Creak.
The door opened.
Inside the classroom, the three held their breath, all eyes fixed on the entrance.
But...
For a long time, the person outside didn't come in.
What kind of person is this?
Such a twisted sense of humor.
Jingyan couldn't help but complain internally.
The next moment—
A figure stepped into the room.
"Have you three been waiting long?"
A man with a mane of white hair and the kanji for "Oil" on his forehead protector stood there, looking particularly conspicuous.
His attire...
It was all too familiar.
Kurenai's eyes widened.
Kakashi's jaw dropped, unable to believe it.
Jingyan was also shocked.
How could it be Jiraiya?
This was one of the Legendary Sannin. In the original story, he had never heard of Kakashi being led by Jiraiya.
But...
He quickly came to a realization.
Nothing in life is certain.
It might be presumptuous to think so, but perhaps it was my own small butterfly effect, the flap of my tiny wings, that changed everything.
He took a deep breath, his voice filled with unconcealable excitement.
"A-Are you Lord Jiraiya?"
Jingyan knew he couldn't appear too calm.
The person before them was one of the Legendary Sannin. Many ninja in Konoha idolized them. As an ordinary, commoner ninja, his reaction upon seeing him should be one of shock and excitement.
Jiraiya laughed. "Hahaha, for the time being, you're my subordinates. Let's go, we'll talk somewhere more spacious."
"Yes, sir!"
...
On the roof of the Academy.
Jiraiya sat on the edge, with the three students standing obediently before him.
His eyes swept over them.
"You should all know who I am, so I won't introduce myself. Let's have you get to know each other. Tell us what you like and dislike."
"Kakashi Hatake. Chunin. I specialize in swordsmanship and Lightning Release. I have no likes. I dislike people who break the rules," Kakashi said, his tone cold and direct.
Kurenai was very nervous, wringing the hem of her clothes as she stammered, "L-Lord Jiraiya, my name is Kurenai Yuhi. I'm skilled in genjutsu. I like pickled octopus with wasabi and I dislike cake."
"Ryohou Jingyan. Currently, I'm more skilled in taijutsu. Likes: training and getting stronger. Dislikes... war," Jingyan said.
This was the result of careful consideration.
Likes training, dislikes war.
These answers fit his backstory perfectly and avoided revealing more personal information about his daily preferences, preventing any inconsistencies with his past self that might arouse suspicion. His tendency to train alone for the past year was also partly due to this concern.
Jiraiya's movements paused for a fraction of a second.
"Alright, I understand."
His smile faded, and his expression turned serious. "Now that you know each other, there are some things I need to make clear. The Hokage believes you have great potential, which is why he asked me to lead you, but..."
Jiraiya's gaze swept over them again.
"I don't think you have what it takes to be my subordinates. Tomorrow morning, meet me at Training Ground 7. I will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your abilities. If you fail..."
He spoke coolly, "You will be sent back to the Academy. As for you," he looked at Kakashi, "you're already a Chunin, so you could join another team. Of course, if you think these two just graduated and aren't skilled enough to be on your team, you can quit right now."
Kakashi glanced at the other two.
Jingyan and Kurenai remained silent.
However, their reasons were different.
The former had a vague idea that this question was part of the test itself. Jiraiya was likely leading this team primarily for Kakashi's sake, but as for why this change happened...
He didn't know.
Kurenai, on the other hand, was worried.
Kakashi was a Chunin, after all...
Kakashi didn't answer immediately. He looked at them carefully for a long moment before saying, "I don't believe they have the ability to complete the test."
Jiraiya's expression remained impassive. "Are you quitting?"
"No. I want to try," Kakashi replied.
Jiraiya nodded. "Fine. What about you two? If you quit, the village will arrange for another teacher. My test will certainly be more difficult; you might be able to pass under someone else."
"I'll take part," Jingyan said without hesitation.
Being a student of one of the Sannin was an extraordinary opportunity.
Kurenai had no reason to back down either.
"Very well. In that case, you have the rest of the afternoon to prepare. Oh, and by the way, remember not to eat breakfast tomorrow morning. Otherwise, hehehe!"
Jiraiya's figure vanished in an instant.
On the rooftop, only the three of them remained.
Jingyan took the initiative. "Let's head over to Training Ground 7 and check it out. We can also use the time to train together and get familiar with each other's abilities."
"The test is a mission. If you're not skilled enough, I will abandon you without a second thought," Kakashi snorted.
With that, he vanished with a Body Flicker.
Kurenai said with disgust, "Why is he like that..."
"He's heading toward the training ground. Let's follow him," Jingyan said, and then he, too, disappeared with a Body Flicker.
Kurenai hurried to catch up.
Up ahead, Kakashi glanced back and saw the two of them following. He observed them暗中.
Ryohou Jingyan...
He's fast. His Body Flicker seems pretty good. He might actually have some skill.
But the other one is struggling a bit.
Then again, she's skilled in genjutsu, so she could be useful.
Kakashi continued running forward.
He didn't notice—
In the shadows, Jiraiya was following them the whole time.
"That silver-haired brat has absolutely no consideration for his teammates. On the other hand, that other kid... he's clearly faster, but he's maintaining a steady distance to match Kurenai's speed."
The more Jiraiya watched Jingyan, the more he liked him.
The boy wasn't just smart; he was also incredibly observant and considerate of his teammates.
If guided properly, he could become another Minato.
But if he's led astray...
His heart sank as the image of another former teammate flashed in his mind.
Sigh...
I wonder what Orochimaru is up to these days.
Ever since Nawaki died and Tsunade left, Orochimaru has become more and more strange.
"However, in a situation like this, just looking out for your teammates won't be enough."
...
"Kurenai, the area around the training ground is dangerous. I'm going to stop him. The three of us will go in together."
"Stop him?"
Kurenai was stunned.
Then, she saw Jingyan vanish before her eyes.
When she looked again, he was already chasing after Kakashi. In the blink of an eye, Jingyan was right behind him.
Kakashi was even more shocked.
He was confident that his speed was the best among his peers. The only one who could compare was that other guy who also trained relentlessly, Might Guy.
As for Ryohou Jingyan...
Although they were classmates, they had only been in the same grade for a year. He didn't have a strong impression of him.
And yet...
That speed just now...
His Body Flicker is that strong?
Kakashi decided to compete, using his Body Flicker at full power, moving even faster than before.
But...
The next moment, Jingyan was already in front of him, a hand placed on his shoulder.
So strong!
Kakashi's pupils shrank.
Even at full power, he still couldn't match him.
The only way would be to use Lightning Release chakra to stimulate his body, but he hadn't fully mastered that jutsu yet. Using it improperly could cause him to injure himself.
"Kakashi, the Forest of Death is dangerous. The three of us should go in together."
He paused slightly before continuing.
"Even though you're a Chunin, Lord Hokage said that teamwork is never a one-man battle. You have to consider the rest of your team."
Kakashi was silent.
Was he only moving slowly before to accommodate Kurenai?
He stopped and looked at the person before him seriously.
Ryohou Jingyan.
To think there was a classmate with this level of skill at the academy...
"I-I'm sorry!"
Kurenai finally caught up, her forehead covered in fine beads of sweat, with some trickling down her temples.
Jingyan said, "It's fine. We're a team. We should stick together."
Kakashi didn't say anything, but simply jumped down from the tree.
"Let's go. It'll be harder to see in the forest if it gets any later, and it will be difficult to spot any traps."