"Minato. Kushina."
"Do whatever it takes—just let me touch him."
Hiroki's voice wasn't loud, but like a stone tossed into still water, it reached the ears of the two struggling to stay conscious.
Touch him?
Minato Namikaze's thoughts were sluggish under the crushing pressure. In this suffocating illusion, even breathing was a chore—meeting Jiraiya seemed impossible.
Kushina couldn't even form a thought. Every ounce of her willpower went toward resisting the fear gnawing at her soul.
Hiroki didn't expect them to understand right away. He grabbed Kushina's hand, his mind racing as he activated his system. Through his link with Minato and Kushina, two new text files appeared in their shared interface.
[Right click → New → Text Document.txt][Renamed to: wake_up.log]
There was no time for elaborate coding. He typed a single, crude line into each file:
"This is an illusion! Try the illusion-release method!"
Would it work? Who cared!It just needed to spread!
"Release!"
Kushina was the first to respond. Relying on the incredible vitality and spiritual strength of the Uzumaki clan, she shouted—and chakra surged violently through her body.
Buzz—!
The world twisted before her eyes. The suffocating malice faded like a receding tide.
A heartbeat later, Minato groaned as clarity returned to his gaze.
"Oh?"
Jiraiya's lips curled. "Not bad. These two aren't ordinary kids. Just a hint was enough."
In the center of the training field, Jiraiya's expression showed clear surprise. He eyed the black-haired boy curiously.
"You weren't affected at all—and even helped your teammates break free from my genjutsu… interesting."
No, it was more than that.
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. He realized this boy had sensed the illusion first. For a moment, Hiroki had been caught—but he broke free almost instantly.
How?A mental-type bloodline limit, maybe?Or something else entirely?
Perhaps… he could become a genjutsu specialist.
On the viewing platform, Tsunade—who had been watching lazily—raised an eyebrow.In the shadows, Danzo's gaze sharpened.
"Go, Minato!"
Now free, Kushina didn't hesitate. With a roar, she charged straight at Jiraiya like a cannonball.
"Oh la oh la oh la—!"
She didn't use any refined techniques—just raw chakra poured into her fists and kicks, every strike explosive and wild.
"What an energetic kid," Jiraiya chuckled, slipping effortlessly between her attacks, his movements light and precise. "But brute force won't touch me."
Then, a flash of silver in the corner of his eye.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three kunai traced the air, forming a perfect pattern that sealed his escape route to the left.
Minato!
He had already calculated the perfect timing and angle the moment Kushina charged.
"Good timing," Jiraiya said with an approving nod, sliding right to evade.
Swish!
Suddenly, a yellow blur appeared right in front of him!
Jiraiya barely steadied himself before Minato lunged in with a kunai.
Body Flicker Technique!?
So fast!
Even Jiraiya couldn't help but grin. "Now that's some impressive speed!"
Of course he recognized the move—he was the one who taught it to Minato.
"Let's see you handle this!" Jiraiya laughed, his white hair whipping like thorny whips behind him.
Bang!
Minato exploded into smoke.
Poof!
A wooden log fell to the ground—substitution technique!
When did he form the seals?
The jonin observing from the stands went silent. The mocking smiles faded, replaced by awe.
"Their coordination… are these really Academy students?"
"That speed—unbelievable! That blond kid's substitution technique is flawless! I didn't even see the hand seals! And his body flicker is ridiculously fast!"
"The red-haired girl's raw power is about average for a Genin, but that boy… even some Chunin couldn't use basic jutsu that cleanly!"
A faint smile appeared on the Third Hokage's face."They're good… very good."
But not good enough.
Against Jiraiya, talent and teamwork weren't enough. They needed a decisive strike—a finisher.
And Hiroki knew that he was that strike.
He was the only one among them with a high-damage jutsu—the only one who could cast it instantly.
His eyes locked onto Jiraiya.
The man was still smiling. Neither Minato's speed nor Kushina's ferocity had managed to land a hit.It was impossible to tag Jiraiya with speed or strength alone.
Jiraiya wasn't even attacking back—he was waiting.
For him.
Hiroki took a slow breath.
After the Third Hokage's warning, he'd decided not to use his Lightning Release: Pseudo-Animation Jutsu. He wasn't sure if it was the jutsu—or a glitch—that had drained his system battery last time, putting him in the hospital.
If he wanted to take the bell with his [Brain Overload Attack], there was only one plan left—
Make Jiraiya grab him.
Tsunade's gaze shifted toward the one remaining still figure: Hiroki Sawada.
That boy was the reason the test wasn't over yet.
If he had shown even average Academy-level skill, the Third Hokage would have called it already.But no—this was different.
What were they waiting to see?
They hadn't gathered this many shinobi just to watch a normal student.
They wanted to see Hiroki's real ability.
Was he really that strong?
As the crowd buzzed with confusion, Hiroki finally moved.
He charged straight ahead—like an idiot.
"What the hell!?" someone shouted from the stands."I thought he was calculating something!""Seriously!? That's it!?"
Even Jiraiya frowned, watching the boy rush him head-on. Still, he didn't underestimate him and stepped aside.
Hiroki swung his kunai uselessly at the air, then threw it clumsily at Jiraiya—as if in frustration.
Playing dumb?
Jiraiya sighed. No, he couldn't be that stupid. He'd been the first to break the genjutsu—this had to be an act.He's pretending, Jiraiya thought. Next comes the real attack.
Sure enough, Hiroki's expression shifted. His hands blurred through hand seals.
Rat–Tiger–Boar–Rabbit…
Jiraiya smiled."Good! Nice strategy—you almost had me! But you'll need to do better!"
He reached out and grabbed Hiroki's hands mid-seal.
And froze.
Hiroki stared at his system prompt with a blank expression.
[New device detected: "Jiraiya." Connection established through Chakra Communication Protocol.][Launching: brain_overload_script.bat]