Naruto: I Have Cursed Spirits!

Tsunade looked at the clueless Jiraiya. She thought, maybe he was right.

The power of this child before her had already surpassed her imagination. This child might really be able to change the shinobi world.

"What's wrong?"

Jiraiya walked over to her, concern flickering in his eyes as he watched her expression.

She raised her brows and smiled, saying, "He healed injuries that I couldn't."

He was stunned.

He looked at Shiratori.

Injuries that even Tsunade couldn't heal?

How was that possible?

Shiratori heard Tsunade's words, his pupils dilating. He scratched his head in confusion and said, "But I just followed the method that you taught me."

Let the existence of Reversed Cursed Technique remain hidden.

Tsunade took a deep breath and patted Jiraiya on the shoulder, speaking to him with an ambiguous expression:

"The same medical ninjutsu in his hands was able to heal wounds that were previously incurable. Maybe he really is the one you've been looking for all along."

Jiraiya's heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest.

He stared intently at Shiratori.

Could he be the one he had been searching for?

"I can't stay in Ame for too long," Tsunade looked at Jiraiya and shrugged with a somewhat helpless expression. "As you saw, your student mastered my medical ninjutsu in just one day. There's nothing more I can teach him, I have to go."

Jiraiya looked at her and said, "Thank you, Tsunade."

Thank you for traveling thousands of miles, arriving overnight at Ame, and selflessly teaching medical ninjutsu to Shiratori.

She was a bit unused to Jiraiya speaking to her so seriously. She punched him in the chest.

"Why so formal between us?"

Jiraiya held his chest, nearly coughing up blood. That punch from her was no joke.

"How about staying for dinner before you leave?"

He swallowed the blood back down and suggested.

Tsunade shook her head, her expression turning serious.

"No, there are still missions waiting in the village."

Jiraiya sighed silently. Missions couldn't be delayed. "Then I'll see you off."

Tsunade nodded and smiled.

"Alright!"

Shiratori walked up and stood beside Jiraiya, facing Tsunade.

"Tsunade-sensei, I'll see you off too."

Tsunade lowered her eyes to look at him, reached out her hand, and placed it on his shoulder. He immediately felt a weight on his shoulder.

"I hope you'll always remember the original reason you started learning medical ninjutsu."

The original reason Shiratori started learning medical ninjutsu?

To earn affection points.

He nodded firmly.

"I will always remember it in my heart."

How could he ever forget the goal of earning affection points?

Tsunade, in a rather good mood, withdrew her hand.

Shiratori and Jiraiya saw Tsunade off at the dock.

Tsunade boarded the ship and stood on the deck, watching as the figures of Jiraiya and him grew smaller and smaller, eventually becoming two black dots before disappearing from view.

The ship vanished into the boundless sea, and Jiraiya and Shiratori turned back toward the seaside cabin.

Yahiko and the others had stayed behind at the cabin, diligently training their ninjutsu.

On the way back, Shiratori suddenly asked, "Jiraiya-sensei, will you leave us too?"

Caught off guard by the question, Jiraiya froze for a moment, then responded with some helplessness. He looked at him and said, "No one can stay by your side forever. I'm no different."

He keenly noticed his mood sinking.

The boy's shoulders dropped slightly as he asked, "Can you leave a bit later? I don't want you to go."

A smile appeared in Jiraiya's eyes. He noticed the faint flush on the boy's cheeks.

[Affection detected: Jiraiya +500 points]

[Feed cursed spirit Rika?]

[Yes/No]

In his mind, Shiratori muttered, Can we skip this step in the future?

He was only collecting affection points to help Rika grow stronger.

Was that even a question?

[Auto-processing enabled for routine transfers]

[Rika development: 45.502%]

[Rika's feedback: Yuta, I miss you so much~]

His mouth twitched. He added in his mind, Skip this step from now on too.

[Rika feedback notifications: Disabled]

His eyebrow raised. The system's attitude was actually starting to resemble a proper support interface.

Looks like that feedback was worth it.

Jiraiya gently comforted Shiratori.

"When all of you have truly grown up and gained the strength to protect yourselves, that's when I'll leave. Don't worry."

By the time they returned to the seaside cabin, the sky had already turned to dusk.

Yahiko and the others had returned and brightened up the moment they saw Jiraiya and Shiratori.

Jiraiya placed his hands on his hips and shouted instructions, "Seafood feast tonight! Let's go catch some fish!"

"Alright!"

Yahiko was the first to jump up and dash out the door.

Konan laughed and followed close behind.

Nagato glanced at Shiratori, and he smiled back. The two of them also chased after Yahiko and Konan.

As he watched their backs, Jiraiya's eyes shimmered with light.

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

Shiratori had been repeating daily taijutsu training and copying Jiraiya's ninjutsu. All of Jiraiya's techniques below S-rank had essentially been replicated by him, including the Rasengan.

Though the ninjutsu copying had made good progress, the accumulation of affection points had come to a standstill.

Sukuna's emotional value was stuck at 15%, with no change.

Rika's percentage had risen slowly but steadily to 46%.

But life had become too peaceful. And with that peace, it had become incredibly difficult for him to harvest emotional value.

Watching Jiraiya, Yahiko, and the others enjoying their meal, he set his chopsticks down.

He had to set sail again, otherwise, Sukuna might starve to death.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing him not eating, Jiraiya looked puzzled.

"Why aren't you eating?"

Yahiko and the others also looked at him in confusion.

His gaze swept across each of them, finally settling on his teacher.

Jiraiya could sense something different in his eyes and quietly set down his bowl and chopsticks.

"Jiraiya-sensei, Yahiko, Nagato, Konan… I've decided to leave."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yahiko slammed his hands on the table and leaned halfway across it toward him.

"Why? Why are you leaving us? What's going on with you?"

Konan's eyes immediately welled up with tears. She bit her lip hard and remained silent.

Nagato stayed especially quiet.

Jiraiya calmly looked at him, waiting for his explanation.