The training ground was covered in scars, silent proof of countless practice sessions. Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina were leaning against a wooden post as they waited. They had arrived in the morning, and now it was already noon.
Grrrrr... Kushina's stomach growled loudly. She had not eaten anything, just like she had been ordered to. "Why are those two bastards still not here?"
Minato also touched his stomach. He was hungry too, but he had more patience. The problem was that neither Jiraiya nor Uchiha Jin had shown up yet.
When Kushina finally reached her limit and started kicking the wooden post in fury... POOF! A cloud of smoke burst out, and a giant toad appeared in front of them. A figure stood atop the toad, accompanied by a theatrical voice.
"The Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, the great Jiraiya-sama, makes his triumphant entrance!"
Jiraiya struck exaggerated poses, shaking his head and speaking in a tone worthy of kabuki.
"Get down right now!"
Kushina suddenly appeared behind Jiraiya and threw a flying kick. Jiraiya glanced sideways and, with a simple step to the left, dodged the surprise attack. Then he lightly pushed Kushina's back, sending her tumbling off the toad. Kushina flipped in midair and landed lightly on the ground.
Hehe. Jiraiya laughed. These kids' taijutsu was not bad at all.
POOF! The giant toad vanished into smoke, and Jiraiya landed smoothly beside Kushina.
"Don't underestimate me. Last time, I let you win." In truth, last time he had only been testing them and ended up getting beaten up. There was nowhere he could complain about that without embarrassing himself.
"But where's that brat Jin?" He looked around, but there was no sign of Uchiha Jin. Had he decided to ditch? Jiraiya's expression darkened. If that was the case, he had the authority to send him back to the Ninja Academy. Even if Orochimaru said nothing, having talent did not mean you could do whatever you wanted.
"I'm here."
A mound of dry leaves lifted, and Jin emerged from a hole in the ground, yawning as he shook the leaves off. He had been lying in a leaf-covered pit, perfectly camouflaged. Unless someone stepped directly on top of it, it was hard to detect.
Jiraiya and the other two were stunned by the move.
"Ahem." Jiraiya coughed to cover it up. "Knowing how to use the environment is one of the mandatory lessons for a ninja."
"You totally didn't see that coming!" Kushina shouted at once, instantly shattering her teacher's pose. She had seen the surprise on his face perfectly clearly.
Seeing his authority being chipped away, Jiraiya quickly changed the subject. "Alright, now we'll begin the Survival Test."
"But didn't we already pass the exam?" Minato asked, confused. He took rules like this very seriously.
Jiraiya smiled and explained, "Passing the school exam only means you're qualified to be ninjas. My exam is what decides whether you can become Genin." "If you fail my test, I have the power to send you back to the Academy to repeat the year."
Minato wanted to ask about the other students who had become ninjas, but he hesitated and ended up staying quiet.
"That's enough. Stop scaring the kids. Can't you see Kushina's already gone pale? Just tell us what the test is," Jin cut in, ruining the tense atmosphere Jiraiya was trying to create.
"Who's gone pale?!" Kushina roared, furious.
"Hehe." Jin let out a cold laugh.
Kushina's fury exploded. "Let's fight to the death, you damned Uchiha!"
"Hold on, you two!" Jiraiya hurried to intervene before there was bloodshed. He had not even started the test yet and these two already wanted to kill each other? Did these kids not understand this was the stage of the great Jiraiya?!
"Save your grudges for after the exam." Jiraiya pulled two bells from his pocket, shook them, and fastened them to his waist.
"Your test is to take these two bells from me. One bell means one person becomes a Genin."
Kushina pointed at his waist. "But you only have two bells."
Jiraiya's smile vanished, replaced by absolute seriousness. "That means only two of you will become Genin."
Before Kushina could protest, Jiraiya shouted, "Begin now!"
The instant Jiraiya's voice fell, Kushina and Minato vanished at once, hiding themselves. Only Jin remained by the wooden post, tilting his head as he looked at Jiraiya.
He asked a question that seemed completely unrelated. "Instructor Jiraiya, besides us, is anyone else here?"
His sharpened senses told him that the moment Jiraiya appeared, the people hidden in the shadows had withdrawn. Jiraiya did not understand why he was asking, but he nodded. With him present, all the ANBU and even Root had pulled back. Not even Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze was being projected here through the Crystal Ball. In other words, nobody was watching them besides the three of them.
"Then this is easier." Jin clapped the dust off his hands and walked toward Jiraiya.
He had thought it through the night before. Now that he had become Jiraiya's disciple, even if he showed his true talent, Jiraiya could probably protect him. On top of that, Orochimaru also seemed interested in him. Two of the future Sannin. Their influence in the village was enormous. And as Kushina's teammate, his safety only increased.
He decided to reveal his ninjutsu. After all, he had been called "trash" for far too long. It was time to clear his name. With a different status, he could afford to be a little more radical. Of course, that depended on someone spreading the news. If Jiraiya chose to keep it secret, Jin would also be happy to keep a few cards hidden a little longer.
"Instructor Jiraiya, I'm going to fight with everything I have." Jin lowered his body into an offensive stance.
"Try not to die," Jiraiya said with a grin. After all, he was an elite Jōnin. How could a newly graduated kid hurt him? Even if he was a genius, it was impossible.
Jiraiya brought his hands together. "Looks like I need to teach you the difference in power first."
In the next instant, Jin moved. His figure appeared behind Jiraiya. Soru!
"Ninpō: Hari Jizō!" Jiraiya's silver hair hardened like steel and wrapped around his body, shielding him completely.
Jin landed and immediately used Soru to pull back. Jiraiya's next jutsu was already ready.
"Ranjishigami no Jutsu!" Jiraiya's hair shot out, growing rapidly and surging like a wave to capture Jin. Jin could only use Soru repeatedly to evade.
Watching Jin dodge, Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. He saw Jin's hands forming seals at high speed. Wasn't he supposed to be unable to use ninjutsu?
"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!" Jin spat several fireballs that spread in all directions, striking Jiraiya's hair and setting it alight.
As Jiraiya retracted his scorched hair, Minato's figure appeared behind him. "An opening!" Minato reached for the bells.
Jiraiya tried to grab Minato's wrist, but his pupils tightened. Minato's physical strength was far greater than he expected, and the grab missed. Before Minato could touch the bells, Jiraiya turned into smoke and reappeared behind Minato, reaching out to catch him.
But at that moment, a roar came from above. "Die a hundred times!" A fist wrapped in golden chains crashed down at Jiraiya.
Jiraiya dodged to the side, grabbed Kushina's wrist, and tossed her into Minato. The two tangled together and rolled across the ground like a ball.
Just as Jiraiya was about to move, several shuriken collided midair, changed trajectory, and attacked him from every angle. He was forced to leap away, abandoning the two students to avoid the strike.
At that moment, Minato and Kushina vanished. Jiraiya lifted his head. Jin was gone too.
"Finally, you understand that a ninja doesn't fight fair."
Wait. He felt a slight disturbance in the air behind him. He spun around. Jin was right there, pressed close. Jin's arms became black blurs, moving so fast they seemed to vanish as he attacked Jiraiya in a furious storm.
"Self-Derived Technique: Jatsu, Snake Bite!" Jiraiya tried to defend, but Jin's arms were like venomous serpents, biting and tearing, sending sharp pain through him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shadow reaching for the bells at his waist.
"Ninpō: Gamagakure no Jutsu!" Jiraiya's body shriveled instantly, leaving behind an empty skin that was shredded by Jin's attacks.
Jin suddenly sprang into the air. From where he had just been standing, a hand burst up from the soil. If he had not jumped, he would have been caught.
Jiraiya rose from the ground, but he had no time to relax. He had to jump immediately as well. Three chakra chains tore out of the earth and tried to bind his feet.
Minato ran along the chains as if they were bridges, charging straight at Jiraiya while throwing a kunai. Jiraiya tilted his head to dodge, and his hands formed seals in an instant.
"Katon: Endan!" His cheeks swelled like a toad's, and he spat a jet of flame. Minato was hit and turned into smoke. A Shadow Clone.
Behind me! Jiraiya spun around. The real Minato was springing up from the ground behind him. No, there's another one! Jin appeared in front of him.
Soru, twice. Two black blurs crossed, with Jiraiya at the center.
"They're strong!" Jiraiya glanced at the chains restraining his feet and the shallow wounds on his chest and back. Were Academy students these days really this strong?!
POOF! Jiraiya turned into smoke. In Minato's hand, the bells he had just grabbed turned into dirt.
At the same time, the ground filled with silver hair. Before they could escape, Minato and Kushina were bound. Ranjishigami no Jutsu.
Only Jin, with his explosive speed, managed to pull away in time and avoid being captured. The real Jiraiya slowly emerged from the earth.
"It's over!"
"Not yet!"
Jin brought his hands together, forming a pistol shape with his fingers and aiming straight at Jiraiya. A sphere of blue energy began to spin and condense at his fingertips.
"What is that...?"
"Reigan!!"
A streak of blue light tore through the air, shooting straight toward Jiraiya.