With the third exam fast approaching, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki were training harder than ever. Sasuke, having successfully learned Chidori, had even developed two of his own ninjutsu.
Chidori Blade: A jutsu that coats a ninja sword with Lightning Release chakra, instantly paralyzing an opponent on impact.
Chidori Stream: A jutsu that releases lightning from the user's entire body, creating a wide electrical net for both attacking enemies in an area and defending against surprise attacks.
Kakashi Hatake believed Sasuke was on the right path. Chidori was the most suitable ninjutsu for him, and the two derivative jutsu he had created were both powerful and practical. Of course, the jonin instructor wouldn't say this out loud, especially since he, as a fellow user, could also benefit from them.
Now this is what a student should be like, he thought.
Looking at that little guy Naruto Uzumaki, he was not like his father in this regard. The ninjutsu Naruto developed consumed an astonishing amount of chakra, offering no practical use for his teacher.
Although Sasuke knew his new jutsu weren't as powerful as the Rasengan series, it was a good start. The young Uchiha raised an eyebrow at his teammate with a hint of pride. "Naruto, you haven't developed a new ninjutsu in a long time!"
"My inspiration has been really dry lately..." Naruto sat slumped on a rock, looking up at the blue sky. "I wish Pervy Sage was here. He's good with Rasengan, so he could probably give me some ideas..."
"Tsk..." Sasuke shook his head, a little sour with jealousy. "Having one of Konoha's Sannin, Jiraiya, help you develop ninjutsu... I'm envious just thinking about it!"
"Pervy Sage hasn't even helped yet. That guy disappeared right after returning to Konoha. He said he'd help me develop ninjutsu, but he still hasn't shown up..." Naruto casually tossed a stone at Sasuke and shrugged. "Besides, are the Sannin really that big a deal? That Orochimaru guy wasn't all that..."
Because they had both faced Orochimaru directly, the sinister man's performance, in their eyes, was inferior to Gaara's.
"That's true..." Sasuke actually nodded seriously. He even added with some relief, "Luckily, Kakashi-sensei and I have compatible chakra natures. His combat ability is... hard to describe, but he's pretty amazing when it comes to developing ninjutsu."
He was serious about that. Since Chidori was developed by Kakashi, he had provided Sasuke with a lot of help for the derivative jutsu. However, Sasuke found his own shortcut. Instead of continuing to research Lightning Cutter like Kakashi, he used the Lightning Release training notes from the Cloud jonin, Bukai, to walk a different path.
As the two of them were talking, they didn't notice Kakashi, who was reading Icha Icha Paradise not far away, quietly perk up his ears.
Team 7's jonin instructor wiped away a bead of sweat.
His two students really had no idea what they were talking about.
But the white-haired jonin couldn't really warn them, because Orochimaru's performance in front of them truly hadn't been that great. He had only bullied his former student, Anko Mitarashi...
Kakashi wouldn't underestimate Orochimaru like his students did. When he was still in the ANBU, he had once intercepted Orochimaru but was frozen in place by his killing intent. That man, as sinister as a snake, had never shown his true face.
Recently, Konoha's higher-ups had issued an order to organize the village's jonin and ANBU to go to the Land of Rivers to encircle and annihilate Orochimaru. After the Chunin Exams, Kakashi, Might Guy, and the others would probably be summoned by the Third Hokage.
However, this news probably wouldn't stay hidden from another person: Jiraiya.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, would inform Jiraiya of any news regarding a pursuit of Orochimaru, likely hoping that Jiraiya could bring his former teammate back.
Unfortunately, Orochimaru was strong-willed and wouldn't be easily persuaded. But Hiruzen and Jiraiya were persistent. This encirclement in the Land of Rivers would probably be no exception. Jiraiya should be returning to the village soon, right?
Speak of the devil.
A thick hand snatched Icha Icha Paradise from Kakashi's hands. The same hand held out a green book toward him. "A new limited-edition signed copy of Icha Icha Violence. Tell me the intel on Orochimaru..."
"..."
Kakashi's hand shot out, grabbing the new book and trying to snatch it from Jiraiya. "Jiraiya-senpai, hand it over first!"
"Facing your idol, you should show a little fan enthusiasm!" Jiraiya couldn't help but smile, tossing Icha Icha Violence into Kakashi's lap. "Forget it, I can't waste time here..."
"Jiraiya-senpai, don't you want the intel on Orochimaru?"
"No need." The tall, sturdy man wagged his finger. "I can just go ask the old man about this. He's probably waiting for me!"
"..."
Kakashi frowned, and after a sigh, he opened the new book Jiraiya had given him and began to read with relish. The opening alone made Kakashi feel like he could read it for a lifetime without getting tired. It was a book that already exceeded all expectations.
Besides giving books to his fans, Jiraiya had more important things to do. The sturdy figure leaped up and landed on the rock where Naruto was. "Hey, Naruto, wake up!"
"Pervy Sage!" The blond genin shot to his feet, looking at the man in front of him with pleasant surprise. "I was just thinking about developing a new ninjutsu..."
"Sorry, I don't have time to help you with that!" Jiraiya patted his head kindly. "I have something more important to do right now. I'll teach you a new ninjutsu later..."
"Really?"
Of course, it was true.
Jiraiya took the scroll from his back, unrolled it, and pointed to a blank spot. "Sign your name here, and I'll teach you a new ninjutsu."
That scroll was the summoning contract of Mount Myoboku.
As long as Naruto Uzumaki signed the blood contract, he would be able to learn the summoning jutsu and call upon the toad clan of Mount Myoboku to fight alongside him.
Jiraiya had been busy with this for a long time. After leaving Konoha, he went to Mount Myoboku to request that the Great Toad Sage let Naruto sign the blood contract, believing that Naruto might also be the Child of Prophecy. More importantly, Jiraiya also had to persuade Gamabunta. After all, Naruto had punched the chief toad back home the first time they met. With Gamabunta's personality, it was very likely he still held a grudge.
"Pervy Sage..."
Naruto didn't sign his name. Instead, he sat slumped on the rock, looking up at Jiraiya. "Can you tell me... this name... who is this person?"
His finger slowly came down, stopping on a name.
That name seemed to hold a certain warmth.
Minato Namikaze.