The silence that followed Jiraiya's entrance was deafening.
"That's... one of the Legendary Sannin?" soone whispered.
"He doesn't look like I imagined at all."
"Honestly? He looks kind of unreliable."
Within seconds, the entire classroom erupted into hushed complaints. The Three Ninjas of Konoha were supposed to be legendary heroes—the kind of ninjas you read about in history books. Not this.
Hanekawa shook his head internally. Welco to the ninja world, where strength is the only currency that matters. Forget character. Forget dignity. The Sannin are basically the poster children for 'do as I say, not as I do.' If anyone actually judged them on behavior, they'd be rebranded as the Three Vices: gambling, alcohol, and... well, he'd rather not think about Jiraiya's research thods.
"Master Jiraiya, you're early," Eiichiro said, hurrying forward with the forced smile of a man who'd already accepted his fate.
"I thought I'd co introduce myself!" Jiraiya bead. "Build so rapport with the candidates!"
Eiichiro's eye twitched slightly. This is the opposite of rapport.
"Hello, everyone!" Jiraiya waved enthusiastically. "I'm your examiner for the second round. Don't ss up this afternoon!"
The classroom descended into chaos.
"Wait, he's the examiner?"
"This is going to be impossible!"
"We're dood!"
Hanekawa watched the panic spread with mild amusent. He hadn't expected Jiraiya to show up either, but it didn't really matter. An examiner was an examiner.
"See you this afternoon!" Jiraiya laughed and launched himself out the window with theatrical flair.
The crash of breaking glass followed.
Eiichiro stared at the gaping hole in silence. I'm putting this on Jiraiya's tab. Again.
---
An hour later, the results were posted.
The crowd gathered around the bulletin board like vultures, and the reactions were imdiate and predictable. Cheers from those who passed. Wails from those who didn't. Accusations of unfairness from everyone in between.
"First place is yours, obviously," Kurenai said, glancing at the rankings before looking at Hanekawa with obvious pride.
"What about you?" Hanekawa asked, reaching over to ruffle her hair.
"Fifth," she mumbled, her face flushing slightly. Why does that always feel different now?
"That's solid," he said.
"I passed!" Guy announced, practically vibrating with energy. "My youth burns bright!"
Obito stared at the board, his expression darkening. Twenty-first. He'd cheated on the written test and still barely scraped by. anwhile, Rin had placed second without breaking a sweat, and Hanekawa was first by a comfortable margin.
It's not fair.
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"Everyone passed," Shisui noted with a smile, scanning the list. Forty-five out of fifty-four candidates had made it through. The difficulty was nowhere near what Hanekawa rembered from the original tiline.
"Let's head to the first training ground," Hanekawa said. "The real test starts this afternoon."
---
The first training ground was already crowded when they arrived.
Then Hanekawa saw it.
A toad. An absolutely massive toad, easily the size of a small building, with a pipe clenched between its teeth. And standing on its head, grinning like he'd just won the lottery, was Jiraiya.
Gamabunta, Hanekawa recognized imdiately. Of course. The Forest of Death. This is going to be fun.
"What is that thing?" Obito stared upward, his eyes wide.
"That's Gamabunta," Hanekawa said calmly. "Jiraiya's summon. From Myoboku Mountain—one of the three sacred places."
Kurenai's eyes lit up. "Like how Teacher Tsunade has her summons? We'll get contracts too eventually!"
"Probably," Hanekawa agreed, though he was already running through the logistics of what was about to happen. A forest full of hostile summons, teams racing against each other, only the seven fastest teams advancing. Half the candidates would be eliminated.
Asuma suddenly looked worried. "Wait—you already have a summon contract, don't you? From the Shikkotsu Forest?"
"I do."
"Then you could just—" Asuma's face fell. "That's basically cheating."
"It's a healing summon," Hanekawa said smoothly. "Not combat-oriented."
Asuma relaxed slightly, though he still looked envious.
Obito, anwhile, was practically radiating resentnt. A summoning beast. Of course he has one. Of course.
"Alright, listen up!" Jiraiya's voice bood across the training ground. Everyone snapped to attention. "The rules are simple. Run through the Death Forest as fast as you can."
"That's it?" Kakashi asked, suspicious.
Jiraiya's grin widened. He ford hand seals, and in a massive cloud of smoke, dozens of toads materialized—all shapes, all sizes, all looking distinctly unfriendly.
"They'll set traps and attack you on the way," Jiraiya explained cheerfully. "Two important rules: First, your team's ti is based on your slowest mber. Second, only the first seven teams advance."
The crowd erupted in panicked murmurs.
"Half of us are getting eliminated?"
"I can't run that fast!"
"This is insane!"
"Begin!" Jiraiya shouted.
The candidates bolted into the forest like their lives depended on it. Because, technically, they did.
Asuma's team shot forward. Kakashi's team followed close behind. Then Hanekawa, Kurenai, and Rin moved into the trees with practiced efficiency.
Perception Diffusion Art, Hanekawa thought, forming seals while running. His senses expanded, mapping the forest ahead.
"Left," he called out.
Kurenai didn't hesitate. She spun, hands already moving through seals.
A massive fireball erupted from the trees.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!" Kurenai's water barrier materialized just in ti, the two jutsu colliding in a burst of steam.
Hanekawa was already moving, disappearing into the chaos.
A purple-red toad erged from the mist, searching for them. It turned just in ti to see a brilliant flash of white-blue lightning.
"AHHHHH!" The toad convulsed, its nervous system overloaded.
When it finally stopped screaming, it could only manage a weak: "You... you pass..."
Hanekawa didn't even slow down.
Behind them, Rin and Kurenai exchanged a glance.
"Is he always like this?" Rin asked.
"Pretty much," Kurenai said, already running after him.
By the ti they reached the finish line, Hanekawa was barely breathing hard. Kurenai was flushed but steady. Rin looked like she'd just finished a casual jog.
Jiraiya watched them cross with an expression sowhere between impressed and concerned. These Konoha kids are getting scarier every year.
One by one, the teams staggered across the finish line. Asuma's team made it. Kakashi's team made it. Guy's team barely squeaked through.
Obito's team made it with seconds to spare.
By the ti the seventh team crossed, nine teams had been eliminated.
Jiraiya clapped his hands together. "Congratulations! You've all advanced to the third round. That's where the real tournant begins."
Hanekawa caught his eye for just a mont. Jiraiya's expression shifted—a flicker of recognition, maybe respect.
Interesting kid, the Sannin thought. Very interesting indeed.
---
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