As Naruto set off for Mount Myoboku, ready to take on the Akatsuki, I was so invested in him getting this power-up, but then that fleeting memory of Jiraiya's "ta" character hit me differently. To remember such a specific, almost hidden quirk about his master's writing, it tells me how truly observant Naruto was of Jiraiya, and how those small, everyday details formed the bedrock of their bond. It’s like Jiraiya's still guiding him, even now.