Konoha: Tsunade, I am the Hokage!

c8: Is Your Talent Reasonable?

Inside the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen released his hand from the crystal ball, a subtle look of relief settling on his weathered face.

"Whew..."

He exhaled.

Those three Jingyan, Kurenai Yuhi, and Hatake Kakashi had no realistic chance of defeating Jiraiya, even if they had coordinated perfectly.

But

The fact that they'd managed to snatch the bells through creative tactics and real teamwork far exceeded what the Third Hokage had anticipated.

Originally, he'd expected that

If they could at least put aside personal grudges and work together with minimal cohesion, perhaps Jiraiya would go easy on them and allow them to pass.

Yet what actually happened

Jingyan and Kurenai had deliberately rotated positions, clearing space and setting up an opportunity for Kakashi to strike.

And Kakashi, instead of letting his pride get in the way, had seized that opportunity without hesitation.

There was friction, yes but it hadn't undermined the mission.

That kind of balance distinguishing between emotional bias and tactical necessity was exactly what defined a mature shinobi.

At the center of it all

The boy he had paid little attention to before.

No wonder Jiraiya had personally requested to test him.

. . .

At the familiar Ichiraku Ramen shop, the mood was relaxed.

Except this wasn't the older Teuchi or the bustling post-war Naruto era—this was the early days, and the man behind the counter still had a youthful sharpness to his features.

Kakashi, having resumed wearing his mask, sat quietly.

Jiraiya strode in with a grin and called out: "Yo, boss! Four bowls of miso pork ramen, extra chashu!"

"Coming right up! Grab a seat, all four of you," Teuchi replied, waving warmly.

"You guys go ahead and sit here," Jiraiya said, glancing subtly around. "I'll go...pick up some yakitori to go with it."

But rather than leave outright

He turned to one of them with a casual tone:

"Jingyan, come with me. Let's see what you want to eat."

"Understood," Jingyan responded respectfully, rising to follow.

As the two exited

Kurenai exhaled softly. "Jiraiya-sama seems to have taken quite a liking to Kyōhiko."

"Uh…"

Kakashi paused, eyes narrowing, lips parting slightly behind the mask as if to speak but then shutting again.

He remembered.

That moment.

When Jiraiya had let his guard down for just a second enough for the rope trap to be sprung.

At the time, Jiraiya had muttered

"You don't want to either, huh…"

Kurenai, ever the perceptive type, caught the change in Kakashi's energy immediately.

"Kakashi you noticed something, didn't you?"

He hesitated, then answered cautiously.

"Maybe."

"You mean...something between Jiraiya-sama and Kyouhiko?"

"…Yeah."

. . .

"Kyohiko," Jiraiya began as they walked. "You did well today."

He chuckled.

"You showed restraint. Honestly, if you'd pushed harder, you would've embarrassed me."

But Kyohiko wasn't delusional.

He wasn't Naruto, eager to test himself against the strongest.

Nor was he Obito, reckless and emotional.

He knew the truth.

The gap between himself and one of the Legendary Sannin wasn't just wide. It was astronomical.

If Jiraiya hadn't held back

One Earth Release: Hair Needle Senbon would've ended the exercise immediately.

But from start to finish

The most dangerous jutsu Jiraiya had used was the Wild Lion's Mane Technique and even then, not to its full extent. He'd used it more like a lasso than a weapon.

This wasn't "going easy."

This was turning the test into a swimming pool and diving in.

Jiraiya cleared his throat. "It was a Genin-level evaluation. Purpose was to test teamwork, not raw power. That said, about that other matter…"

"Jiraiya-sama," Jingyan interrupted tactfully. "There are...certain areas of the village you should probably avoid. As one of the Sannin, you represent the village's reputation."

His tone was firm but respectful.

Jiraiya's cheeks turned red.

He'd assumed Jingyan had only seen him in passing the other day while he was lurking near a bathhouse "for research."

Now it was obvious the kid had seen everything and chosen not to intervene.

Caught off guard, Jiraiya scratched his head and muttered awkwardly:

"Hey, that was...uh, just for manuscript material. Don't take it the wrong way."

"Oh."

Jingyan answered flatly.

Jingyan had on the expression of someone saying, "I'll play along and pretend to believe that."

Jiraiya scratched the back of his head, clearly embarrassed.

Even he knew that excuse wouldn't convince anyone.

"All right, all right whatever you want to eat, just order it. It's on me!"

"…You mean on the Third Hokage's budget, right?"

"You little brat!"

. . .

After finishing their bowls of Ichiraku ramen and grabbing some grilled meat skewers from the Yakiniku stand, it was already early afternoon.

For once, Jiraiya had a serious look on his face.

"From today forward, you three are officially a team," he said solemnly. "I hope you maintain the same level of cooperation you showed this morning. Now"

He glanced around at the three genin.

"Have any of you practiced tree-walking or water-walking?"

"Ah."

The three nodded in unison.

Jiraiya nodded approvingly and pulled a thin sheet of chakra affinity paper from his pocket.

"Kakashi and Kurenai, you've already been evaluated," he said, handing the slip to Jingyan. "Let's determine which chakra nature suits you best before we move forward."

He looked at each of them thoughtfully.

"Your teamwork is promising, but the team's dynamics could use some rounding out. Kakashi's Lightning Release and kenjutsu are best suited for assassinations and swift strikes, while Kurenai's Genjutsu is highly effective for tactical support and disorientation. But"

His gaze fell on Jingyan.

"You need someone to take point. A frontal-combat type. That has to be you."

"I understand," Jingyan nodded without hesitation.

The fact that he hadn't yet practiced any ninjutsu didn't mean he was unwilling. He just lacked the resources.

Although a descendant of the Senju clan, his family line had long been cut off from the main branch. After two generations, only the clan name and a modest stipend remained.

No scrolls.

No tutors.

No techniques.

Without his own chakra nature identified, even buying the chakra paper had seemed like a waste of rations.

He took the paper reverently.

A moment later, it became moist and damp, crinkling slightly at the edges.

Jiraiya stroked his chin. "Water affinity, huh… That makes things easier. Water Release techniques will be the most accessible for you."

A shinobi's chakra nature is innate but with time, they can develop others. What Jingyan had now was just a starting point, an advantage in water-style techniques.

"I heard Kakashi specializes in Lightning Release," Jingyan said, a flicker of strategic thought crossing his eyes. "If I train in Water Release, we can combine them in tag-team tactics."

Then, his eyes softened with admiration.

"Also… My idol is Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage. His Water Release techniques were famous throughout the shinobi world even Kirigakure, the Hidden Mist, couldn't match his proficiency."

Jiraiya's face briefly shifted nostalgic.

The Second Hokage...

Yes, Tobirama's mastery over Water Release was so refined that he could create devastating techniques without even needing a water source.

For a second, Jiraiya was lost in memory. The boy had clearly changed wounded but still loyal to the Leaf in his heart.

He let out a soft sigh, then regained his composure.

"All right," Jiraiya said. "Let's start with something basic. Water Release: Wild Water Wave is a C-rank jutsu simple, but useful."

Turning toward Kurenai and Kakashi, he continued, "Kurenai your Genjutsu's sharp, but your Taijutsu needs more attention. Kakashi you've got the smallest skill gap, but ironically, that's your biggest problem. You must stop trying to solo every situation. Teamwork comes first. Got it?"

They all nodded in quiet acknowledgment.

With Kakashi and Kurenai watching, Jiraiya began demonstrating.

"Water Wave is fundamental. It allows you to generate a surge from your mouth. Hand seals are simple Tiger, Ox, Hare."

Before Jiraiya even finished the demonstration, Jingyan had already mimicked the hand signs.

Then

"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"

A sudden rush of water burst from Jingyan's mouth, surging forward in a controlled arc. The volume wasn't massive, but the technique was clean and smooth.

Jiraiya blinked, mildly stunned.

Flawless seals.

Clean chakra flow.

Solid technique.

As Genin go, this was elite.

"Impressive!"

Kurenai Yuhi couldn't help but murmur.

First time learning it... and he nailed it.

That kind of precision was rare. Even Academy standouts usually needed a dozen attempts.

But Jingyan knew the truth.

It wasn't "natural talent."

He'd been rewarded earlier with an upgrade to his chakra control ability. That made executing jutsu especially ones involving fine control far easier.

Jiraiya, cautious of overconfidence, nodded slowly and said, "Not bad. But let's try something harder."

He stepped forward.

"Try Water Release: Water Wall. It's B-rank used for defense. It requires more chakra volume and sharper control."

"Understood."

Jingyan inhaled deeply, listened to the seal instructions, and increased his chakra output.

Then

In one fluid motion, he exhaled.

Water erupted around him, forming a wall about as tall as himself solid, fluid, and nearly seamless.

Jiraiya froze, eyes wide.

What the hell?

How the hell does he have this kind of chakra control?

It reminded him of Kurenai's Genjutsu control polished, efficient, elegant. But Kurenai had been training in illusions since early childhood. That kind of precision took years.

And yet

Jingyan, who had barely scratched the surface of ninjutsu until now, had just pulled off a B-rank jutsu on his second try.

Jiraiya's face twitched.

He had struggled for months to get the timing right when he was younger. He'd been electrocuted, frozen, burned, and soaked before he even got basic jutsu down.

His mind reeled.

Is this kind of progress... reasonable?

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