Dosuke saw Jiraiya and he slowly pulled his wallet out from his backpack.
He was about to count the money.
Swipe. In a flash, Jiraiya snatched the wallet. "Hey, why are you kidding like this? You do not look like a Konoha ninja at all."
"Ninjutsu, Summoning Jutsu."
Bang.
A baby-sized toad appeared.
"Master Jiraiya, what orders do you have?" The toad spoke. Jiraiya's status in Mount Myoboku seemed high.
"Hamoji, take the money to pay the bill. Return the bowl too." Jiraiya placed Dosuke's empty ramen bowl on Hamoji's head.
He took some money from Dosuke's full wallet and put it in the bowl.
Bang.
The toad vanished.
"The next practice will be very difficult. To prevent you from being afraid of hardship or fatigue, I will take care of your wallet for now." Jiraiya tucked Dosuke's wallet into his ninja bag.
"But, Jiraiya-sama..."
"You are Tsunade's disciple, so you are my disciple too. No need for 'Jiraiya-sama.' Just call me Jiraiya-sensei." Jiraiya cut Dosuke off before he could finish.
"Let's go, kid." Jiraiya interrupted Dosuke again and walked toward the village exit.
"Hey." Dosuke looked at Jiraiya walking away. He gave up hope for his wallet. He grabbed his backpack and followed sadly.
"Jiraiya-sensei, where are we going?" Dosuke asked, a few steps behind Jiraiya.
"Hey, of course I will take you to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique."
"This is the first time Tsunade has asked me for something so big. She really values you, Dosuke." Jiraiya put his hands on his hips.
"Well, I will work hard. I will not disappoint Tsunade-sensei or you." Dosuke nodded firmly.
"That is the spirit, kid. You must work hard for the next journey."
Swish.
Jiraiya leaped onto a tree branch and waved. "Come on, we are leaving."
"Okay, Jiraiya-sensei." Dosuke matched Jiraiya's pace. They sped forward together.
Jiraiya glanced back sometimes, watching Dosuke stay close.
Unlike others, Dosuke tapped his toes lightly on each tree trunk. Water chakra surged instantly, pushing him forward.
This let him save the most chakra while moving.
As a ninja who had not graduated long, Dosuke's ability to keep up with Jiraiya's speed impressed him.
Dosuke moved with ease, showing he could handle long journeys without many issues.
Seeing Dosuke could match him, Jiraiya slowly sped up.
The sun overhead set toward the west.
As the sky darkened, Jiraiya stopped. "Let us rest first."
"Okay, Jiraiya-sensei." Dosuke panted, wiping sweat from his forehead. His chakra was nearly gone.
Along the way, he had to watch his chakra closely, balancing its use and refining speed to maintain pace.
Jiraiya looked at Dosuke resting and lit a bonfire.
"You rest first. I will get some food." Jiraiya vanished instantly.
Soon, Jiraiya returned with fish and handed Dosuke a cup of water.
"Come and sit." Jiraiya shouted, sitting by the fire.
Dosuke drank two sips of water, rested briefly, and walked over. He put his backpack under his buttocks for comfort.
He took a fish from Jiraiya.
A sharp Chakra Scalpel formed at his fingertips. It sliced the fish's body quickly, removing organs and scales in an instant.
His other hand held the cup. Chakra pulled water from it, forming a ball that wrapped the fish, cleaning it without harming the meat.
* This kid's chakra control is really strong. No wonder Tsunade cares about him *, Jiraiya thought, watching Dosuke clean the fish with water.
Dosuke placed the fish on the grill. Jiraiya spoke. "Boy, you must remember that in a war, saving your chakra is the key to survival."
"Understood, Jiraiya-sensei. I just feel my chakra is not enough."
"Do not worry. You are still young. Your chakra will grow as you age."
"The chakra of genin, chunin, and jonin varies. Everyone is different. You must find the balance between using and refining chakra to control a fight's rhythm."
"Okay, Jiraiya-sensei. The fish is grilled. You can try it." Dosuke handed Jiraiya a grilled fish.
Jiraiya took a bite. "Well, boy, your grilled fish is really good."
Though only basic salt and seasonings were used, Dosuke's cooking skills, honed from years living alone, made Jiraiya's eyes light up.
He ate the fish in big bites, shocked by the simple dish.
"The bones of this fish, except the main spine, have no small spines." Jiraiya looked at Dosuke, still grilling.
He glanced where Dosuke cleaned the fish. A pile of small white spines lay under the discarded organs and scales.
* Did this kid use Water Release to remove all the fish bones while cleaning? His chakra control is too abnormal *, Jiraiya thought.
"Jiraiya-sensei, do you want more?" Dosuke offered another freshly grilled fish.
"You eat. I am full." Dosuke bit into the fish.
* With this freakish chakra control, this kid may really be a monster when he grows up *, Jiraiya thought.
"Clean up the bonfire and garbage after eating." Jiraiya jumped onto a tree branch.
"Understood, Jiraiya-sensei."
After eating, Dosuke looked at the bonfire and leftovers.
He coated his hands with a thin layer of chakra, ready to dig a hole.
Jiraiya smiled, watching Dosuke prepare to dig. * This kid has abnormal chakra control, but his other skills are average *, he thought.
He jumped down and stopped Dosuke. "Earth Release."
Jiraiya pressed his hands to the ground. A small swamp formed where the bonfire was, swallowing the fire and garbage. It hardened into new ground.
"Mastering Nature Transformation of other attributes is also a ninja's duty," Jiraiya said, looking at Dosuke.
"Well, my attribute is only water, so I have not mastered other Nature Transformations yet," Dosuke explained.
"It does not matter. Mastering other attributes usually needs enough chakra first."
"It is a bit early for a genin like you, but I think you can learn it. After Flying Thunder God, try to master it." Jiraiya grinned.