"Hm?"
What the—!
Jiraiya's brows shot up as his attention wavered for a split second.
At the same time—
A kunai flew straight toward Jiraiya's waist.
Trying to steal it?
He immediately dodged, but—
Bang!
The Kakashi in front of him turned into a log.
In the next instant, a blade slashed across Jiraiya's waist.
One of the bell cords was cut!
However—
Almost simultaneously, Jiraiya's hair surged outward, wrapping tightly around Kakashi's hands.
Kakashi grit his teeth and hurled the bell toward the ground.
"Kyohiko!"
Below, Kurenai Yuhi sprinted wildly, throwing kunai and shuriken one after another.
There were no traps left around them.
The only thing she could do now—
Was clear obstacles for Kyohiko and create a safe landing point.
Crash!
A spiked wooden plank flying toward Kyohiko had its rope severed by a kunai Kurenai threw, producing a loud crack.
Kyohiko turned his head and immediately grabbed the edge of the incoming plank.
Then—
He exerted force, muscles tightening.
Using the momentum, he flipped upward, lunging toward the falling bell with all his strength.
Clang!
He caught it!
The instant Kyohiko grabbed the bell, Jiraiya's hair arrived.
Kyohiko was wrapped up like a cocoon and hoisted into the air like a chicken, ending up standing side by side with Kakashi.
Jiraiya shot Kyohiko a fierce glare.
If not for that sentence—
How could he have been distracted long enough to let the bell be stolen?
This kid…
Small body, but an old fox at heart. He looked like he wasn't paying attention, but in reality, he was sharper than anyone!
"Huff… you little brats aren't simple. You were arguing yesterday, and today you're already cooperating this well?"
"Lord Jiraiya, that was all strategy!"
Kyohiko chuckled.
Kakashi's face turned red.
Strategy?
What strategy?!
They had clearly argued yesterday.
Jiraiya released Kyohiko.
Then he switched to rope techniques, binding Kakashi instead.
"I said the worst-performing person would be tied up and wouldn't get lunch."
Jiraiya hauled Kakashi down.
Kyohiko followed closely behind.
With a mischievous grin, Jiraiya stopped beside a medium-sized tree in the distance and tied Kakashi to the trunk.
"Hmph."
Kakashi turned his head away, offering no defense for himself.
Two boxed lunches were placed nearby.
Kurenai Yuhi walked over and stood with them.
Jiraiya pointed at the two lunch boxes.
"According to the rules, each of you gets one. He gets nothing. And if anyone dares share food with him, he'll have to take the afternoon evaluation too."
"But—"
Kurenai Yuhi panicked and tried to argue.
Kyohiko had already picked one up and started eating with his chopsticks.
She froze for a moment, then reluctantly took the other.
Jiraiya's lips curled upward.
"Alright then, I'm going to get some ramen. You two keep an eye on him."
"Yes."
Kyohiko answered respectfully.
Jiraiya left.
Kurenai Yuhi's emotions were complicated. She held her lunch box, but had no appetite.
"I'm sorry. I didn't contribute much, yet you ended up being the one tied up."
"..."
Kyohiko focused on eating as if he hadn't heard.
Seeing this, Kakashi could only offer an awkward attempt at comfort.
"You did well too. And… you definitely wouldn't pass the solo evaluation."
Kurenai Yuhi's genjutsu had provided excellent cover, and her perception had accurately pinpointed positions.
Not to mention—
The layered use of illusions, clones, and traps.
So—
She had contributed.
Kakashi knew he had indeed performed the worst—
As a chunin, it had been Kyohiko who guided the direction of the fight, even considering Kakashi's position and deliberately leaving him space and opportunities to strike.
Without Kyohiko and Kurenai Yuhi working together, there was no way he could have cut the bell cord.
By comparison…
Kyohiko seemed more like a qualified chunin than he did.
Was he really an unqualified ninja?
Doubt crept into Kakashi's heart, his mood sinking—just as his stomach let out a loud growl.
He was hungry.
At the height of his embarrassment—
"I've only eaten half. If you don't mind, you can eat the rest. If we all take the afternoon test together, our chances will be better."
Kyohiko held out his lunch box.
Beside him, Kurenai Yuhi lowered her head—
He had really only eaten half!
She suddenly understood.
Kyohiko wasn't holding a grudge against Kakashi. He had planned all along to take the evaluation together with him.
She made a decision immediately.
"You two consume a lot in close combat. I'm more of a support type—I only need about a third to recover some stamina. I'll give the rest to both of you."
"If you're both taking the test, there's no reason to leave me out."
Kurenai Yuhi smiled.
Kakashi blinked, unable to say a word, his throat feeling tight.
"Don't misunderstand. I just don't want the team to lose a member. And feeding you so we can all take the evaluation together doesn't break any rules."
"Right."
Kurenai Yuhi nodded, then glanced quietly at Kyohiko—
As expected.
The real Kyohiko-kun was gentle, considerate, and deeply empathetic. Even in this situation, he was still thinking about Kakashi's feelings.
Yesterday had clearly been about correcting Kakashi's mistakes.
She reached out.
"Can you take off your mask?"
"O-okay…"
Kakashi struggled to squeeze out the word.
The mask came off, revealing a handsome face.
Kyohiko brought the lunch box over and fed Kakashi with chopsticks.
Whether they truly had another test in the afternoon or passed outright, food still had to be eaten.
Tch.
Jiraiya was really cooperating—he still hadn't shown up yet!
As Kyohiko fed him—
He had to suppress the emotions welling up inside.
This was the most difficult meal Kakashi had ever eaten.
Just then—
Whoosh!
A figure landed in front of them.
"You actually dared to break the rules. Looks like you want to be reevaluated."
Jiraiya's face was cold.
"That's right."
Kyohiko nodded.
Jiraiya let out a cold laugh.
"Fine. Then this afternoon, I'll use my full strength—"
Kakashi's breathing hitched, his face turning pale.
"No, I—"
"—I'll let you pass."
Jiraiya finished the sentence.
Kakashi and Kurenai Yuhi stared in shock. Even Kyohiko looked surprised.
But then—
Smack!
Jiraiya slapped Kyohiko on the shoulder.
"Stop pretending. You guessed it, didn't you?"
"More or less," Kyohiko replied. "Since you're one of the Legendary Sannin and were willing to act as our squad leader, you wouldn't give us an impossible test. So I figured there was a chance we could all pass together."
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, surprised.
"But you could've abandoned him. That wouldn't have affected your becoming my subordinates."
"If becoming your student required abandoning comrades," Kyohiko replied calmly, "would you dare entrust your back to me?"
"Hahahaha!"
Jiraiya burst into laughter.
Then his expression turned serious.
"That's right. In war and missions, sacrifices are inevitable. But if someone doesn't value their comrades' lives, how could others ever entrust their own lives—or missions—to them?"
Kyohiko's words, combined with Jiraiya's—
Exploded in Kakashi's ears like thunder.
The lives of comrades…
He fell silent.
Kyohiko's words from yesterday echoed again in his mind.
'There's a reason you came back after graduating. The way you see others is how others see you…'
Yesterday, Kakashi had been angry and indignant.
Now, there was reflection mixed in.
Could it be—
That in past missions, he shouldn't have abandoned those people he could have saved?
No!
As a ninja, missions and rules were paramount.
Inside Kakashi's heart, his old beliefs and new thoughts clashed violently, neither able to gain the upper hand.
Kyohiko never expected to resolve everything in one go.
With a stubborn old fossil like Kakashi, if he were that easy to "convert," he wouldn't have become a team liability.
This was just a good start.
However, in the next moment—
[As Hokage, you did not deliberately win hearts, yet still gained trust through personal integrity.][Reward: Chakra Control Ability increased]
Hm?
Kyohiko glanced at Kurenai Yuhi. He wasn't surprised—just felt slightly conflicted.
The main target hadn't fallen.
Instead, he gained something secondary…
Still fine.
Chakra control was never something you could have too much of.
A huge win!