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NBB Chapter 66: Falling Sages and Flying Bills
🕑 Added 2025-06-11 23:27:35 +0000 UTC“Alright, I understand. As for this matter—”
Just as Sarutobi Hiruzen came to a conclusion and was about to speak, a voice suddenly came from outside the window.
“Old man! I’m back!”
As the words landed, a white-haired figure stepped onto the windowsill of the Hokage’s office.
The breeze gently stirred the long hair trailing behind him. Backlit by the sun, his flowing hair and carefree demeanor made him look like a sage detached from the world.
He glanced at the people in the office, then paused and asked in slight confusion: “Did I come at a bad time?”
“No!”
Sarutobi Hiruzen’s eyes lit up. This was a stroke of luck—speak of the devil, and he shall appear. He immediately stood up, his face beaming with joy.
“You came at the perfect time!”
“…”
Seeing the fiery look in Sarutobi Hiruzen’s eyes, Jiraiya—just returned—shuddered instinctively.
He recognized that look. It meant trouble was coming!
He cautiously took a step back—only for his foot to suddenly slip.
“Whoa—whoa—whoa—!”
Before the stunned eyes of Sarutobi Hiruzen, Guy, and Kakashi, Jiraiya flailed as he slid right off the Hokage’s office windowsill!
That sage-like elegance and grace? Vanished in an instant without a trace.
...
“What was that?”
Not far away, Kitagawa Gen and Naruto were walking toward Ichiraku Ramen when they suddenly saw someone fall from the Hokage Building. Naruto looked on, confused and concerned.
“Is someone in danger?”
“Relax. He’ll be fine.”
Although it was some distance away, Gen could still see clearly. He hadn’t expected Jiraiya to be back already?
Watching Jiraiya in that state, Gen’s eyelid twitched uncontrollably. Why did this scene feel so familiar?
Turning his head, he looked at the blond kid beside him—still wearing a face full of worry and confusion—and after a long pause, he finally murmured: “You two really are a lot alike…”
“Huh?”
...
"Aaaah! Why do you eat so much?!"
In Konoha, at Ichiraku Ramen.
Naruto stared at the towering stack of empty bowls in front of Kitagawa Gen, looking utterly distraught.
Then he turned his head toward Jiraiya, who was still wiping his mouth—and completely lost it.
"Why are you here too, you Pervy Sage?!"
"Tch. It's just a few bowls of ramen. Is it really that big a deal?"
Jiraiya glanced at Naruto with some irritation as he replied.
"Don't forget, I was the one who trained you and that Uchiha brat. What's the big deal if I eat a little of your ramen?"
Back on the night they celebrated Kitagawa Gen’s promotion to Chūnin, his 'godlike' performance had completely won over Jiraiya, the infamous super pervert.
Training him? That wasn’t a big deal at all for Jiraiya. Besides, adding one more student wouldn’t make a difference.
What he’d taught Naruto and Sasuke had only been the basics—but those basics were things any shinobi could benefit from for life.
Like tree climbing and walking on water. They might seem simple, but both were essential for chakra control.
Sasuke had done well. Naruto, on the other hand, had struggled—but that was understandable. Jiraiya knew the Nine-Tails was interfering inside the kid’s body.
Still, overall, they’d done fine.
“Jiraiya-sama, are you finished with your mission?”
Kitagawa Gen chose the right moment to interrupt, asking casually.
“So? How did it go?”
“Tch, don’t even bring it up. Found nothing.”
Jiraiya shook his head in frustration.
“I checked several spots, and they were all empty. What a waste of a trip.”
“Wow, lucky you.”
Gen blinked, then sighed with exaggerated disappointment.
“Not like me… First try and—”
“Oi, oi, are you trying to say this great sage has bad luck?”
Jiraiya rolled his eyes at him, then gave Gen a once-over before continuing.
“But I did hear about what happened with you. Nicely done—though a bit reckless.”
“Hey, are either of you listening to me?!”
Naruto watched as the two continued chatting, completely ignoring him. Then, glancing at his poor, near-empty little 'frog wallet', he couldn’t help but yell out in protest.
“It wasn’t really reckless,” Gen replied. “The opponent was just that strong. Though yeah… the aftermath of that technique was pretty brutal.”
Unfortunately for Naruto, neither Gen nor Jiraiya paid him any attention. Gen, in fact, went straight to the point.
“I was wondering when you’d get back, Jiraiya-sama. Perfect timing—I’d like to ask you something.”
“Huh?”
Jiraiya gave him a puzzled look at first, but then his expression turned knowing.
“So it’s like that… The old man already talked to you, huh?”
“Ah?”
Now it was Gen’s turn to look dumbfounded. He hadn’t even attended the meeting—he went straight home to rest. He hadn’t seen Sarutobi Hiruzen at all!
“Man, seriously…”
Jiraiya stood up, brushing off his backside as he spoke.
“If you wanted to learn, you should’ve said something sooner. This great sage never holds back—especially…”
He trailed off, chuckling and shaking his head.
Maybe it was because this kid really did remind him of Minato. Or maybe it was because, in some ways, the kid had already surpassed Minato.
Unlike Naruto, Jiraiya didn’t go falling off the Hokage building just because he missed a step. He could land safely no matter what.
Later, he’d been 'invited' back by Sarutobi Hiruzen and learned quite a lot.
The operation with Kitagawa Gen and Kakashi had been a huge success. Kakashi had gained new strength, and they’d gathered vital intel on the enemy.
Most importantly, Gen had performed remarkably well. The only downside was… he’d been a bit reckless this time.
The Eight Gates Technique really wasn’t something Gen should be using so freely—especially given his primary combat style focused on ninjutsu.
They were worried that just because he got a taste of power, he might end up developing a bad 'dependency loop'.
That’s why they all agreed Jiraiya should help talk to him. Sarutobi Hiruzen also hoped Jiraiya would take it a step further.
'Sage Arts, huh?'
After hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen’s proposal, Jiraiya hadn’t even considered turning it down.
Even if the kid was a bit lacking in personality, Jiraiya genuinely liked him. And since he had some experience training Minato, he was more than willing to give it another try.
"Huh?"
Gen still looked confused. Completely ignoring the nearby Naruto bouncing around in frustration, he asked curiously: "The Hokage never mentioned anything to me. What's going on?"
"He didn't?"
Jiraiya tilted his head, then shook it and gave a soft laugh. He patted Gen on the shoulder.
"Never mind all that. If you're full, then let's get going. Didn’t you want to ask me something? Well, I’ve got time now."
"All right."
Gen smiled, then stood up and left with Jiraiya, leaving Naruto frozen in place.
"Hey! Wait! Are you seriously just going to leave like that?!"
Naruto stood there dumbfounded as he watched the two of them walk off. Finally, with a face full of anguish and resignation, he pulled out his poor little frog wallet.
He knew Gen had a big appetite, but this much?
"And that Pervy Sage too… unbelievable."
Naruto counted the money left in his frog wallet, then turned to Teuchi, who was tidying up, and gave him a sheepish grin.
"Uh, Teuchi-ojisan, I mean… they ate so much. Any chance I could get a discount or something…?"
"Hmm?"
Teuchi blinked, then chuckled.
"What are you talking about? It’s already been paid for."
"Huh?!"
Naruto was stunned. Only then did he notice a neat stack of bills tucked under the bowls left by both Gen and Jiraiya.
"They..."
"Jiraiya-sama really cares about you, and that Gen kid—he’s a true friend."
Teuchi smiled as he cleaned up.
"You wanted to earn everyone’s approval, right? You're already doing a great job. Keep at it!"
"...Yeah."
Naruto pursed his lips, then deliberately put on a pouty face.
"Who told them they could pay?! Seriously! I said I was treating! Jerks! Just wait till I catch up to you!"
"Hey! Wait!"
Teuchi shook his head with a sigh as he watched Naruto bolt out of the shop.
"Both Jiraiya-sama and Gen paid... and even overpaid at that."
"...Guess I won’t charge them next time."
...
"Did someone just call out to us?"
"Maybe, but I couldn’t make it out."
Gen and Jiraiya were already deep into the forest near the heart of Konoha. This training session would clearly be nothing like the ones before.
They were both fast, and though they vaguely sensed someone calling behind them, they didn’t pay it much attention.
In no time, they arrived within the woods.
"This place isn’t bad. There’s even a hot spring nearby. Great spot to rest when you’re worn out."
Jiraiya smiled before his expression turned serious.
"Kid, let me say this first—I don’t know exactly what you were planning to ask me, but I do intend to teach you something."
"Huh?"
Gen blinked in surprise. He had only wanted to find a way to make his use of Sage Arts look legitimate—but to his surprise, Jiraiya actually seemed serious about teaching him for real.
With some hesitation in his voice, he asked: "Jiraiya-sama… what are you planning to teach me?"
"A very powerful technique—one that, at this point, probably only I can still use."
Jiraiya’s face showed a touch of pride, though it quickly gave way to a sigh.
"Well, I did teach it to Minato once. He had the talent to learn it, but he wasn’t particularly good at using it. A real shame, that..."
Jiraiya genuinely felt that way. If Minato had been better at using Sage Arts back then, Uchiha Obito might never have caused so much trouble.
"Only you and the Fourth Hokage could use it?"
Gen’s expression grew even more peculiar. If he wasn’t mistaken… was Jiraiya trying to teach him Sage Arts?
It all felt like a coincidence—but the more he thought about it, the more it started to make sense.
'We're thinking along the same lines...'
Chances were, the massive uproar he’d caused using the Eight Gates had drawn too much attention. And the technique left his chakra in disarray and took a heavy toll on his body.
Kakashi and the others were probably worried he’d get addicted to that kind of power. So they were looking to give him a more sustainable alternative—which led to this moment.
After roughly figuring out what was going on, Kitagawa Gen could only let out a wry laugh.
Still—whatever the reason, this was undeniably a good thing!
