"You haven't changed," Minato said, smiling as he shook his head.
Back in Amegakure, Xin had refused to let Yahiko and Konan call him 'sensei,' and even now, as a jonin-sensei, he still didn't want his team calling him their teacher.
"Changed? Don't make it sound so bad,"
Xin said, playfully punching Minato in the chest before leaning back against the wall, arms crossed. "I'll do my part as a jonin-sensei, but the rest is up to them. Ryoji Uchiha and Hyuga Suzune will be fine. Aida just needs to get his head on straight. If he can focus and work hard, at the very least, he can become a Special Jonin. But if he keeps comparing himself to others, no amount of effort will help."
"Do you want me to have a chat with him?" Jiraiya offered. It was rare to see a talented civilian ninja, and Jiraiya felt it would be a waste to let Aida struggle without proper guidance. Such kids deserved the chance to reach their full potential.
"Wow, so generous?" Xin smirked, giving Jiraiya a knowing look but said nothing.
Sensing the tension, Minato quickly intervened, steering Jiraiya toward the door. "Sensei, we've got a lot to discuss here. Why don't you head home, take a bath, change into some clean clothes, have a nice meal, and maybe relax in the hot springs?"
"Don't worry, I'll come by to visit you again. And when you're discharged, I'll even have a gift for you," Orochimaru said as he patted Nawaki's bedframe and headed for the door.
As Orochimaru left, Minato turned back to Xin, trying to explain, "Sensei didn't mean anything by it, he just..."
Xin raised a hand, cutting him off. "I know. He just doesn't want to see a promising kid like Aida lose his way. No need to overthink it."
Outside the hospital, Orochimaru glanced sideways at Jiraiya and couldn't resist muttering, "Idiot."
Under normal circumstances, Jiraiya would've been enraged by that. But today, he just looked at Orochimaru seriously and said, "Orochimaru, I wasn't trying to undermine Xin's leadership with Aida. I just don't want to see a talented kid like that go down the wrong path."
"Xin was right, though. Aida does have a mindset problem. If no one helps him adjust, it could lead to trouble later on."
"And what makes you think you're in any position to advise him?" Orochimaru sneered. "You can't even manage your own students properly, so how can you go around telling others what to do?"
Jiraiya was taken aback. Orochimaru's words cut deep.
"Don't forget the reason Xin became a jonin-sensei in the first place. You played a part in that, too. So don't get too full of yourself-there are some people who don't see you as important as you think you are."