She didn't speak too clearly, nor did she want others to see the truth, but only she herself knew what really happened.
On this basis.
All she could do was not say what was on her mind, but she didn't lie to anyone.
"You're next!"
Jiraiya didn't make things difficult for Kushina. At the moment, he didn't know much about the girl's situation; his focus was more on Araki and Minato Namikaze.
At this moment, Jiraiya looked at Araki, indicating that it was Araki's turn to introduce himself.
My name is Araki.
Araki uttered those four words softly, and then fell silent.
Then the space fell silent.
Jiraiya waited for a while before confirming that Araki was no longer saying anything, and then stared at Araki in surprise.
Is that all?
"That's all." Araki nodded.
"Alright, next." Jiraiya hesitated for a moment before deciding not to ask Araki any more questions, and turned to look at Minato Namikaze. "Your turn!"
"My name is Minato Namikaze, and my dream is to become the Hokage recognized by everyone in the village!"
Minato Namikaze spoke these words fluently, and with a very confident smile as he did so.
It was as if he had returned to those dreams; for him, these words were not a problem at all. It was as if he had prepared them from the beginning, and he could just say them directly.
After saying all that...
A moment of silence fell over the room.
In fact, both Araki and Kushina had already heard about Minato Namikaze's dream at the Ninja Academy.
One of the main reasons they didn't speak was because they weren't clear about what the next step was.
But for Jiraiya...
This was the first time he had ever heard someone from the Minato Namikaze speak of such a dream.
" The Hokage?"
Jiraiya smiled. He thought of his past self, who had said similar things back then. However, life had smoothed out his rough edges, and he no longer thought about the Hokage. He had a new understanding of the Hokage's role, and it didn't seem like he had forgotten the beautiful image he once held in his mind.
However, these things did not affect his understanding of Minato Namikaze's dream. He felt that Minato was still a very good young man and believed that he had not made the wrong choice.
"What an amazing road!"
Jiraiya gave a heartfelt exclamation, then looked around at the three people.
"Next, we'll be doing a wilderness survival drill!"
Jiraiya didn't waste too much time on self-introductions, because it was like a ritual. Their relationship was a process of getting to know each other, so it was necessary to introduce themselves to each other.
Even without the self-introduction segment, he knew the names of these three people.
"Wilderness survival drill?!"
Kushina was immediately shocked, not expecting all of this to happen so quickly; she hadn't fully transitioned from being a student yet.
Minato and Araki remained silent, staring at Jiraiya and waiting for him to continue.
These two people also had different ideas.
Araki's mind was completely elsewhere, because from the beginning he understood what this so-called exercise was all about—just a bell-grabbing game passed down through generations of the Hokage lineage—and he didn't have any particular thoughts or intentions about it.
While thinking about this, Araki was also pondering other questions, such as how long he should stay in this group, and what the significance of being Jiraiya's disciple was to him!
Araki was thinking about many things, because he could choose not to join the ninja team and instead join the medical-nin team. That way, he wouldn't need to go out on missions, which would reduce a lot of risks.
However, everything has its advantages and disadvantages; we must consider both sides.
If he were to follow other Jonin instructors, he would undoubtedly enter Konoha Hospital without hesitation and become a medical-nin.
In this way, he could legitimately avoid carrying out any ninja missions or going to the battlefield, and could safely develop his strength in the rear.
But things are different now.
He has now joined Jiraiya's group.
Furthermore, the group also includes a genius like Minato Namikaze.
Although he doesn't know what kind of missions he will face next, he is certain from the outcome that there is no place in this group where his life will be in danger. Jiraiya's formidable strength is enough to ensure the safety of the entire group, so that no one will fall into a particularly dangerous situation.
Even if any unexpected situations arise during the mission, they will be able to get through them safely.
This reflects Araki's confidence in Jiraiya.
However, this confidence is not complete, and other problems may still arise. After all, with his arrival, the history of this place has been completely changed, and what happened in the Naruto anime can only be used as a reference here.
Those references, such as the characters' personalities, past events, and their goals, are unlikely to change.
but...
Some changes caused by the butterfly effect.
For example, now that all three of them have joined Jiraiya's team, Jiraiya's original ninja squad has changed, and the missions they receive may also change accordingly, as will the impact of the mission's difficulty.
Under such circumstances, it's difficult to predict whether this ninja team will encounter the same opponents as before, or whether there are other possibilities, such as facing some difficult opponents.
but...
Even so, Araki had gained a lot of confidence in his own strength, after all, he had already defeated Orochimaru.
In an instant.
Araki felt somewhat hesitant.
He wasn't sure if there were better prospects for him if he stayed with Jiraiya's team, or if it would be safer to remain with the medical-nin team.
So at that moment, he was preoccupied with these thoughts and kept thinking about them, instead of focusing all his attention on the so-called field exercise that was about to begin.
"This wilderness survival exercise is completely different from the kind of exercises you're used to, because this time your opponent is me!"
Jiraiya's voice rang out slowly, clearly reaching the ears of the three people present, immediately drawing their attention.
"What you need to know is that passing the graduation exam at the Ninja Academy doesn't guarantee you'll become a real ninja. There's one more test here. If you fail, you'll be eliminated and sent back to the Ninja Academy to study again!"
Jiraiya's words shocked everyone present.
"Ah?!"
Kushina stared at Jiraiya in disbelief and said, "No way! We finally passed the graduation exam, and now you're telling me that if we fail, we'll have to go back? I can't accept that!"
"If you can't accept it, it's simple, you just need to defeat me!" Jiraiya said with a smile, not taking Kushina's objection seriously at all, because in his view, such opposition was a perfectly normal reaction.
"..."
A moment of silence fell over the room.
No one spoke.
Jiraiya looked around again to make sure everyone had heard him.
"If you have no further questions, please follow me. We'll begin our wilderness survival drill now!"
After Jiraiya finished speaking, he turned and walked into the woods. The small bridge they were on was over a small river, and the woods were on the other side of the river.
Immediately afterwards, Minato looked in Araki's direction, and seeing that the latter did not react, he nodded and followed him forward.
Kushina and Araki followed behind the two.
After walking for another ten minutes or so, the group of four arrived at an open area deep in the woods, where there were three wooden stakes with very smooth surfaces, indicating that they were quite old.
"Alright, right here, let's begin!"
Jiraiya took two bells out of his pocket and dangled them in front of the three people.
"From now until sunset, if you can snatch these two bells from my hand, you've completed your mission; otherwise, you've failed!"
"If you fail, I'll tie you to these wooden stakes, and you won't be allowed to eat; you'll have to watch me eat!"
"Certainly..."
"You only need to grab one bell!"
"The person who gets the bell passes the test and gets to eat, but if they don't get it, they won't get to eat..."
"He's going back to the Ninja Academy to study again!"
Jiraiya spoke one sentence after another, and after he finished explaining all the so-called rules, his expression became solemn and serious.
"You may use any means necessary to take these bells from me, even if it means killing me. If there are no further questions, then the assessment will now begin!"
Chapter 5 Are you really planning to kill me?!
Jiraiya saying these words, Jiraiya stood there, looking like he was full of openings, waiting for the three of them to attack.
but...
Araki and his two companions made no move.
"Something's not right with this assessment. There are three of us, but only two bells. Doesn't that mean we not only have to compete with him for the bells, but also fight each other for a single spot?" Minato lowered his voice and said to Araki and Kushina, "I think there's a trap here."
"Yes, he's trying to undermine our internal unity, but his method is too clumsy!" Kushina nodded in agreement, but while she said this, she was already thinking about the distribution of the bells.
" Araki, what do you think?" Minato glanced at the silent Araki.
"Regardless of whether what he said is true or false, and whether anyone will actually be eliminated, our current mission is to seize these two bells." Araki spoke calmly. He knew the answer in his heart, but he couldn't say it aloud, so he could only use a roundabout approach, continuing, "Let's work together to get the two bells first. As for the final distribution of the bells, we'll deal with that after we get the bells. If we fight individually, we'll just be a disorganized mess. The opponent is Jiraiya, one of the Konoha Sannin. If we lose, all three of us will go back."
I agree!
Minato nodded, a sunny smile spreading across his face, and then said firmly, "Let's stick together and steal the bell. You can have it; I don't need it. I can still pass my graduation exam next year."
"What did you say!" Kushina was greatly surprised, never expecting Minato to give up his position. She had thought it would be great if she could get the bell from Araki, but after hearing Minato's words, a strange feeling welled up inside her, and she couldn't help but say, "You two are both among the best of our generation. Actually, it's most appropriate for me to withdraw. Besides, I don't think I'm suitable to join a ninja team."
"You two are so boring..."
Araki didn't suggest leaving voluntarily; he knew such a thing was impossible, since the classic Konoha bell-stealing game was merely a test of teamwork.
but...
Things have developed to this point now.
Even he hadn't expected it.