The years passed like the swift downpours of the jungle, torrents of time that washed away the form of a child and replaced it with the emerging silhouette of a young man. Jiraiya, or 'Wanderer' as he was known to the Olwatu, experienced growth that far exceeded the normal rate for a child of the tribe. It was not unnatural in a way that was alarming to the natives, who attributed his accelerated development to the mysteries of his 'lost' origin and the unique life energy he seemed to possess, but to Jiraiya, it was confirmation that his native body was responding to the intense 'programming' of his shinobi memories.
At twelve years of age, he had the height and build of a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old in his previous world. His muscles, nourished by a diet rich in game protein and exotic fruits, were becoming defined and strong. His movements gained fluidity and power with each passing month. The clumsy, childlike body of his early days was a distant memory, replaced by a lithe and resilient form, a clay that molded quickly to the etched pattern of a Sannin.
The "muscle memory" from her previous life wasn't just a concept; it seemed to be an active force guiding the development of her new body. When practicing Olwatu hand-to-hand combat techniques, she felt her limbs move with innate efficiency, as if they had performed the movements thousands of times before. When climbing cliffs or moving through the canopy, her hands and feet instinctively found the perfect footholds, recalling the sensation of walking along trees or walls with chakra, albeit without its aid.
In tribal training, he quickly outperformed the young men in his cohort. His spear throws were of surprising accuracy and power. His skill with a bow was lethally precise. In combat simulations, his ability to read his opponent's movements and exploit their weaknesses baffled even the older warriors. It wasn't just strength or agility; it was tactics, the experience of hundreds of battles and missions compressed and applied to a young body.
"The Wanderer learns faster than the rain falls," an old hunter once remarked, with a mixture of wonder and respect.
Kael watched him with sharp eyes. He had seen the spark in that boy from the beginning. Now he saw the fire. Jiraiya wasn't just a quick learner; he was a born warrior, one whose talent seemed to spring from an unseen well of experience. He began to devote even more time to him, teaching him big-game hunting tactics, how to study the patterns of the Lesser Titans, and how to navigate the island's most dangerous territories.
"The jungle is an open book, Farstrider," Kael told him as they tracked a lesser beast. "Every broken branch, every scent in the air, tells you a story. You must learn to read it."
Jiraiya read that history avidly, merging Kael's lessons with his own knowledge of tracking and sensory perception. He sensed the energy of a beast's trail, not just its scent or physical mark. He could discern its size, its condition (wounded, calm, aggressive), and where it was headed, using a combination of Olwatu wisdom and his own shinobi sensory abilities.
In his moments of solitude, he continued his "research" into wild energy. Now that his body was stronger and more resilient, he could channel it with a little more control. The uncontrolled tremors of before were less frequent. He could make small objects levitate briefly or make his skin emit a faint amber glow when he concentrated the energy. The adapted Rasengan he had attempted as a child now formed with more stability, though it was still volatile and dangerous. It was like holding a miniaturized Tailed Beast in the palm of his hand.
He discovered that his body seemed to have innate "channels" for this energy, different from the chakra channels he was familiar with, but equally vital. They were like rivers of power beneath his skin. Intense physical training seemed to widen and strengthen these channels, allowing the energy to flow more freely.
He tried to apply the energy to enhance his physical abilities, as he'd theorized. By concentrating it in his legs, he could jump higher than his body should allow. By concentrating it in his arms, his punches had unexpected power. It was a crude way to enhance his abilities, more instinctive than precise chakra control, but effective.
Jiraiya's perverted side also "blossomed" as he grew older. With a teenage body full of energy and curiosity, and surrounded by the Olwatu tribe's relative disregard for nudity and the expression of sensuality, his "research" became more... practical. "Investigations" into human anatomy and behavior in this world became a regular (and often comical) part of his life, albeit always with the caution of a spy who doesn't want to arouse undue suspicion. His adult mind found an endless source of "material" in this new environment.
Despite their rapid progress and growing confidence, the reality of the Titan world was never far away. Often, training was interrupted by the distant tremors of a moving Titan, or the sound of a cataclysmic roar in the distance. He had seen incursions by lesser beasts that tested the tribe's defenses. Survival remained the guiding thread of life.
His goal of finding Kong's ancestor, Father Mountain, and forming a pact with him became a silent obsession. He listened to the legends with renewed attention, searching for clues about their location or how he could "awaken" their power. He knew that mastering the energy of this world and strengthening his own body was the first step toward being deemed "worthy" by a being of that caliber.
As he approached adulthood, Jiraiya was not just a talented young warrior from the Olwatu tribe. He was a unique fusion: the strategic mind, experience, and perversity of a legendary Sannin, inhabiting a body native to Kong's world that responded to the "muscle memory" of his previous life, while exploring and mastering a wild new source of energy.
He was forging a power that belonged entirely to neither world, a power that would one day prepare him for the purpose for which he was rescued. The "little warrior" of the early years was growing into something formidable, a unique being that combined the best (and most perverted) of two realities.
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