The Mock Battle!

"That's about it. Starting today, I'll be your instructor. Before I tell you my name, introduce yourselves!"

A gentle breeze swept over the grass, making the leaves rustle. In the Third Training Ground, Jiraiya and the three students stood facing one another.

At his words, the three exchanged glances. Then Mirai stepped forward and looked at Jiraiya. "My name is Mirai Uchiha. I don't have any hobbies or particular ambitions. If I had to say, I just want to make it through my life without making any mistakes!"

That was what Mirai held to. Once a person made a mistake, they could lose so much!

"That's quite an unusual ambition!" Jiraiya narrowed his eyes slightly and chuckled.

"So that's your ambition, Mirai? You don't want to make any mistakes? Why not?" Kushina tilted her head, pondering the question, but couldn't figure it out.

"My name is Minato Namikaze. My hobby is training, and my ambition is to become Hokage!" Minato introduced himself with a gentle smile that seemed to shine straight into people's hearts.

"Ugh, a sissy like you wants to be Hokage?" Kushina curled her lip. If she had to name the person in class she liked least, it would definitely be Minato. In her eyes, he was too soft and would surely get pushed around someday.

"Becoming Hokage? That's a fine ambition!" Jiraiya was impressed. Minato's gentle smile especially made him nod. He was a good judge of character and could tell Minato was a strong-willed person, someone who would give everything for his ambition. After studying Minato for a moment, Jiraiya suddenly changed his expression and looked at Kushina with a mischievous grin. "Now all that's left is the cute girl in class. Tell us your ambitions and such, and your teacher will make sure you achieve them!"

Jiraiya was back to being a rascal!

"Sensei, you're so improper! Hmph!" Jiraiya's words made Kushina blush, but she quickly glared at him, puffing her cheeks. "My name is Kushina Uzumaki. My hobby is..." Her face flushed again. Her hobby was playing pranks, but how could she say that now? She stammered for a long while, unable to get the words out. She was afraid Mirai would look down on her if he found out she liked playing pranks.

"It's okay. Just be yourself. We don't live for other people; we live for ourselves." Mirai gently tapped the back of Kushina's hand and spoke quietly.

At his words, Kushina froze and turned to look at him. Seeing the clarity in his eyes, she took a small breath, then closed her eyes and shouted, "My hobby is using pranks to beat down everyone who bullies me! My ambition is to protect Mirai's ambition!"

By the end, her catchphrase had slipped out again. After shouting, she lowered her head, her ears red.

Jiraiya was a little dumbfounded. Why was she making her introduction to Mirai? But soon he was looking at Mirai with a mischievous smile, a peculiar glint in his eyes.

Hearing Kushina's words, Minato felt a pang of sadness. He knew he probably didn't stand a chance. He glanced at Mirai, who remained calm, and felt a twinge of envy.

Mirai and Kushina's relationship had practically been set in stone three years ago, and the more time passed, the stronger it would grow. Mirai would do anything for Kushina. No one could hurt her.

"Sensei, shouldn't you introduce yourself now?" Sensing the strange atmosphere, Kushina mustered her courage and said impatiently to Jiraiya.

Ahem!

Kushina's words brought Jiraiya back to himself. He put away his playful grin and grew solemn, then bit his finger and formed several hand seals.

Seeing this, Mirai turned his head away. He didn't need to be a mind reader to know what Jiraiya was about to do.

Bang!

A cloud of smoke appeared, and a giant toad stood before them. Jiraiya posed atop it, eyes closed. After a moment, he abruptly opened them and began waving his arms around.

"I am Lord Jiraiya, the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku!"

Mirai was at a loss for words. Even when he'd watched the anime, he'd found Jiraiya's entrances ridiculous. Experiencing one in person made it even more unbelievable.

"Ahem. As for my ambition, I want to become a novelist who travels the world. And I hope that one day, there will be no more wars!" At that, Jiraiya's demeanor changed, and he grew a little melancholy.

"Sensei?"

Minato and Kushina exchanged puzzled glances at Jiraiya. The contrast was just too great. A moment ago he'd been grinning and joking, and now he looked melancholy.

Feeling their strange looks, Jiraiya blushed. He didn't want to dwell on the subject, so after coughing twice, he continued, "Now that you all know one another's names, it's time for a mock battle!"

"A mock battle?"

"Since I'm your instructor, it's my duty to help you train. So before we begin, I need to fight you!" Jiraiya nodded and spoke calmly.

Minato and Kushina nodded, understanding. Mirai wasn't surprised at all. He'd known there would be a fight before he came here.

Ding! System quest issued: Earn Jiraiya's approval in the upcoming battle. Successful completion: 1,000 points! Failure: 1,000 points deducted from the host!

At the system's announcement, Mirai's eyes lit up. There was no doubt that Jiraiya was strong. He was at least Kage Level now, and would likely be even stronger if he learned Sage Mode. A one-on-one fight probably wouldn't be enough to earn his approval. Mirai would have to find another way.

"Now, I'll give you time to hide. You have two hours. After that, we'll fight. Once you're ready, get moving!" Jiraiya folded his arms and looked at the three of them sternly.

As soon as Jiraiya finished speaking, the three vanished into the woods behind them. They disappeared from sight in no time, each heading in a different direction.

"I wonder how well those two brats, Minato and Mirai, will fight," Jiraiya murmured, rubbing his chin. He'd watched Mirai and Minato fight yesterday, but the gap in their strength had been too great to tell much. That left him a little excited. The more talented his students were, the happier he was as their teacher. Jiraiya was looking forward to the fight to come.