The sun dipped below the western horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the mountains and forests.
In a clearing deep within the woods stood two figures tied to wooden posts, their heads hanging low in defeat.
None other than the defeated Jiraiya and his victorious rival, Kagura.
Hiruzen Sarutobi kept rubbing his sore bottom while scolding Kagura with great distress:
"This is what you learned at the Ninja Academy?
Ah?
There are so many proper ninjutsu techniques for you to study, yet you went and learned *this*?
Even if you wanted to learn Taijutsu, there are plenty of better options out there!
Tell me straight—did you come up with this yourself, or did some rotten sensei teach it to you?"
Facing Sarutobi-sensei's wrath, Kagura instinctively flinched a bit.
Thinking about the question, he recalled carefully before stammering out his response:
"It... It was taught to me by Sakumo Hatake."
[Nani]?
Sarutobi tried to recall who that name belonged to. A silver-haired youth with a determined expression appeared in his mind.
Who would've thought that such an upright-looking young man had created such a despicable ninja technique?
Poor Sakumo Hatake had no clue that someone else's words were tanking his image with the Third Hokage right now.
Though, to be fair, the accusation wasn't entirely baseless.
Kagura remembered clearly—in the original storyline, it was stated that Sakumo Hatake invented [One Thousand Years of Death].
He passed it down to Kakashi, who then, together with Naruto, helped popularize it further.
Feeling a vague pain in his lower region, Hiruzen couldn't help but rub his temples in frustration.
Tying Kagura to the post was just a momentary reaction born from anger.
Now that he thought about it, Kagura hadn't really broken any rules.
After all, at the start, he himself had said that any method was acceptable as long as one could defeat him and obtain the bell to be declared victorious.
He just hadn't expected to crash and burn like that.
As he spoke, he kept his stern face on while untying Kagura.
Finally freed from the wooden post, Kagura let out a sigh of relief.
He had expected Sarutobi's rage all along—this short punishment was already the mildest consequence he had imagined.
Although he won in the end, it didn't mean he was ready to challenge a Kage-level ninja.
From the very beginning, Sarutobi hadn't taken this match seriously at all, which was obvious since he had been focused on defeating Tsunade and others simultaneously.
The true power Kagura had been hiding also threw Sarutobi off from the very beginning.
Put simply, this win was more about luck than real skill.
Looking at these young students before him, Sarutobi felt a wave of weariness wash over him. He shook his head and said:
"Though Kagura used some unconventional methods, he still came out on top.
This is the Ninja World—regardless of the process, only results matter."
Pausing briefly, he glanced at the still-bound Jiraiya and continued:
"As for the three of you...
Though both Tsunade and Orochimaru still have much to improve, I have indeed seen progress from them.
But Jiraiya—you haven't even grasped the true ninja spirit yet!"
Thus, I announce that Kagura, Tsunade, and Orochimaru have passed this exam, Sarutobi-sensei declared.
"As for you!"
Sarutobi-sensei pointed his finger at Jiraiya and said,
"As the only one who failed, you'll be tied up here all night as punishment."
After Sarutobi-sensei announced the results, the other three turned to leave without delay.
Although they had been told they passed the exam, neither Tsunade nor Orochimaru looked particularly cheerful when they left.
Unfortunately, the blow they received from Kagura today had simply been too great.
Only today did they realize that Kagura had never been serious with them back when they were at the Academy.
The slight gap they believed existed had merely been their own illusion.
As for Kagura himself, having seen the original storyline, he naturally understood the purpose of this exam.
This was never meant to be a test of individual strength, but rather a trial designed to awaken team awareness by leaving one person behind as the failure.
However, due to his own actions, the atmosphere had completely changed, and Sarutobi-sensei probably couldn't continue with the original script anymore.
In that case, there was no point in staying around. He might as well head home early and check the system reward.
Watching the retreating silhouettes of the three, Jiraiya also lost the enthusiasm he'd had earlier for shouting. He stood there like a deflated rooster, his head hanging low.
Seeing his depression, Sarutobi-sensei chuckled and asked,
"What's wrong?
Shocked after seeing your companions' true strength?"
Jiraiya answered in a muffled voice,
"That Kagura was so sneaky—he actually concealed his strength all along.
And both Tsunade and Orochimaru are far stronger than me."
Looking at his discouraged student, Sarutobi-sensei sat down beside him, as if recalling old times, offering comfort:
"Jiraiya, the ninja world has never lacked geniuses.
But being a genius doesn't guarantee becoming a true strong ninja."
At this, Jiraiya finally lifted his head and asked his teacher,
"Then how can one become strong?"
Sarutobi-sensei smiled and replied,
"Strength comes from diligence, luck, and talent.
Most importantly, an unyielding heart.
Everyone possesses their own unique talents—you don't need to constantly compare yourself to others. What matters more is staying true to yourself."
Encouraged by his teacher's words, Jiraiya's eyes gradually regained their luster.
He smirked confidently and proudly declared,
"That's right! Today was just an off day for me.
My jutsu techniques are the strongest in Konoha!
Every time I use my jutsu to spy on the bathhouse—never once have I failed!"
Looking at his brazen disciple, Sarutobi-sensei simply twitched his lips and said nothing more.
After a long silence, another voice broke it.
"Next time, bring me along when you hit the baths."
"...Teacher, you're such a pervert."
"Silence!"
On his way home, Kagura strolled cheerfully.
Originally intending to claim his reward from the system only after returning home, unable to resist checking the Tailed Beast reward, he eagerly clicked to collect his reward halfway.
After mentally confirming the selection, nothing out of the ordinary occurred—just as he'd expected.
He turned his head and took a good look at himself, but noticed no obvious changes.
His focus finally returned to the System, where he saw significant updates in his attributes:
Dojutsu: (Double Tomoe Sharingan), Progress 14.2%.
Taijutsu: (Fourth Gate, Harm Gate), Progress 90.1%.
Chakra: (Chunin Level), Progress 42.1%.
Tailed Beast: One-Tail, Integration Level 1%.
How did my attributes improve so much?
It seems fighting against a Kage-level opponent has brought immense benefits to his growth.
Based on Kagura's past training experience, achieving this level of improvement through self-training alone would have taken at least one to two weeks.
The newly added "Tailed Beast" entry in the attributes also caught his attention.
"One-Tail?"
Muttering to himself, he fell into thought for a moment before shifting his awareness inward.
Sure enough, after careful examination, he discovered an unfamiliar presence within his body—a Tailed Beast that had somehow appeared there unnoticed.
Sure enough, it really was the One-Tail—Shukaku!
Unlike its usual fierce look, though, this One-Tail was pure white all over.
Its round, fluffy face actually looked kinda cute as it lay peacefully inside him, snoring away.
Seemingly noticing Kagura's gaze, it scratched its eyes with a paw, rolled over, and went right back to sleep.
This really is a Tailed Beast?
Could it possibly be some kind of mascot-like thing?
A series of question marks hovered above Kagura's head.
Unfortunately, the System offered no answers to his confusion, and at the moment, he couldn't verify anything either.
With nothing he could do, Kagura decided to leave the matter for now.
Alright, since the Tailed Beast appears quite different from what he imagined, maybe he should start choosing jutsu instead.
After all, that would directly enhance his actual strength.
Just as the Roulette Wheel within the System started spinning, Kagura—who had been strolling along the road—suddenly stopped in his tracks.
His keen instincts told him—there was an enemy nearby!
And it was watching him from not far away!
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