Seeing Hiruzen's sudden appearance, the incredibly dense Jiraiya couldn't help but ask, "Old man, where did you come from? Don't you know this is the Hokage building rooftop? Did you take a wrong turn?"
Orochimaru stood by, momentarily speechless at Jiraiya's words. This guy never changes!
Looking up, he saw Hiruzen looking at him, and Orochimaru immediately bowed and said, "Uncle Hiruzen!"
Hiruzen smiled kindly, then turned to face Jiraiya.
Jiraiya still looked bewildered. He looked at Orochimaru, then back at Hiruzen, before finally seeming to understand. He casually blurted out, "Oh, so the old man is our Jōnin Leader?"
Hiruzen chuckled and nodded. He seemed to know Jiraiya's nature and teased him, "You must be Jiraiya! I am Hiruzen Sarutobi. We'll need to 'get along well' from now on!"
Jiraiya puffed out his chest proudly and said, "That's right! I am Jiraiya, the man who possesses both handsomeness and courage..."
Hiruzen smiled, watching Jiraiya's cheerful demeanor.
Orochimaru, however, wore a look of utter helplessness nearby.
Suddenly, two figures abruptly appeared on the Hokage rooftop.
Orochimaru looked over alertly. One was an old man in a black robe, whose subtle aura hinted at Jōnin-level strength. The other was a beautiful, cute little girl with light yellow hair—Tsunade Senju.
The instant he saw Tsunade, Orochimaru's body gave an imperceptible tremor.
The old man led Tsunade over to Hiruzen, revealing a nostalgic smile. "It's been a long time, Hiruzen!"
Hiruzen bowed respectfully, saying, "Indeed, it has been a long time, Elder Senju!"
Hearing their exchange, Orochimaru immediately understood the old man's identity. He must be Senju Morinawa, the Great Elder of the Senju Clan!
At this time, Tsunade, who was being held by the old man, also greeted him clearly: "Hello, Uncle Hiruzen!"
"Heh heh, little Tsunade is such a good girl!" Hiruzen replied warmly.
Senju Morinawa lowered his head and gently stroked Tsunade's head. His clear, aged eyes were full of love. He then turned to Hiruzen and said, "Hiruzen, I entrust Princess Tsunade to you."
"Elder Senju, Hiruzen will not fail your trust!" Hiruzen stated firmly.
Senju Morinawa nodded, bent down, and lovingly instructed Tsunade, "Tsunade, listen to Uncle Hiruzen from now on, okay?"
"Yes, I understands. Goodbye, Grandpa Morinawa!" Tsunade raised her adorable face, looked at Morinawa, and replied sensibly.
Morinawa smiled and instantly vanished with a "whoosh—".
After Morinawa left, a hint of sadness flashed across Tsunade's beautiful face.
Hiruzen took in Tsunade's expression and said gently, "Don't be sad, little Tsunade. You're a ninja now!"
Tsunade looked at the kind Hiruzen, the sadness in her heart slightly fading. She forced a smile and nodded, then walked to stand beside Orochimaru.
Jiraiya suddenly jumped forward, tilting his head slightly and adopting a serious, confident, and heroic pose. Pumping his chest, he declared, "Tsunade, don't be sad! With me, Jiraiya, here, I'll definitely protect you!"
"Pffft—" Stung by the antics of this live wire, Tsunade couldn't help but laugh.
Orochimaru stood to the side, watching the two, a look of realization in his eyes. It was just like this in my previous life!
Hiruzen looked at these three children, each with distinct personalities, and smiled faintly. They are the future of Konoha!
After a moment, Hiruzen clapped his hands, signaling the three to sit on the ground. He then asked, "Starting now, you are officially standard Genin! First, let's introduce yourselves. Tell me your name, age, hobbies, and goals."
Jiraiya looked at Orochimaru and Tsunade, enthusiastically leaped up, raised his right hand, and loudly shouted, "Me! I'll go first, I'll go first!"
Hiruzen smiled and said, "Alright, Jiraiya, you start."
Jiraiya narcissistically ran his right hand through his white hair. "I'm Jiraiya, the man who possesses both handsomeness and courage! I'm six years old. My hobbies? I have lots, like practicing jutsu, sleeping, and so on. My goal is to become a great ninja, haha!"
Hiruzen nodded. "Good. Next is Orochimaru!"
Orochimaru, sitting next to Jiraiya, thought for a moment before speaking. "I am Orochimaru, six years old. My hobby is learning jutsu, and my dream is to become a man whose name is recorded in the annals of the shinobi world!"
Hiruzen nodded again.
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya couldn't help but shout, "Orochimaru, you truly are my good friend! You have a great dream just like mine! Haha, let's work hard together!"
Orochimaru subtly shifted away from him, thinking, Foolishness must be contagious!
"Tsunade?" Hiruzen then asked.
Everyone looked at Tsunade.
Tsunade smiled graciously and said in a clear voice, "Hello, everyone, I'm Tsunade Senju, six years old. My hobbies are gambling and drinking, heh heh!" Seeing the instantaneous look of surprise on everyone's faces, Tsunade gave an embarrassed smile and continued, "Oh, and eating good food. My goal is to restore the Senju clan! Alright, I'm done!"
Finally, Tsunade playfully stuck out her tongue, concluding her introduction.
Orochimaru and the other two shifted their focus back to Hiruzen-sensei.
Hiruzen clapped his hands. "You all spoke very well! I am Hiruzen Sarutobi, and I am a Jōnin!"
The atmosphere quieted down. They waited, but heard no further details from Hiruzen.
Jiraiya immediately jumped up and loudly protested, "Come on, old man! We only know your name, you didn't say anything else!"
Hiruzen gave an awkward laugh and immediately changed the subject. "Alright, let's move on to the next segment!"
Orochimaru was a bit annoyed but remained silent, knowing that the real challenge was about to begin.
Without waiting for Jiraiya to continue his "rebellion," Hiruzen dropped a sudden bombshell. "Actually, while you are standard Genin, you are not yet truly my subordinates. You still need to complete a mission I assign you and earn my recognition!"
Hiruzen's tone suddenly became stern. "Otherwise, I will strip you of your Genin status and send you back to the Ninja Academy for another year of re-enrollment! Tsunade will also be sent back to the Senju clan!"
These words instantly stunned Tsunade and Jiraiya. Orochimaru, having experienced this in his previous life, was prepared and unsurprised. He simply waited for Hiruzen to assign the task.
Hiruzen observed their reactions, and silently praised Orochimaru's calm and collected response once more.
He then tossed a black scroll to Orochimaru. "This is your mission. Take it and read it together!"
Orochimaru caught the scroll, opened it, and a faint look of surprise flashed in his dark-golden snake eyes.
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