"Jiraiya-sama... really, thank you!"
Minato's voice trembled, a hint of sobbing barely contained within it. Yet, all Jiraiya could see in those bright blue eyes was nothing but joy.
In that moment, Minato looked like a seven-year-old child.
"Yeah... no matter how strong he is inside... he's still just a kid."
Jiraiya sighed inwardly. From the Third Hokage, he had learned that Minato's parents had been killed by bandits during a business trip.
Such a small child, yet he had to face the world alone.
Reaching this level of strength required not only talent, intelligence, and wisdom but also an ironclad will.
That strength, though, was often built on the foundation of fragility—something only those who have lived through hardship could understand.
With a smile, Jiraiya looked at the tearful Minato and said, "No need for all that gratitude. Go ahead and eat. Grilled meat tastes best when it's just done."
He pointed his chopsticks at the plate of grilled meat in front of Minato.
Minato quickly composed himself, the brief emotional outburst impossible to hold back. He vaguely remembered the warmth of being cared for by loved ones.
"Jiraiya... why are you so kind to me?" Minato asked after finishing the meat in his plate.
"Honestly... you ask too many questions." Jiraiya waved his chopsticks and explained, "Didn't you say that the people in the village are like family? If that's the case, then you and I are part of that family too... Do you need a reason to be good to family?"
Minato's eyes flashed with surprise, clearly taken aback by Jiraiya's answer.
"Come on, eat. I'm treating, so stop making this complicated. I wonder how much more I'll have to worry about with you," Jiraiya chuckled, adding another piece of meat to Minato's plate.
"'In the future'?" Minato caught the detail in those words, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"I know you have a lot of questions. Hurry up and eat, and I'll explain everything later. Now's the time for food," Jiraiya said, then went back to digging into his own meal.
Since Jiraiya promised to explain later, Minato decided not to ask more for now. Deep down, he actually enjoyed the warmth of this moment. A smile, unbidden, crept onto his gentle face.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jiraiya noticed and smiled softly as well.
About an hour later, after finishing their meal, Jiraiya led Minato to the Seventh Training Ground in Konoha.
The Seventh Training Ground was specially built for the village's ninjas, and it was only open to them. As a new student of the ninja academy, Minato wasn't normally allowed to enter.
But with Jiraiya's guidance, gaining access was no problem.
The night was cool, with a light breeze that carried a chill. For ninjas, being able to endure the cold was a must, as mission conditions wouldn't always be in their favor.
Standing in the center of the field, Jiraiya crossed his arms and leaned against a wooden post. Minato stood in front of him, not too far away.
"Now, I can finally tell you why I've been following you and what I meant earlier at the dinner table," Jiraiya said, his tone serious. "Because I want to take you as my disciple. You should understand why I did all that now."
Minato froze, his eyes wide with shock. He muttered in disbelief, "Take... take me as your disciple!?"
"What's the matter, you don't want to?" Jiraiya teased.
"Absolutely not!" Minato quickly denied it. Setting aside Jiraiya's status as one of the Third Hokage's disciples, just being chosen by him to be a student was a huge honor. Many ninjas would dream of it.
The saying "A great teacher makes a great student" rang true. Being Jiraiya's disciple would be the best guarantee of growing stronger. This was why Minato was so eager to accept.
But he knew well that someone like Jiraiya wouldn't take just anyone as a disciple. And for him to bring it up so directly... there had to be more to it. Even the fact that he had been followed was likely part of Jiraiya's earlier observations.
There had to be a reason.
"Heh, you probably don't get why I'd suddenly want you as a disciple, huh... The truth is, it was the Third Hokage who asked me to take you on."
Jiraiya grinned, believing that Minato, with his sharp mind, would be able to figure out part of the story on his own.
Minato suddenly remembered something. Not long ago, on the first day of Kushina's enrollment, he had evaded a few Anbu members directly under the Hokage's command. And whatever the Anbu did, it always got reported to the Hokage…
Minato wasn't supposed to know such details about the Anbu. But somehow, it all felt so familiar, as if he had been in the Hokage's position before.
Yet, Minato didn't realize the full extent of this.
"From the moment you defeated Akasaka Yu, to the words you spoke to Shirotani, and how you shook off those Anbu under the Third Hokage's direct command... all of these things caught his attention. He even felt that you've inherited the Will of Fire from the First Hokage. So, he wants me to help train you."
Minato never imagined that what he thought were just small actions had already caught the attention of the Third Hokage.
"So, Jiraiya-sama cares so much about me... just because of the Third Hokage's orders?" Minato's face dimmed a little, though there was no real bitterness in his heart.
In fact, he should be grateful for such an opportunity. After all, achieving that dream on his own would be almost impossible.
Jiraiya responded, "At first, yes. I'll admit, I was a bit reluctant to take on some kid I'd never heard of. But after observing you for a while, I realized that your talent and character really fit my style."
Minato didn't fully understand what Jiraiya meant by "character." He thought of his actions as fairly ordinary.
However, to an exceptional ninja, talent was important, but if a person had the wrong mindset, even the strongest abilities could be a disaster.
Minato, at such a young age, was already considerate of those around him. This quality was more precious than any raw power.
Jiraiya looked at the slender, somewhat small figure in front of him and slowly asked, "So, will you become my disciple?"