Tsunade: "Screw you all!"

Bai Lin and the other two chatted while they waited.

Kushina was very lively, seemingly glued to Bai Lin's side, her mouth never stopping as she chattered on about various things.

Bai Lin didn't find it annoying; he teased her with jokes from his past life, making Kushina giggle incessantly.

A hunter shot a fox, and then the hunter died. The fox said, "Hahaha, I am a reflex arc."

Fortunately, the school teachers arrived soon after, organizing the students of their respective classes to stand in orderly lines.

Kushina had no choice but to let go of Bai Lin's arm and return to her class's designated spot.

Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, Tsunade, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and Hatake Sakumo were all present.

Representatives from the Ino-Shika-Cho, Hyuga, Uchiha, Aburame, Inuzuka, and other clans were also in attendance.

The high-ranking officials of Konoha had all arrived, giving the hundred students plenty of face.

"Holy crap, what a massive turnout!"

"What do I do? I feel like I'm going to wet my pants with so many big shots here."

"No, hold it in! Forget it, I can't hold it anymore, I'll just surrender later."

The crowd buzzed with chatter, growing quite noisy.

It was only natural; most of them were just ordinary children who had never seen such a grand spectacle.

Utatane Koharu: "Hiruzen, it's one thing for the children graduating soon, but they lack combat experience. Sending them directly to the battlefield is too risky. If we suffer heavy losses, it will affect Konoha's future strength."

Mitokado Homura chimed in: "Koharu makes a valid point. It would be better to have them join logistics teams first, and only consider transferring them to the front lines after they've accumulated some combat experience."

During the meeting, Hiruzen Sarutobi had already decided the path for the children who passed the assessment.

They would all be assigned to squads led by Jonin. Even if a squad had already reached the standard of four members, they would be added as auxiliary members, with the sole goal of rapid growth.

They would not be given dangerous missions in the early stages, and squads would be reorganized once their strength reached an appropriate level.

Those with better talent would be led by Jonin, while those with average talent would be led by Chunin.

Shimura Danzō's tone carried a hint of malice: "In times of war, we need all the manpower we can get. Since they applied for graduation on their own, it shows they have a certain level of confidence."

"My Root is also in need of personnel; I'll take the opportunity to select a few to join."

He had other calculations in mind: if there were any moldable talents among these students, he would take the chance to recruit them into Root and expand his own influence.

Since Hiruzen Sarutobi had agreed to let him expand Root, these underage children were the perfect candidates.

There was no need to raise them from scratch, saving him time and effort, and they could be put to use immediately—it was simply too perfect.

Aside from the Konoha F4, who were concerned about the children in the Ninja Academy, the others were also observing the group with heavy gazes.

"Tsunade, Orochimaru, look at these kids—don't they look like us when we were young? We were just as energetic as them back then. Hahaha!"

Jiraiya's eyes shone as he scanned the children in the crowd, his tone filled with nostalgia and emotion.

"I am a genius! I graduated from the Ninja Academy at six; it'll take them ten thousand years to catch up to my footsteps!"

He held up a finger, seemingly emphasizing his status as a genius.

This caused Tsunade, who was standing beside him with her arms crossed, to roll her eyes dramatically: "Give it a rest. If it weren't for you, the dead-last, dragging our team down, I don't know how much easier things would have been."

"Hey, hey! Who's the dead-last? In Konoha, which ninja doesn't call me Lord Jiraiya when they see me? That's enough to prove my talent, right?"

"Hahaha!" After boasting, Jiraiya couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Tsunade felt a bit helpless, simply unleashing a burst of super strength to smash her fist onto Jiraiya's head.

"Get serious! You might not care about your reputation, but I do!"

Orochimaru watched the two clowning around, a faint trace of a smile flashing in his golden slit pupils before he returned to his usual cold demeanor.

He flicked his tongue across his lips, his gaze sweeping past the crowd to Bai Lin, who stood alone, and he revealed an expression of interest: "A boring farce. But... this brat gives me a sense of familiarity. Is it an illusion?"

"Which brat could catch the eye of Orochimaru?" Tsunade rubbed her knuckles, her tone curious—anyone who could make Orochimaru say the word "interesting" was definitely no ordinary child.

Orochimaru could be considered the most outstanding of the three, and even Tsunade admitted that her talent wasn't as high as his.

"Is it that brat with black hair and black eyes, long hair tied up, wearing a white kimono and flip-flops?" Jiraiya recovered from Tsunade's blow and looked in the direction of Orochimaru's gaze, spotting Bai Lin. "He's just whatever. He's not even as handsome as me!"

Jiraiya immediately dropped his playful demeanor, his expression turning serious as he reached out to pat Orochimaru on the shoulder: "Hey! Orochimaru, do you feel like there's something special about him?"

He hadn't sensed anything unusual or special about Bai Lin, but he didn't believe Orochimaru would speak without reason—this was the bond between the three of them.

"His aura is steady—too steady for a young person. Facing so many Konoha high-ranking officials, he shows no nervousness or awe, acting more like a bystander. This kind of temperament is not common." Orochimaru didn't answer directly, only slowly raising a finger to point in Bai Lin's direction.

"That's it?" Jiraiya scratched his head. "Weren't you like that before? When the teacher took you as a disciple, you seemed just as indifferent. Is this what genius thinking is like? Maybe this kid will be the next Orochimaru."

Tsunade looked over as well, but she only had one feeling: he was handsome. She couldn't see any other issues either.

"No, I always have a sense of familiarity when I look at him, as if we've known each other for years, or as if he were someone I had personally trained."

"I like this child. Once the assessment is over, I will request that the teacher assign him to my subordinates, take him as my disciple, and teach him personally."

The interest in Orochimaru's eyes was noted by Tsunade and Jiraiya, both of whom had the same misconception: that Orochimaru only showed such fervor when he was conducting experiments.

This experiment wasn't human experimentation, but rather Orochimaru's particular obsession with research, such as the study of ninjutsu.

Jiraiya rubbed his chin and looked at Bai Lin again: "I don't see it. I just think he's quite cold. But since you said so, Orochimaru, this kid definitely isn't simple! How about I go test his strength myself?"

He paused, flicking his tongue across his lips with a probing tone: "No, I want to go and test it myself!"

Jiraiya: "I'll go!"

Orochimaru: "I'll go!"

"Bang! Bang!"

Tsunade: "Screw you both!"

Orochimaru, who rarely suffered Tsunade's monstrous strength, found himself struck by her heavy blow once again after who knows how long.

Tsunade, Orochimaru, Jiraiya (Konoha Year 13, 23 years old, Elite Jōnin).

(Nawaki is not yet dead; after his death, Dan Katō will speak up for Tsunade and later become her lover.)