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In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen finally let go of the crystal ball, a faint look of relief spreading across his face.
"Whew…"
Those three kids definitely weren't beating Jiraiya.
But—
The way they handled the bell-stealing test… that had gone way beyond anything he expected.
Originally, he'd thought:As long as the three of them can put aside their grudges and manage some basic teamwork, maybe Jiraiya will just pretend not to notice a few mistakes and let them pass.
But now? Leo and Kurenai had intentionally created openings to give Kakashi a chance.
And Kakashi—rather than sulking—actually took it.
Yeah, they had conflicts.But none of it affected the test.
One thing had nothing to do with the other.
That was a mature shinobi mindset.
And the one who'd taken the lead in all this…
Was the kid he hadn't even paid attention to at first.
No wonder Jiraiya singled him out.
At Ichiraku Ramen, everything felt familiar—except for Teuchi, still young, full of energy, looking every bit the hardworking guy in his prime.
Kakashi had put his mask back on.
The moment Jiraiya walked in, he boomed, "Boss! Four bowls of ramen!"
"Alright! Have a seat," Teuchi said with a grin.
"You guys sit tight. I'm gonna… grab some grilled meat. Consider it a bonus."
Jiraiya glanced around.
But—
Out of the corner of his eye, something felt… off.
"Leo, come with me. Let's see what else you wanna eat."
"Yes, sir."
Leo stood respectfully and followed him out.
Kurenai watched them leave and couldn't help whispering, "Jiraiya-sama really cares about Leo, doesn't he?"
"Uh…"
Kakashi's gaze went a bit blank, then he hesitated.
He remembered it vividly.
Back then—
Jiraiya had suddenly frozen for a moment, distracted, which was the only reason Kakashi managed to cut the bell rope.
It had something to do with…
Something like, "You don't want that either," or whatever it was.
"Kakashi, you look like you know something."
As a genjutsu and sensory type, Kurenai immediately noticed the weird shift in Kakashi's mood.
Kakashi thought for a moment, then answered cautiously and briefly:
"Maybe they know each other."
"Jiraiya-sama and Leo?"
"Yeah."
"Leo, you did great today."
"Only because you held back. Otherwise we wouldn't have passed at all."
Leo wasn't Naruto or Obito.
He knew perfectly well that the gap between him and a Sannin wasn't just big—it was abyss-level. If Jiraiya had really wanted to keep those bells, the whole thing would've been over in seconds.
One Needle Jizō technique and they could give up all hope.
And yet—
From beginning to end, the strongest thing Jiraiya used was an incomplete Lion's Mane Technique, and only to manipulate the rope.
Forget holding back—this was flooding the battlefield with mercy.
Jiraiya cleared his throat. "It's a genin exam. The point is teamwork and mindset, not raw power. And about… that matter earlier…"
"Jiraiya-sama, there are places in the village you really shouldn't go near. You're one of the Sannin. You represent Konoha, you know."
Leo said it with the earnestness of a righteous young man.
Jiraiya's old face turned red.
He'd thought the kid hadn't noticed him earlier, that he'd just been passing by.
Turns out the boy had noticed—he just didn't dare call him out.
"It was for research!" Jiraiya said awkwardly. "Don't misunderstand."
"Oh."
Leo nodded with an expression that absolutely did not believe him.
Jiraiya felt even more embarrassed.
He knew damn well how unbelievable that excuse sounded.
"Anyway! Order whatever you want. My treat!"
"…I'm not paying, right?"
"You little brat!"
By the time they finished the ramen and grilled meat, it was already afternoon.
Jiraiya finally got serious.
"From now on, you're officially a squad. I expect you to keep cooperating the way you did this morning. Also—"
He looked at the three of them."You've trained tree climbing and water walking, right?"
"Mm."
All three nodded.
Jiraiya pulled out a piece of chakra paper.
"Kakashi and Kurenai should've tested already. You try it—let's see what kind of jutsu you're best suited for."
"Your teamwork's good, but Kakashi's lightning release and kenjutsu lean toward assassination. Kurenai's genjutsu is for support and disruption. What you're missing is someone who can stand up front."
He didn't say the rest—but it was obvious.
Leo was the best candidate for frontline combat.
"I understand."
It wasn't that Leo didn't want to learn ninjutsu—
He just… couldn't.
Sure, he was a Senju descendant. But after being separated from the clan, two generations had passed with no resources left except a bit of survivor's compensation.
No jutsu scrolls, no money.
Buying chakra paper would've been a luxury—basically burning money.
He took the chakra paper.
...
A moment later, it dampened.
Jiraiya nodded. "Based on this reaction, you naturally have water-nature chakra. Water Release will be the quickest path for you."
A person's chakra affinities were innate—but could also be developed.
Leo's affinity only meant he'd have it easier with Water Release.In theory, he could still learn other elements.
"I heard Kakashi's great with Lightning Release. If I learn Water Release, we can complement each other."
He paused, then added with genuine admiration, "Besides, my idol is the Second Hokage. His Water Release is legendary—even the Mist couldn't match him!"
The Second Hokage…
Jiraiya's expression softened with nostalgia.
Yeah, that guy's Water Release really was monstrous.
Looks like…
Even after everything he'd been through, the kid's heart still leaned toward Konoha.
Jiraiya let out a small sigh, then refocused.
"Alright. I'll teach you Water Surge in a bit. Kurenai—your genjutsu's strong, but you need more physical training. Kakashi—you have the fewest flaws, but the most dangerous one. Work with your teammates. Got it?"
He went down the line one by one.
All three nodded.
With Kurenai and Kakashi watching, Jiraiya began teaching.
"Water Surge is a basic Water Release technique. Its uses are broad, and the difficulty is low. Try it."
He began explaining the hand seals.
Dragon → Ox → Hare.
But before he even finished—
Leo had already gone through the seals and—
Water Release: Water Surge!
Water blasted from his mouth in a roaring stream.
Jiraiya blinked, startled.
Even with the seals and chakra shaping steps, the kid had executed everything in perfect sequence.
His chakra control was… surprisingly good.
For a genin?
This was impressive.
"Amazing…" Kurenai murmured, unable to hold it back.
His first time learning it—
And he got it instantly.
This kind of talent was insane.
But—
Leo himself knew the real reason he succeeded on the first try.It wasn't that he was gifted—it was because the technique was simple, and more importantly, because the reward he'd received that morning had boosted his chakra control.
Casting jutsu had become way easier.
Jiraiya clearly didn't want him getting cocky. After a moment of thought, he said, "It's a C-rank, just the basics. Try Water Formation Wall next—it's a B-rank defensive jutsu."
"Okay."
Leo listened carefully to the hand-seal order, then pushed more chakra, exhaling water.
Moments later—
A water wall as tall as he was formed around him, perfectly shielding him.
Jiraiya froze.
You little…!
How is your chakra control THIS good?!
He was almost catching up to Kurenai.
And Kurenai was a genjutsu prodigy who'd trained control since she was a kid. That kind of precision wasn't normal.
But Leo?
He'd spent the past year mainly on taijutsu, substitution, and body flicker. His chakra control training was basically just tree climbing and water walking.
How the hell was this reasonable?!
Remembering all the suffering he'd gone through learning ninjutsu, Jiraiya felt a crack form in his heart.
He fell into a long, painful silence.
"....."