"I'm seriously injured! Why do I have to be discharged tonight?"
Lying in his hospital bed and enjoying the care of a beautiful nurse, Jiraiya complained to Tsunade and Orochimaru, who stood beside his bed.
"The Old Man told us to take you home," Tsunade said coldly, arms crossed over her chest.
Tsunade was furious at Hiruzen Sarutobi, that shameless old bastard, for stealing her student. She'd been in a foul mood all day.
"Does Teacher Sarutobi want me dead?" Jiraiya cried indignantly.
"Teacher Sarutobi is planning to take Kizaru as his student. He wants us all to go to the Shimura Clan's home tonight," Orochimaru kindly explained.
After hearing Orochimaru's explanation, Jiraiya was even more confused.
Wasn't Kizaru Orochimaru's student? How had Teacher Sarutobi become his teacher? Had his nephew turned into his junior?
"Teacher Sarutobi thinks Kizaru has excellent talent, since he could easily defeat an idiot like you. So he's planning to take him on as a student and teach him personally," Orochimaru continued.
"You idiot. You're such an embarrassment." After hearing Orochimaru's words, Tsunade suddenly realized that Jiraiya was mainly to blame for her student being stolen. She found him even more intolerable.
"So it's all my fault?" Jiraiya said excitedly, pointing at himself.
"Who else's fault would it be?" Tsunade glared at him.
"I—I never expected that little brat to be such a monster!" Jiraiya looked ready to cry.
"Shut up! Stop yelling and get up. The Old Man's waiting for us." As she spoke, Tsunade immediately sprang into action.
She grabbed a corner of the blanket and yanked it away, uncovering the white blanket that had been draped over Jiraiya.
Feeling a chill, Jiraiya panicked and hurriedly shielded the "Liu Bei" in his bed with his body. "What are you doing, Tsunade? You can't just pull the covers off someone!"
Jiraiya had moved quickly, but Tsunade's eyes were sharper. She'd already seen the book's cover.
Veins bulging on her forehead, Tsunade rolled up her sleeves and prepared to strike.
"Jiraiya, you perverted lecher!"
Orochimaru quickly stepped forward and moved beside Tsunade, stopping her before she could lose her temper.
"Calm down, Tsunade! Teacher Sarutobi is still waiting for us."
Orochimaru's words had some effect. Tsunade lowered her raised right hand and unclenched her fist.
"You only learned the Old Man's lechery, you know."
Jiraiya held his hands up in front of him defensively. Seeing that Tsunade wasn't going to hit him, he breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed a little.
"You won't be my girlfriend, so what else can I do but read?" Jiraiya muttered so quietly that he could barely be heard as he climbed out of bed.
"What did you say?" Tsunade glared at him.
Jiraiya hurriedly shook his head. "Nothing, nothing! The Old Man's waiting for us, isn't he? Let's get going!"
"Hmph!" Tsunade snorted. "Once you're healed, I'll give you a proper lesson."
Jiraiya shuddered. He felt like he only had a few days left to live.
At 7:40 that evening, after dinner and a walk to help it settle, Kizaru ambled over to the edge of the clan's Training Ground, hands in his pockets.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Uncle!"
Seeing Danzo standing in the middle of the Training Ground, Kizaru greeted him with a smile.
"Get yourself ready. Don't disappoint me later."
Danzo kept his eyes closed and his chin slightly raised, resting with his eyes shut in the cool evening breeze.
"What a scary look!" Kizaru remarked with a smile, admiring Danzo's air of otherworldly mastery.
Danzo's relaxed brows tightened slightly. He wanted to keep lecturing Kizaru, but then he remembered what Hiruzen Sarutobi had told him that afternoon: Kizaru had defeated Jiraiya. He forcibly held back the urge to lecture him.
If he lectured Kizaru now, and the boy performed well in the fight later, wouldn't Danzo be making a fool of himself?
He wasn't like a fool such as Jiraiya!
Thinking this to himself, Danzo's furrowed brows relaxed again.
Standing by the edge of the training ground, Kizaru raised his hands and rotated them from side to side, doing a simple warm-up.
"Uncle, do we have to wait until eight to start?" Kizaru asked as he warmed up.
"Mm," Danzo replied briefly before continuing, "There's been a change in who'll be instructing you."
"Oh!" Kizaru put on a surprised expression, but inside, he didn't feel the slightest ripple.
"The Third Hokage plans to take you on as his student and teach you personally," Danzo continued.
"Oh-ho-ho! I guess I'm popular!" Kizaru said with a laugh.
"Tonight, Hiruzen will bring his three students to watch my match with you."
"What distinguished guests! I'm getting nervous!" Kizaru said with a smile. He'd finished warming up and put his hands back in his pockets.
Nervous, my ass!
Danzo hadn't opened his eyes, but from Kizaru's tone, he couldn't hear the slightest hint of nervousness. Instead, the boy sounded unbearably smug! It made Danzo want to punch him.
"Mind your tone. Don't be disrespectful later," Danzo warned him.
"What a difficult request," Kizaru replied.
"Why is this kid so infuriating?" Danzo sighed to himself.
"Hahaha! I hope I'm not too late." Just as Kizaru and Danzo were talking, Hiruzen Sarutobi came over with the Sannin.
"Not at all. You're right on time!" Danzo opened his eyes and looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Uncle Hiruzen, I heard you're going to be my teacher?" Kizaru looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi and asked with a smile.
"Would you be willing to have me as your teacher?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked with a smile.
"Good evening, Teacher!" Kizaru made his position clear at once.
"Hahaha!" Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed even more happily. "Good, good, good! What a fine boy!"
Danzo: Two shameless bastards!
Tsunade: Shameless!
Orochimaru:
Jiraiya:
"Now that everyone's here, shall we begin the assessment? Kizaru, are you ready?" Unable to watch any longer, Danzo cut in.
"How frightening, Uncle!" Kizaru put on a troubled expression, then walked into the Training Ground and stopped in front of Danzo.
"I'm not like Jiraiya. Give it everything you've got," Danzo said sternly.
As soon as Danzo said this, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Orochimaru, and Tsunade all turned to look at Jiraiya, their eyes carrying just a hint of disdain.
Jiraiya: ???
Jiraiya had taken a stray hit for no reason. He wanted to defend himself, but had nothing to say, so he could only lower his head sadly.
With an even brighter smile, Kizaru looked at Danzo and said, "Then you'd better be ready, Uncle! Careful you don't get scared!"
As he spoke, Kizaru took a few steps back, putting some distance between himself and Danzo.
"Begin!"
As Danzo's words fell, the atmosphere grew tense. The battle officially began!
Good news! Thanks to everyone's support, we've received a message on the author's dashboard saying the book has been selected for a recommendation. Its trial run will officially begin on Sunday.
For the trial recommendation, reader retention is the key to moving up. Maomao is begging everyone to keep reading, especially on Tuesday. Please make sure to read the latest chapter that day. I'm counting on you!