Known collectively as The Three Basic Ninjutsu, they include the Substitution Jutsu, Clone Jutsu, and Transformation Jutsu.
In reality, when Jiraiya first mentioned this earlier, quite a few students already knew the answer. The Three Basic Ninjutsu were the most fundamental ninjutsu. Although they were only ranked E-level, they still seemed almost magical to the children present.
After all, many among them hadn't even managed to mold chakra yet.
When Jiraiya finished speaking, he subtly observed the situation in the field. Most people displayed expressions of expectation, even Mikoto Uchiha—the genius girl from the Uchiha clan—was no exception.
He also took special note of Minato Namikaze's expression. This child looked calm, but his bright blue eyes were fixed intently on Jiraiya without shifting away.
Jiraiya slowly shifted his gaze and noticed Yan Uchiha at the front row; his expression turned colder, clearly showing indifference.
Although just a young child, Yan already showed signs of the proud character typical of the Uchiha...
But this was not necessarily a good thing.
Still, Jiraiya didn't dwell on it much. He came here today merely to confirm whether the disciple assigned by the Third really lived up to what had been claimed.
"First, I'll demonstrate the Clone Jutsu!"
Jiraiya said, then slowly formed hand seals for demonstration purposes. It took him three seconds to complete the sequence of only three seals.
Puff! Puff!
A light mist spread out, revealing two identical clones appearing one on each side of Jiraiya.
"Woah... How amazing!"
Although it was the most basic of the ninja arts, when these Ninja Academy students saw it performed live, they couldn't help exclaiming in amazement.
Among them, some were seeing ninjutsu in action for the very first time.
Jiraiya scanned across the crowd again. Yan Uchiha's expression turned even more indifferent, as if he had already mastered the Clone Jutsu himself.
Indeed, before entering the Ninja Academy, children from the Uchiha clan usually received instruction from their parents or other strong clan members, so it wasn't surprising if Yan had already learned The Three Basic Ninjutsu.
What interested him more was Minato Namikaze's expression. Right now, the boy focused intently without making exclamations like others, yet within those eyes sparkled a glimmer of investigative curiosity.
That wasn't a look of discovery or learning something new—it was more like refining his understanding of something he already knew.
Then a trace of surprise passed across Jiraiya's face. Could it be that Minato has already mastered the Transformation Jutsu as well?
According to information provided by the Third, though this boy possessed basic qualities surpassing those of his peers, he came with no background at all. As a freshman attending the Ninja Academy, it would be impossible for him to learn The Three Basic Ninjutsu from instructors during the first year.
So then—who taught him ninjutsu?
Hiding his astonishment, Jiraiya changed his hand seals again. Another puff of mist appeared, and Jiraiya's original form transformed into someone exactly resembling Moto Kouda.
"This is the Transformation Jutsu," Jiraiya announced.
Everyone gasped, blinking in shock as they looked back and forth between Jiraiya—who had just performed the Transformation Jutsu—and Moto Kouda. Their little faces wore expressions of complete astonishment.
"Wow! There are actually two identical Kouda-sensei!"
"They look exactly like twin brothers!"
The students erupted into exclamations again, making childish comments one after another. Moto Kouda and the others overheard these remarks and couldn't help but feel exasperated. They had gone through great trouble to invite someone as prestigious as Jiraiya to teach them.
Yet these kids treated it more like a ninja show...
Still, a few children excitedly tried to mimic Jiraiya's earlier hand seals, quietly practicing among themselves—a small comfort for their teachers.
Moto Kouda's gaze remained fixed on Minato. Jiraiya glanced over once again.
Yan Uchiha and Minato Namikaze—these two individuals displayed entirely different attitudes. One was completely indifferent while the other stayed serious.
These two might seem to have both already mastered The Three Basic Ninjutsu, but ninjutsu is not something that can simply be considered learned just by performing it.
These contrasting attitudes might seem insignificant now, but they would surely affect their respective paths as ninja in the future.
If previously Jiraiya had only followed The Third's orders, in this brief period he had begun to develop a genuine interest in this boy—Minato Namikaze.
[Now I will demonstrate the final technique—the Substitution Jutsu.]
Jiraiya canceled his Transformation Jutsu, turned sideways, and looked at Moto Kouda and the others. "I need one of you to assist me with demonstrating the Substitution Jutsu."
Upon hearing this, all of them looked startled. After a short discussion, much to his misfortune, Moto Kouda was chosen.
He walked up to Jiraiya, who said to him, "Attack me."
Though he had expected this, Moto Kouda still hesitated to strike against someone of Jiraiya's status.
Understanding his thoughts, Jiraiya added, "It's just part of the demo for your students. No disrespect intended."
Although Moto Kouda wasn't particularly talented as a ninja, he truly was an excellent teacher. Reassured by Jiraiya's words, his hesitant expression quickly faded away.
Everything was for his students!
"In that case, please forgive my rudeness!"
Moto Kouda swiftly dashed forward until reaching Jiraiya, then threw out a direct punch. From the students' perspective, his speed seemed extremely fast.
Only Minato Namikaze and Yan Uchiha could see every move he made—and catch the subtle hesitation behind his punch.
Jiraiya gave a slight smile without dodging. Moto Kouda's punch landed squarely on his chest.
"Boom!"
But what followed was a puff of thin smoke. Not only were the children left baffled, even the Ninja Academy teachers momentarily failed to understand what had occurred.
Of the three Jiraiyas present, two remained; then the clone on the right dissolved into a thin puff of smoke.
Another Jiraiya walked toward the group of students and explained, "The principle of the Substitution Jutsu is to switch places with other objects in your surroundings—such as a log or an animal. Just now, I swapped my real body with one of my clones. This can effectively confuse your opponent's vision during battle... The effect was obvious; even your teacher didn't react in time at first."
His explanation had already been clear enough, but for these kids, it would still take some time to digest.
Even Yan Uchiha, who always seemed indifferent, lowered his head in contemplation.
Jiraiya smiled slightly, yet behind him, the expressions of several Ninja Academy instructors turned odd.
The clones created by the Clone Jutsu had no tangible bodies, making them unsuitable for substitution purposes.
Unless... one of Jiraiya's earlier clones had actually been a tangible one.
They noticed naturally—otherwise they wouldn't deserve their Chunin status. But what concerned Jiraiya most was the reaction of the person he wanted to test.
"That wasn't the Clone Jutsu..." Minato Namikaze murmured thoughtfully. A moment later, Jiraiya caught the flicker of confusion in those bright blue eyes—and heard the quiet, uncertain voice that followed.
For this reason, a faint satisfied smile also appeared on Jiraiya's face.
"Looks like you caught on, huh?"
...
...
Please favorite, vote, and click through!!!
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** on the weekend!