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"Yes, I'm Natsuki."
"I didn't expect to meet one of the legendary Sannin so soon."
Seeing Jiraiya looking at him with a slightly scrutinizing gaze, Natsuki responded calmly.
In the Forest of Death, he had exchanged blows with Orochimaru, who was concealing his identity and didn't dare to fight at full strength.
"So, you know me, huh?" Jiraiya suddenly changed his attitude and laughed heartily. "My reputation as a great sage precedes me, it seems!
"You're pretty good. Want to train with us?
"I know a lot of powerful jutsu. Passing the Chunin Exams will be a piece of cake with me teaching you."
Jiraiya recalled the Great Toad Sage's prophecy, where he prophesied the about a Child destined to change the fate of the ninja world.
Teaching one was the same as teaching two, he figured. Might as well add Natsuki to the mix. This kid was bright-eyed and intelligent-looking, and seemed much smarter than that knucklehead Naruto.
"Thank you for the invitation, but I promised Hinata I would train with her this month. Besides, our training methods are quite different from ordinary ninja." Natsuki refused politely but firmly.
"Oh? The Tenseigan?" Jiraiya's eyes lit up.
The Third Hokage had mentioned it in his letter.
Hinata Hyūga had awakened the Tenseigan, an evolution of the Byakugan. And Natsuki apparently possessed a similar ability.
Though it was unclear whether it was bestowed upon him by Hinata or his own unique power.
Everyone knew Natsuki had heterochromia.
But during the investigation at his home a few years ago, his eyes appeared normal.
Still, the boy would occasionally spout some chuuni nonsense about possessing the Evil King's Eye and awakening strange abilities.
The younger generation in Konoha had been awakening unusual powers one after another.
This made the entire village a bit paranoid. Some people even kept Transformation devices hidden at home, hoping to learn how to transform like Choji Akimichi and become Ultraman.
The Third Hokage suspected a mysterious force was influencing Konoha, causing these changes. Otherwise, why weren't such mutations happening elsewhere?
He had returned to Konoha for two reasons: to teach the Nine-Tailed jinchuriki and nurture his bonds, and to investigate the source of these newfound powers in Konoha's youth.
Of course, he also wanted to find an opportunity to study the Tenseigan's capabilities.
The Sharingan's evolution into the Mangekyo Sharingan was already incredibly strange, with its diverse and complex abilities.
Who knew how powerful the Tenseigan could be?
However, there was no need to rush.
The priority was to guide the Nine-Tailed jinchuriki. The little squirt was lacking in both temperament and strength.
Having thought this through, Jiraiya put on a regretful expression and said, "I see. That's truly a shame."
Natsuki didn't bother engaging in further conversation.
Jiraiya was one of the Sannin; one shouldn't be fooled by his seemingly honest and amicable exterior. For years, he'd been traveling, ostensibly gathering material for his novels but actually collecting intelligence for Konoha.
If Natsuki spent too much time with this old fox, his secrets would likely be exposed.
With a wave and a quick farewell, he took Hinata's hand and turned to leave.
…
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed. Only three days remained until the official start of the third round of the Chunin Exams.
Present-day Konoha bustled with activity, its streets teeming with people.
Delegations and merchant caravans from various countries had entered the village, accompanying their respective feudal lords and daimyo.
It was said that the Fourth Kazekage of Sunagakure had also arrived.
All these dignitaries would be spectating the third round of the Chunin Exams, motivating the participants to train even harder.
Yet, Natsuki chose to sleep soundly at home.
He called it "pre-exam relaxation" and even gave Hinata three days off.
He was sleeping deeply when a sudden rapping at the door jolted him awake.
Before he could react, the door was kicked open with a bang.
His sister, Kurenai, strode in, and a whirlwind of energy seem to be raging around her. "Natsuki, get up! I'm taking you out!"
"Sister, weren't you on a mission? Konoha is short-staffed right now. You didn't skip work, did you?" Natsuki mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
He noticed that, unusually, Kurenai wasn't wearing her jonin vest but a light red dress. She looked elegant and graceful, her hair cascading over her shoulders like a daffodil basking in the sun.
As a jonin, Kurenai shouldn't be at home.
With various powers converging in Konoha, her skills were most needed. He hadn't seen his sister in over half a month, even though they lived under the same roof.
Kurenai's missions kept her busy, leaving early and returning late.
She left before he woke up and came back after he'd gone to bed. They hadn't even shared a meal together.
The life of a shinobi was simply this unpretentious and busy. Jiraiya would leave for years on his travels.
"Aren't you about to compete in the finals? I specifically took a day off to spend time with you," Kurenai said, hands on her hips. "Well? Aren't you touched? Aren't you going to thank me?"
Thanks to Natsuki's presence in her life, this version of Kurenai was more cheerful and assertive.
She'd even picked up some strange vocabulary from him.
"Oh, there's no need. I'm not a three-year-old." Natsuki remained unimpressed, pulling the covers back over his head.
"You should take the opportunity to rest, Sister. I'm going back to sleep."
"If you lie down any longer, you'll devolve into a pig!" Kurenai ripped the blanket away, prepared to use force to drag the lazybones out of bed, just like old times.
But then, her eyes widened.
The adorable little brother she remembered now possessed a slightly more toned physique.
His body was well-proportioned, and he even had a hint of abs.
Wasn't this guy always sleeping in? How did he get such a good figure?
Her gaze instinctively drifted lower... and a blush crept up her cheeks.
"Natsuki, you indecent brat! Do you even wear clothes to bed?!" Kurenai placed a hand on her hip, her other hand expertly twisting Natsuki's ear.
She exuded an elder sister's aura, masking her slight embarrassment.
"Ow, ow, ow!" Now Natsuki was fully awake.
He jumped out of bed and scrambled to find clothes in his closet.
The person behind him stared intently, as if afraid he might escape.
"Um, Sister, shouldn't you…you know…look away?" Natsuki said helplessly.
"Hmph, I raised you. There's nothing I haven't seen. And now you're shy?" Kurenai finally snapped out of it, pouting dismissively.
She turned towards the door, her expression impeccable. "You have one minute. Get dressed."
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