Naruto: I am the Hokage

In the Hokage's office.

"What do you plan to do? Maybe you need to be more patient with Kakashi."

The Third Hokage looked at Jiraiya.

Kakashi was the biggest problem child.

But.

He had talent, and the Third couldn't bear to see him waste it. He hoped Jiraiya would give him a chance.

Jiraiya, however, said, "If things really go south, then it just wasn't meant to be."

"See you."

He waved and disappeared from the office.

The Third Hokage sighed, his face filled with worry.

...

The next day, in the Forest of Death, Training Ground 7.

Kurenai arrived early and noticed that Kyohiko and Kakashi were already there, resting under a tree.

She tiptoed, not daring to make a sound.

Should she sit and rest too...

But her mind was too restless!

Kurenai looked up at the tree shadows, her thoughts in turmoil.

After a while.

"Ah, sorry, something came up on the way. I'm late."

Jiraiya chuckled.

"Lord Jiraiya, you're way too late!"

Kurenai checked the time.

It was almost noon.

But.

When he saw the three of them, his smile froze.

One wore a mask, his gaze cold.

The other two were calm.

"Seems like you're all in sync and united. Seeing you like this, I'm more confident you'll pass the test."

Jiraiya coughed lightly and pulled out the bells from his waist.

"Kakashi, I don't know how your first test went, but my test is simple. You just need to grab one of these bells to pass."

Ding~

The bells jingled.

He hung them back on his belt.

"Any questions?"

"Does grabbing one count as passing, or do we need to get all of them?"

Kakashi asked.

Jiraiya replied, "Considering the gap between us, grabbing one is enough. But the worst performer will be tied up and miss lunch, then take a separate test in the afternoon."

Kakashi took a deep breath and said nothing more.

Jiraiya looked at the other two.

"What about you?"

"No problem."

Kyohiko said.

"Alright, then let's begin. Take some time to plan your strategy."

Whoosh!

In an instant, the three disappeared.

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, thinking, "They went in different directions? Could it be..."

His heart sank.

Jiraiya had high hopes for Kyohiko, but if Kyohiko's mindset and teamwork were this shallow, he would be very disappointed.

At the same time.

Kurenai whispered, "Kyohiko, are we really not going to help Kakashi?"

"Of course we are. We'll coordinate and set up tactics, leaving openings for him. He's a chunin. If he refuses to cooperate, there's not much we can do."

Kyohiko said.

Kurenai breathed a sigh of relief.

"How do we fight?"

"We'll distract and draw his attention from the front, using traps and genjutsu to support Kakashi's position and ambush. We'll see if we can grab a bell. Specifically, you'll use genjutsu to cover, and then..."

"Got it."

...

"It's starting. Before the hourglass runs out, you must grab my bells, or you fail."

Jiraiya flipped the hourglass.

Then, he began sensing his surroundings.

"Not bad at hiding."

Jiraiya smirked.

These kids, if nothing else, had solid fundamentals.

But.

One of them had left a clue.

Jiraiya walked forward, seemingly casual but cautious with each step.

Crack!

A large log tied with ropes swung toward him.

Jiraiya used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge.

But.

In that instant, he saw a figure twist and vanish.

Kurenai?

Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!

Jiraiya recognized the jutsu and immediately disrupted his chakra flow.

In a flash, he broke free from the genjutsu.

However.

In the blink of an eye, multiple traps flew toward him.

Jiraiya vanished again.

The next moment, he crouched on a tree branch, scanning the area.

These kids...

You can't underestimate any of them!

Who would have thought that Kurenai, from the Yuhi clan, had already mastered a B-rank genjutsu.

Before he could observe further, two figures charged at him.

Kakashi wielded his sword, while Kyohiko used the Body Flicker Technique to attack from below.

Jiraiya's lips curled into a smile.

Then.

Clang!

He blocked Kyohiko's kunai strike with his own.

Kyoken didn't linger, instantly disappearing and reappearing on another tree.

But.

"Good tactics."

Jiraiya's voice came from behind.

The Jiraiya he had just fought turned into a puff of smoke.

It was a shadow clone.

Jiraiya immediately launched a series of punches and kicks, moving incredibly fast.

In moments, Kyohiko and Jiraiya exchanged three punches and two kicks.

Not bad at taijutsu!

Jiraiya was impressed.

Kyohiko's skills...

Among genin, he was definitely top-tier. Many chunin might not even match him.

Jiraiya decided to step up his game.

But.

Poof!

The figure in front of him turned into a log.

The real Kyohiko...

Had already fled to another location.

Good kid!

Jiraiya's eyes gleamed with approval.

What he admired wasn't just Kyoken's taijutsu, Body Flicker Technique, and substitution skills, but also his judgment.

The moment Jiraiya got serious, Kyohiko had already fled.

Such quick thinking showed Kyohiko's calmness under pressure.

Impressive!

"Over here!"

A large log swung down from above, aimed at Jiraiya.

Kurenai had triggered a trap to cover Kyohiko.

But.

Jiraiya simply punched through the wooden mechanism.

"If this is all you've got, you won't pass the test."

"Go!"

Kyohiko knew—

Jiraiya wasn't going all out!

If this were a real fight, Jiraiya could have used his Wild Lion's Mane Technique, and his speed would be far beyond this.

After all, he was one of the Sannin!

Right now, Jiraiya's speed was just slightly faster than Kyohiko's.

Kyohiko needed traps or teamwork to escape.

This was a test.

But.

He had already led Jiraiya to the right spot.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Spiked wooden planks flew at Jiraiya from all directions.

At the same time, two clones charged out.

One looked like Kyohiko.

The other had transformed into Kakashi.

The two "figures" rushed toward Jiraiya.

Kurenai, perched on a tree, formed hand seals.

In an instant, several wooden traps and the two "fighters" were upon Jiraiya.

Suddenly.

His hair grew rapidly, wrapping around the incoming planks and grabbing the two attackers.

Poof!

The clones exploded.

This was Hell Viewing Technique, an advanced clone genjutsu created by Kurenai's father.

Jiraiya had been disrupting his chakra flow and wasn't affected, but in that moment, the wooden planks flying from behind transformed into human figures.

Kakashi, holding a rope, swung his blade like a beast's fangs, charging at Jiraiya.

Clang!

Jiraiya blocked the blade with his kunai.

But.

A breeze came from behind.

Kyohiko?

So fast!

Jiraiya was shocked—

He had known Kyohiko's Body Flicker Technique was impressive, but facing it head-on was still startling.

A 7-year-old mastering this level of Body Flicker Technique...

Incredible!

Not only that.

His punches, kicks, and balance were all beyond his age.

The only ones who could compare...

Were Kakashi and that other oddball kid.

Moreover.

Kakashi was also attacking him.

Blades, kunai, fists.

And the constant barrage of cherry blossom genjutsu.

The three worked together, creating a chaotic flurry.

The next moment, the blade and fist struck simultaneously.

"Careful!"

Kyohiko's fist made contact, and he immediately sensed something was wrong.

This didn't feel right.

And.

With their limited skills, could they really threaten Jiraiya?

Sure enough, the Jiraiya before them turned into mud.

It was an earth clone.

"Above!"

Kurenai shouted.

Without needing orders, Kakashi swung his blade upward—

A large net descended from above.

The wooden planks Jiraiya's hair had caught earlier also closed in.

Rip!

Kakashi's blade tore through the net, creating a large opening.

Before he could recover, Jiraiya was already in front of him.

But.

Kyohiko appeared in front of Kakashi in an instant.

Boom!

Their fists collided.

Crash!

Kyohiko was sent flying to the ground, but in that moment, he shouted, "Lord Jiraiya, you don't want people to know you've been spying on women at the hot springs every day, do you?"