Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Chapter 152 The Current Situation of the Three Ninjas: Jiraiya Takes on Disciples

On the training field, Minato Namikaze put away his kunai and wiped the sweat from his brow.

For three whole hours, he practiced the basic hand seals of the Flying Thunder God Technique alone.

"The flow of chakra, spatial coordinate positioning, and the simplification of hand seals..."

Minato sat cross-legged, pulled out his notebook, and quickly jotted down his inspiration: "If coordinates could be preset on kunai, would instantaneous teleportation be possible?"

He was so engrossed in writing that he didn't notice two pairs of eyes watching him from the woods at the edge of the training field.

"Is that him?" Jiraiya squatted on a tree branch, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood beside him and said, "Minato Namikaze, fourteen years old this year, graduated a year ago. Mission record: 47 D-rank missions, 19 C-rank missions, 3 B-rank missions, all perfectly completed. He is skilled in Wind Release and has special talent in sealing techniques and space-time theory."

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. He had actually returned to Konoha several months ago, but had been hiding in a hot spring inn without showing himself.

The Konoha leadership was arguing fiercely over the interests of the ninja clans and the selection of elders, and he had no intention of getting involved.

This morning, the old man came to his door in person and dragged him here.

On the training field, Minato had already stood up again. He formed hand seals, and his figure suddenly blurred—that was the ultimate speed.

"It's pure speed! He imbues his feet with wind-style chakra, achieving super-fast movement through a burst of speed. Although it's not quite at the level of Body Flicker Technique, considering his age..." Jiraiya murmured.

Before he could finish speaking, Minato's figure suddenly appeared on the other side of the training field.

It wasn't that I ran over; it was that I actually appeared—one second I was still in the same spot, and the next I was standing thirty meters away. I just stumbled a bit when I landed and almost fell.

"Failed?" Jiraiya frowned.

"No, he succeeded." Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction.

"Although the distance was very short, I did sense a fluctuation in space for a brief moment just now."

Minato was arguably the most outstanding disciple he found for Jiraiya, and also the rope that kept this dissolute disciple in check.

Especially Minato Namikaze – he has exceptional talent, a strong affinity for the Will of Fire, and an affable charm that emanates from him naturally.

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't know what a Child of Destiny was, he felt that the boy in front of him was one.

Minato steadied himself and a bright smile appeared on his face.

He did it again, this time even more steadily, moving about ten meters in an instant.

Jiraiya fell silent. He watched the blond boy repeatedly try, fall, get up, and try again on the training field.

Sunlight fell on him, making his azure eyes shine brightly, and his smile was as pure as if it had never been tainted by the darkness of the ninja world.

In a daze, Jiraiya thought of the three children from the Land of Rain: Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan. They too had clear eyes and believed in some illusory dream.

But Minato was different. This boy grew up in the sunlight and within the Konoha system.

He has companions, teachers, and the Will of Fire to guide his way.

Unlike Yahiko, he didn't bear the burden of the nation's suffering, nor did he possess eyes bestowed by the gods that he didn't know how to use. He was like... a chosen one destined to be this way.

"Jiraiya." The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, suddenly spoke.

"Um?"

"Do you really think the Child of Prophecy would be born in a place like the Land of Rain? Can something nurtured by war, poverty, and hatred truly be a seedling destined to save the world?"

Jiraiya did not answer immediately. He remained silent for a long time before saying, "The Great Toad Sage's prophecies have never been wrong."

"But the prophecy didn't say that the child of prophecy would necessarily come from outside Konoha."

Hiruzen Sarutobi wore a kind smile, and at this moment, as a benevolent teacher, he earnestly instructed his disciple.

"When I was young, I saw too many children destroyed by war. The seeds of hatred were planted in their hearts, and even if they sprouted, they might grow into thorns of revenge. Jiraiya, barren land cannot grow healthy flowers; poisonous swamps produce flowers that are also poisonous."

In fact, he had always harbored this hope: he sincerely hoped that the chosen one would also come from Konoha, and that the person who would bring peace to the ninja world would also come from Konoha.

The Konoha he had previously perceived seemed old, decaying, and lifeless to him. It wasn't until Minato appeared before him that he realized perhaps his perspective had been too narrow.

He strode towards the training field.

Minato noticed someone approaching, immediately stopped practicing, turned around and bowed: "Third Hokage! And this is...?"

"Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha. Your future teacher."

Minato's eyes lit up: "Lord Jiraiya! Will you be my future teacher?"

Jiraiya coughed and adopted a mysterious demeanor: "Kid, I might not necessarily approve of you. You must pass my test and meet my requirements."

He formed hand seals and took a deep breath—"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"

A blazing fireball roared out, instantly engulfing the target in the distance of the training field. After the flames subsided, the target was reduced to ashes, but the surrounding grass remained completely unharmed.

"Do you see clearly? If you learn it and can do it perfectly, I will consider taking you as my apprentice..." Jiraiya said.

This was definitely a slack, because he didn't believe the old man hadn't taught him about the Water Gate Flame Bullet before.

But it turned out that Hiruzen Sarutobi had never taught him before; he had assumed that Jiraiya would come and take him on as a disciple.

Minato's eyes widened as he quickly analyzed, "The hand seal sequence is Snake—Sheep—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Tiger…the guidance of chakra, inner control…"

His eyes grew brighter and brighter, and he kept making deductions.

Then, he slowly formed hand seals, and a small fireball shot from his mouth, striking the target. The scattered flames vanished instantly, without affecting the surrounding vegetation.

He looked up, his bright blue eyes sparkling: "Master, I did it. Am I your disciple now?"

Jiraiya was genuinely surprised this time. Such a high learning ability truly makes him a promising talent.

He stroked his chin and suddenly laughed, "Kid, there's one last test. As long as you help me collect some materials, from now on you'll be my disciple."

Minato was taken aback for a moment, then his face lit up with undisguised joy: "Really?"

"Of course. But let me be clear from the start, my training is very tough. And I often have to go out 'gathering material'... I mean, collecting writing material. Can you accept that?"

Minato gripped his hand tightly: "I'll do my best, Jiraiya-sensei!"

In the distant woods, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the two high-fiving in the sunlight, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.

He murmured, "Where the leaves dance, the fire will never die out..."

Perhaps, Konoha will really get better and better.