"I'm alive! I'm alive!"
Seisuke and Asuma leaned back in the hot spring, exclaiming in satisfaction. It was as if the fatigue of the past three days had been washed away.
Yuhi Shinku lay aside, enjoying the hot spring, and said, "So, how is it? Comfortable, right?"
"It's good. It would be even better if there were iced drinks." Asuma said with a smile.
"You wish. This hot spring place doesn't offer that service. Also, Lord Jiraiya, why are you here?" Seisuke squinted at the white - haired man drinking by the hot spring.
Jiraiya said, "What? Can't I come here to soak in the hot spring? You're quite nosy, kid. Even Orochimaru isn't as nosy as you."
No, you're definitely here to peep!
"How could that be? I'm just curious. A busy big shot like you actually has time to relax."
"Don't compare me with that home - body Orochimaru. I'm really busy, you know. Also, brat from the Third Hokage's family, are those eyes of yours itching to peep?"
Jiraiya, truly the "One - Yellow" among the Sannin, as an experienced person, could tell what Asuma was thinking just by looking at his eyes. There was a mixture of three parts eagerness, three parts fear, and four parts anticipation in his eyes. He himself had been like that when he was young and reckless, but as he grew older, the fear had disappeared.
Being seen through, Asuma blushed and retorted, "H - how could that be?"
"Why not? I've been through it all. Besides, your old man is also a bit of a rascal. I was the one who took your big brother for his first time." Recalling the old days, Jiraiya let out a sigh. The running in the sunset was his bygone youth!
Thinking about it now, he was just an aging uncle.
No, I have to find my youth back tonight!
"Impossible. My old man and big brother can't be like this pervert!" Asuma felt something was wrong. His father was very obedient to his mother at home, and his big brother was a decent person. He had also been warned not to hang out with a white - haired guy named Jiraiya.
Now that he thought about it, something seemed off...
"Don't be deceived by the surface of things. You're still young, kid. Hahaha, you'll understand when you grow up."
Jiraiya smiled without saying more. He had some dirt on his teacher. When the old man retired someday, he'd find a way to expose those secrets and make the old guy a social outcast!
Well, he'd do it with Orochimaru then!
Yuhi Shinku coughed and said, "Lord Jiraiya, they're just kids. Maybe it's better not to expose them to this kind of knowledge."
"Hahaha, just kidding, just kidding. Don't take it seriously. By the way, is your name Seisuke? How's Orochimaru's teaching?"
"Teacher Orochimaru answers all my questions and often teaches me ninjutsu!"
He just likes doing experiments, all kinds of gory animal experiments, and sometimes he likes to disappear for days without a trace.
"Seems like he's doing a decent job." With a blush on his face from drinking, Jiraiya chatted casually with them. Meeting them today was pure coincidence. It was just some small talk, and teasing the Third Hokage's kid was quite fun.
After soaking for a while, Seisuke and the others got out. Yuhi Shinku told them to go have a big meal and said he'd cover the cost.
After the meal, they all went back to their respective homes.
...
Ryūchi Cave
Utakata - hime looked at the arriving Seisuke and asked curiously, "Little Seisuke, are you here to learn Sage Mode?"
"No, that can wait. I was wondering if you have small snakes here that can talk like humans and preferably have normal eyesight like us."
"Yes, we do. What do you need them for?" Utakata - hime was even more puzzled.
"Give me two!" Seisuke said. "I need their help for an exam. I'll definitely reward you handsomely if it works out!"
"You're trying to cheat!" Utakata - hime laughed. "It's not that I can't help you, but you have to bring me something interesting."
"No problem! As long as I pass, it's completely fine!" If he passed the exam, he'd immediately offer a limited - edition manga!
"Okay, come with me!"
...
Summer of Konoha Year 43
The Chunin Exams officially began.
This time, Konoha, together with several friendly ninja villages such as Sunagakure, Kusagakure, Taki - gakure, Kengo - gakure, and Amegakure, started the Chunin Exams.
Among the five great ninja villages, Konoha was on good terms with Sunagakure. Iwagakure and Kumogakure were a bit of a threat, and Kirigakure was in isolation, paying no attention to such matters.
One didn't necessarily have to pass the Chunin Exams to be promoted to chunin. There were other ways, but the Chunin Exams were the most common. Usually, they were held once a year. If one didn't succeed this year, there was always next year, but it meant doing D - rank missions for another year.
Seisuke yawned as he walked towards the exam venue. He had been woken up early in the morning by the excited Asuma. It was just an exam, yet Asuma was acting as if it was extremely difficult to pass.
"Why don't you seem worried at all?" Asuma asked.
"Of course I'm confident I can pass. Here, this is for you." He took out two snakes from his pocket and gave one to Kurenai and one to Asuma, saying, "The red - colored snake is for peeking at others' test papers. Asuma, this completely solves the problem that we might not be able to pass."
"Wow, that's great! If my old man knew I couldn't pass the first exam, he'd kill me! You're truly my best friend!" Asuma held the little snake, as if he had found a treasure.
Kurenai's face twitched. This was the consequence of not paying attention in class. However, she didn't reject Seisuke's kindness. After all, what if she also encountered something she didn't know?
In the Konoha exam venue
Genin from various villages gathered together. The number of genin from each village varied, but in total, there were three to four hundred. With so many people, a large number would probably be eliminated in the first round.
"There are so many people. There are at least sixty or seventy in our exam room." Kurenai looked at the foreign genin with unfriendly eyes.
These genin sat together, eyeing each other with hostility. If it weren't for the fact that fighting during the Chunin Exams would result in immediate disqualification, these hot - blooded genin would have started a fight long ago.
There were frictions among all the villages, to varying degrees. Even though Konoha and Sunagakure were allies, in fact, if it came to a fight, they'd be ruthless to each other.
They found their Konoha classmates and sat together. To their surprise, they saw Obito and said, "Obito, you actually didn't be late?!"
The king of lateness not being late was such a surprising thing.
"Hmph! Don't look down on me! I'm very punctual!" Obito said proudly.
Kakashi, on the side, exposed him. "If it weren't for Rin going to wake you up in advance, you probably wouldn't have arrived until the afternoon!"
Obito's face froze. Well, that was the truth!