Yoshi (awesome), this girl's a real cutie!
You really are a goddamn genius, kid.
Jiraiya's nostrils spurted two streams of blood as he gave a thumbs-up with both hands and praised her.
A beauty who showed just a little skin was the perfect secret ingredient for inspiring his writing.
Judging by your appearance, you must be Lord Jiraiya, one of the legendary Konoha Sannin!
Lin Fan seized the chance to quickly walk over to Naruto, a smile on his face.
Kid, you've got a good eye.
I am none other than Jiraiya, the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku!
Jiraiya declared proudly, tossing his waist-length white hair.
That's it?
A lecherous old man dares to call himself a sage?
You're buying three keys for five bucks. Are you even qualified? How many can you afford?
Naruto said with a scornful expression, his tone rude.
Then, right before Lin Fan and Naruto's eyes, Jiraiya bit down on his right thumb.
After forming the hand seals, he slapped one hand against the ground and roared.
Summoning Technique!
Poof!
With a loud bang, Jiraiya was instantly enveloped in white smoke.
When it cleared, a giant toad with a red-and-green body and a necklace bearing the character for "loyalty" stood beneath his feet.
That was ridiculously cool!
Naruto was so shocked that his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Believe me now?
Of course! Uncle Jiraiya, please take us on as your students! We're about to take the Chunin Ninja Exams, and we both want to train with you!
Lin Fan spoke, excitement written all over his face.
Naruto nodded along like a chick pecking at grain.
Take you two on as students? What's in it for me?
Jiraiya glanced at them, wearing a smug expression.
Naruto here can use the Sexy Transformation Technique you just saw!
And I can pay for a membership at this bathhouse. You can drop by anytime and find inspiration on the spot.
Lin Fan's lips curled into a slight smile.
Nani? Well, I suppose those terms aren't bad.
Jiraiya imagined the bathhouse's towering peaks and long, shapely legs slowly approaching him. Drooling, he agreed without hesitation.
Then the giant toad beneath Jiraiya slowly extended its tongue.
A huge scroll slowly unfurled.
Sign your names on this Summoning Scroll and press your blood seals onto it. Then I'll accept you as my students.
Lin Fan and Naruto soon did as instructed.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing the guidance mission. You have obtained Fire Style: Great Flame Bullet Lv. 1, Fire Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet Lv. 1, and Earth Style: Yellow Spring Swamp Lv. 1.] [Ding! Congratulations, host, for upgrading Fire Style: Great Flame Bullet to Lv. MAX. You have obtained] [Ding! Congratulations] []
Now that Lin Fan and Naruto had officially become Jiraiya's students, the three of them naturally celebrated at the bathhouse.
As they paid and walked inside, nearly every woman's gaze was drawn to the handsome Lin Fan.
Wow, that little brother is so handsome.
Let big sis wash your face for you. My facial cleanser smells wonderful!
Are those two people beside him his grandpa and his half-brother? They don't look anything like him.
The moment Lin Fan entered the bathhouse, two or three dozen female employees who had nothing to do rushed over to scrub his back.
Some even treated him to free facial cleanser.
Lin Fan nearly suffocated in the bathhouse.
Meanwhile, on Jiraiya and Naruto's side, two old women in their fifties scrubbed them down with bath towels, using enough force to practically sand them raw.
As expected, being handsome let you get away with anything in any world.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
At Konoha Village's battle arena,
the second round of the Chunin Exams—the Forest of Death test—had officially concluded.
The preliminary matches for the fourth round were about to begin here.
Seven groups had advanced to the third-round preliminaries, for a total of twenty-two people. (Team 8 had an extra member because Sakura was with them.)
Ahem.
I'm Gekko Hayate, the proctor for the third-round preliminaries. We'll now draw lots for the matchups.
Gekko Hayate spoke slowly, looking pale and sickly.
The display on the wall lit up in an instant.
Soon, the eleven matchups for the preliminaries were set.
Lin Fan's opponent was Kabuto, one of Orochimaru's men.
Um, proctor, I'd like to withdraw from the exam.
The injuries I suffered in the Forest of Death haven't healed yet. I guess taking the exam again so soon was too much for me.
Kabuto raised his hand and spoke with a helpless shake of his head.
Then he limped out of the arena.
Seeing Kabuto's retreating figure, Naruto couldn't help feeling sorry for him.
Lin Fan, however, let out a cold laugh.
Another master of disguise worthy of an award.
He knew perfectly well that Kabuto had entered the exam to gather intelligence for Orochimaru.
Now that the mission was complete, he naturally wanted to conserve his strength for the upcoming Konoha Crush.
Still, Lin Fan was quite pleased to save some energy by skipping an unimportant preliminary match.
Ahem.
Since the examinee Kabuto Yakushi had withdrawn, his opponent, Lin Fan, will automatically advance to the fourth-round finals.
Gekko Hayate announced the news to the examinees.
No one seemed particularly surprised.
After all, they had all seen the strength Lin Fan displayed during the Chunin Exams. Even if Kabuto hadn't withdrawn, Lin Fan would have deserved a spot in the finals.
Lin Fan also spotted Orochimaru, disguised as an Otogakure ninja, staring intently at him from the viewing stand.
First match: Sasuke vs. Akado Yoroi.
Akado Yoroi, one of Orochimaru's spies planted in Konoha, didn't hold back at the start.
His chakra-absorbing hands gave him the upper hand over Sasuke right from the beginning.
But after glancing around the arena, Sasuke suddenly spotted Rock Lee.
He used the Shadow Leaf Mist he had copied from someone else to create the Lion Combo, defeating Akado Yoroi.
Then he followed Kakashi away to have his Cursed Seal suppressed.
Second match: Shino Aburame vs. a sword-wielding ninja from Oborogakure. (The three Otogakure ninjas led by Dosu had all been shot dead with Senbon by Lin Fan's clones in the Forest of Death.)
Just as the sword-wielding ninja thrust his blade at Shino, he suddenly noticed that Kikaichū had crawled all over his body.
He had trypophobia. The sight of insects covering him disgusted him so much that he foamed at the mouth, rolled his eyes, and passed out on the ground.
Third match: Kankuro vs. Misumi Tsurugi.
Though Kankuro was at a disadvantage at first, he used his puppet to escape Misumi's attacks. The tables turned, and he ultimately won.
Fourth match: Ino vs. Sakura.
The two fought with Taijutsu, trading straightforward blows until they both collapsed unconscious. (I don't want to go into too much detail about Sakura's storyline.)
Fifth match: Tenten vs. Temari.
At first, the little rich girl Tenten seemed to throw ninja tools at Temari as if they cost nothing.
But Temari used the Giant Folding Fan in her hands to summon a powerful gust that knocked them all back.
Tenten was completely outmatched and lost the match.
Sixth match: Shikamaru vs. an Oborogakure Water Style ninja.
Shikamaru immediately put his superior intellect to use, controlling his opponent's movements with Shadow Possession Jutsu.
They both threw Shuriken at the same time, but the Oborogakure Water Style ninja lost when his head slammed straight into a wall.
With six matches over, almost all the major characters had advanced.
(I'm incredibly grateful for all the little gifts you've sent, everyone. Thank you so much for your support. I'll keep working hard.)