Graduation Mini-Test, Nagato and Jiraiya

Outside Konoha Village, at the Third Training Ground.

Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, illuminating two distinct sides.

On one side stood the three students who had graduated early from the Konoha Ninja Academy at the age of eight:

Yahiko, a boy with short orange hair, brimming with spirit and drive; Konan, a blue-haired girl with a calm temperament and focused gaze; and Nagato, a red-haired boy whose former gloom had been replaced by resilience, though his eyes still held a trace of profound depth.

All three wore brand-new Konoha forehead protectors, which caught the sunlight and shimmered with a brilliant luster.

On the other side stood the man who had brought them back to Konoha from the Land of Rain, the one who had taken them in and raised them, and their current Jōnin instructor: Uzumaki Qi Luna!

Three years of refinement had made his chakra even more restrained. His dark ninja combat suit made his long red hair appear somewhat muted, and his azure eyes watched his younger siblings—who were also his disciples—with calm composure.

Over these three years, as a student and subordinate of Hatake Sakumo, Qi Luna had perfectly integrated the sharp, swift style of the "White Fang of Konoha" with his own vast reserves of chakra. At this moment, simply standing there, he gave off an air of being utterly flawless.

"Today is a rather traditional test. If you can land a hit on me, you win. Damaging my clothes counts, even if you just manage to dirty the hem."

"Time limit: one hour."

"Yes!"

No sooner had Qi Luna finished speaking than Yahiko took the lead. With his orange hair flying, he surged forward, utilizing the taijutsu Qi Luna had taught them over the past three years!

Nagato quickly formed hand seals, shouting in a low voice:

"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"

"Combined Ninjutsu: Fierce Flame Bullet!"

The scorching fireball, enhanced by the Wind Style, sealed off Qi Luna's retreat. Simultaneously, Konan flicked her slender hands, and countless paper shuriken transformed into a white whirlwind, firing from tricky angles.

Qi Luna's figure swayed slightly. With a leisurely, unhurried gait, he shifted precisely to the side, dodging the Fierce Flame Bullet and the paper shuriken storm by a hair's breadth. At the same time, he caught Yahiko's whip kick with his palm, then used the momentum to spin three hundred and sixty degrees, tossing Yahiko back.

Watching Yahiko being thrown back, Nagato's movements faltered, his reaction slowed by a split second, and he was struck directly by Yahiko's body, causing them both to tumble backward.

"Your intentions were too obvious, your coordination lacked synergy, and it wasn't subtle enough. Furthermore, facing a strong enemy, wasting large amounts of chakra for no reason is not a wise move."

As he critiqued them, Qi Luna's gaze shifted toward Nagato, who was sprawled on the ground after being knocked over by Yahiko.

Just as Qi Luna waited for the trio to launch their second wave of attacks, his eyes suddenly turned toward a giant tree trunk at the edge of the field, and a meaningful curve tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Because of the simple nature of the test, Qi Luna hadn't activated his Kagura Mind's Eye, yet he had still caught a trace of an aura that was extremely familiar, yet deliberately concealed—the aura of a hero obsessed with the prophecies of the Great Toad Sage!

"That Toad Sage from Mount Myoboku in the tree, since you are so concerned about Nagato and the others, why not show yourself and test them personally?"

Qi Luna's voice carried a hint of mockery, yet it cut through the woods clearly, reaching the ears of the eavesdropper.

Before the words had even faded, Qi Luna's figure vanished!

"Style One: Violent Step!"

There was no shocking display of force, only a crimson afterimage tearing through the air! In almost an instant, Qi Luna appeared atop the tree trunk as if he had teleported!

"Whoa!"

A strange cry rang out, and a figure with messy white hair and a red haori tumbled down in a disheveled heap. This figure was none other than Sarutobi Hiruzen's student, the summoning contractor of the three great sage lands' Mount Myoboku, and one of the Konoha Sannin: Jiraiya!

He stood up, brushed the dust and leaves from his clothes, and glared helplessly at Qi Luna, who had body-flickered right in front of him.

"Hey, hey! Qi Luna! Did you learn that speed from Sakumo-senpai, or did you steal the Flying Thunder God Technique from Minato? How are you so fast?"

"And your sensory perception—my Transparent Escape has never been discovered by anyone else, not even the Old Man... how did you find me?"

Qi Luna ignored his grumbling and turned his gaze back to the three stunned children in the distance. He then pointed at Jiraiya, who had just steadied himself with an expression that said, "You've really screwed me over," and spoke in an unquestionable tone:

"The mission has changed. This is Big Brother Jiraiya, whom you are all familiar with. He is 'very concerned' about your strength and potential, especially Nagato's, so he wants to test you on my behalf."

Upon hearing the name "Nagato," Jiraiya's gaze sharpened instantly. He swept a glance over Nagato without being obvious, and when his eyes landed on those Rinnegan—which looked different now but still contained profound power—his pupils contracted almost imperceptibly!

The prophecy once mentioned by the Great Toad Sage, Gamakichi, regarding the "Child of Prophecy" who would bring great change to the Ninja World, exploded in his mind once again!

Qi Luna took in Jiraiya's reaction, thinking to himself that it was just as he had expected, and this was one of his goals.

He continued:

"The new test objective: hold out for fifteen minutes against Big Brother Jiraiya. He will be giving you some serious guidance."

"Is that the Jiraiya of the Konoha Sannin, the one who fought against Salamander Hanzo?!"

Yahiko gasped, his entire demeanor seemingly becoming even more spirited.

Konan was instantly surrounded by a large number of paper shuriken ready to fire, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Nagato seemed to sense Jiraiya's probing gaze; his Rinnegan flickered, and his expression turned complex and solemn.

Jiraiya looked at the three nervous yet spirited kids, then glanced at Qi Luna, who stood nearby with his arms crossed and an expression that said, "Please, start your performance," clearly having seen through his inner thoughts. Jiraiya rubbed his nose helplessly, then let out a hearty laugh:

"Hahaha! Little brother Qi Luna, you really... you sure know how to find work for Big Brother Jiraiya! You know, as the Captain of the Jōnin Squad, I'm a very busy man!"

As he spoke, his expression turned serious. An aura belonging to a top-tier powerhouse slowly rose:

"However... since it's for the sake of Konoha's saplings, then this Toad Sage will play along! Kids, let this Sage see just how much 'jade' has been polished over these three years by Qi Luna and that Tsunade! Don't you dare disappoint me!"

Jiraiya quickly formed hand seals, and a powerful surge of chakra instantly radiated outward.

Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan exchanged glances. Over three years of tacit understanding meant they didn't need words. Facing this legendary figure—a powerhouse even stronger than Qi Luna, whom their big brother and teacher had specifically brought here—their nervousness transformed into a burning, soaring fighting spirit!

Qi Luna quietly retreated to the edge of the field, her sky-blue eyes watching the training ground with calm focus.

He had let Jiraiya step in to fight in his place, not only as a precious demonstration for the sparring match but also as a deliberate move to let Jiraiya witness that Nagato was no longer the orphan they had once encountered in the Land of Rain. Under the sunlight of Konoha, and through the collective guidance of himself, Tsunade, Kushina, Minato, and others, Nagato was a new generation of ninja striving to master his own power and forge a brand-new future!

The Child of Prophecy? He had never been that, but even more so, he would never be anyone's puppet!

At this moment, Nagato was first and foremost a Konoha ninja, a disciple and subordinate of Uzumaki Qi Luna, and furthermore, one of the few family members he wished to protect!

And this was the message Qi Luna wanted to convey to Jiraiya, to Sarutobi Hiruzen, and to everyone in Konoha through this "graduation test"!

Supplementary Note:

Before the end of the Third Shinobi World War, the standard for the Konoha Ninja Academy was generally enrollment at age five and graduation at age ten, and it was relatively simple to graduate early.

For instance, Obito and his peers graduated at around eight years old and became Chunin at nine.

Based on the intelligence that Nagato and Konan died at the age of 35, less than seventeen years after Minato's death, we can deduce that Nagato and his companions were only about six years younger than Minato. It is currently Konoha Year 41; Minato and the protagonist are 14, Nagato and his group are 8, and Kakashi is four and about to enroll.