When Jiraiya finally moved, all the students who had been laughing at him fell silent.
Despite his loudmouth antics and oversized figure, the so-called "civilian" wasn't a pushover. Most people had assumed he was a typical heavy-hitter—strong but slow. But Jiraiya's true strength was his speed.
Blessed with natural talent and sharpened through countless back-alley brawls, his agility far outclassed most kids his age.
Even Hoshiyomi was mildly impressed.
Not bad. Faster than I expected…
But that was all. After a full year of dedicated training—both physical and system-boosted—Hoshiyomi's reflexes were still superior. And Jiraiya's moves, while fast, were far too straightforward.
The punch came flying at his face. Hoshiyomi sidestepped effortlessly, then swept Jiraiya's leg while the latter was still mid-swing. Off-balance, Jiraiya staggered—and before he could recover, Hoshiyomi's elbow drove into his back.
Jiraiya stumbled forward. Without quick intervention, he was going to crash face-first into the dirt—possibly bust his nose. Normally, he'd twist his body or break the fall with his hands.
But Hoshiyomi was still behind him.
He's not going to let me recover, is he...?
That thought hadn't even finished forming when—suddenly—he stopped falling.
He blinked in confusion. Hoshiyomi had grabbed him by the collar and pulled him upright, wearing a calm, almost amused smile.
Jiraiya was stunned.
What… he stopped me from falling? He didn't go for the knockout? He's not worried I'll counterattack?
Around them, the crowd gasped. Some of the girls squealed.
"Not only is Hoshiyomi handsome—he's kind, too!""I'm done for. He's strong, good-looking, and gentle? I'm in love."
Hoshiyomi grinned inwardly, soaking in the praise.
This is peak form. Gentlemanly and generous. That's real main character energy.
Now Jiraiya's definitely going to be loyal. I'm about to gain a bro… and a fan club.
Just as he was basking in his own imagined glory, the sound of tearing cloth echoed through the field.
Rip!
Jiraiya dropped like a rock, hitting the ground with a loud thud. His nose smashed straight into the dirt.
"OW!!"
Hoshiyomi stared in horror at the torn piece of fabric still in his hand.
Wait. That wasn't supposed to happen...
He hadn't accounted for how cheap Jiraiya's clothes were.
The crowd froze. The atmosphere went from admiration to awkward silence.
Even the girls who were moments away from forming a Hoshiyomi Support Squad began to hesitate.
Wait... was that actually kind of careless?I dunno... Uchiha Iwa might be cooler after all…
And then—like the chime of a silver bell—a laugh rang out.
Tsunade, standing among the crowd, couldn't hold it in and burst into laughter.
That was all it took. The other students started cracking up too, their laughter echoing across the training field.
Even Mitsui-sensei cracked a smile.
Jiraiya, face down and clutching his nose, blushed bright red from a mix of embarrassment and impact.
Hoshiyomi finally snapped out of it and tossed the torn cloth aside. He quickly helped Jiraiya up.
"My bad! I'll buy you a new shirt after school, deal?"
Jiraiya, ever the easy-going type, waved it off.
"Nah, it's fine. Not your fault. I lost this match. But next time—I'm winning!"
Mitsui-sensei stepped forward and officially declared the result before calling up the next match.
As Hoshiyomi walked off the field, he casually started chatting with Jiraiya, who responded with equal ease. Just like that, the two hit it off.
The rest of the placement matches were fairly uneventful—mostly wild brawls between students throwing sloppy punches with no technique. Hoshiyomi barely paid attention.
That is, until the final match.
Hatake Sakumo versus a Hyūga boy named Hyūga Ken.
This fight had actual weight.
Unlike the earlier chaos, Ken had already learned to use the Gentle Fist, and even without his Byakugan, his strikes were sharp and impressive—drawing the attention of everyone watching.
But across from him stood Hatake Sakumo—the boy who would one day become the legendary White Fang of the Leaf.
Against Ken's flurry of attacks, Sakumo didn't even draw chakra. He just weaved and dodged through every blow with calm, deliberate movements, then ended the fight in just a few exchanges—without even drawing the short blade on his back.
Jiraiya leaned over, eyes sparkling.
"So, what do you think? Will Hyūga Ken be stronger after awakening his Byakugan, or will Sakumo stay ahead? I think Ken only lost because his Byakugan hasn't activated yet."
Hoshiyomi gave a vague response, but his focus was locked on Sakumo and the sword on his back.
I want to fight him.
Right now, if I could.
But this was still a placement exam. He'd have to wait for a real training exercise before he could truly test himself against Sakumo.
As if sensing his gaze, Sakumo looked toward him. Their eyes met for a brief moment.
Hoshiyomi smiled and casually pointed at Sakumo's back—specifically, at his sword.
Sakumo blinked, glanced back at the blade, then turned silently and walked away into the crowd.
With the final match concluded, the placement test came to an end.
Mitsui-sensei led the students into the classroom and, as promised, allowed the top 15 performers to choose their seats in order.
Uchiha Iwa strutted in first, sitting dead center like the main character of his own story.
Tsunade entered next. She paused for a moment at the door, then made her way to the back row by the window and sat down.
Iwa watched her, debating whether to invite her to sit beside him. But... she was from the Senju Clan. That alone was enough to make him grit his teeth and stay quiet.
The next student—the background extra from match three—made the rookie mistake of trying to sit next to Tsunade. She promptly shooed him away.
Embarrassed, the boy shuffled off to the far corner near the back door.
Hoshiyomi shook his head as he watched.
Amateur. You can't just rush a girl like that. Of course she'll reject you.
When his turn came, Hoshiyomi didn't hesitate—he walked straight to the desk in front of Tsunade's.
This spot's strategic.
Hoshiyomi had his own theory from years of school life. Sitting in front of a girl gave you proximity without making her feel defensive like sitting right beside her might. It also gave you freedom to turn and talk, and let her observe you naturally.
If you're impressive, she'll notice on her own.
Wearing a confident smile, he glanced back at Tsunade and politely asked:
"Mind if I sit here?"