Another Minato!

Creak.

The door opened.

Inside the classroom, the three of them held their breath, all eyes fixed on the entrance.

However.

For a long time, the person outside did not step in.

Who is this guy?

What a twisted sense of humor.

Kyohiko Yoshimine couldn't help but grumble inwardly.

The next moment—

A figure stepped inside.

"Have you three been waiting long?"

A head of white hair, with the character "Oil" emblazoned on his forehead, looked exceptionally eye-catching.

His attire...

It was all too familiar.

Kurenai Yuhi's eyes widened.

Kakashi Hatake was dumbstruck, unable to believe his eyes for a moment.

Kyohiko was also shocked.

How could it be Jiraiya?

This man was one of the Sannin; he had never heard of Kakashi being led by Jiraiya before.

But.

He soon realized.

The world is unpredictable.

Though it might be a bit conceited, perhaps it was his own butterfly wings flapping that had set everything in motion.

He took a deep breath, his tone unable to hide his excitement.

"Are, are you Lord Jiraiya?"

Kyohiko knew.

He couldn't appear too indifferent—

The person before him was Jiraiya, one of the Sannin. Many ninjas in Konoha idolized them, and as a commoner ninja, he should show shock and excitement upon meeting him.

Jiraiya laughed: "Hahaha, you are my subordinates for the time being. Let's go, let's head somewhere more spacious to talk."

"Yes!"

On the rooftop of the school building.

Jiraiya sat on the edge, while the three of them stood obediently before him.

His gaze swept over the three of them.

"You should all know who I am, so I won't bother with introductions. Go ahead and introduce yourselves to each other—what you like, what you dislike."

"Kakashi Hatake, Chunin. Skilled in kenjutsu and Lightning Release. I have no likes, and I dislike those who break the rules."

Kakashi was cold and direct.

Kurenai Yuhi was nervous, clutching the hem of her clothes as she stammered, "Lord Jiraiya, my name is Kurenai Yuhi. I specialize in genjutsu. I like wasabi octopus, and I dislike cake."

"Kyohiko Yoshimine. Currently, I am more skilled in taijutsu. I like training and becoming stronger. I dislike... war."

Kyohiko said.

This was the result of his careful deliberation.

Liking training and disliking war.

These answers fit his background perfectly and wouldn't reveal too much information about his daily habits, avoiding any discrepancies or conflicts that might invite unnecessary suspicion.

For the past year or so, he had preferred to train alone, partly due to these very concerns.

Jiraiya's movements paused slightly.

"Good, I understand."

His smile faded, and his expression turned serious: "Now that you've introduced yourselves, let me make a few things clear. The Hokage believes you have great potential, which is why he asked me to lead you, but..."

Jiraiya scanned the group.

"I don't believe you have the potential to serve under me. Tomorrow morning, report to Training Ground 7. I will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your abilities. If you fail to pass..."

He said coldly, "You will be sent back to the Ninja Academy. As for you, since you are a Chunin, you could join other squads. Of course, if you believe they are fresh graduates and lack the ability to be on a team with you, you may withdraw now."

Kakashi scanned the other two.

Kyohiko Yoshimine and Kurenai Yuhi remained silent.

However.

The reasons for the two were not the same.

The former vaguely guessed that this question itself was part of the examination and that Jiraiya leading the team might be aimed primarily at Kakashi, but as for why there was such a change...

He did not know.

Kurenai Yuhi, on the other hand, was worried.

After all, Kakashi was a Chunin...

Kakashi Hatake did not answer immediately; he looked at them seriously for a long while and said, "I do not believe they have the ability to complete the examination mission."

Jiraiya's expression remained calm.

"Are you withdrawing?"

"No, I want to give it a try."

Kakashi replied.

Jiraiya nodded. "Very well. What about you two? If you withdraw, the village will arrange another teacher for you. My examination is certainly more difficult; you might not fail if you go to someone else."

"I will participate."

Kyohiko did not hesitate.

Being a student of the Sannin was no ordinary opportunity.

Kurenai Yuhi had no reason to back down either.

"Excellent. You have the afternoon to prepare. Oh, and 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.

Kyohiko took the initiative to speak, "Let's go check out Training Ground 7 together, and while we're at it, we can train and get familiar with each other's abilities."

"The examination is a mission. If you lack the ability, I will abandon you without mercy."

Kakashi snorted coldly.

With that, he used the Body Flicker Technique and left.

Kurenai Yuhi said with annoyance, "How can he be like this..."

"He is heading toward the training ground; let's follow him."

As Kyohiko spoke, he vanished with a flicker.

Kurenai Yuhi hurriedly followed.

Up ahead, Kakashi glanced back and saw the two catching up; he observed them in secret.

Kyohiko Yoshimine...

His speed is quite fast, and his Body Flicker Technique seems well-practiced; his strength might be decent.

But the other one is struggling a bit.

Still, she specializes in Genjutsu, so she could be considered useful.

Kakashi continued to run forward.

He did not notice—

In the shadows, Jiraiya had been following them the entire time.

"This silver-haired brat doesn't consider his teammates at all. On the contrary, that boy clearly has faster speed, yet he maintains a steady distance to keep pace with Kurenai."

The more Jiraiya watched Kyohiko, the more he liked him.

This child is not only smart but also meticulous and capable of looking after his teammates.

If guided properly, he might just be another Minato.

If guided improperly...

His heart sank as the image of another former teammate flashed through his mind.

Sigh!

He had no idea what Orochimaru was doing lately.

Ever since Nawaki died and Tsunade left, Orochimaru had become increasingly strange.

"However, this kind of situation requires more than just looking after teammates."

"Kurenai, the area around the training ground is dangerous. I will go intercept him; let's enter together in a moment."

"Stop him?"

Kurenai Yuhi was stunned.

Then, she watched as Kyohiko Yoshimine vanished before her eyes.

Focusing her gaze, she saw he had already given chase to Kakashi; within a few blinks, Kyohiko was already a short distance behind him.

Kakashi was even more shocked.

He was confident that his speed was the best among his peers, and the only one who could compare was that fellow Might Guy, who trained just as desperately.

As for Kyohiko Yoshimine.

Although they were classmates, they had only been in the same grade for a year, and he had no deep impression of him at all.

However.

That speed just now...

Was his Body Flicker Technique really that strong?

Kakashi, intent on competing, exerted his full strength into the Body Flicker Technique, his speed increasing slightly beyond what it had been before.

But.

The next moment, Kyohiko was already in front of him, his hand pressing down on his shoulder.

So impressive!

Kakashi's pupils constricted.

Even using his full strength, he still couldn't compare to the other party—

Unless he used Lightning Release chakra to stimulate his physical vitality, but he hadn't yet mastered that technique well enough; using it improperly would only end up harming himself.

"Kakashi, the Forest of Death is quite dangerous; let the three of us go in together."

He said, pausing slightly.

"Although you are a Chunin, the Hokage-sama once said that squad operations are never a one-man battle; you must look out for the rest of your team."

Kakashi fell silent.

Was the reason he hadn't been fast just now simply to look after Kurenai Yuhi?

He stopped and took a serious look at the person before him.

Kyohiko Yoshimine.

To think there was a classmate in school with this kind of strength...

"I, I'm sorry!"

Kurenai Yuhi finally caught up, her forehead covered in fine sweat, with droplets forming at her temples and falling one by one.

Kyohiko said, "It's fine. We are a team, so we should stay together."

Kakashi didn't voice his opinion, instead leaping downward.

"Let's go. If we're any later, the visibility in the forest will dim, and it will be very difficult to spot traps by then."