When it comes to the unknown, reverence and caution are the wisest shields a human can carry. Yet Jiraiya, known for reckless brilliance, underestimated just how far off the edge Beiyuan truly stood.
Driven by curiosity, Jiraiya made the journey back to Mount Myoboku alone. The question that lingered—"Who was the first to master Sage Mode?"—burned brighter than reason. And with Itachi's crow whispering names like Toad Maru with such effortless mischief, he couldn't let it go.
He should've.
Immortal Fukasaku didn't even give Jiraiya time to explain. The moment he asked about "Toad Maru"—with the tone of a man reminiscing a forgotten ex—he was walloped squarely between the eyes.
"Baka!" roared the old sage, "That's not something you bring up lightly!"
Blows rained until the Great Toad Sage finally awakened and intervened. With ancient eyes that had watched the passing of ages, the old toad simply murmured, "Toad Maru… it's been a thousand years since I last heard that name… If I had not slumbered, I suppose I would have gone by Kazamaru now."
Jiraiya left Myoboku with both answers and bruises, a man humbled in body and ego.
And yet, he was struck a second time the moment he saw Uchiha Itachi.
The boy stood with jet-black wings spread wide, his body cloaked in a calm yet overwhelming pressure. Around him, scorched sand had been glassed into clear crystal. Even Jiraiya's sage-enhanced eyes squinted at the glare of the aftermath.
"Teacher Jiraiya! You're back!" Itachi called out, voice bright. "We did it! The Sage Mode worked!"
Jiraiya didn't reply.
Beiyuan—perched smugly on Itachi's shoulder—offered a sarcastic caw. Itachi looked concerned. "Teacher, are you hurt?"
Jiraiya's silence deepened.
It wasn't just that Beiyuan had helped awaken Sage Mode in Itachi. It was how. Instead of slowly teaching the boy to absorb and balance natural energy, the damn bird forced it into him. It took Itachi's spiritual and physical energy, merged it with natural energy through sheer external pressure, and booted the system into Sage Mode.
It was genius. Irresponsible, infuriating, possibly dangerous genius.
"Fairy Mode… ON!"
That shout had come earlier, when the change took place. The transformation was instantaneous. A simple C-rank Fire Style jutsu had ballooned into a sea of flame, supercharged by nature energy. Now, Jiraiya saw the result—wings, blazing red eyes, and power humming through the air.
The old Sannin exhaled shakily.
Then came the final insult.
"Teacher Jiraiya… Kitahara said the first Sage wasn't Hashirama. The Great Toad Sage confirmed it, right?"
"...Yes."
"And did you ask about Toad Maru?"
"...SHUT UP!"
Jiraiya couldn't bear it. That name was cursed now. Every syllable carried a memory of toads flying at his face.
"Show some respect!" he barked. "That was the Great Toad Sage—the master of Mount Myoboku!"
"Gah~" Beiyuan fluffed up, looking even more proud.
Itachi and Beiyuan tilted their heads in unison, eyes brimming with sympathy for the old man who'd walked into a trap of his own making. But there was little time for teasing. Training continued, and Jiraiya begrudgingly instructed Itachi to now try absorbing natural energy himself.
"If you want to master Sage Mode, you have to extract natural energy manually, and blend it with your own chakra," he explained. "Without Beiyuan's help next time."
Itachi nodded. "I understand… But it's difficult to control. If Beiyuan hadn't stabilized it, I might've turned into a crow permanently."
Jiraiya's mouth twitched. "...I thought it turned you into a toad."
"Maybe because Beiyuan was the one transferring it," Itachi offered thoughtfully, handing a fruit to the crow, who received it like a prince.
Jiraiya stared at them. In Myoboku, the toads only helped in battle to gather energy. But Beiyuan helped with practice. Trained alongside Itachi. Even synthesized the chakra for him, then shoved it into his system.
This wasn't just sage mode.
It was... plug-and-play sage mode.
"Gah!" Beiyuan called again.
This time, it was explanatory. The crow wasn't spoiling the child—he was accelerating the trial phase. By giving Itachi a taste of real Sage Chakra first, it would help his body recognize the natural energy signature. It was a trial version—once expired, Itachi would have to learn to recreate it on his own.
And it worked.
Itachi closed his eyes. "I think… I can start sensing the natural energy now."
Jiraiya froze. "Already?"
He was stunned. In Myoboku, most disciples trained for months—years even—to feel the flow of natural energy. Some never managed it at all.
What Beiyuan had done... was equivalent to handing a toddler the answers to a graduate-level exam, and then asking them to reverse-engineer the textbook. But this toddler was Uchiha Itachi. Not only did he follow along, he understood it.
Talent this sharp could make or break nations.
And still—Jiraiya thought bitterly—this boy couldn't get a girlfriend.
But even as jealousy prickled, pride took root. Because no matter how outrageous the method, Itachi had achieved something remarkable.
A new path was opening. Not one of toads, snakes, or slugs—but of crows, of twilight feathers and red-eyed prophecy. The Raven Sage had taken flight.
And the Sannin, bruised and humbled, could only marvel at what he helped set in motion.