Chapter 130: Jiraiya the Toad Sage
At the front door of Tsunade's house, Hagawa looked at the sky, which was starting to lightly snow, and drifted into a thoughtful daze. He thought of the rules for the Chūnin Exams that Asuma had told him about last week.
They were pretty much the same as the joint Chūnin Exams in Naruto's generation, with one key difference: the team battle in the second stage.
In the original series, teams had to collect Heaven and Earth scrolls to pass, reaching the tower in the Forest of Death with both. But for this internal Chūnin Exam, the number of participants was too small for that kind of format. Asuma didn't know the exact rules either, only that the second stage would require them to cross the Forest of Death as quickly as possible.
A race? Hagawa mused.
"Hagawa!" Kurenai's voice came from the distance. He looked up and saw the black-haired, single-ponytail girl running toward him, her face beaming.
He wasn't sure if it was because of him, but Kurenai now wore a single ponytail, unlike the loose hair she wore in the original story. The look made her seem more youthful and vibrant and less like the mature woman she would become.
"Are you cold?" Hagawa asked, noticing the slight flush on her cheeks.
"I'm not," Kurenai said, shaking her head.
"Let me warm you up," Hagawa said, holding out his hand, much to her confusion. A faint chakra flowed out, turning into warmth. With his current chakra control and mastery of nature transformation, using Fire Release chakra was effortless.
After all, his C-rank title, Five Elements Chūnin gave him a 100% mastery boost for all five basic nature transformations.
Kurenai was stunned by the feeling of his hand on her cheek. When she realized what was happening, she looked at Hagawa, and her heart began to race as the blush on her face deepened. It wasn't until she heard footsteps approaching from the distance that she quickly took two steps back to create space between them.
"Hagawa, good morning!" Guy greeted him with his usual fiery enthusiasm.
"Morning," Hagawa said with a slight nod, looking at Kakashi, Obito, and Rin who were with him.
"I ran into them on the way," Rin explained.
"What do you mean 'ran into them'? We were clearly—" Guy was cut off before he could finish.
"Guy!" Obito said, giving him a meaningful look. "We just happened to meet!"
Guy paused for a moment and was about to speak again when he was cut off once more.
"Kurenai," Rin said with concern. "Why is your face so red?"
"Huh?" Kurenai's heart skipped a beat. She fanned herself with her hand. "I ran all the way here, so I'm a little hot."
"The Chūnin Exams are about to begin. We shouldn't waste time. Let's talk as we walk," Hagawa said with a light cough, offering a well-timed assist.
"Let's go!" Guy said, clenching his fists in excitement as he heard the words "Chūnin Exams." "I can feel my youth burning!"
Hagawa shot a sympathetic glance at Kakashi. The fact that he could put up with Guy for so long was a feat in itself. Kakashi just remained silent.
Kurenai let out a quiet sigh of relief. She couldn't help but shoot a look at Hagawa. That little rascal!
"Let's go, Kurenai," Hagawa said, walking a few steps before turning back to call to her.
"Coming!" Kurenai quickly followed, a smile on her face.
The first stage of the Chūnin Exams was a written test, so the exam hall was in the Ninja Academy.
"Which exam room are you guys in?" Asuma Sarutobi asked as they walked. "I'm in Exam Room 1. Is anyone with me?"
"Our whole team is in Exam Room 1," Rin replied.
"Awesome!" Obito said happily. "Rin, let's sit together!"
"If you get caught cheating, you'll be disqualified," Kakashi said with a deadpan expression.
"Hey!" Obito said indignantly. "You pompous Kakashi! I would never cheat!"
"Actually, you can cheat," Hagawa said with a sudden smile.
"Huh?" Everyone looked at him in surprise.
"The written test isn't just about theory. It's also a test of your ability to cheat without getting caught by the proctor," Hagawa said after a pause. "But if you do get caught, you'll have to try again next year."
"I see!" Obito's eyes gleamed. When it came to cheating, who could be better than his Sharingan? That's a good answer, but it's mine now.
"How do you cheat?" Guy asked, scratching his head.
"You should just stick to answering the questions honestly," Kakashi said, giving him a look. With Guy's eccentric personality, it would be a miracle if he could cheat without getting caught.
"Huh? What's that old white-haired guy doing?" Kurenai asked, pointing to a figure crouched on the academy wall.
"Is that... a peeping tom?" Asuma said, looking at his sneaky behavior with a flash of anger. "How can someone be so shameless?!"
Kakashi's eyes narrowed. He felt a sense of familiarity.
Hagawa, however, had already recognized him. It was Jiraiya.
"Hmph!" Asuma's sense of justice was at an all-time high. "You guys wait right here!"
"Wait!" Kakashi instinctively called out, but it was too late.
"You jerk!" Asuma leaped into the air, reaching for his hair.
"Didn't the old man teach you any manners?" Jiraiya instantly appeared behind him and grabbed him instead.
"Let go of me, you pervert!" Asuma's face turned beet red. He had wanted to show off, but instead, he had made a fool of himself in front of Hagawa and the others.
"What do you mean, 'pervert'?" Jiraiya said, annoyed. "I am Jiraiya, the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku!"
"You're Jiraiya?" Asuma stared at him, stunned. Although it had been a long time, he was indeed the Jiraiya he remembered.
"I even held you when you were a baby," Jiraiya said, letting go of Asuma.
"..." Asuma pouted. Clinging to a connection won't change your perverted nature. He had heard countless rumors about Jiraiya.
"Lord Jiraiya," Kakashi and the others said, exchanging glances before walking forward to greet him.
"Uncle Jiraiya," Hagawa said, using a different form of address since he was Tsunade's student.
"Hagawa, isn't your sensei here?" Jiraiya asked, looking at him.
"She's at home," Hagawa replied.
"She didn't go to the casino?" Jiraiya asked, shocked.
"Uncle Jiraiya, what are you doing here?" Hagawa asked, changing the subject.
"He's definitely peeping!" Asuma said, indignant.
"You brat, don't talk nonsense!" Jiraiya glared at him and said seriously. "I'm observing the strength of the genin participating in the Chūnin Exams."
"Are you a proctor?" Hagawa asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You've got a good eye!" Jiraiya said proudly. "I'm the proctor for your second exam."
Asuma's eyes widened. Oh, no! The Chūnin Exams hadn't even started, and he had already offended the proctor.
"Kid," Jiraiya said, patting Asuma's shoulder. "I'll make sure to take special care of you on behalf of the old man."
"..." Asuma forced a smile that was uglier than a cry.
"Alright, you guys go on in for your written test," Jiraiya said, leaping back onto the wall. "I'll see you this afternoon."
Hagawa and the others bid him farewell and entered the Ninja Academy.
In the original series' joint Chūnin Exams, there were 87 genin from the Leaf Village. This was a crushing number compared to other villages, where the Sand Village only had 30 genin. This Chūnin Exam was slightly smaller, with 54 genin in total, split into two exam rooms. Hagawa and his friends were all in Exam Room 1, so they walked directly to the classroom on the first floor.
The room was already filled with people. When they saw them, they started whispering. Although they were young, they were all quite famous in Konoha. Hagawa's fame was the greatest.
"Damn it!" Asuma said, frustrated. "Why do so many people recognize Hagawa?" He was the Hokage's son, and he had made the Cloud Village run in fear at the border, yet no one was talking about him!
"It's because of Hagawa's strength, of course!" Kurenai said proudly, her hands on her hips.
"It's probably because Hagawa is a resident doctor at the Konoha Hospital," Shizune said after a moment of thought. After she became Sakumo Hatake's student, she had asked to learn medical ninjutsu. With his help, she had met Nono Yakushi, and because of that, she often heard stories about Hagawa at the Konoha Hospital.
"Just good luck," Hagawa said with a smile.
"Once I beat you, I'll definitely be more famous than you!" Asuma said, unwilling to admit defeat.
"No!" Guy said loudly. "Hagawa's rival is me! This is a youthful promise between us!"
When did we make that promise? Hagawa's mouth twitched.
"I'll be the one to win in the end!" Obito said, clenching his fist. "You'll all see what it means to be an Uchiha!"
"Quiet down!" Just then, a stout young man walked in. He was, without a doubt, a member of the Akimichi clan.
"I am your proctor, Dōtō Akimichi," the young man said in a serious tone. "The only rule for this exam is no cheating. If you are caught, you will be disqualified." After he finished speaking, he waved his hand. Two young men emerged from behind him and began handing out the exam papers.
Hagawa thought for a moment and remembered who Dōtō Akimichi was. He was a teammate of Minato Namikaze during the Third Great Ninja War.
"The exam begins." Dōtō Akimichi announced.
Hagawa looked at the exam papers on his desk. They were much harder than the Academy's theory exams. But for him, they were still manageable. He picked up his pen and began to answer the questions. As for the others, they all used their own methods, some answering honestly, and others cheating.
Two hours later, Dōtō Akimichi immediately began collecting the papers. Just then, a figure leaped into the classroom through the window.
"Listen closely! I am the unrivaled white-haired toad messenger of the four cardinal directions, the handsome man who can even make a crying child stop! It is I, the great Lord Jiraiya!" Jiraiya appeared before everyone.
The classroom instantly fell silent.
...
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