Jiraiya's Underestimation (Seeking Follow-ups, Seeking Follow-ups!)

"Big Brother Kizaru, aren't you coming back with us?"

Standing at the school gate, Shimura Yoshihiko, Shimura Yuki, and Shimura Tanin gathered around Kizaru.

"I'm planning to head to the training grounds to practice some ninjutsu. You guys go on ahead!"

Having just received a physical enhancement, Kizaru intended to head to the training grounds to practice and properly acclimate to his strengthened body.

"Big Brother Kizaru, can we go with you?" Hearing that Kizaru was going to practice ninjutsu, Shimura Yoshihiko was eager to tag along.

Kizaru pulled his right hand from his pocket, intending to tap Yoshihiko on the head as he usually did, but he suddenly realized he had just undergone a physical enhancement and couldn't control his strength well yet, so he quickly stopped the motion.

"Not today! You guys head back first. I'll come find you tonight."

Rejected by Kizaru, Yoshihiko didn't notice the momentary pause in Kizaru's movement and merely lowered his head in slight disappointment.

"Stop acting like a tail, clinging to Brother Kizaru all day long." With a cold face, Shimura Yuki lectured Yoshihiko.

"You, of all people, have the nerve to say that? Who is it that calls him 'Brother Kizaru' every time we get home, and even insists on sitting next to Big Brother Kizaru during meals? You have some nerve lecturing others." Yoshihiko looked at Shimura Yuki and retorted loudly.

A flash of shyness crossed her face, and her earlobes turned slightly red. Shimura Yuki stiffened her cold little face and said coldly, "Hurry up, don't waste Brother Kizaru's time!"

"Hmph!" With an angry snort, Shimura Yoshihiko looked back at Kizaru. "Big Brother Kizaru, then we'll head home first."

"Hurry back! Watch out for your safety on the way."

Kizaru waved at the three of them, watching as they walked away.

"This guy seems quite popular, doesn't he?" Crouched on a large tree to the right of the school, Tsunade leaned against the trunk and voiced her assessment.

"Is he really six years old?" Jiraiya stood on the other side of the trunk, staring at the tall, slender Kizaru with wide eyes, echoing the sentiment many others had expressed.

Orochimaru, who hadn't climbed the tree but simply stood behind the trunk, was also carefully observing his future disciple.

Is this child really only six? How on earth did he develop like this?

In that moment, Orochimaru's thirst for knowledge and research was instantly ignited.

Watching the three little ones gradually walk away until they vanished from sight, Kizaru finally withdrew his gaze and tucked his right hand back into his pocket.

Turning his head to the right, Kizaru scanned the area carefully; he always had the feeling of being watched.

Is it that pervert Hiruzen Sarutobi spying on me again?

Kizaru thought to himself while beginning to move.

Konoha has a total of fifty training grounds of varying sizes, distributed throughout different parts of the village. (Book of Soldiers, official setting.)

The training ground Kizaru intended to visit had a high number, located on the outskirts of the village; it was quite remote and rarely visited.

The Ninja Academy was located in the center of the village, directly beneath the Hokage Rock, quite a distance from the training grounds. Not wanting to waste too much time, Kizaru chose to use the Body Flicker Technique to travel.

Speeding along, Kizaru spent about ten minutes reaching the chosen training ground.

Looking around the training ground, he saw weeds sprouting; Kizaru estimated that no one had been here for months.

Kizaru was quite satisfied with this; he didn't want his strength revealed too much in the village just yet.

It wasn't that Kizaru wanted to play the fool to catch his prey, but rather that he intended to display it all during the graduation exam to harvest a massive amount of prestige and boost the progress of his fusion bar.

Standing in the center of the field, Kizaru first did some simple stretches, carefully feeling the increase in his physical strength.

As Kizaru began his warm-up, the future Sannin, who had been tailing him from afar to test his mettle, also quietly infiltrated the perimeter of the training ground.

Using the dense bushes to conceal their figures, the future Sannin crouched on the ground, looking at each other to discuss their next move.

"Jiraiya, you go first," Tsunade whispered to Jiraiya.

Jiraiya's eyes widened; he pointed at himself and then shook his hands.

Seeing Jiraiya refuse, Tsunade didn't waste words; she simply extended her right hand, clenched into a fist, the meaning self-evident.

Sweat instantly broke out on Jiraiya's forehead; for the sake of his life, he could only nod in helpless agreement.

Seeing Jiraiya nod, Tsunade revealed a satisfied smile, then gestured toward the training ground, signaling Jiraiya to hurry up.

Continuing to nod to show he understood, Jiraiya quietly began weaving hand signs. After using the Transformation Technique to change his appearance, he used a Body Flicker to leave the cover of the bushes.

Seeing Jiraiya take action, Tsunade wore an expression of excitement and anticipation as she looked at Kizaru in the training ground.

"First Hokage" potential, is it? A once-in-a-generation genius, is it? Let me see exactly what you're made of.

Compared to the excited Tsunade, Orochimaru appeared very calm, though his eyes, fixed intently on Kizaru, betrayed that he too held no small amount of anticipation.

Leaping onto a tree branch, Jiraiya, now transformed into a middle-aged man with short brown hair and a dark complexion, did not rashly attack, but instead kept his eyes on Kizaru in the center of the field.

Taking two shuriken from the holster on his thigh, Jiraiya launched his attack while Kizaru was bent over stretching.

The two shuriken flew from different directions, aimed at Kizaru's backside and thigh—neither were lethal spots.

Kizaru, who was bent over with his hands on the ground, heard the movement behind him and to his right.

With a light push of his hands, his body snapped straight like a spring.

Just as he stood upright, the two shuriken arrived in front of him.

With a calm expression and not a hint of panic, Kizaru didn't even shift his feet; he simply twisted his torso and leaned backward, letting the two shuriken pass just above and below him.

Watching the shuriken land and bury themselves halfway into the ground, Kizaru assessed the hidden enemy in his heart: Physical strength is not bad at all.

Habitually sliding his hands into his pockets, Kizaru scanned his surroundings and spoke.

"How truly terrifying! I almost got hit there."

Even though he was remarking on the danger of the attack, the words always carried a mocking tone when they left Kizaru's mouth.

"What a pretentious little brat!" Tsunade, who had been keeping a close eye on Kizaru, muttered under her breath.

As Tsunade spoke, Jiraiya initiated his next move. Pushing off a tree branch, he appeared behind Kizaru as if he had teleported, wielding a kunai and thrusting it toward Kizaru with speed and force.

Facing the surprise attack, Kizaru acted as if he had eyes in the back of his head; he leaned forward to the left, narrowly dodging the strike.

With the thrust missing its mark, Jiraiya hooked his index finger through the ring of the kunai, released his other fingers to flip the blade from horizontal to vertical, and followed through with a downward slash.

Leaning forward with his back to Jiraiya, Kizaru reacted instantly to the combo. He spun his body, planted his left foot, and raised his right leg for a swift, powerful side kick.

Kizaru struck back, his right leg leaving an afterimage as it connected with his enemy before the kunai could reach him.

Bang!

Holding the mindset of testing a child, Jiraiya had underestimated his opponent and failed to react in time, getting kicked away by Kizaru and slamming heavily into a tree in the distance.

Cough, cough!

Having smashed a large hole into the thick trunk of the tree, Jiraiya coughed a few times, blood welling up in his throat from the immense force of the impact.

I underestimated him!

The injured Jiraiya offered a wry smile, his expression turning serious.

The physical strength of the brat before him was already at sixty or seventy percent of Tsunade's Strength Enhancement Technique.

Recalling the attack he had just endured, Jiraiya assessed the power Kizaru had displayed.

It's 6:00 AM, and Maomao has finished writing today's two chapters. Hands on hips, looking up at the sky, feeling proud!!!

Maomao is working so hard, won't everyone vote to show some support?