Anna Karenina

Thank you for the food!

Okay, I'm going!

Where are you going?

I'm gonna have Sasuke train me.

It's been awhile since Sasuke's come home.

Don't you think he might want to relax a bit?

"A shinobi knows no rest…"

That's probably what Sasuke would say!

What is it, Mom?

I was just thinking that you're just like your dad back in the day.

Like Dad?

Your dad was always excited about training with his master.

Huh? Dad had a master?

Of course.

He was a great man, and his name was Master Jiraiya.

Oh…

I'd like to meet him.

Where is he now?

That would be impossible.

He passed away.

I see.

We have photos, though. Do you want to see them?

– What?! – What?!

I totally wanna see them!

Make-Out Tactics

Make-Out Tactics This man is Master Jiraiya.

Make-Out Tactics Oh!

He looks so flashy and wild!

He may seem like it, but he was really a heroic man.

He was a teacher and a father figure to your dad.

Oh…

Granny Tsunade still looks the same.

You're right!

Kakashi Sensei hasn't changed much either.

Sarada's mom, and Shikadai's dad!

Metal's dad, Inojin's mom, and Cho-Cho's dad too, huh?

This is Uncle Neji, right?

Yes.

He was my cousin.

But to me, he was like a kind and strong older brother.

Oh…

Hold on. How come Mr. Sasuke's not in the picture?

Sasuke? Oh, he wasn't here at the time.

Too bad he wasn't there to be in the photo!

What was Mr. Sasuke like back then?

Huh?!

Was he strong?

Uh…yes!

Sasuke was always at the top!

I knew it, Sasuke's awesome!

He looks cool too.

Way cooler than this old man!

I think so too.

Right?

But Master Jiraiya was an amazing shinobi.

He might have been even stronger than Sasuke or your dad.

What?!

There's no way!

– Hey, Sarada… – Huh?

What do you want for dinner?

What? Just make something Dad likes.

Speaking of, where is he?

Did he leave already?

He said he had some business at the Hokage's Office.

This is no different than when he's away from the village.

H-Huh?

Yes?

How's it going?

Oh, Boruto?

Hey!

Is Mr. Sasuke here?

He wasn't at the training grounds, so I figured he was still here.

Dad went to the Hokage's Office.

What? To my dad's?

I wanted to train with him and ask him some stuff.

Ask him about what?

Well…You probably never heard of him,

but I wanted to ask about someone by the name of Jiraiya.

Jiraiya? I think I've heard that name before!

Huh? Really?!

That's it!

LEAF FLEA MARKET

Make-Out Tactics?

Uh-huh.

Remember back when we had Family Day?

Yeah.

Things were kinda awkward between my dad and me back then.

So, Kakashi Sensei loaned that book to him, and told him to

read it to learn how to understand how your daughter feels.

I'm pretty sure the author of that book…

Was Master Jiraiya?!

Yeah.

If you read his book, maybe you'll learn more about his character.

I get it.

I'm not sure what it's about,

but I think it has advice on how to restore relationships.

I see.

So, in other words,

it's a book containing the secrets to living a successful life!

Probably.

In any case, it's Kakashi Sensei favorite book.

I'm sure it'll be useful.

Yeah!

How come we're here?

It's an old book, so I figured we could find it at the flea market.

You're on the ball, Sarada! Okay, let's split up

and look for this Make-Out Tactics—

Thief!

What was that?!

Sarada!

Hold it!

Don't cheat the rules!

Seriously.

Shino Sensei!

What? If you two were nearby, catch him!

Huh? Well, we…

Seriously…

Don't keep relying on us.

I don't think so… You totally just wanted to look good.

Huh?

Do I know about Make-Out Tactics?

That's…the book… written by Master Jiraiya, right?

What's that matter? Are you okay?

Uh, well…

Uh…

That's his book, all right.

You know about Master Jiraiya?

Of course, I know him.

What was he like?

What was he like?

Well, he was the disciple of the Third Hokage and one of the Legendary Sannin.

Legendary Sannin?

Who are the other two?

Lady Tsunade and Orochimaru.

Anyway, he was an amazing shinobi.

He mentored two generations of your family, Lord Fourth and Lord Seventh.

Not just Dad, but Grandpa too?

He also played a crucial role in the Great Ninja Wars.

He was one of the shinobi who secured the peace we have now in Leaf Village.

He was that great, huh?

No doubt about it, Master Jiraiya was an awesome shinobi.

But unlike me, he wasn't Hokage material.

What do you mean by "unlike me"?

Oh, didn't you know?

I turned down the seat of the Hokage.

Really?

Yeah… Naruto and I competed to become Hokage…

This is the first time I'm hearing this.

But, from the time he was even younger than you two,

Naruto kept harping about how he was gonna be the Hokage,

so I decided to let him have it.

This is something even Naruto doesn't know.

Wow!

When I was around your age, the village placed all their hopes on me.

Anyway, do your best, you guys.

By the way… We were talking about

whether you knew about Master Jiraiya's Make-Out Tactics…

It seems he wrote this masterpiece about the secret to success…

It wasn't so much about the secret to success…

That was…

more of a novel than a how-to book.

It's a novel?!

Now I really want to read it!

– You don't need to read it! – You don't need to read it!

– H-Huh? – Uh… Why?

You're still too young.

FOR YOUR ROOM? We're still too young?

Just what's in that novel anyway?

Maybe it's so deep

that you can't understand it unless you've experienced life a bit more?

I see… It's too deep, huh?

Now I really want to read it!

Me too.

Sarada!

Hey!

Huh? You have a stall here?

Yes.

Are these used clothes?

Yeah. My dad and I are selling clothes that we don't wear anymore.

But no one's buying them.

I wonder why?

I mean, they're so cute.

– That's too bad. – …too bad.

Hey, Uncle!

Have you ever read the book, Make-Out Tactics?

Huh?!

We're trying to find out more about Master Jiraiya.

Papa, you've read the book, haven't you?

No! Well, uh…um…

It's a novel, right?

Is it some action novel that has some really deep stuff in it?

Is it about a hero's journey?

Is it?

No, that's…not really…

Is it a mystery novel?

Well, it's more like a…

Like a what?!

…romance novel.