Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 7 The Legendary Three Ninjas? No, they're my Ninja Team!

Konoha's Third Training Ground.

Sunlight filters through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the grass.

Three very different teenagers stood there, looking completely bewildered.

With his white hair and his face still not fully swollen, Jiraiya was secretly giving the blonde girl next to him flirty glances.

Since being "punished" by the Hokage, he felt that his mind had been elevated, and he even thought Tsunade was more beautiful than before.

"Tsunade, from today onwards we're teammates. Please take good care of me!"

He struck what he thought was his coolest pose.

His response was Tsunade's fist, as big as a casserole dish.

"Get out of here, you loser!"

Jiraiya let out a scream and flew out in a beautiful parabola, landing on a tree branch in the distance.

On the other side, Orochimaru, pale-faced, merely glanced coldly at the two clowns, his golden snake eyes filled with undisguised disdain.

"idiot."

He muttered two words under his breath, feeling that being grouped with these two people was simply lowering his own standards.

Tsunade stood with her hands on her hips, looking smug. As the granddaughter of the First Hokage, she was quite unhappy about being grouped with a loser like Jiraiya.

Just as the scene descended into chaos, a figure silently appeared between the three.

"It seems you two get along quite well."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was dressed in a smart ninja outfit, with his signature gentle smile on his face.

But looking at this chaotic scene, he felt his stomach start to ache again.

The legendary Sannin of the future?

That's it?

"teacher!"

Orochimaru and Tsunade immediately stood at attention and respectfully greeted him.

Hanging from the tree, Jiraiya struggled to call out, "Hokage... no, Sensei!"

"From today onwards, I will be your instructor Jonin."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked around at the three of them and spoke slowly.

"There's only one rule here."

He took out two shiny bells from his ninja tool bag, shook them on his fingertips, and they made a crisp sound.

"Same as always, whoever manages to snatch these two bells from me before noon will qualify."

"Those who pass the test can have lunch."

"As for those who can't get them..."

He pointed to the three wooden stakes in the center of the training field.

"They'd just tie themselves to it and watch us eat."

Upon hearing that there was food to eat, Jiraiya instantly became excited, not caring that he was still hanging in the tree.

"Steal the bell? A piece of cake! I'm the future hero Jiraiya!"

Orochimaru's snake-like eyes flickered slightly as he began to quickly analyze the terrain, wind direction, and potential weaknesses in Hiruzen Sarutobi's defenses.

Tsunade confidently clenched her fist, making a "crackling" sound.

In her view, although the teacher was the Hokage, he was still an elder. How could he possibly kill them, the juniors?

If she uses her superhuman strength, snatching a bell would be a piece of cake.

"So..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi tied the bell to his waist.

"Test begins!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Jiraiya jumped down from the tree and charged forward like a mad bull.

"Watch me!!"

He used his signature martial arts technique, which, although performed awkwardly, was full of imposing force.

However, all he felt was a blur before his eyes, and all his punches and kicks landed on empty air.

When he looked up again, Hiruzen Sarutobi had already disappeared.

"Bang!"

Jiraiya's footing gave way, and he fell into a pre-dug trap, where he was then hoisted upside down by ropes and swayed back and forth.

"Damn it! When was this trap dug?!"

"When you rushed over."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice came from the tree.

He easily outmaneuvered Jiraiya using a very simple substitution technique.

"Tsunade, don't think I can't see you."

Hiruzen Sarutobi changed the subject and looked at another large tree.

Seeing that her whereabouts had been exposed, Tsunade decided to stop hiding and, with a shout, slammed her fist into the ground.

"Super Strength Fist!"

boom!

The earth cracked, rocks flew everywhere, and the immense force shook the entire training ground.

She wanted to force Hiruzen Sarutobi to show himself using this unreasonable method.

As the smoke cleared, Hiruzen Sarutobi was still standing perfectly fine on the same branch, not even the hem of his clothes was disheveled.

"The power is decent, but unfortunately, it's meaningless if you can't hit anyone."

Tsunade's face turned red with anger. She pushed off with her feet and charged towards Hiruzen Sarutobi like a cannonball.

Her punches whistled through the air, each one faster than the last.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi's figure was as slippery as an eel.

No matter how swift Tsunade's attacks were, he could always dodge them with the smallest amplitude and the most unbelievable angle.

Tsunade's fist couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes.

"How could this be...?"

Tsunade was panting heavily, feeling like she was trying to beat a ball of cotton, unable to exert any strength.

Just then, a dark figure silently darted out from the bushes behind Hiruzen Sarutobi.

It's Orochimaru, who's been lurking for a long time!

Shuriken -

Several shuriken suddenly shot out from his sleeve, flying towards Hiruzen Sarutobi's back.

The timing was impeccable.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, and didn't even turn around.

With a swift movement, he dodged several shuriken.

The three little ones' stamina was completely depleted by repeated, ineffective attacks.

Hiruzen Sarutobi is like an insurmountable mountain; no matter what method they use, they cannot budge him in the slightest.

"Huff... huff..."

The three collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, their faces filled with frustration.

Hiruzen Sarutobi then slowly jumped down from the tree, walked up to them, and shook the intact bell at his waist.

"Shall we continue?"

The three remained silent.

All their pride and confidence were shattered in the test just now.

Seeing their expressions, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally smiled with satisfaction.

If I don't beat you into submission, I can't say anything more.

"Now, it's time for questions."

He crouched down and looked at the three unwilling faces.

"Have you ever wondered why there are three of you, but I only have two bells?"

The three were stunned.

Jiraiya scratched his head: "Because the teacher wants to eliminate one of us?"

"Idiot!" Tsunade punched him. "You're definitely trying to test who's better!"

Orochimaru fell into deep thought. He vaguely sensed something, but couldn't quite grasp the key point.

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head.

"wrong."

"Because from the very beginning, I never expected you to be able to take the bell from me all by yourself."

"This test, from beginning to end, has not tested your individual abilities."

"It's about teamwork."

He stood up, his voice becoming serious.

"Jiraiya, you only know how to charge recklessly, you are the best bait."

"Tsunade, your monstrous strength is the absolute mainstay of a head-on attack."

"And Orochimaru, your calm mind and unpredictable ninjutsu are best suited to finding opportunities for a fatal blow in the shadows."

"If the three of you join forces and devise a strategy, with Jiraiya drawing my attention, Tsunade suppressing me head-on, and Orochimaru launching a sneak attack from the side, perhaps there is even a one in ten thousand chance that you will be able to touch my bell."

"But what about you?"

"They fight their own battles, distrust each other, and are even wary of one another."

"You're not a team, just three self-important idiots."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's words struck the hearts of the three like heavy hammer blows.

They then realized what was going on.

So that was the real purpose of the test.

They, however, submitted a zero-score answer sheet.

Of course, Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't tell them that he had already rehearsed a hundred ways they would fail in a one-on-one fight in the simulator.

From the very beginning, this test was a "teaching session" tailor-made for them.

Seeing the shame and realization on the faces of the three men, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew that he had achieved his goal for the day.

He untied the two bells from his waist and threw them on the ground.

"It's lunchtime. If you want to eat, figure out how to untie the ropes binding your companions."

He pointed to Jiraiya, who was still hanging upside down.

After saying that, he took out his lunchbox, sat on the wooden stake, and began to eat by himself.

Tsunade and Orochimaru exchanged a glance, and for the first time put aside their prejudices, they worked together to put Jiraiya down.

Seeing the three of them still bickering but already sharing food, Hiruzen Sarutobi's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.

"From today onwards, the Sarutobi Class is officially established."

He looked at the three brilliant stars before him, stars that would illuminate the entire ninja world in the future, and thought to himself.