The sun had long since set for the day and Hiruzen was still working through the most dreaded enemy he had since the war ended, paperwork. Other than the Anbu hidden out of sight he had been alone for hours, almost all of the new Jonin sensei had come and gone hours ago. All except one, of course. It was not technically his fault, as he had not been in the village when it started. He was several hours late from his last mission, stopping off somewhere to do "research" no doubt. The Hokage chuckled softly under his breath as he thought of his most foolish student. At this rate he might need to think up a new excuse, he's said it has been for a book for so long one would expect him to have an entire series written at this point.
A soft click was heard as the window opened, and his wayward student entered the room. Jiraiya flashed his former teacher a winning smile as he raised his hand in greeting. "Mission successful Sensei!" Reaching into his pack Jiraiya pulled out four scrolls before placing them on the desk. "The heads of the leader of the Skull bandits and his lieutenants. Just as you ordered, along with the missing-nin that was working with them."
The Hokage briefly looked over the scrolls before putting them to the side. "I see. I expected you back from this mission yesterday. I assume since you are in good health, that it wasn't an actual event on the mission that delayed you. More research?"
The white-haired Sannin had the good grace to look sheepish. "Well after Tsunade made it clear that she didn't appreciate my research, I have had to limit myself in the village." A perverted grin flashed on his face for a moment. "She might not be nearby but I don't want to risk her carrying through her threat the next time we meet!"
Hiruzen sighed softly, giving his student a half-amused glare. "I imagine you are going to regret those actions one day. Regardless, take a seat. We have something else to discuss." After his former student adopted a serious expression and took a seat, Hiruzin took a moment to light his pipe before speaking. "In case you had forgotten, the academy final exams were held just before you left. Tonight there was a meeting for potential Jonin sensei to receive their students. You were supposed to be back earlier so you could attend."
The slow dawn of horror on Jiraiya's face as the Hokage spoke made the man hide a smile. "Sensei you can't be serious! There have to be better options than a pervert like me! What about Orochimaru? Hell if you wanted some big shot you could have just gotten Sakumo!"
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes at the admittedly expected reaction. "Orochimaru doesn't have the patience as of yet to teach or lead a genin team. Perhaps one day but not today. I would consider a team for Tsunade but that will have to wait till she returns." The glare intensified for a brief moment and a chill went down Jiraiya's spine. "Perhaps I thought since you already have been a teacher, that you should use that experience for the village."
To his credit, Jiraiya met his teacher's gaze head-on. After a long moment, he nodded slowly, not wanting to redo another argument they have often had since his return to the village. "And I am guessing Sakumo was here for that meeting." The Hokage nodded as he momentarily shifted around the papers on his desk before finding the file he was looking for, and handing it over to Jiraiya who quickly opened it. "Team six. The classic team of the top graduate, top kunoichi, and the lowest-ranked passing student. I have absolute faith that you will be able to make them all excellent shinobi."
Jiraiya flipped open the page to find the profile of his first student, the black and white photo did not give much of a clue to his actual hair colour but the determined and lonely gaze in his eyes told the Sannin plenty. He briefly skimmed the page before looking back up at the Hokage. "The top of the year I take it? I don't recognize his last name so I am guessing he is a civilian-born ninja. I bet that ruffled some feathers given his grades."
The Hokage nodded, proud that this was yet more proof that letting civilians into the academy was only a good thing. "He scored the top result on every test he took, even when he was moved up a couple of years. Unlike similar civilian-born students who manage that feat, he scores well in his physical activities as well. He is a prodigy and genius, though I am afraid this has led to him being isolated from his peers at the academy."
"Well, I shouldn't have much trouble there, if the team passes the last test they won't have an issue bonding." Glancing further down the page his eyebrow rose before confusion set in. "He already knows his chakra nature? How did a non-clan kid manage that? Even just normal shinobi families focus on helping their kids with academy-level Jutsu till they graduate."
"He was spotted practising the leaf-cutting exercise in his free time. As I said, the boy is a genius. I wouldn't be surprised if he has a low-level elemental Jutsu or two at his disposal already. I expect great things from him, he is one of the brightest stars to come out of the academy in years."
Jiraiya shifted the papers around to see his next potential student before his eyes went wide. "Sensei you can't be serious! Why would you want me, of all people, to train the Uchiha clan heir?"
"You were the best choice on several levels, you are prestigious enough to make the clan happy. Despite your recent absence and your 'research' you are well respected in the village. You have a wide variety of jutsu to pass on to her, along with your strength. That's why after she passed the exam the clan asked me to consider you to be her Jonin sensei." Letting out a puff of smoke he smirks softly at his former student. "Personally I picked you in the hope that you could bleed off some of that famous Uchiha arrogance. Having one less future clan head be arrogant for arrogance's sake would only be a boon for the village."
Jiraiya glanced down at the photo for the first time and behind the proud smirk he saw the glint of determination in her eyes. The typical main branch Uchiha features were all there, from dark eyes and hair to pale skin tone. A brief thought that she would be a real looker one day crossed his mind but he quickly dismissed it. Pervert he might be but he had standards dammit. Shifting down he skimmed the rest of the page before smiling. "Top of her class in Shurikenjutsu, not too much of a surprise given her 'special eyes'. Top marks on the academy jutsu and near the top end with Taijutsu. Her reaction time is exceptional and she marked near the top on her written tests as well. Very nice."
The Hokage nodded, pleased that his former student was getting interested in his potential students before even meeting them. "She is extremely proud of her clan, diving into its history like nothing else. She mastered the great fire ball jutsu during her beginning days at the academy, much earlier than most of her clan. She might be a handful but I expect you're well up to the task."
After shuffling through the paperwork again Jiraiya eyed his last potential student. Given the photo's lack of colour there were some details up in the air, but the wraps on his forearms and knuckles were clear as day. Like his teammates though that glare was pure determination and grit. "Let's see here, Mr 'last place" himself. Like all orphans, he was put through chakra testing when he was of age and after passing was sent to the academy. He seemingly didn't have much enthusiasm for being a ninja, his grades barely being above failure every year."
The Hokage grimaced, still having mixed feelings about forcing any orphans who could use chakra into the academy. While it was giving them a shot at a better life, it wasn't their choice to choose this path. Still, the needs of the village come first. Puffing out some smoke he let his student continue uninterrupted.
The Saninn raised his eyebrows as he counted his reading, an unknowing grin forming on his face. "That story changes at the beginning of this academy year. After two weeks of his grades in class and exercises crashing his teachers report a change in him. His grades shot up to acceptable levels and every day after school he could be seen practising taijutsu against the posts outside the building. By the end of the year, he had shot up to the top of his class in Taijutsu, beating all comers. How the hell did he pull that off? Some of those kids must have had years of instruction at home by that point!"
Hirzien chuckled softly, knowing that his former student was already invested in these kids, whether or not he knew that yet. "Anbu patrols by the orphanage often reported a lone resident training in the yard late into the evening after classes let out. Every single day. No matter the weather either. I even put in an appearance one evening just to see it firsthand. Of course when he noticed me he freaked out a little, not the first time a young one reacted to the hat like that."
Jiraiya smiled and briefly skimmed through the report one more time before frowning. "It says here that his mother was a wandering merchant who got stuck here during the war, passing just minutes after naming him. No mention of his father." He cursed softly before shaking off the melancholy. "Well since it seems his other teammates know some elemental jutsu we would have to test his affinity right away, give him something other than his fists to work on. If they pass the bell test anyway."
"Oh? Planning on putting them through the same test your team went through? That's more sentimental than I expected from you." Hiruzen said with a smile.
Nodding Jiraiya shared a brief smile with his former teacher and mentor. After taking a long moment to consider something he looked away while he spoke. He would never be ashamed of teaching those kids, but there had to have been better ways to do it than what he did. "I never got to give those three a proper test before taking them on. It's a tradition worth carrying forward and I might as well start on the right foot."
"Well, then you're going to be needing some bells." Reaching into his desk the Hokage pulled out a familiar pair of silver bells. Jiraiya blinked as he slowly reached out and took them. "I didn't know you still had these Sensei."
Hiruzen smiled softly, gazing at the bells but looking into the distant past. "I received them from my Sensei, as of the three of us I was the only one who had the correct temperament to teach. Now I pass them on to you, with the hope that when they are ready your students can pass that torch on."
Standing Jiraiya gave the Hokage a quick bow, a warm smile forming on his face. "On that note, I should go get some sleep. If they turn out to deserve your confidence then tomorrow will be an interesting day." The Hokage rose and led the younger man out of his office, clasping a hand onto his shoulder. "I don't doubt that for a moment."
—-
The clanging of alarm bells rings out into the small room as Daichi shoots up to his feet, not even fully awake as he quickly moves across the space to slap his hand down on the device to shut it off. Letting out a light groan he fumbles in the dark for a moment before opening his curtains, noting the sun was starting to rise. That's odd, I normally set my alarm earlier than this so I can get a workout in before…
"It's my first day as a Ninja!"
Not caring to be overly silent now that he knew most of the orphanage would be getting up shortly, he quickly set about getting ready for the day. Daichi quickly slipped on his clothing, picking the green t-shirt and black shorts he had picked out as his starting "gear" and picked up his headband. Brushing his thumb over the metal a wide grin sprang up on his face. All my training, it all bears fruit today! All my blood, sweat, and tears were worth it! And it wouldn't have been possible without that day.
Waking up on the first day of the school year with a whole new set of memories bouncing around his head was an experience that he wouldn't recommend to his worst enemy. The early days were spent drifting through the motions as he tried to sort everything out. Images of impossible things flashed through his mind, from flying in a metal contraption high up in the sky to riding around in steel wagons that moved faster than the average ninja!
Then there were the memories of his other self. His other lived a relatively peaceful life, studied his passions, and did the best he could. That is till the end. Stepping in to protect someone when he didn't have the means. He saved her in the end, even if it was at the cost of his life. That sacrifice was what truly inspired Daichi to improve himself and start moving forward. He didn't want to cower in fear at the monsters of this world, he wanted to face them!
Glancing over at the one luxury his room had when he received it upon starting at the academy, Daichi looked at himself in the mirror. His hands absent-mindedly started applying his wraps, getting his wrists and knuckles covered to protect them. His skin was tanned from long hours out training in the sun, and his hair was cut short to keep it out of the way, the notable red colour the only physical similarity he had to his other self. The colour reminded him of some of the figures that inspired him, like the magic warrior Erza Scarlet and the unbreakable Red Riot.
His other self enjoyed many different kinds of entertainment, all of which Daichi found something to inspire him in some way. The most important of those was the tale of Naruto Uzumaki, the tale of the future. And one of more danger than he ever thought possible.
Initially having his eyes forcefully opened to the dangers of this world terrified him. Weaker ninjas died in droves during the story and towards the end, entire armies were crushed by one man. While his other self didn't watch the tale about the next generation he paid enough attention to know that ninjas and the threats they faced kept getting even stronger. Fear grasped his soul and left him a nervous wreck for days.
It wasn't till he started sorting through the rest of his other's memoirs that he found the resolve to move forward. How could he not when he found countless examples of strength in the face of death? Especially when his other self did the same? No, he will always grit his teeth and move forward. The first step of that journey is today!
Shaking his head free from the reminiscing Daichi quickly gathers the ninja gear he received from the academy and moves to get some breakfast. It wouldn't do to be late on the day he meets his teammates!
—-
Coming to a stop in front of the Taijutsu posts in the schoolyard, Diachi smiled from ear to ear, not even breathing that hard from the run. Stepping back into an academy taijutsu stance he lightly goes through the motions for old time's sake, his fist smacking heavily into dents he had long since put into the wood. Ever since he started pushing himself to improve he had run over the entire village more times than he could count. Unlike his classmates, he didn't have a bloodline ability to draw back on or a genius intellect. What he did have was the guts to put in the hard work.
Inspired by the "green beast" of the future and his student, he decided that hard work was his path to strength. Unfortunately, the academy jutsu wasn't enough to give him options as a ninja and the only other thing he had access to was Taijutsu. So that's what he did, putting his all into physical training and Taijutsu. As soon as he got out of the academy he used all his free time practising fighting with the academy style. Basic it might be, it will be an excellent foundation to build on once he has the resources to do so.
It turned out that given it was his pure focus he excelled in the class. He quickly shot up the class rankings in the art, his only rivals being the twin brother of the Hyuga clan heir (thankfully the heir himself graduated from the academy the year before) and the Uchiha clan heir, Mikoto. He always enjoyed his fights with the two, though whenever he got knocked down he always stood back up. 'Train like you fight, fight like you train' was something his other self had heard somewhere and Daichi took it to heart. If he gave up in training he would give up in the field and that is unacceptable.
He didn't abandon training the academy Jutsus either. Out of the three, he had the most trouble with the clone Jutsu but in the end, he managed it! The day he graduated from the academy was the best day of his life. Who cares that he got in at the bottom of his class? He still made it and out there in the real world, your grades meant remarkably little. Hearing laughter from his fellow graduates, Daichi glances over towards the entrance to the school. It's almost time for the assignments, better go see who I will be working with for the rest of my life.
_
Daichi leaned back in his seat, even tossing his feet up onto the table to complete the picture. It's not like he was ever going to be back in this classroom again anyway. Drifting his eyes around the room he briefly hides a smile at knowing that a good number of his classmates are going to have kids in the same class. Is it a clan thing to just time all that out? Build bonds between future clan heads and all that? Sure there were a lot of people he didn't recognize from the memories, which Daichi hoped just meant most of them didn't grow to be famous ninjas, not the other thing that could mean.
In the back row with him was Shikaku trying to take a nap and Yoshino was giving him heck about it. Given the amount of crap she gives him, Daichi was a little surprised the two ended up together in the future. Off to one side by the windows are the other two members of the soon-to-be-made Ino-Shika-Cho team, Inoichi, and Choza. Wait, did they name their kids after the formation?... Oh, what the hell their names are after the formation too?
Shaking his head at the thought he turns to keep looking around the room. Next, he spots one of his Taijutsu 'rivals'. Hizashi was also scoping out the room, maybe trying to figure out who his teammates would be. The two melee fighters gave each other a nod before going back to their inspections.
Right at the front of the class were the two class pets. The Hokage-to-be Minato was sitting closest to the teacher's desk, reading a book while he waited. Back when Daichi first gained the other's memories he didn't have much trouble believing the best student in class would one day get the strength required to be Hokage. It was more so that this mousy kid who answered every question and had trouble talking to his older peers would one day get the people skills needed to lead the village.
Sitting beside him was the other ten-year-old who moved up into the higher grades, Kushina. Her temper was legendary and from what Daichi had seen of her future son they were extremely similar. A rambunctious ball of energy and win, though she did pull out the good grades to prove she wasn't moved forward for no reason. She kept glancing over at her desk mate not noticing that once in a while when she wasn't looking Minato would look back. Adorable. I should see if I can get in on that betting pool the teachers supposedly have on when those two are gonna get a hint. Might be easy money.
Looking for the last notable student Daichi raised an eyebrow at her absence before she burst into the room with just a couple of minutes to spare, one of the last to get in the class. The girl had an embarrassed blush on her face as she gave a quick bow to their teacher before quickly moving toward her seat near the middle of the room. Climbing the steps she notices Daichi looking at her and her embarrassed blush is quickly replaced with a challenging smirk.
Mikoto, the clan heir of the Uchiha. Out of everybody in the class, she was Daichi's favourite to fight in sparring matches, as she always gave as good as she got. A few times their fights had to be broken up by the instructors because their shared determination meant neither was willing to back down, even if on occasion they should have. Beyond that, she was very into her clan's history, so much so that the class had learned to just nod along to one of her many rants about one famous Uchiha or another. Daichi smirked back at her, being one of the few classmates of his with whom he had any kind of relationship, if only as rivals in Taijutsu, he would be the first to admit her grades in everything else blew him out of the water.
Daichi was broken out of thoughts by the teacher clearing his throat and started going over how important this day was for them and some last-minute advice for the class. It didn't mean much to Daichi, as from what he had seen of the future all the real learning that mattered would take place once he was on a team. He might have cared more if he had a teacher like Iruka but he didn't think much of his old teachers. They never tried to reach out and help him before he started improving on his own, so why should he give a damn about them?
After the teacher completed his little speech Daichi looked each of them over, though the only one that really stood out to him made his jaw drop. The last of the Jonin to walk into the room was a tall man who made all of his fellow Genin hopefuls break out in whispered shock, even most of the clan kids. They knew him as Konoha's White Fang, one of the strongest ninjas in the village who wasn't Lord Third. Daichi on the other hand knew him better as the father of the man who would become Lord Sixth. Sakumo Hatake. What the hell? There was no mention of him ever having a Genin team! And if he did, why didn't they help out Kakashi after his father's death?
Blinking he glanced up as he noticed names were being called and team assignments being given. Now paying attention to his name and the other recognizable ones in the class Daichi mentally lets out a curse as he notices he missed the name of the sensei of the new Ino-Shika-Cho, though glancing at the man as he stepped forward to greet his team he did vaguely look like Asuma, must be a Saritobi.
One by one the Jonin stepped forward as their kids were called and led their teams out. Soon there were only two teams left and only one sensei left standing in the room. Glancing around, Daichi's eyes went wide as he noticed the remaining faces in the classroom. The teacher didn't care for his shock however and once again read the names off his list. "Hizashi Hyuga, Yoshino, Kushina Uzumaki! You are team seven under Jonin Sakumo Hatake!"
The man in question stepped forward and for the first time since entering the room, he smiled. It was a warm one even as he looked at each of his students and gave them a polite nod. "Alright team seven, let's meet on the roof to have our discussion." With one quick hand sign, he vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving the rest of the room to gasp at his sudden exit. Huh, turns out Kakashi actually does get that from somewhere.
As the trio got out of their seats to chase after their sensei Daichi gave each a nod as they moved to leave the room. Kushina was the last of them to leave and before she did she stopped in front of Minato. The young blond looked up at her in surprise before she flashed him a smile. "Good luck with your team Minato!" She turned tail and bolted for the door right after, not noticing Minato's face was a similar colour to her hair. Daichi let out a short laugh at how adorable the pair of them were, not caring about the glare he got from their instructor. After a moment the Chunin let out a sigh and addressed the room as a whole. "Minato Namikaze, Daichi, Mikoto Uchiha, from henceforth you three will be team six under Jiraiya of the Sainin."
Daichi had seen this coming as the number of students narrowed down but still he couldn't help but smile. In the future, without him being involved Minato became strong enough to be one of the most dangerous ninjas in history and Mikoto was a Jonin before she retired. The perfect people to push him along to get stronger! After a moment of considering that though he frowned as he finally pulled his feet off the desk and looked down at his teammates. Helping me get stronger is all well and good but… These two are very important people. In the story, important people often go through very dangerous things. Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Mikoto rose to her feet and quickly looked over at both Minato and Daichi, flashing the two a smirk before she turned to the instructor. "Excuse me Onizuka Sensei-" At the back of the class Daichi's eyebrows raised. "Oh, so that's his name! I have just been calling him instructor in my head all year!"
The teacher turned to glare at Daichi, not noticing both Mikoto and Minato trying not to laugh, though the latter looked at Daichi in shock. Once he noticed that Daichi wasn't going to back down from his glare on the last day of class the teacher looked back at Mikoto. "Your question I assume was asking where your sensei is. Nobody has seen him all morning. I had hoped he planned to make an entrance once we formed your team properly but I suppose not. You three wait here, I believe I know where he could be. If not I will go to the Hokage about it. Not showing up to meet your new team is just shameful!" His piece said the teacher quickly left the room, leaving the new team all to their lonesome for the moment.
After a long moment of silence, Mikoto turned to look at Daichi with a raised eyebrow. "You know you shouldn't have been rude to Sensei like that."
Daichi didn't take the scolding too seriously, as his new teammate was still holding back some giggles. "Well, I didn't know his name! Maybe if he was a better teacher I would have bothered to remember. Heck, I probably won't once we get out of here!"
Mikoto blinks and is about to open her mouth to properly scold him a little when she is beaten to the punch, turning around to look at the speaker. "Why don't you think Onizuka Sensei is a good teacher?" The blond in question actually looked a little surprised when he opened his mouth as he turned in his seat to look at the rest of the team. "I- I have never seen you so much as raise your hand in class. The only one you seemed to care much about was Taijutsu. So why are you being so rude all of a sudden?"
Daichi flinched at the accusation and opened his mouth to snap back before it closed with a click. Before the merge, as he called it, he would have fired back and made an absolute ass of himself. The urge was still there but he pushed it down. "Look it's… Forget it. Now where is our new Sensei anyway? All I know is that he is a crazy strong Ninja."
Mikoto glanced between her teammates for a moment before frowning softly in thought. "Well, I know he isn't popular with some people around the village, I don't know why though. He is famous for being a summoner! I remember Father talking about it once, how there hadn't been a summoner of toads in hundreds of years." A big smile formed as she struck what the class called her "Uchiha lecture" pose. One hand tucked under the elbow of the other that was pointing up in the air, complete with a prideful grin on her face and closed eyes.
"The Senju had been using the Slug contract off and on as far back as my clan's records go. My great-great-great grandfather fought against the last summoner before Tsunade-Sama. My clan also has records of snake summoners before Orochimaru-Sama, mostly a clan of assassins that died out during the formation of the ninja villages." Daichi and Minato both share a look, wondering if she was going to breathe at some point. "But we only know about Toad summoners before Jiraiya-Sama from legends! Out of the three Sannin, he is the most skilled summoner and a master of Fuinjutsu comparable to the Uzumaki!" Finally forced to breathe properly she sucks in a loud one as she slumps a little.
"Oh you were on such a nice roll, I am sure you could find more things to sing my praises about!" The trio all jump up at the unexpected voice, turning to look at the back of the room. Leaning against the back wall mere feet from Daichi was a man who could only be their sensei, shit-eating grin and all. "You could mention my reputation with the ladies! Or maybe talk about how I am famous across the Ninja world!"
The trio stared in a mixture of awe and horror as the white-haired ninja jogged to the front of the classroom and started to dance. "You see kids, I am more than just your sensei!" Striking a pose he begins to spin his mighty mane of hair around. "For you see I am the man who has no enemies in the north, south, east, and west! Not even in the heavens above!" Pointing at the trio he flashes them his most charming smile, even as their eyes start to glaze over. "I am one of the legendary Sannin, white-haired toad summoner! Even a crying baby would stop to stare in awe!" Hitting his last pose he crosses his arms as he finally looks at his students properly. "I am the great Jiraiya!"
Expecting the trio to be awed, the senior ninja was extremely disappointed to see each of them just giving him a blank look. After a long moment, Minato was the first to awkwardly say something, while Mikoto was still stunned and Daichi was doing his best not to laugh. "None of the windows opened, nor did the door. Were you in the room this whole time Sensei?"
Daichi raised an eyebrow as Mikoto looked back at the youngest member of the trio, pushing the secondhand embarrassment out of her mind. "But how? The class was full of people for a while now. Heck, there was the instructor and all those Joninn in the room too."
Jiraiya let out a laugh as he moved towards their former teacher's desk, before sitting in the chair and putting his feet up to mirror Diachi's former pose. "Trust me, I am a master of being sneaky when I want to be. Why don't you kids come closer, there are some things we need to go over before we get to it."
Slipping out of their seats team Six briefly looked at each other with raised eyebrows before sitting on the desks closest to their sensei. Daichi had to hide a smile as he took in the sage. He obviously looked much younger than his memories, along with wearing an actual flank jacket, though Daichi could see the mesh armour poking out of his collar that he knew the Saninn used while training Naruto. Once the trio were seated Jiraiya took a half second to look them over before speaking. "Alright team, why don't you introduce yourselves? Likes, dislikes, dreams. If we are gonna be working together we should know each other."
After a long moment of looking back and forth to see which of them would go first, Daichi shrugged and leaned forward. "Fair enough. My name is Daichi. I like practising my Taijutsu, sparring, and barbecuing. I dislike book learning, people who look down on others, and onions. My dream is to be the strongest ninja I can be."
Jiraiya kept his face blank as he looked at Daichi for a long moment. Soon he smiled and looked over at Mikoto before giving her a nod. Taking that as her cue the lone girl on the team sat up straight and proudly placed a closed fist over her heart. "Mikoto Uchiha, heiress of the Uchiha clan. My favourite things are delving into my clan's history, practising with new jutsu and I enjoy eating tomatoes." While Daichi was trying to get images of messy tomatoes being eaten accompanied by singing out of his head she continued. "I dislike laziness, flower arrangement, and sour candy. My dream is to surpass the strongest ninja in my clan's history!"
After giving Mikoto the same look he gave Daichi, Jiraiya turned to the final and youngest member of the trio. Minato had only smiled softly at his teammate's introductions and it only grew as he gave his own. "My name is Minato Namikaze. I enjoy reading, studying jutsu, and my favourite food…" For a moment he looks away and blushes, missing the grin Daichi and Mikoto share with their sensei-to-be. "The cookies Kushina brought in that day were amazing." Clearing his throat to cover his embarrassment he shifts to smiling as he looks back at the group. "My dislikes are unnecessary rudeness, people who mistreat their comrades, and dango. As for my dream?"
Taking a moment to gather himself he smiled from ear to ear as he looked to the rest of the team in turn. Both Jiraiya and Daichi raise eyebrows at the sudden shift in demeanour and Mikoto goes from a slight frown to surprise as the calm younger boy turns into a confident ninja in a blink of an eye. "I am going to be Hokage one day. No matter how hard I have to work, no matter how much pain or training it will take. I will be Hokage."
Jiraiya was the first to respond, giving the group a big smile and a thumbs up. "Well now, it seems we have three very determined shinobi! That's good! Drive and grit will take you far." Looking at Minato his smile turns to teasing for a moment and he wiggles his eyebrows. "And one of them is a charmer! Stick with me kid and you are gonna be beating them off with a stick!" He looks over to comment to Daichi only to catch Mikoto glaring at him. Deciding discretion was the better part of valour he instead cleared his throat. "However I believe it's my turn."
Moving his feet off the desk he thumbs his chest and tossed on another one of his confident grins. "My name is Jiraiya, but you know that already. No clan, much like Daichi here, but I get by just fine. I love Fūinjutsu, the fairer sex, and my favourite food is fried chicken. Dislikes? Unnecessary bloodshed, how much of a stick in the mud my old teammates can be and kiwi fruit doesn't sit well with me." Shifting to be serious for a second he drops the grin and looks each of the kids in the eye before speaking. "I have a few dreams, but the only one I feel comfortable sharing with you now is this. I have already written one novel and I hope to publish an entire series one day."
Daichi smiled to himself as he glanced around at the rest of the team. You know, with some hindsight this is a pretty good group I got into. I have always loved throwing hands with Mikoto and even right now anyone can see Minato has got some fire in him. I don't know if that's enough to take him to the top just yet though. Either way, there is a lot I can learn from Jiraiya sensei. Maybe I can get him to teach me the hand signs for summons? Thoughts for later.
Daichi flinched as Jiraiya clapped his hands together, a glance showing his teammates had also fallen into silence. There sensei rose to his feet, a smirk forming on his face. "Alright, there is one last thing to go over. There is a second final exam for you to officially become a ninja of the leaf."
Mikoto's eyes grew big before she glared softly at Jiraiya. "I knew it! The three basic academy jutsu are too easy to be simply all it takes to become a Genin." Minato hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement while Daichi kept his gaze on the Jonin.
"Mhmm that's disappointing, I was hoping for a minor freakout." Jiraiya chuckled a bit before cracking his neck. "Meet me at the third training ground in an hour. Most Joninn are going to give you guys a full day to prepare but something tells me you three don't need it! Hopefully, you don't fall short!" Making a quick hand sign he disappeared out of the room with a poof of smoke, causing the unprepared trio to cough and cry out in surprise. Minato and Mikoto both move to leave the room, ready to chase after their Sensei.
"Hey wait a second!" Turning to look at their third teammate they both are surprised to see a smirk on his face instead of worry over the second test. Daichi merely pointed at the freshly opened window as he hopped to his feet. "We got a full hour, right? So why don't we come up with a plan? I got an idea of what this 'second exam' might be all about, and how we can show our stuff." I have been preparing for this moment for almost a year. Time to prove to everyone I can do this!