Success

Watching Ranwu perform her jutsu, Jiraiya looked somewhat pleased. As Tsunade had said, neither Ranwu's grades at the Academy nor the strength she was showing now fully revealed her talent...

Her mastery of Water Style Chakra Nature Transformation was what truly deserved attention.

Under her control, the nature of the Water Style chakra had completely changed!

As for her strength...as long as she didn't die young, it would improve sooner or later.

However, Jiraiya wasn't about to let himself get caught in the oil net. As he drew a kunai, he leaped up, ready to break through the net at its center.

Just then, as the oil net fell, Akaseki leaped into the air...

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

After Akaseki formed Hand Seals, the flames he spat out turned into small fireballs that fell toward the oil net's nodes from every direction.

Back at the Ninja Academy, their teacher had specifically explained that when fighting multiple opponents, the most important thing was to create an opportunity for your teammates to form Hand Seals...

In Akaseki's worldview, aside from certain special Kekkei Genkai, most ninja had high offense and low defense. One strike to take someone down, or one strike to get taken down, was the norm.

Even a Jonin who let a Chunin form Hand Seals and attack had a good chance of being caught off guard and losing!

Especially now, with Akaseki and Ranwu working together. Once the nodes of the oil net caught fire simultaneously, they looked like several fire dragons rushing toward Jiraiya at the center.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wave!"

Jiraiya formed Hand Seals in an instant, then spat out a large amount of sand and soil. It surged around him like waves, blocking the flames.

Jutsu using solid materials, such as Water Style and Earth Style, could be released using actual matter or by condensing chakra to imitate it. The former was more powerful and consumed less chakra, but the latter was more flexible.

Jiraiya was in midair and didn't have time to draw soil up from the ground, so he created it himself with chakra.

Jiraiya had first developed an affinity for Fire Style, then awakened an affinity for Earth Style.

As the sand and soil he spewed out swirled like waves, extinguishing the flames closing in around him, several of Minato's kunai flew toward him...

Jiraiya's Earth Flow Wave was a classic wide-area jutsu for extinguishing flames and blocking electricity. It wasn't as effective against solid objects. Unlike the rigid Earth Style Wall, the flowing sand barrier was pierced by several kunai, which shot toward Jiraiya.

Jiraiya's lips curled slightly as he watched the kunai. He dodged them with apparent ease.

But just then, one of the kunai passed by his waist and transformed into Minato with a puff of smoke. Minato reached out and pulled the bell from Jiraiya's waist...

"We did it!"

"Nice work!"

Akaseki and Ranwu cheered.

"Not bad. Minato's final surprise attack was very clever."

"And Akaseki and Ranwu, you showed this much coordination on your first try..."

"You're still a long way from being qualified ninja, but...I'll count this as a pass!"

As he spoke, Jiraiya took three Konoha Headbands from his pocket.

Jiraiya was the same as ever: indulgent in his actions, but always putting them down with his words.

At the last moment, Jiraiya had noticed Minato's plan, but he still let him "take" the bell, allowing them to savor the taste of success for themselves.

Akaseki and Ranwu hadn't noticed Jiraiya holding back. They assumed he'd simply let his guard down. Minato had sensed something, but didn't ask in front of the other two and spoil the moment.

Akaseki and Ranwu weren't particularly impressed by the talk of "coordination," but they obediently accepted the Headbands without arguing...

Akaseki and Minato tied theirs around their heads, while Ranwu, preferring her own style, tied hers around her neck.

"Now then...we're a ninja squad. I'm your Jonin instructor, and you'll go on missions with me until one of you is promoted to Chunin. You can call me Teacher Jiraiya. It's getting late, so be at the Hokage Building at eight tomorrow morning. I'll take you to get a mission!" Jiraiya said.

"Yes, Teacher Jiraiya!"

Teachers had become part of the ninja tradition ever since the Second Hokage established the Ninja Academy system.

Besides the teachers at the Academy, a Jonin instructor usually became a ninja's teacher when they first became a ninja.

After the three agreed, Jiraiya dismissed them for the day.

But Akaseki stayed behind...

"Hmm? Akaseki, is something the matter?" Jiraiya asked.

"Jonin Jiraiya...I mean, Teacher Jiraiya, do you know a lot of Earth Style jutsu?" Akaseki asked, his eyes shining.

"I do. Want to learn?" Jiraiya smiled faintly. He'd guessed Akaseki might ask for instruction. After all, his name made him sound like a Uchiha with an affinity for Earth Style.

He just hadn't expected Akaseki to ask so soon...

Akaseki nodded repeatedly. Yashiro wasn't in the village right now, and besides...what if Jiraiya knew some Earth Style jutsu that weren't part of the Uchiha's teachings?

Ninja from Other Ninja Clans would be rather reluctant to teach jutsu to the Uchiha.

It wasn't that ordinary jutsu were particularly secret, and Jonin instructors were generally willing to teach them, but...

Teaching the Uchiha was different!

Teach one Uchiha, and soon every Uchiha capable of copying the jutsu would have learned it.

Even if there was no real loss, it still felt unpleasant, especially since the Uchiha had a rather...distinctive reputation in the village!

"Sure...but...I just got some exercise, and my shoulders are a little sore...Hmm...I don't think I can form Hand Seals properly like this." Jiraiya deliberately rolled his shoulders as he spoke.

Seeing this, Akaseki reluctantly stepped forward to massage them.

As Akaseki kneaded his shoulders from behind, Jiraiya grinned broadly. The massage wasn't the point; what he really wanted was to sand down Akaseki's "Uchiha attitude."

Jiraiya didn't make Akaseki massage him for nothing. Afterward, he slowly demonstrated three B-rank Earth Style jutsu. Akaseki successfully copied two of them, but failed to copy the third, which was relatively difficult even among B-rank jutsu, with his Single-Tomoe Sharingan.

Akaseki guessed that Jiraiya probably had a rough idea of which Earth Style jutsu the Uchiha knew. After all, they were ninja from the same village, and Jiraiya must have a general impression of which Earth Style jutsu the Uchiha had used.

None of these three B-rank jutsu were part of the Uchiha's teachings...

Of the B-rank Earth Style jutsu Jiraiya knew, these were the only three the Uchiha didn't have. After all, when ninja from the same village fought together, the Uchiha would copy jutsu from the sidelines!

The Single-Tomoe Sharingan needed a slow demonstration, whereas the Three-Tomoe Sharingan could copy ordinary A-rank jutsu directly on the battlefield...

After copying three Earth Style jutsu, Akaseki's Dojutsu Power was completely exhausted.

Seeing that Akaseki was already panting, Jiraiya gave him a special lesson in the theory behind the jutsu.