought I knew how his kekkei genkai worked, I even researched a bit about a certain extinct clan whose powers matched Takeshi’s, thinking he was part of their clan, after all, it’s not uncommon for bloodlines to resurrect even after the blood is heavily diluted, but… well, I was wrong, very wrong. The only similarity between the extinct clan and Takeshi’s kekkei genkai is that they both use Natural Energy, but that’s as far as the similarities go… if a clan capable of… birthing such monsters had existed, everyone in the world would’ve known about them, Takeshi’s bloodline is way more dangerous, and if it’s not controlled, it’s only a matter of time before it consumes him.”

“He’s still just a boy,” I murmured, more to myself than to Jiraiya. “But what he holds inside him...”

Jiraiya crossed his arms, his face hardening. “I know.”

“Takeshi’s already been through enough,” I said. “He lost control once. If it happens again—” The words were left unsaid, but Jiraiya understood, if that happened again, we needed to be able to stop him or kill him if stopping him wasn’t an option.

“I’ll make sure it doesn’t come to that,” Jiraiya cut me off, his voice firm. “That’s why I’m taking him under my wing, order or not. You were right to order me to do this, I can be depressed later.”

“Thank you,” I said quietly, feeling my age hitting me more than ever. “I know it’s not easy.”

Jiraiya gave a small, weary smile. “Nothing ever is with us, is it?” He glanced at Minato’s grave again, his expression softening. “But this... it’s important. And I owe it to them.” His gaze lingered on the names etched into the stone. “I owe it to Minato. Besides, the situation has to be pretty bad if the creepy bastard of Danzo, of all people recommended me for the job, we both know he doesn’t like me.”

I chuckled softly. “I almost had a heart attack when Danzo suggested you to take Takeshi, instead of trying to make a move with the situation.”

Jiraiya snorted. “Well, you don’t get that age in this line of work by being stupid… he knows his limitations.”

“Take care of him, Jiraiya,” I said, my voice soft but firm.

“I will,” Jiraiya replied. “You have my word.”

————————————————————————————————————

After my talk with sensei, I made my way toward the hospital, where the kid. The whole scene at the memorial had left a weight on my chest that I didn’t care for, so I decided to shrug it off the best way I knew how: with a grand entrance. I needed some fun in my life after that, and who better to appreciate my brilliance than my soon-to-be student, Takeshi?

I’d met the kid years ago, and even back then, he had this unnerving calmness about him, like nothing rattled him. It was weird coming from someone his age—most kids were full of energy, curiosity, or at least some sense of excitement. Takeshi? Nah, he was like a bottomless pond without ripples, just... there.

It was honestly… creepy. Not Orochimaru creepy, but creepy.

That was about to change. My job was to train him, mold him, and—most importantly—drag some fun out of him. Maybe even teach him to appreciate the fine art of dramatic flair while I was at it. And if he was worthy… maybe teach him the ways of perversion Minato never cared to learn.

It would be nice to finally have a student to leave my perverted legacy to.

As I neared his hospital room, I cracked my neck, prepared for the show I was about to put on. I slammed open the door with a flourish, stepping inside with all the grandeur of a king arriving at his court. “Never fear, Jiraiya the Gallant, the legendary Toad Sage, has arrived—!”

“Hello, Jiraiya-sensei,” Takeshi said, cutting me off with a calm, almost serene tone. He had this faint smile on his face, the same one I remembered from the last time we met. It wasn’t a grin or anything remotely fun—it was more like a polite acknowledgment of my existence. “It’s been a while.”

I stood there, mid-pose, staring at him. He was… Unphased. Completely unphased. Not even a flicker of excitement in his eyes. Just calm. Always calm. I swear this kid could sit through a natural disaster and still look like he was waiting for tea to be served.

So… creepy. And most importantly, RUDE!

“Do you have any idea how much effort I put into these introductions?” I grumbled, dropping my pose and walking toward his bed. “You could at least act impressed. Maybe gasp in awe or something. Ever heard of dramatic tension?”

Takeshi blinked at me, that same faint smile still on his face. “I appreciate the effort.”

“You appreciate—” I waved it off, feeling one of my eyes twitch. “Never mind. You’re impossible.”

I took a seat beside his bed, folding my arms. “Alright, kid, let’s get down to business. I’m here for a reason, I—”

Takeshi nodded, his expression unchanging. “You’re here to train me.”

I blinked. “Huh?”

“I assume that’s why you’re here,” Takeshi continued. “Unless they don’t call you the Toad Sage for nothing.”

I stared at him, my mouth slightly open. The kid had the nerve to interrupt me mid-speech, and to top it off, he already knew why I was here. What was the point of a big reveal if the person on the receiving end didn’t even give you a chance to get to it? And even if he knew, the polite thing would’ve been to let me do my speech!

I threw my hands up. “You geniuses are all the same! No respect! Interrupting me in the middle of my big moment... Unbelievable.” I shook my head, trying to hide my grin. “Yeah, yeah, alright, you’re right. I’m here to train you. We leave in two days.”

“Two days?” Takeshi asked, his face still as calm as ever. “What should I bring?”

“The bare minimum,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “We’ll be gone for a while, so pack light. Say your goodbyes. You’re not gonna be back anytime soon.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “Can I bring my cat?”

I blinked. His cat? Out of everything I expected him to say—questions about training, concern about his missing his friends, maybe even a little hesitation about leaving Konoha for so long—this was the last thing I thought would come out of his mouth.

“Your... cat?” I asked, making sure I’d heard him right.

“Yes,” Takeshi replied, his tone unchanged. “I’d like to bring my cat. She’s very well-behaved.”

I scratched my head, trying to process this. “You’re asking me if you can bring your cat on a training journey with the legendary Toad Sage?”

“Yes.”

“You do realize I said we’ll be gone for a long time, right?” I asked. “You won’t be seeing your friends for a while.”

“I am aware, I’ve already talked to them about this possibility,” Takeshi replied, his voice steady. “They understand. I said my goodbyes four days ago.”

I let out an exaggerated sigh, rubbing my temples. “I swear to god, I am getting a headache...” I muttered under my breath.

"So… about my cat?” Takeshi asked once more.

“Alright, fine,” I grumbled, standing up. “You can bring your cat. But don’t come crying to me if it gets lost or... I don’t know, eaten by a wild animal or something.”

Takeshi nodded again, like I’d just given him permission to bring a book along for the trip. “Thank you, Jiraiya-sensei.”

I walked toward the door, shaking my head. “I swear, this is gonna be a long journey.” Before I left, I turned back to him, one last attempt at testing his reaction. “Oh, and by the way, the training’s gonna be rough. You might not survive it.”

Takeshi looked at me, that faint smile still on his face. “I understand.”

Unbelievable.

“Just... pack your stuff, alright?” I muttered as I walked out of the room. “And your cat, too, if you’re that attached. But don’t blame me if it runs off!”

As I closed the door behind me, I sighed again, this time with a grin on my face. The brat was a handful, alright, but in a completely different way than Minato ever was. If anything, he was more like Minato’s brat, Kakashi.

I chuckled to myself as I walked down the hallway. “This is gonna be interesting.”