Kakashi was a disciple of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. By that reckoning, he should have been a fourth-generation disciple of the Hokage lineage.
But Mitaraishi Anko was a disciple of Orochimaru, one of the Sannin. In other words, Anko belonged to the same generation as Minato.
In terms of seniority, Anko was at least the equivalent of Kakashi's martial aunt.
Jonin were the top fighting forces of every ninja village, and there were only so many of them. Many also held important positions throughout their villages, so there was no way they could all become Jonin instructors.
Special Jonin could just about count as Jonin, too...
For civilian ninja without the backing of a ninja clan or exceptional potential, instructors like these were probably the standard, right?
Actually, compared with other civilian ninja squads, having Mitaraishi Anko as their instructor was already a pretty good deal.
At least, compared with those other instructors whose names even Yang Cheng couldn't recall, Anko belonged squarely to the Hokage lineage. She was definitely someone worth latching onto.
"Let's introduce ourselves first. My name is Mitaraishi Anko, and I'm a special jōnin of Konoha.
I like sweets, especially rice dumplings and sweet red bean paste. I dislike people with cowardly personalities. As for the person I hate most, I'll keep that to myself.
Although this is my first time serving as a Jonin instructor, I hope we'll all get along."
Seeing Anko's bright, easygoing smile, the two bit players beside Yang Cheng also smiled in relief.
They had heard that even after graduating from the Ninja Academy, they might encounter strict Jonin instructors.
If those instructors rejected them, they could be sent back to the Ninja Academy and become the younger students next year.
But this instructor named Mitaraishi Anko seemed warm and kind no matter how they looked at her. Surely they had this in the bag!
Looking at Anko's cheerful smile, Yang Cheng's two teammates immediately let down their guard and happily began introducing themselves.
Yet just as Yang Cheng's turn came, his keen senses suddenly picked up a venomous snake nearby. Without any of them noticing, it had already slithered to their feet.
"Hiss!"
Almost instantly, Yang Cheng drew a kunai from his ninja tool pouch. As the snake opened its mouth and bared its venomous fangs, he pinned it straight to the ground.
At the same time, Anko's cheerful smile turned intrigued. She stretched out one long leg and swept it toward Yang Cheng.
With that kick whistling through the air toward him, Yang Cheng had no time to appreciate any view beneath her skirt.
Anko's taijutsu was considerably stronger than Inoichi Yamanaka's. Although he crossed his arms in front of himself in time, a blast of air swept outward, and the single blow still sent him flying.
"Interesting. I thought nobody would pass my assessment this time. I didn't expect to find such an interesting brat."
Indeed, almost everyone who thought Anko was friendly simply didn't truly know her.
She had grown up under Orochimaru's tutelage. Although she usually presented a cheerful face, she had always been known as Konoha's most dangerous woman!
Following the usual convention, a Jonin instructor's assessment of new recruits should have involved stealing bells.
But Anko had always done things her own way, and she clearly had no intention of following that old-fashioned assessment format.
The assessment had begun the moment she brought the three students outside.
"As a ninja, you must never let your guard down, no matter what environment you're in.
And clearly, neither of you managed that. So you've both been eliminated."
Hearing Anko's words, Yang Cheng's two teammates initially wanted to argue. But the eerie smile on her face seemed to envelop them in the shadow of death, and they instantly shut their mouths.
Only now did they realize that their earlier impression of Anko as a kind teacher had been nothing but an illusion!
With such a dangerous Jonin instructor, going back to the Ninja Academy for another year might not be a bad thing.
After announcing the two bit players' results, Anko turned to Yang Cheng and ran her tongue over her lips with keen interest.
"As for you, brat, honestly, you performed better than I expected.
Normally, under the assessment rules, if even one of you three is eliminated, the other two have to return to the Ninja Academy as well.
After all, it takes three people to form a ninja squad. But I've always believed that, for ninja, it's survival of the fittest.
If your performance from here on satisfies me, I wouldn't mind bending the rules for you."
At Anko's words, Yang Cheng's other two teammates' eyes lit up.
Yang Cheng, however, could only give a wry smile.
Satisfy Anko? What level of performance would satisfy her? Surely she didn't expect me to beat her?
Everyone knew some women said no while secretly thinking, Don't stop.
What would satisfy Anko was entirely up to her, wasn't it?
Still, Yang Cheng had no interest in becoming a junior student next year, so for now, he could only do as Anko said and try his best to please her.
He opened by throwing several shuriken, but Anko dodged them with ease.
At that very moment, however, Yang Cheng used his Body Flicker Technique, modified with Shave, to appear right in front of her. As surprise crossed her face, he leaped up and whipped a kick toward her head.
She apparently hadn't expected Yang Cheng to use the Body Flicker Technique at his age, let alone possess such strong taijutsu.
Anko raised her arm and turned sideways to block. Although she successfully stopped Yang Cheng's kick, its powerful force left her arm tingling.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Even Anko felt that using ninjutsu against a genin who had only just graduated was taking things a little too seriously.
But with her playful streak now fully aroused, she was genuinely curious about where Yang Cheng's limits lay.
As long as she held back a little, she could make sure Yang Cheng's life wasn't in danger.
She unleashed the signature ninjutsu of Orochimaru's lineage. As venomous snakes shot from her sleeve like lightning, Yang Cheng swung the kunai in his hand as though he had anticipated it.
The defining feature of Hidden Shadow Snake Hands was its speed-
and how difficult it was to defend against.
But Yang Cheng had long known that Anko used this technique, and he knew its characteristics. He had already prepared for it.
Clang!
Swinging his kunai, Yang Cheng blocked the snakes' bites, but the force of their fangs striking the blade sent him flying backward again.
Seeing her Hidden Shadow Snake Hands blocked left Anko even more surprised. But she quickly formed hand seals and spat a high-speed jet of flame from her mouth.
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"
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