Inside the Hokage's office.
"What are you planning to do? Perhaps… you need to be more patient with Kakashi."
The Third Hokage looked at Jiraiya.
Kakashi was the biggest problem child.
But—
He had talent. The Third Hokage truly couldn't bear to see him ruined, and still hoped Jiraiya might show him some leniency.
Jiraiya, however, replied, "If things really end in a way we don't want to see, then it just means there was no fate between us."
"I'm going."
He waved his hand and disappeared from the office.
The Third Hokage let out a soft sigh, the worry on his face lingering.
...
The next day, the Forest of Death—Training Ground Seven.
Kurenai Yuhi arrived early.
Then she noticed that Kyohiko Yoshimine and Kakashi had already arrived as well, sitting beneath a tree and resting.
She moved quietly, not daring to make a sound.
I should sit down and rest too…
But I keep thinking about things!
Kurenai Yuhi looked at the shadows of the trees above, her thoughts tangled and restless.
After a long while—
"Oh dear, sorry about that. Something came up on the way—I'm late."
Jiraiya chuckled.
"Lord Jiraiya, you're way too late!"
Kurenai Yuhi glanced at the time.
Another hour and it would already be noon.
But—
When Jiraiya looked at the three of them, his smile instantly stiffened.
One wore a mask, his gaze cold and distant.
The other two looked calm and composed.
"Very united and in sync, I see. Seeing you like this gives me more confidence that you'll pass the evaluation."
Jiraiya cleared his throat lightly and casually took out the bells hanging from his waist.
"Kakashi, I don't know what your first evaluation was like, but my evaluation is very simple. As long as you manage to take my bells, you pass."
Jingle~
The bells clinked as they struck each other.
Jiraiya hung them back at his waist.
"Any questions?"
"Does taking just one bell count as passing, or do we have to take them all?" Kakashi asked.
Jiraiya replied, "Considering the gap between you and me, taking just one bell counts as success. However, the one with the worst performance will be tied up, won't get lunch, and will have to undergo another individual evaluation in the afternoon."
Kakashi took a deep breath and said nothing more.
Jiraiya turned to the other two.
"And you?"
"No problem," Kyohiko said.
"Good. Then we'll begin. I'll give you some time to set up your strategy."
Whoosh!
In an instant, the three of them vanished from where they stood.
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, thinking, Different directions? Could it be…
His heart sank.
Jiraiya thought highly of Kyohiko Yoshimine, but if Kyohiko's perspective and sense of teamwork were really this shallow, he would be deeply disappointed.
At the same time—
Kurenai Yuhi whispered, "Kyohiko, are we really not going to care about Kakashi?"
"Of course we are. The two of us will work together and design the strategy, leaving him an opening. He's a chunin—if he refuses to cooperate on his own, there's nothing more we can do."
Kyohiko replied.
Kurenai Yuhi let out a breath of relief.
"Then how do we fight?"
"You and I will delay him head-on and draw his attention. We'll use traps and genjutsu to coordinate with Kakashi's position and ambush. Let's see if we can take one bell. Specifically, you'll use genjutsu to support, and then—"
"Alright."
...
"It's begun. Before the hourglass runs out, you must take my bells. Otherwise, you fail as well."
Jiraiya flipped the hourglass over.
Then he extended his senses, feeling out the surroundings.
"Hidden pretty well."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Jiraiya's mouth.
Setting everything else aside, these three kids at least had solid fundamentals.
But—
One of them still revealed an opening.
Jiraiya walked forward, appearing casual, but every step was cautious.
Crack!
A massive log bound with ropes swept toward him from the front.
Jiraiya used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge.
But—
In that instant, he saw a figure ahead twist and disperse.
Kurenai Yuhi?
Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!
The name of the technique flashed through Jiraiya's mind, and he immediately surged chakra through his body to disrupt himself.
In the blink of an eye, he broke free of the illusion.
However—
In the next moment, several traps flew toward him at once.
Jiraiya vanished with another flicker.
The instant after that, he crouched atop a tree, warily scanning his surroundings.
These kids…
Not a single one of them could be underestimated!
Who would have thought that the young girl from the Yuhi clan had already mastered a B-rank genjutsu?
Before he could observe further, two figures charged out.
Kakashi came in wielding his blade, while Kyohiko Yoshimine flashed upward from below.
Jiraiya's lips curved upward.
Then—
Clang!
A kunai shot upward, perfectly blocking Kyohiko's thrust.
Kyohiko didn't linger for a moment. He vanished from his original position and landed on another tree.
But—
"Not a bad tactic."
Jiraiya's voice sounded from behind.
The Jiraiya from just moments ago turned into a puff of bubbles and disappeared.
It was a shadow clone.
The real Jiraiya immediately launched a flurry of punches and kicks, moving at extreme speed.
In just a short exchange, Kyohiko traded three punches and two kicks with him.
Solid taijutsu!
Jiraiya was genuinely surprised.
Kyohiko's movements—
Among genin, he was absolutely top-tier. Many chunin might not even match him.
Jiraiya's heart stirred, and he immediately increased his strength.
The result—
Bang!
The figure ahead turned into a log.
The real Kyohiko Yoshimine—
Had already fled in another direction.
Good kid!
A trace of admiration flashed through Jiraiya's eyes.
What he admired wasn't just Kyohiko's skill, or the speed at which he combined Substitution and Body Flicker Techniques, but also his judgment.
The moment Jiraiya used heavier force, Kyohiko immediately retreated.
Such decisiveness showed remarkable calmness.
Impressive!
"Over here!"
A massive log flew out from above, sweeping forward to strike at Jiraiya.
Kurenai Yuhi cut loose another trap, providing cover for Kyohiko.
But—
Jiraiya simply threw a punch, smashing the wooden mechanism apart.
"If this is all you have, there's no way you'll pass the evaluation."
"Move!"
Kyohiko understood very clearly—
Jiraiya still wasn't using his full strength!
If this were real combat, Jiraiya could have used techniques like Wild Lion's Mane earlier, and his speed would have been far greater than this.
After all, he was one of the Legendary Sannin!
Right now, Jiraiya was deliberately keeping his speed just slightly faster than Kyohiko's.
Kyohiko needed to rely on traps or teamwork to escape.
This was a problem to solve.
And—
He had already led Jiraiya to the position he needed.
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!
Rows of spiked wooden planks shot toward the airborne Jiraiya from all directions.
At the same time, two figures rushed out.
One looked like Kyohiko Yoshimine.
The other transformed into Kakashi.
The two "people" charged straight at Jiraiya.
Up in the trees, Kurenai Yuhi formed hand seals with both hands.
In the blink of an eye, four or five wooden plank traps and the two "figures" all reached Jiraiya at once.
In an instant—
His hair grew rapidly, spreading in all directions. It wrapped around the first incoming wooden planks, while the rest lashed toward the two attackers.
Bang!
The clones exploded immediately.
This was a genjutsu created by Yūhi Shinku—Naraka Clone, an advanced clone illusion enhanced with additional effects.
Jiraiya had kept his chakra deliberately disordered the entire time and hadn't fallen for it. But in that same moment, the wooden planks flying in from behind suddenly transformed into human forms.
Kakashi gripped a rope, his blade flashing like a beast's fangs as he lunged toward Jiraiya at extreme speed.
Clang!
Jiraiya blocked the blade with his kunai.
But—
From behind, a faint breeze brushed past.
Kyohiko?
So fast!
Jiraiya was startled—
Although he had long known that Kyohiko's Body Flicker Technique was astonishing, facing it at full power was still shocking.
A seven-year-old mastering Body Flicker at this level…
Unbelievable!
And more than that—
His punches, kicks, and body balance all far exceeded the taijutsu standards of his age.
The only ones who could compare…
Were probably Kakashi, and that other eccentric boy.
And on top of that—
Another Kakashi was also attacking him at the same time.
Blades, kunai, fists—
Along with waves of cherry blossom genjutsu.
The coordination of all three created a dizzying assault.
In the next moment, blade and fist struck simultaneously.
"Careful!"
The instant Kyohiko's fist connected, he sensed something was wrong.
This wasn't the normal texture of flesh.
And—
With their current level, could they really threaten Jiraiya?
Sure enough, the Jiraiya before them melted into a puddle of soft mud.
It was an Earth Clone.
"Above!"
Kurenai Yuhi shouted immediately.
Without needing further instruction, Kakashi swung his blade upward—
A massive net fell from above.
Around them, the wooden planks that had been pinned earlier by Jiraiya's hair rushed inward at the same time.
Rip!
Kakashi slashed through the net, tearing a huge opening.
Before he could recover his stance, Jiraiya was already upon them.
But—
Kyohiko flashed in front of him in an instant.
Bang!
Their fists collided solidly.
Boom!
Kyohiko was blasted toward the ground. But in that very moment, he shouted:
"Lord Jiraiya, you wouldn't want people to find out that you spend every day—"