Konoha Martial Arts Hall.
This place was usually only opened for the Chunin Ninja Exams finals or for extremely important village-wide demonstrations. It was empty most days, but today was different. Many jonin with no missions had come, drawn by the rumors.
They wanted to see what kind of kid could take down a Cloud Ninja squad!
And a Cloud Ninja squad with a jonin, at that!
Their eyes were all fixed on the three slightly scrawny figures in the middle of the hall.
"All this fuss over three kids?"
"I heard that Sawada Hiroki took out an entire Cloud Village squad by himself. I wonder if it's true."
"Of course it's fake! I even heard a jonin died. How could that be real?"
"Hmph, it's probably exaggerated. How much could a kid who hasn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy possibly do? The Third is making a mountain out of a molehill this time."
Doubtful, scrutinizing, curious murmurs buzzed through the hall, an invisible pressure bearing down on Hiroki and the other two.
On the highest viewing platform, Sarutobi Hiruzen puffed on his pipe, his expression calm.
In the shadows beside him, Shimura Danzō narrowed his eyes and looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Hiruzen, you've made too big a spectacle of this. It's just a simple test. There's no need for everyone to come watch."
"Danzō, he's a hero who saved his comrades. A hero should stand in the sunlight, Danzō." Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a ring of smoke. "Konoha needs new hope, and the villagers need to see that hope."
Is that really the reason? Danzō stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes and sneered.
As if.
Putting them on display for so many people to watch was nothing more than another attempt to test him!
With so many people watching, more shinobi would naturally learn about the children. Even he wouldn't find it so easy to recruit them into Root now.
It would only add a great deal of resistance to what he wanted to do!
"Hope?" Danzō snorted. "All I see are three unstable factors. Especially that Sawada Hiroki. His abilities must be kept under strict control."
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't argue with him again. He merely turned his gaze toward another corner.
There, another figure drew plenty of attention.
"This is ridiculous!" Tsunade folded her arms and muttered impatiently, though her voice was low. "The teacher is too softhearted! He's putting the future Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in the eye of a storm for a kid whose background we don't even know!"
She was one of the first to learn that Kushina would become the future Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Naturally, that was because Uzumaki Mito was her grandmother.
Because of that, Tsunade's feelings toward Kushina were complicated. She even felt a faint trace of hostility toward her—if Kushina inherited the Nine-Tails, Tsunade's grandmother would die.
And as for Sawada Hiroki, she thought the whole thing was even more ridiculous.
He was only ten years old. No matter how strong he was, how strong could he possibly be? And now they were going to hold such a time-consuming, labor-intensive public exam. She couldn't imagine what it would prove.
Thinking of that, she was reminded of Jiraiya, that unreliable fool.
Apparently, he had already picked out his three students at the Ninja Academy in advance. It was absurd.
Tsunade glanced at the blond child in the arena and thought, That idiot Jiraiya.
But either way, she wanted to see what the three children Teacher Sarutobi had chosen were capable of.
Suddenly, the chatter throughout the Martial Arts Hall stopped dead.
With a loud bang and a puff of smoke, a figure appeared in the middle of the arena in a flamboyant pose, standing across from the three of them.
"Hey, kids! Ready to receive personal instruction from Lord Jiraiya, the legendary Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku and one of the Sannin?"
The newcomer had long white hair and a Forehead Protector marked with the character for "oil." Two red lines ran down from the corners of his eyes. He grinned, showing off his White Fang, his smile a little too roguish—but his eyes held a sharp, scrutinizing glint.
Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya?!" Tsunade's expression darkened at once. "That idiot was the examiner? That's why he didn't show up? What is the teacher thinking?"
Even if one of the kids was his student, it was too much for him to take the field himself!
And even if they beat Jiraiya, everyone would assume he'd gone easy on them because of their connection!
This was ridiculous!
Tsunade frowned and looked toward the Third, Sarutobi Hiruzen, wanting to know why her teacher had done this.
Jiraiya put his hands on his hips and produced two bells, swinging them between his fingers to make them ring. His voice was loud and full of energy.
"Most of you have probably heard of this bell-grabbing test. Only two out of three people can pass, and the third has to return to the Ninja Academy for further training."
He didn't lecture them like other examiners. He simply swept his sharp eyes over the three of them, then lingered a little longer on Minato.
"But you were personally selected by Teacher Sarutobi to graduate from the Ninja Academy, so even if you fail, no one will be sent back to school. That's the good news." His grin widened, bold and hearty. "So all you have to do is work together and take either bell from me. Do that, and you'll pass."
"Even if you fail, it's no big deal. This is only a test, so there's no need to worry too much. But if you do so badly that I'm disappointed, there'll be a penalty game." Jiraiya's smile turned meaningful.
Hiroki felt a shiver run through him. It was as if a giant toad had fixed its gaze on him.
Damn...
That penalty game sounded like it couldn't possibly be anything good!
Knowing the Pervy Sage's personality in the original story, it was probably some slimy, frog-swallowing game!
Jiraiya bounced around comically twice, then suddenly narrowed his eyes.
"Then, begin!"
There was no countdown and no warning.
The moment the words left his mouth, a vast pressure, like a mountain collapsing, erupted from him and swept across the entire arena like a tangible tsunami!
Heavy!
Kushina's face turned deathly pale, and her knees buckled. The pressure nearly forced her to the ground.
Minato was no better. His whole body tensed, cold sweat instantly soaking his back. Even drawing his Kunai became incredibly difficult.
This was no longer an exam.
This was killing intent!?
Hiroki stared in shock. Was this a tangible killing-intent attack? How was he doing it!? The air pressed down on him like a mountain, leaving him gasping for breath and unable to even observe what his teammates were doing.
Facing this terrifying pressure, Hiroki immediately entered his mental space, and the Task Manager popped up.
|---|---|---|---| |Fear.exe | 75%|2048MB |Running| |Killing Intent Genjutsu_Error Report.log | 15%| 512MB |Running| |...|...|...|...|
So he'd hidden the Genjutsu inside his killing intent!?
End process: |Fear.exe ||Killing Intent Genjutsu_Error Report.log |
Hiroki quickly selected the two programs and ended them in an instant.
His eyes immediately regained their absolute calm.
He looked at the teasing figure who seemed as massive as a mountain, then calmly spoke to the two people beside him, who could barely move.
"Minato, Kushina."
"Do whatever it takes to help me... touch him once."
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