Konoha: Tsunade, I am the Hokage!

c6: Jiraiya, You Don't Want Others to Know…

Inside the Hokage's office.

"So what are you planning to do? Try being more patient with Kakashi."

The Third Hokage looked at Jiraiya seriously.

Kakashi was always the toughest to handle aloof, uncooperative, and carrying baggage most kids couldn't imagine.

But

He had undeniable talent. Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't bear to see it wasted, so he still held hope that Jiraiya, his former student, would temper Kakashi's edges.

"If it ends in a way you don't want," Jiraiya said, arms crossed, "then maybe it just means we weren't the right fit. Not everyone can be saved."

With that, he turned and vanished in a swirl of leaves.

The Third Hokage exhaled a long breath, the lines on his face deepening.

He looked older than ever.

---

The next morning — Training Ground No. 7, located within the Forest of Death.

Yuhi Kurenai arrived early. As expected of her disciplined personality.

But surprisingly

Kakashi and Jingyan were already there, sitting quietly beneath a tree, neither speaking nor sparring.

She slowed her steps, instinctively keeping quiet.

They both seemed deep in thought.

Was this calm… mutual understanding? Or something else?

Kurenai looked up at the rustling canopy above, her mind a whirl of questions.

After what felt like a long silence

"Ah, sorry ran into something on the way. I'm late."

Jiraiya's booming voice echoed as he stepped into the clearing.

"You're not just late, Jiraiya-sama you're almost criminally late," Kurenai scolded, checking the time.

In less than an hour, it would be noon.

But as Jiraiya laid eyes on the trio before him he paused.

Kakashi's expression was blank as always behind his mask, his lone Sharingan eye half-lidded.

Jingyan and Kurenai, on the other hand, looked composed.

"You're so… calm and united. Seeing you like this, I feel a little more confident you can survive what's coming," Jiraiya said, although the words didn't quite match the wariness in his eyes.

Then, he pulled two bells from his waist pouch.

"I don't know what your original genin exam was like, Kakashi, but my version is simple: take these bells from me."

Ching~ The bells jingled as he showed them, then tucked them away again.

"Questions?"

"Do we need to get both, or is one enough?" Kakashi asked coolly.

"Given the gap in strength, taking even one from me counts as a pass," Jiraiya replied. "However, whoever contributes the least will go without lunch and take on an individual challenge later this afternoon."

Kakashi gave a small sigh and fell silent.

Jiraiya glanced at the other two.

"You ready?"

"No problem," Jingyan answered flatly.

"Good. I'll give you time to strategize use it well."

Whoosh!

In a flash, the three genin scattered into the trees.

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes.

"They split up immediately? Hmm…"

A sinking feeling stirred in his gut.

Jiraiya had high hopes for Jingyan, but if he lacked awareness of team coordination, that promise could be wasted.

---

Meanwhile, deep in the foliage

"Kyōhiko-kun, are we really just leaving Kakashi to himself?"

"No, we're designing tactics with him in mind," Jingyan replied, scanning the terrain.

"He's a Chūnin. If he refuses to cooperate, it's on him but we'll still factor him in."

Kurenai felt relieved.

"Then what's the plan?"

"You and I will engage Jiraiya head-on distract him. Use your illusions to disrupt his perception, while we lure him into traps." Jingyan spoke with quiet confidence. "Kakashi will notice our positions. If he's paying attention, he'll strike at the best moment."

"Alright," she nodded.

---

Back at the field

"Time starts now."

Jiraiya flipped the hourglass over and closed his eyes.

Within seconds, he could feel it chakra signatures masked, movement suppressed, body heat minimized.

"Hiding their chakra this well at their age? Their basics are solid…"

But—

There was still a weakness.

Jiraiya moved casually, but every step was placed with precision.

CRACK!

A tree bent like a whip, tied to a pressure wire.

Jiraiya somersaulted away, avoiding the swinging trunk.

And then

The world shimmered.

Cherry blossoms began to fall from above.

Jiraiya's instincts screamed. An illusion?

"Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!" came to mind instantly.

Yuhi Kurenai… she's already mastered an A-ranked genjutsu? He surged his chakra to disrupt his flow and snapped free from the illusion in seconds.

But it was only the beginning.

WHIZZ—!

Multiple kunai traps flew toward him from different angles.

Poof! He vanished.

In the next moment, he reappeared crouched high on a tree branch, scanning the area.

"These brats… seriously."

Even Kurenai, so young, has already achieved this level of finesse.

But before he could finish the thought

Two shadows leapt from opposite angles.

Kakashi charged with a drawn short blade.

From below, Jingyan rose, kunai aimed upward.

Jiraiya smirked.

"Impressive coordination."

CLANG!

With one fluid motion, he pulled out a kunai and blocked Jingyan's strike.

Jingyan vanished from his previous position in a blur, using the Body Flicker Technique, and reappeared on a higher tree branch.

But

"Not a bad move," came Jiraiya's voice from behind him.

The Jiraiya that Jingyan had just seen dissipated instantly into a puff of smoke.

A Shadow Clone.

The real Jiraiya immediately closed the gap, attacking with a flurry of taijutsu fast, fluid, relentless.

In mere seconds, the two exchanged three punches and two kicks.

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed.

"Impressive taijutsu for a genin..."

Jingyan's form, balance, and reaction time were all sharp.

Among genin, he clearly ranked at the top. Even many average chūnin would struggle to keep up.

Then, without hesitation, Jiraiya went for a heavier, faster strike.

Bang!

The figure before him exploded into a puff of smoke and a block of wood.

Substitution Jutsu.

The real Jingyan had already repositioned to the far left, out of Jiraiya's immediate line of sight.

Clever brat.

Jiraiya's gaze sharpened.

What impressed him wasn't just the timing of the Kawarimi no Jutsu, or how seamlessly it was combined with body flicker movement but Jingyan's judgment.

The moment Jiraiya committed to a strong offensive, Jingyan disengaged without hesitation.

That level of decision-making... Calm. Controlled. Tactical.

Then

"Here!"

A huge log trap triggered above, swinging toward Jiraiya's position with killing intent.

Kurenai Yuhi, hidden in the trees, had launched the mechanism to provide Jingyan cover.

But

Crack! Jiraiya drove a powerful punch straight into the trunk, shattering it midair.

"If that's all you've got, you won't pass this test."

Jingyan, perched nearby, analyzed silently.

Jiraiya isn't using full power.

If this were real combat, the Lion's Mane Jutsu would've pinned him instantly. His speed alone could have overwhelmed them.

A Sannin like Jiraiya could move far faster than this.

Right now, he was simply pacing himself slightly above Jingyan's level.

Which meant…

They needed either traps or near-perfect teamwork to bridge that gap.

It was a challenge.

But

He had already lured Jiraiya into the right position.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Spiked rafts dozens shot out from all sides as Jiraiya leapt upward.

At the same moment, two figures emerged from the trees.

One looked like Jingyan, the other had taken the form of Kakashi.

Both raced around in crisscrossing patterns.

Up above, Kurenai was maintaining a genjutsu seal formation.

In an instant

Multiple rafts, two fast-moving "clones," and invisible illusion waves closed in on Jiraiya.

His hair exploded outward in tendrils Needle Jizō, a variant of the Lion's Mane Technique grabbing the first raft and extending toward the two approaching attackers.

Bang!

The first figure exploded in smoke.

Not a real person

An advanced clone-genjutsu hybrid, created by Kurenai under the teachings of her father, Yuhi Shinku.

While Jiraiya's disrupted chakra flow shielded him from the genjutsu, the real danger came from behind

A raft transformed mid-air into Kakashi, who held onto a rope, his blade gleaming like a predator's fang.

Whoosh!

Kakashi descended at frightening speed.

Clang! Jiraiya caught the attack with a kunai.

But

A breeze swept past his flank.

Jingyan?!

His reaction time almost faltered.

Even knowing Jingyan's speed was exceptional, facing the real thing under pressure was a different matter.

To achieve this level of body flicker at age seven... Incredible.

And it wasn't just speed.

His strikes, balance, and taijutsu control all exceeded what a normal genin should possess.

Only Kakashi and perhaps that strange kid from the Aburame clan could rival him.

And now

Another Kakashi clone joined the assault.

Blades. Kunai. Fists.

Cherry blossoms bloomed and faded around them genjutsu residue from Kurenai still hanging faintly in the air.

The battle scene blurred into chaos.

A blade and a fist struck at the same moment.

"Careful!"

Jingyan's punch landed but something was off.

The texture wasn't right. Too soft.

Even with perfect teamwork, could they truly pressure a Sannin?

Sure enough

Glop!

The "Jiraiya" burst into mud.

Earth Clone.

"Above!" Kurenai shouted from the canopy.

Without needing more instruction, Kakashi launched upward, swinging his sword to intercept.

A massive net descended from above, aiming to trap him.

Simultaneously, the rafts held down earlier by hair traps now sprung forward, converging.

Tear!

Kakashi's sword sliced clean through the net, ripping a large hole.

But before he could recover, the real Jiraiya appeared in a flash.

Too close. Too fast.

Yet

Jingyan was already there.

Bang!

Their fists collided with full force.

Boom!

Jingyan was sent crashing into the ground, the air cracked from impact.

But at that moment, his voice rang out:

"Jiraiya-sama don't you not want others to know that you are"