Konoha: Tsunade, I Am the Hokage! [8]

Inside the Hokage’s office, Sarutobi Hiruzen finally let go of his crystal ball, a rare note of relief showing on his face.

“Whew.”

Those three kids were never going to beat Jiraiya.

But—

The way they handled the bell test, and how exceptionally they executed it, had far exceeded the Third’s expectations.

He’d originally thought—

If those three could just set aside their differences and cooperate at a basic level, maybe Jiraiya would turn a blind eye and let them pass.

But now?

Kagenori and Kurenai had deliberately held back, creating space for Kakashi to act.

And Kakashi hadn’t been stubborn about it—he’d seized the opportunity without hesitation.

There had been friction, sure.

But it hadn’t hindered the test.

Keep personal conflict and professional mission separate.

That was the mindset of a mature shinobi.

And the one who had orchestrated all of this—

Was the very child the Third had hardly paid attention to.

No wonder Jiraiya had personally picked him out.

---

Ichiraku Ramen. Familiar as ever.

But the shop was a little different now.

Teuchi, still young and full of energy, had the same hearty smile as always.

Kakashi had already put his mask back on.

The moment they stepped in, Jiraiya shouted, “Boss! Four bowls of ramen!”

“Coming right up—grab a seat, all of you!” Teuchi greeted them warmly.

“You three sit here. I’m gonna… grab some grilled meat too. A little bonus,” Jiraiya said, scanning the area casually.

But—

Something in his peripheral vision made him uneasy.

“Kagenori, come with me. Let’s see what looks good.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kagenori stood up promptly and followed.

Kurenai watched them go, then murmured softly, “Jiraiya-sama really seems to value Kagenori.”

“Uh…”

Kakashi’s gaze drifted. He opened his mouth, hesitated, and then said nothing.

He remembered it clearly.

Back then—

Jiraiya had suddenly stiffened for a moment, distracted—and that was when he’d managed to cut the bell’s string.

It had been something like…

"You wouldn’t want people to find out..." or something along those lines.

“Kakashi, you know something, don’t you?”

As a genjutsu and sensory specialist, Kurenai instantly picked up on the odd shift in his demeanor.

Kakashi thought for a moment, then replied cautiously and succinctly:

“Maybe they’ve met before.”

“Jiraiya-sama and Kagenori?”

“Mm.”

...

“Kagenori, you did well today.”

“You were holding back. We never could’ve passed otherwise.”

Kagenori wasn’t like Naruto or Obito.

He knew very well that the gap between him and a Sannin wasn’t something sheer effort could close.

If Jiraiya had seriously wanted to keep the bells, it would’ve been laughably easy.

Just one [Needle Jizō] and the test would’ve been over.

But throughout the fight—

The strongest jutsu Jiraiya had used was [Wild Lion’s Mane Technique], and even then, it wasn’t a full version—just enough to bind them like rope.

That wasn’t just holding back. That was letting the ocean out of the dam.

Jiraiya coughed lightly. “It’s a genin test, after all. It’s meant to assess teamwork and attitude—not raw power. Also, about that one thing…”

“Jiraiya-sama, there are some places in the village you really ought to avoid. As one of the Sannin, you represent Konoha’s image.”

Kagenori’s tone was honest, direct—like a principled young man.

Jiraiya’s face flushed red.

He’d thought Kagenori had just happened to pass by that time and hadn’t noticed him sneaking around.

But now it seemed the kid had been well aware—and just didn’t dare call him out.

Awkwardly, he tried to defend himself. “That was for research... don’t get the wrong idea.”

“Oh.” Kagenori nodded, face full of “I totally believe you.”

Jiraiya felt his soul leave his body.

Yeah... no one’s buying that.

“Just order whatever. My treat!”

“Wait, I’m not the one paying, am I?”

“You little brat!”

...

After ramen and grilled meat, it was already afternoon.

Jiraiya, rare for him, turned serious.

“From now on, you’re officially a team. I want you to keep up the same attitude you had this morning. Also—”

He looked at the three of them. “You’ve all trained tree-walking and water-walking, right?”

“Mm.” All three nodded.

Jiraiya pulled out a sheet of chakra paper.

“Kakashi, Kurenai—you’ve probably already tested. Kagenori, you try. This’ll tell us what type of jutsu you’re most suited to.”

“You’ve worked well together so far, but Kakashi’s lightning release and kenjutsu lean toward surprise attacks. Kurenai’s genjutsu supports and disrupts.”

“We’re missing someone who can fight head-on.”

The implication was clear.

Kagenori was the one best suited to being the team’s frontline.

“Yes, I understand.”

He hadn’t avoided learning ninjutsu because he didn’t want to—

He’d never had the chance.

Even as a Senju descendant, once separated from the clan, he had almost no ninjutsu resources. After two generations, there was little left but survivor benefits.

Without scrolls, even chakra paper felt like a luxury expense.

He took the paper.

Moments later, it turned damp.

Jiraiya said, “Based on that, you naturally possess water-nature chakra. Water Release will be the fastest and most efficient for you to learn.”

Chakra natures could be innate, but they could also be developed over time.

Kagenori’s result simply meant Water Release would be easier for him—not exclusive.

“I heard Kakashi’s good with Lightning Release. If I learn Water Release, we could make a good combo.”

As he spoke, a hint of admiration crossed his face. “Also, my idol is the Second Hokage. His Water Release was famous across the ninja world—not even Kirigakure could match it!”

The Second...

A flicker of nostalgia passed over Jiraiya’s face.

That man’s Water Release had been terrifyingly strong.

It seemed—

Even after everything, this child still had his heart firmly aligned with Konoha.

Jiraiya allowed himself a moment of quiet reflection, then refocused.

“Alright, I’ll teach you [Water Release: Wild Water Wave] later. Kurenai—your genjutsu’s excellent, but you need more taijutsu training. Kakashi, your issue is the smallest—but the most dangerous. You need to start cooperating with your teammates. Understand?”

He gave feedback to each in turn.

All three nodded seriously.

With Kakashi and Kurenai standing off to the side, Jiraiya began the ninjutsu instruction.

“[Wild Water Wave] is a basic Water Release technique. Versatile and easy to use, not very difficult. You can try it out.”

He explained the hand seal sequence:

Dragon → Ox → Hare.

Jiraiya was still speaking when—

Kagenori had already begun forming seals.

Then—

[Water Release: Wild Water Wave]

A torrent of water burst from his mouth, forming a surging stream.

Jiraiya blinked, stunned.

Even with the full process of hand signs and chakra shaping, Kagenori moved cleanly and smoothly.

His chakra control’s not bad at all.

For a genin—

Kagenori’s level was already high.

“So cool…” Kurenai couldn’t help but murmur in awe.

First try... and he already got it.

That kind of talent was something else.

But—

Kagenori knew the truth.

It wasn’t raw talent that let him succeed in one go.

It was because [Wild Water Wave] was relatively simple—and because of the reward he’d gotten that morning.

His improved chakra control had made releasing jutsu dramatically easier.

Not wanting him to get overconfident, Jiraiya paused a beat and said, “That was C-rank—just the basics. Try [Water Formation Wall] next. It’s a B-rank defensive jutsu.”

“Alright.”

Kagenori nodded.

He listened carefully to the hand signs, then increased his chakra output and exhaled.

Moments later—

A water wall, roughly human height, rose and surrounded him, shielding him completely.

Jiraiya froze.

This kid...

Even his chakra control is that good?!

Almost on par with Kurenai?

That girl had been training genjutsu from a young age, and with her natural gift, it made sense for her chakra control to be excellent.

But Kagenori?

Over the past year, he’d mostly focused on taijutsu, substitution, and body flicker. At most, he’d done some tree-walking and water-walking.

This—this doesn’t make any damn sense!

Recalling the years of suffering he had endured just to master basic jutsu, Jiraiya's soul took a hit.

He sank into a long, brooding silence.

---

This is a fan translation of 木叶：纲手，我才是火影！by 卖身葬节操 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!