In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi released his hand from the crystal ball, a trace of relief appearing on his face.
"Whew!"
Those three kids were absolutely no match for Jiraiya.
But—
The way they had completed the bell-grabbing test so brilliantly had far exceeded the Third Hokage's expectations.
Originally, he had thought—
If the three of them could put aside their earlier conflicts and maintain even a basic level of teamwork, Jiraiya might turn a blind eye and let them pass.
Yet now, Kyohiko Yoshimine and Kurenai Yuhi had proactively left tactical openings, deliberately creating opportunities for Kakashi.
And Kakashi hadn't sulked or caused trouble—he had seized those opportunities on his own initiative.
There were conflicts, but they didn't interfere with the assessment.
Each matter was handled separately.
That—
Was the mindset of a mature ninja.
And at the same time—
The one who had orchestrated all of this—
Was precisely the child he had never paid much attention to before.
No wonder Jiraiya had deliberately chosen him.
...
The familiar Ichiraku Ramen shop.
The difference was—
Teuchi was now in the prime of his youth, his strong features full of vitality.
Kakashi had already put his mask back on.
As soon as Jiraiya stepped inside, he shouted, "Boss, four bowls of ramen!"
"Got it! Four customers, please have a seat," Teuchi greeted them with a smile.
"You three sit here. I'll go… buy some grilled meat as well. Call it a side dish."
Jiraiya glanced around.
But—
With a sidelong look, he felt a little uneasy.
"Kyohiko, come with me. Let's see what you'd like to eat."
"Yes."
Kyohiko Yoshimine rose respectfully.
The two of them left together.
Kurenai Yuhi couldn't help sighing softly, "Lord Jiraiya really values Kyohiko, doesn't he?"
"Uh…"
Kakashi's gaze turned slightly vacant, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.
He remembered it clearly.
At the time—
Jiraiya had suddenly stiffened for a moment, his attention wavering, which was why Kakashi had been able to cooperate and cut the cord.
It seemed like…
Something along the lines of "you wouldn't want…"
"Kakashi, you seem to know something?"
As a ninja skilled in genjutsu and perception, Kurenai Yuhi immediately sensed that Kakashi had reacted strangely just now.
Kakashi thought for a moment, then answered cautiously and briefly.
"Maybe… they know each other."
"Lord Jiraiya and Kyohiko?"
"…Yeah."
...
"Kyohiko, you did very well today."
"You were merciful, sir. Otherwise, there's no way we could have passed."
Kyohiko Yoshimine wasn't Naruto or Obito.
He understood very clearly that the gap between himself and one of the Legendary Sannin wasn't small at all. If Jiraiya truly didn't want them to take the bells, it would have been absurdly easy—
One Needle Jizō, and all their hopes would have been crushed.
Yet—
From beginning to end, the strongest technique Jiraiya had used was Wild Lion's Mane, and even that hadn't been used at full power—more like rope than a true attack.
Calling that "going easy" was an understatement; it was practically letting the ocean flood in.
Jiraiya cleared his throat lightly.
"After all, this was a genin assessment. The main focus is teamwork and attitude, not raw strength. Also, about that matter earlier…"
"Lord Jiraiya, there are some places in the village you should probably avoid. After all, you're one of the Legendary Sannin—you represent the image of Konoha's ninja."
Kyohiko spoke with the uprightness expected of a young man.
Jiraiya's old face flushed red.
He had previously thought that Kyohiko had only been passing by and hadn't noticed his presence.
Now it seemed the boy had simply chosen not to interfere.
Feeling awkward, Jiraiya replied, "That was… for gathering material. Don't misunderstand."
"Oh."
Kyohiko wore an expression that clearly said I totally believe you.
Jiraiya felt even more embarrassed.
He knew very well that explanation wasn't convincing in the slightest.
"Order whatever you like—I'm paying!"
"…I'm not the one paying, right?"
"You little brat!"
...
After finishing the ramen and grilled meat, it was already afternoon.
Jiraiya became uncharacteristically serious.
"From now on, you're officially a team. I hope you'll continue to maintain the cooperative attitude you showed this morning. Also—"
He looked at the three of them.
"Have you all practiced tree-climbing and water-walking?"
"Yes."
All three nodded in unison.
Jiraiya took out a piece of chakra paper.
"Kakashi and Kurenai should have already tested theirs. You test yours too—let's see what kind of ninjutsu suits you best."
"Even though your teamwork is good, Kakashi's Lightning Release and swordsmanship are suited for surprise attacks and assassinations, and Kurenai's genjutsu is more about control and support. What you're missing is someone who can handle the front line."
The implication was obvious.
Kyohiko Yoshimine was the most suitable candidate for frontal combat.
"Yes, I understand."
Was it that Kyohiko didn't want to train ninjutsu?
Of course not.
He simply hadn't had the opportunity.
Although he was a Senju descendant, his branch had split off long ago. There was essentially no ninjutsu inheritance left. After two generations, even money had dwindled to nothing but compensation funds. Without scrolls—
Buying chakra paper would have been a waste of money.
He took the chakra paper.
Before long, the paper became damp.
Jiraiya said, "Judging by the paper's reaction, you naturally possess Water Release chakra. Learning water-style ninjutsu will be the fastest and most convenient for you."
Chakra nature was something one was born with, though it could also be developed later.
Kyohiko's affinity simply meant learning Water Release would be easier for him.
In theory, he could still learn other elements as well.
"I heard Kakashi is skilled in Lightning Release. If I learn Water Release, we can form complementary combinations."
As he spoke, a trace of admiration appeared on his face.
"Also, my idol is the Second Hokage. His Water Release was famous throughout the ninja world—even Kirigakure couldn't match it!"
The Second Hokage…
A look of nostalgia appeared on Jiraiya's face as well.
That man's Water Release had indeed been terrifyingly powerful.
It seemed—
Although this child had suffered trauma and undergone great changes in personality, deep down, his heart was still aligned with Konoha.
After a brief moment of reflection, Jiraiya snapped back to reality.
"Alright. I'll teach you Water Release: Water Bullet in a bit. Kurenai, your genjutsu is strong, but you need more taijutsu training. Kakashi, your problems are fewer—but more fatal. You need to actively coordinate with your teammates, understand?"
He gave his evaluations one by one.
All three nodded together.
With Kurenai Yuhi and Kakashi watching from the side, Jiraiya began teaching ninjutsu.
"Water Bullet is a basic Water Release technique. It's widely used, very convenient, and not difficult. You can start with this."
Then he explained the hand seal sequence.
Dragon, Ox, Rabbit.
Jiraiya was still explaining when Kyohiko had already followed the seals—
And then—
Water Release: Water Bullet!
A stream of water burst from his mouth, transforming into a surging torrent.
Jiraiya blinked, momentarily stunned.
Even with additional hand seals and the full ninjutsu process, everything had flowed smoothly.
Pretty good chakra control.
For a genin—
Kyohiko's level was already quite high.
"So amazing…"
Kurenai Yuhi couldn't help whispering in awe.
First attempt—
And he had mastered it immediately.
That kind of talent was honestly a bit frightening.
But—
Kyohiko himself knew very well that succeeding on the first try wasn't because his innate talent was extraordinary.
First, Water Bullet was relatively simple.
Second, it was thanks to the reward he had received earlier that morning.
After his chakra control improved, releasing ninjutsu had become ridiculously easy!
Jiraiya didn't want him to grow arrogant. After thinking for a moment, he said,
"It's only a C-rank technique—just the basics of Water Release. Try Water Wall next. That's a B-rank defensive technique."
"Alright."
Kyohiko nodded.
He listened carefully to the hand seal sequence, then increased his chakra output and expelled water from his mouth.
Before long—
A water wall roughly his height formed around him, perfectly shielding his body.
Jiraiya was left stunned, shocked into silence.
You brat!
Your chakra control is this good too?!
It's almost on par with Kurenai Yuhi!
That girl was a genjutsu specialist, trained from a young age and blessed with talent—that was why her chakra control was so refined.
But Kyohiko?
Over the past year, his focus had been taijutsu, Substitution, and Body Flicker. His chakra control training should have been limited to tree-climbing and water-walking at most.
Was this even reasonable?!
Thinking about the suffering he'd endured learning ninjutsu back in the day, Jiraiya's mental balance nearly collapsed, and he fell into a long, silent contemplation.