"I'm seriously injured here! Why am I being discharged tonight of all nights?"
Jiraiya, sprawled across his hospital bed while enjoying the attentive care of a pretty nurse, looked at Tsunade and Orochimaru standing beside him and immediately started complaining.
"The old man told us to drag you out of the hospital," Tsunade said coldly, arms folded across her chest.
Ever since Sarutobi Hiruzen had shamelessly stolen the student she wanted, Tsunade had been in a foul mood all day. Naturally, Jiraiya ended up suffering for it.
"Is Sarutobi-sensei trying to kill me?" Jiraiya cried out miserably.
"Sarutobi-sensei has decided to take Kizaru as his student," Orochimaru explained in his usual calm tone. "We're going to the Shimura clan tonight."
After hearing that, Jiraiya only looked even more confused.
Wasn't Kizaru supposed to become Orochimaru's disciple?
So why had Sarutobi-sensei suddenly stepped in?
And if that was true... didn't that mean his nephew had somehow turned into his junior brother?
"Sarutobi-sensei thinks that if Kizaru can beat someone like you so easily, then his talent is extraordinary," Orochimaru continued. "So he's decided to teach him personally."
"You really are useless. How embarrassing," Tsunade snapped.
Only after hearing Orochimaru's explanation did Tsunade fully realize that the biggest reason her student had been snatched away was Jiraiya.
That instantly made her dislike him even more.
"So this is all my fault?!" Jiraiya shouted, pointing at himself in disbelief.
"Whose fault else would it be?" Tsunade shot back, glaring at him.
"How was I supposed to know that kid was such a monster?" Jiraiya said miserably, looking as if he wanted to cry but had no tears left.
"Enough. Stop whining and get up already. The old man is waiting for us."
As she spoke, Tsunade moved without warning.
She grabbed the edge of Jiraiya's blanket and yanked it up in one sharp motion.
The moment the covers were pulled away, Jiraiya's entire body went cold.
Startled out of his mind, he lunged forward and hurriedly shielded the book on the bed with his body.
"What are you doing, Tsunade?!" he shouted in panic. "You can't just pull a guy's blanket off like that!"
Jiraiya reacted quickly.
Unfortunately for him, Tsunade's eyes were even quicker.
She had already caught a clear glimpse of the book cover.
The veins on her forehead started popping instantly as she rolled up her sleeves.
"Jiraiya, you disgusting pervert!"
Sensing disaster, Orochimaru immediately stepped between them and caught Tsunade before she could swing.
"Calm down, Tsunade," he said quickly. "Sarutobi-sensei is still waiting for us."
That reminder barely managed to work.
After a tense pause, Tsunade slowly lowered her raised fist and unclenched her hand.
"You really did inherit all the old man's worst habits."
Jiraiya, still holding both hands up in surrender, watched her carefully. Only after seeing she wasn't about to hit him did he finally let out a quiet breath of relief.
"If you won't be my girlfriend, then what else am I supposed to do..." he muttered under his breath as he climbed down from the hospital bed.
"What was that?" Tsunade's eyes narrowed dangerously.
Jiraiya shook his head so quickly it was almost pitiful.
"Nothing! Nothing at all! Didn't you say the old man was waiting? Then let's hurry up!"
"Hmph."
Tsunade snorted coldly.
"Once you've recovered, I'll deal with you properly."
Jiraiya shivered.
For one brief moment, he truly felt death was drawing closer by the day.
At 7:40 that evening, after finishing dinner and taking a short walk to settle it, Kizaru strolled leisurely toward the clan training ground with both hands tucked into his pockets.
"Uncle, looks like you've been waiting for a while."
Seeing Danzō already standing in the middle of the training ground, Kizaru greeted him with a smile.
"Make sure you're in proper condition," Danzō said. "Don't disappoint me later."
With his eyes closed, chin slightly raised, and the cool evening breeze brushing across him, Danzō stood there with the composed bearing of someone waiting calmly for the battle to begin.
"Ooh... scary," Kizaru said with a grin, clearly entertained by the pose.
Danzō's brows twitched faintly.
He wanted to lecture Kizaru again right then and there, but the moment he remembered what Hiruzen had told him that afternoon—about Jiraiya being defeated and sent to the hospital—he forcibly suppressed the urge.
If he started preaching now and Kizaru ended up performing brilliantly in the fight, wouldn't that just make him look foolish?
I'm not Jiraiya, Danzō told himself coldly.
Thinking that, his expression gradually settled again.
Standing at the edge of the field, Kizaru casually rolled his shoulders and twisted his wrists, doing a light warm-up.
"Uncle, do we really have to wait until eight?" he asked while stretching.
"Yes," Danzō replied curtly. Then, after a brief pause, he added, "There's been a change regarding your teacher."
"Oh?"
Kizaru made a mildly surprised face, though inwardly, he wasn't the least bit shaken.
"The Third Hokage intends to take you as his student and teach you personally."
"Oh-ho... looks like I'm popular," Kizaru said with a smile.
"When we fight tonight, Hiruzen will be bringing his three students with him to watch."
"What a terrifying audience. Now I'm getting nervous," Kizaru said cheerfully.
After warming up, he slipped both hands back into his pockets and returned to his usual relaxed stance.
Nervous, my foot.
Even without opening his eyes, Danzō could hear there wasn't the slightest trace of tension in Kizaru's voice.
If anything, the brat sounded even more smug than usual.
And somehow, that made people want to hit him even more.
"Watch your mouth later," Danzō warned. "Don't be rude in front of them."
"What an unreasonable request," Kizaru replied.
Why is this brat so irritating every time he opens his mouth? Danzō thought grimly.
"Hahaha! I trust I'm not late."
Just then, Sarutobi Hiruzen arrived from the distance with the Sannin in tow.
"Not at all," Danzō said, opening his eyes at last and looking over. "Perfect timing."
"Uncle Hiruzen, I heard you're going to be my teacher?" Kizaru asked with a smile as he turned toward Hiruzen.
"And do you want me to be your teacher?" Hiruzen asked, smiling right back.
"Good evening, Sensei."
Kizaru answered without hesitation.
"Hahaha!" Hiruzen burst into laughter, visibly delighted. "Good, good! What a fine child."
Danzō: Two shameless bastards.
Tsunade: Shameless.
Orochimaru: ...
Jiraiya: ...
"Now that everyone's here, let's begin the assessment," Danzō said flatly, cutting the moment short before he had to endure any more of it. "Kizaru, are you ready?"
"Ooh, so scary, Uncle," Kizaru said with a bright smile as he stepped forward and entered the training ground proper.
"I'm not Jiraiya," Danzō said sternly. "Use your full strength."
The moment those words left his mouth, Hiruzen, Orochimaru, and Tsunade all turned to look at Jiraiya at the same time.
Each of them wore that same unmistakable expression.
Disgust.
Jiraiya: ???
Jiraiya, who had somehow ended up catching stray damage again, wanted to defend himself.
Unfortunately, he had no argument at all.
In the end, he could only lower his head in silent sorrow.
Kizaru's smile widened even further.
He looked straight at Danzō and said loudly,
"Then you'd better be ready too, Uncle! Don't get scared."
As he spoke, Kizaru took several steps back, opening the distance between them.
Danzō's gaze sharpened.
"Begin."
The instant those words fell, the mood of the training ground shifted.
The air grew taut.
And the battle officially began.
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