Chapter 11 — The Test
The morning air at Training Ground 47 was crisp and damp. Mist clung low to the earth, curling around rocks and fallen logs scattered across the wide field.
Kakashi arrived first, silently. His sharp eyes scanned the clearing, analyzing everything.
Kiyemi came next. Her expression was unreadable, her posture calm as she stepped quietly into the open space, eyes drifting toward the treeline.
Asuma was last. He adjusted his forehead protector and tried to project confidence, though the tension in his shoulders betrayed his nerves.
The three of them stood in a silent triangle, waiting.
Then, without warning, a shadow dropped from the trees.
Jiraiya landed with a heavy thud in the center of the field, grinning like he'd just crashed a party.
"Morning, kids," he said, brushing leaves off his shoulder. "Hope you slept well—because I sure didn't. Let's get this over with."
He pulled a scroll from his sleeve and tossed it into the air. With a puff of smoke, it revealed three simple cloth tags, each marked with a red seal.
"Your task is simple: take one of these from me," he said, tying them around his waist and arms. "You've got until noon. Fail, and it's back to the Academy. Succeed… and I'll be your teacher. Lucky you."
Kakashi's face didn't change.
Kiyemi narrowed her eyes slightly. He's stronger than he lets on.
Asuma swallowed hard. "We're supposed to beat him?"
Jiraiya cracked his neck lazily. "You can try. Begin."
Kakashi moved first—fast. A blur of silver and steel, kunai in hand, he shot low toward Jiraiya's side.
Jiraiya didn't even blink. With a casual motion, he caught Kakashi's arm mid-strike, flipped him clean over, and slammed him into a tree trunk with a dull thud.
Kiyemi was already weaving hand signs. "Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!"
A dozen small fireballs rained from above, fast and unpredictable, sweeping across the field in wide arcs.
Jiraiya clicked his tongue. "Cute."
He leapt high, twisting through the flames like a dancer, landing atop a tall boulder. "That all you've got?"
Asuma burst from cover, spinning mid-air with a fierce kick—but Jiraiya's image shimmered and vanished.
"Genjutsu?" Asuma gasped.
"Nope," came a voice from behind.
A hand grabbed his head, and Jiraiya slammed him flat into the grass like swatting a bug.
"Alright," the sannin said, returning to the center. "One minute in and you're already scattered. Not a good look."
Kakashi climbed to his feet, frowning. "He's reading us like a book."
"We're not coordinated," Kiyemi said calmly, stepping beside him. "We're attacking one by one. Useless."
Asuma limped over, wincing. "So what now? We can't beat him."
"We're not meant to beat him," Kakashi muttered. "We're meant to think."
Kiyemi nodded. "And to work together."
A pause. Kakashi glanced at the others.
"I'll draw him out. Kiyemi, set a trap. Asuma, hit him with wind. Time it right."
No more talk. Just action.
Kakashi dashed forward again—fast and direct, but this time he didn't attack. He dodged, feinted, tossed a kunai wide of its mark.
Jiraiya batted it aside without a care. "Try harder, kid—"
The kunai burst in a flash of smoke.
Smoke bomb?
From the haze, Kiyemi's voice rang out. "Fūinjutsu: Shikoku Fūin!"
A sealing tag, strung to a wire, snapped through the air and stuck to Jiraiya's ankle as he landed.
He jumped to shake it off—but too late. The seal flared and pulsed, freezing his movement for a split second.
That was all they needed.
Asuma appeared behind him. "Fūton: Daitoppa!"
The wind blast struck Jiraiya's back, launching him forward—straight into Kakashi's waiting strike.
The silver-haired boy dove from a tree, kunai aimed for the tag on Jiraiya's arm—
But just before impact, Jiraiya vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Substitution," Kiyemi said flatly.
From the woods behind them, slow clapping echoed.
"Well done," Jiraiya said, stepping out from the trees. "You're finally acting like a team."
The three genin stood together—tired, bruised, but standing.
Jiraiya approached them slowly, pausing in front of each one.
"You didn't get the tags. But you learned. You adapted. You relied on each other."
He stopped in front of Kakashi.
"You. You think you're better off alone. You're not."
Then to Asuma.
"You've got heart and guts. That's rare. Use it."
And finally, to Kiyemi.
"You… you're dangerous. In a good way. But don't let that sharp mind of yours go cold. Warmth wins wars."
He stepped back, gave a grin.
"you are passing."
Silence.
Then Asuma let out a long breath and dropped to the grass.
Kakashi crossed his arms, saying nothing.
Kiyemi nodded once. "Understood."
Far above, in the Hokage's office, Hiruzen watched through his crystal ball, pipe in hand.
A smile touched his lips.
"They'll do," he murmured. "Yes… they just might change everything."