“Hmm?”

Damn!

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, instantly distracted.

At the same time,

a kunai flew toward Jiraiya's waist.

Trying to steal?

He immediately dodged, but—

Bang!

The Kakashi in front of him turned into a piece of wood.

In the next moment, a blade sliced through Jiraiya's waist.

The string of a bell was cut!

However,

almost simultaneously, Jiraiya's hair grew and grabbed Kakashi's hands.

Kakashi gritted his teeth and threw the bell to the ground.

“Jingyan!”

Yūhi Kurenai was sprinting below, throwing kunai and shuriken from her hands.

There were no traps around anymore.

The only thing she could do...

was help Jingyan clear the obstacles and find a safe landing spot.

Whoosh!

A spiked wooden plank flying toward Jingyan had its rope shot through by a kunai thrown by Kurenai, making a loud noise.

Jingyan turned around and quickly grabbed the edge of the flying plank.

Then—

He exerted strength and leaped upward, desperately reaching for the falling bell.

Clang!

He caught it!

As Jingyan seized it, Jiraiya's hair arrived.

He was bound like a cocoon and pulled up like a chicken, standing side by side with Kakashi.

Jiraiya shot Jingyan a fierce glare.

If it weren't for that comment, how could he have been distracted and had the bell taken?

That kid...

Small but shrewd, looks like he didn’t notice anything but is actually more cunning than anyone!

“Phew, you little brats are not simple, huh? You were at odds yesterday, and today you're working together?”

“Lord Jiraiya, that's all tactics!”

Jingyan chuckled.

Kakashi's face turned red.

Tactics?

What a useless tactic!

They just argued yesterday.

Jiraiya released Jingyan.

Then, he used a rope to bind Kakashi.

“I said that the one performing the worst will be tied up by me and won't have lunch.”

Jiraiya brought Kakashi down.

Jingyan followed closely behind.

Jiraiya grinned and walked over to a tree of moderate size, tying Kakashi to the trunk.

“Hmph!”

Kakashi turned his head away, not bothering to defend himself.

Two lunch boxes were placed beside him.

Kurenai also walked over and stood with them.

Jiraiya pointed at the two lunch boxes.

“According to the rules we set earlier, each of you gets one, and he gets none. If anyone dares to share with him, they’ll also have to participate in this afternoon's test.”

“But…”

Kurenai was anxious and wanted to argue.

But Jingyan had already picked one up and started eating.

She was taken aback and had no choice but to take the other one.

Jiraiya's mouth curled up slightly: “Well then, I’ll go have some ramen first; you two keep an eye on him.”

“Yes.”

Jingyan replied respectfully.

Jiraiya left.

Kurenai felt complicated, holding the lunch box but having no appetite.

“I'm sorry, it was clearly my lack of contribution that ended up with you tied up there.”

“…”

Jingyan focused on his food as if he hadn't heard.

Seeing this, Kakashi could only awkwardly comfort her: “You performed well, and you definitely can’t pass on your own.”

Kurenai's illusion technique had played a good role in providing cover, and her sensing ability accurately indicated the direction.

Not to mention

the cover provided by the intermediate illusions, clones, and traps.

So,

she deserved credit.

Kakashi knew he truly performed the worst—

As a chunin, in the end, it was Jingyan who was guiding the direction of the battle, even considering his presence and leaving him enough space and opportunity to attack.

Without the cooperation of Jingyan and Kurenai, he wouldn't have been able to cut the bell's rope at all.

In comparison...

Jingyan looked more like a qualified chunin.

Could it be that he really was an unqualified ninja?

Kakashi began to doubt himself, feeling a wave of low spirits, and just then, his stomach let out a “grumble.”

He was hungry!

Just at that moment of shame,

“I’ve eaten half; if you don’t mind, you can have my other half. We’ll take the test together this afternoon, and our chances will be greater.”

Next to him, Jingyan passed over his lunch box.

Kurenai looked down—

He had only eaten half!

She realized.

Jingyan didn’t hold a grudge against Kakashi but had already planned to take the test together with him.

She immediately made a decision.

“You two consume a lot in close combat; I’m more of a support, so I only need to eat a third to recover some stamina, and the rest will be split between you two.”

“You all are taking the test together; it’s unreasonable to leave me behind.”

Kurenai smiled brightly.

Kakashi blinked, momentarily speechless, feeling a lump in his throat.

“Don’t misunderstand, I just don’t want the team to be short one person, and feeding you is not against the rules for us to take the test together.”

“Right.”

Kurenai nodded, then discreetly glanced at Jingyan—

Sure enough.

The real Jingyan is very gentle, considerate, and understanding; even at times like this, he could think of Kakashi's feelings.

Yesterday was clearly to correct Kakashi’s mistakes.

She reached out.

“Can I take off your mask?”

“Sure—”

Kakashi managed to utter a word with difficulty.

The mask was removed, revealing his handsome face.

Jingyan passed over the lunch box and fed Kakashi with chopsticks.

Regardless of whether they would really take the test again in the afternoon or just pass directly, food still needed to be eaten.

Tsk!

Jiraiya was really cooperating, still not out yet!

Jingyan fed Kakashi.

While eating, he also had to suppress the emotions and bittersweet feelings in his heart...

This was the most difficult meal Kakashi had ever eaten.

Just then,

whoosh!

A figure landed in front of Jingyan and the others.

“You dare to break the rules; it seems you want to retake the test, right?”

Jiraiya said coldly.

“Exactly.”

Jingyan nodded.

Jiraiya sneered, “Alright, this afternoon I will use my full strength…”

Kakashi's breath hitched, and his face paled.

“No, I…”

“I'll let you pass.”

After finishing the second half of his sentence, Kakashi and Kurenai were dumbfounded, and Jingyan also had a surprised expression.

However,

Jiraiya slapped Jingyan on the shoulder.

“Don’t pretend; did you guess it?”

“Sort of? As one of the Legendary Three, since you are willing to lead as the jonin, you wouldn’t give us impossible test questions, so I thought there was definitely a chance we could pass together.”

Jingyan replied.

Jiraiya was somewhat surprised and said, “But you could also give him up; it wouldn’t affect you becoming my subordinate.”

“If to become your disciple, I can give up my comrades, would you dare to trust me with your back?”

“Hahaha.”

Jiraiya laughed heartily.

Then, he said seriously, “That’s right, in war and on missions, sacrifices are inevitable, but how can a person who doesn’t value the lives of their companions expect other ninjas to entrust their lives and missions to him?”

Jingyan and Jiraiya’s words...

Exploded in Kakashi's ears like thunder.

The lives of companions?

He remained silent.

Yesterday Jingyan’s words echoed in his mind again.

“Coming back two years after graduation isn’t without reason; how you see others is how others see you...”

If yesterday, Kakashi was angry and frustrated,

now he had a bit more reflection.

Could it be—

In past missions, he shouldn’t have given up on saving those people?

No!

As a ninja, missions and rules are the most important.

Kakashi’s inner thoughts battled with past beliefs, making it hard to distinguish between victory and defeat for a moment.

Jingyan didn’t expect to settle everything in one battle.

For a stubborn old hand like Kakashi, if it were that easy to be “influenced,” he wouldn’t have become a tumor in the team.

This was just a good start.

However, in the next moment—

[As Hokage, you did not intentionally unite hearts, yet you successfully gained trust through your personal charm.]

[Reward: Enhanced chakra control ability]

Hmm?

Jingyan glanced at Kurenai; it wasn't surprising but his feelings were quite complex—

The main goal wasn’t achieved.

However, he gained a secondary one...

That’s fine.

No matter how much the chakra control ability improves, it’s not a loss.

What a great profit!