Naruto: With the Right Pay, Kick Out the Five Kage

The location written on the envelope led to a small forest on the outskirts of the Forest of Death.

The Forest of Death was created by the First Hokage himself using his abilities.

It was now one of the major training grounds in Konoha Village.

"What's going on? Why isn't Jiraiya here yet?"

Kushina glanced around at the dense forest, her tone filled with impatience.

It wasn't her fault for complaining—by now, Jiraiya was already an hour late.

Meanwhile, Simu was lying on the grass nearby, already fast asleep.

Minato, trying to ease the mood, reassured Kushina, "Maybe something came up. Jiraiya-sensei is probably very busy, after all."

"Busy with what? Peeking at the women's bathhouse?"

Kushina's blunt remark left Minato speechless.

Ahem!

A loud cough interrupted them.

Jiraiya, with his long silver hair, stepped out from the shadows, his face slightly flushed.

After all, anyone who overheard people gossiping about them right upon arrival would feel embarrassed—especially when it was actually true.

Not to mention, he had just come from the bathhouse.

Jiraiya coughed lightly before speaking, "Well... I, uh, ran into a bathhouse—no, I mean, I encountered a rather difficult situation on my way here, so I got delayed. Sorry about that."

He quickly changed the subject, pulling out a photograph from his pocket and looking at it.

"You must be Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato, right?"

He scanned the area.

"Where's Hanyu Simu?"

Zzz...

A soft snoring sound caught Jiraiya's attention.

Simu was still in a deep sleep, completely unfazed by their conversation.

A vein popped on Kushina's forehead as she clenched her fist—then bam!

She delivered a solid punch, instantly waking Simu up.

"Wha—what's going on?"

Simu groggily rubbed his eyes before noticing the silver-haired man in front of him.

"Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya sighed, rubbing his temples.

What kind of students were these?

First, he overheard Kushina badmouthing him.

Then, this Simu kid casually called him by name?

At least Minato seemed to be well-mannered.

Still, considering how late he was, Jiraiya couldn't really scold them.

He simply waved his hand and said, "Alright, let's start with introductions."

Introducing oneself and sharing one's dreams was a long-standing tradition in Konoha's team formations.

Simu wasn't surprised.

"My name is Uzumaki Kushina. My favorite food is ramen. I hate tomatoes and peppers. As for my dream..."

Kushina paused for a moment before clenching her fist and shouting confidently:

"I'm going to be Konoha's first female Hokage!"

Simu smirked. That blond kid—Naruto—definitely inherited Minato's hair, but this personality? That was all Kushina.

Like mother, like son.

Jiraiya, unlike many adults who might have laughed, instead looked at Kushina with admiration.

He even clapped lightly.

Kushina blinked in surprise. "You're not laughing, Jiraiya-sensei?"

Jiraiya replied seriously, "No matter how impossible a dream may seem, it's always worthy of respect."

Kushina muttered under her breath, "Didn't expect a pervert like you to have such a decent side."

Jiraiya, pretending not to hear, simply moved on.

Next was Minato.

"My hobby is studying ninjutsu, and my dream is to become a great ninja like the Hokage."

Jiraiya nodded slightly.

Although Minato was still young, he already had a calm and composed personality—exactly what a great shinobi needed.

Then came Simu.

He casually flicked away the dust from his sleeve and scratched his head.

"Dreams, huh…?"

He thought for a moment, then shrugged.

"If I had to say… I'd like to make money without working."

Everyone's face darkened.

First, there was a girl who wanted to be the first female Hokage.

Then, a future Fourth Hokage who wanted to be a great ninja.

And now this guy—who just wanted to be rich without lifting a finger?

What a slacker.

Simu yawned. "What? Sensei, didn't you just say we shouldn't discriminate against anyone's dreams?"

Jiraiya pinched the bridge of his nose before sighing. "Yeah… yeah. It's… a good dream."

Then, with a smirk, he changed the subject.

"Since we've gotten to know each other, let's begin the assessment."

Minato and Kushina instantly became alert.

A team assessment was the best way for an instructor to gauge their team's combat ability and teamwork.

As Simu expected, Jiraiya reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bell.

The classic test—the same one passed down by the Third Hokage himself.

Who would've thought that this assessment method, created on a whim, would continue to be used in Konoha for decades?

Jiraiya dangled the bell in front of them.

"The task is simple: before sunset, you must take this bell from me—"

His smirk widened.

"—by any means necessary."

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