Chapter 65: "What Defilement? There's No Defilement Here"

"Let me get close to Jiraiya? But Obito is there too..."

"What does that have to do with him?"

At Kaguya's urging, Hiroki went to the hostess bar where Jiraiya frequented the very next day.

At 163 centimeters tall — not bad for his age — Hiroki still looked younger than he was without using Transformation Jutsu, and the people in the place quickly noticed.

They all looked surprised at first, then exchanged sly grins.

"Nowadays, kids are in such a hurry?"

The outer hall was for watching performances behind curtains, while the inner chambers held private rooms where the real business went down.

Seeing him slowly approach from his direction while embracing a beauty, the disguised Jiraiya felt his heart sink momentarily before bursting into laughter. "Hey champ, ever wonder what kind of women are the best?"

Upon hearing this, Hiroki almost burst out laughing.

"Yeah, yeah," he replied.

"First time, huh? Come on over, kid. Let me show you the ropes." Jiraiya pulled him down to sit beside himself.

"Know what kind of women are the best?"

"...What kind?"

"[Contrastive women] — like the reserved one reaching climax, the wild one begging for mercy, the innocent one acting shy, or the pure one being naughty..."

Although initially intended merely to strike up a conversation with him, as he spoke, Jiraiya let out a light chuckle.

Thinking about something, Hiroki nodded occasionally. "Exactly right. Even the toughest and proudest folks turn soft and vulnerable when they're asleep."

Suddenly, both Jiraiya and he exchanged knowing smirks.

Kaguya seemed somewhat unable to bear this topic anymore, interrupting, "If I ever see those defiling scenes through your eyes, then I'll..."

"Well, you can always look away."

"You really want to go through with this?" Her voice carried slight anger.

"I'm going deep behind enemy lines, getting close to him. Doesn't mean I actually plan on doing anything. Besides, you've practically watched me grow up since I was little, right? If you wanted to defile me, you could have done it long ago."

"You..." Kaguya suddenly fell silent.

She thought: If anything goes out of control later, I can always take over his body to stop it.

"Wait, why am I even worrying about this?" Kaguya's mood became oddly complicated.

Worried she might be needed later in case of conflict, Hiroki stopped teasing her and focused instead on dealing with Jiraiya.

"Little buddy, we hit it off immediately. This place has even better entertainment spots. Want to come check them out with me?"

Jiraiya gave a mysterious smile, looking exactly like a child trafficker luring innocent youths.

Soon enough, shoulder-to-shoulder, the two left this hostess bar.

During his stay in Kiri village these past few days, Jiraiya hadn't been merely indulging in food and fun. He also studied pedestrian flow patterns around various areas — which places saw heavy ninja patrols, and which ones fewer.

Passing a street corner, his gaze cleared slightly and his expression turned serious.

"Were you sent here specifically for me?"

"You're the one who should be answering that. Why are you tailing me, Master Jiraiya?" Hiroki halted his steps.

Jiraiya stepped backward a few paces.

"You've indeed recognized me. How should I address you then, Hyuga or otsutsuki?"

"You're asking me this, Master Jiraiya? Who do you want me to be?" Hiroki countered.

"Does it matter?" Jiraiya replied solemnly.

"What standard determines a person's nature? Their actions or intentions? Take Yugao Uzuki for example; unless you wounded her severely, she would never change. Master Jiraiya, you were the one who made the mistake."

"So, you don't deny your bond with Kaguya otsutsuki?"

Hiroki gave a faint smile in response.

"My apologies," he said politely, as Master Jiraiya's white hair began to grow uncontrollably, a sign of unleashed chakra.

"I hope you'll always stay as resolute as now, Master Jiraiya," Hiroki chuckled.

He was curious whether Jiraiya would remain just as resolute if he ever faced Tsunade.

Will the bond of the Will of Fire stand against his ideals?

With a single [Body Replacement Technique], Hiroki vanished from his spot.

Just like hard steel needles piercing into the ground, his previous location had been pierced by Jiraiya's long hair, leaving behind a large hole.

Mount Myoboku.

Naruto sat cross-legged in meditation.

Before him stood a large stone appearing peaceful on the surface, upon which rested a crystal ball.

And perched on another nearby stone were two small frogs—Fukasaku and Shima.

One young man and two ancient frogs stared intently at the crystal ball.

Currently, the confrontation between Jiraiya and Hiroki was displayed within the orb.

The images shifted constantly, focusing on Jiraiya.

"Elder Fukasaku, is this the Third's crystal ball?" Naruto asked curiously.

Fukasaku rubbed his beard thoughtfully before giving a deep-sounding reply: "Actually, this crystal ball came from Mount Myoboku originally, entrusted to the Third Hokage."

Noticing Naruto's confusion, he continued explaining: "The Third Hokage used Konoha's barrier to monitor the entire village via the crystal ball. The old man also set up a similar spell on Jiraiya, so we can observe everything happening to him now."

Naruto nodded slightly as if partially understanding.

"Do I have one on my necklace too?"

"Yes. This crystal ball contains both the surveillance enchantment and the old man's fairy power, which can deflect fatal attacks."

Upon hearing this, Naruto removed the crystal ball necklace he wore and sighed with disappointment.

"So... am I only capable of being protected?"

"Naruto, that thing is very important for you, in your current state," Elder Shima comforted him.

"Obito, it seems they've started fighting," Black Zetsu suddenly appeared inside the Mist Village, saying to Obito.

"Let's go check it out," Obito responded without hesitation.

In an abandoned training ground within the Mist Village, vegetation had grown wild and wildlife gathered freely. Jiraiya and Hiroki stood at least ten meters apart.

Although Konoha's intel indicated that Hiroki Hyuga possessed merely Chunin-level strength, Jiraiya remained cautious, fearing that he, like Yugao Uzuki, might suddenly experience a power spike without warning.

Hiroki knew full well that, with only his own strength, defeating Jiraiya was impossible.

It's doable to take on a regular jonin, but fighting a Kage-level expert? That's asking too much.

At a distance away from them, two Mist Ninja Anbu members were observing the scene unfold.

Obito and Zetsu, who had not revealed themselves, were also watching closely.

"Does Hiroki Hyuga really feel that confident?" Obito muttered.

"Maybe he has a hidden jutsu," White Zetsu replied.

Seeing Jiraiya remained motionless for quite some time, Hiroki moved first. Veins bulged around his eyes as he activated the Byakugan and lunged forward.

He extended his right palm forward, aiming it directly at Jiraiya.

[Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!]

The air around him distorted, then a powerful, nearly invisible blast erupted from Hiroki's palm and surged toward its target.

This was a technique not previously included in intel about Hiroki Hyuga. While surprised, Jiraiya quickly dodged.

The Vacuum Palm, originally aimed at striking his heart, only grazed his right shoulder, losing most of its power.

Even so, Jiraiya still felt his arm become somewhat difficult to lift.

"The first time I saw Hiashi use this move was when he was sixteen. How old are you?"

"Master Jiraiya, you've got to acknowledge a genius when you see one." If Kaguya hadn't unlocked his full potential, he wouldn't have progressed this quickly.

"A true genius is born a genius."

"You're dismissing your own genius, Master Jiraiya?"

<><><><><><><><>

Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!

~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!

<><><><><><><><>

~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!

~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!

patreon.com/Tansnovel

<><><><><><><><>