After that, Janelle left the gym and went home to rest, having recovered from her fight with the help of the rest of us. The next morning, we all went to take the Hero Association exam.
"I'm so excited! Finally, I get to fight," Kushina said with a bright smile. She was wearing a black tank top with leggings, her long hair tied in a ponytail.
"Didn't you help fight Master's sister yesterday?" Ginos asked.
"That didn't count. We were helping a friend, not fighting naturally," she replied.
"Really? How about the time you fought that ninja guy you told us about?" Mosquito Girl chimed in. She was wearing a white tank top and shorts. Since we started dressing when going outside—because I thought it'd be problematic otherwise—at home, she went around naked.
"He wasn't a real ninja. I didn't fight him—I just punched him in the balls," Kushina said, snickering.
"How many times do I have to tell you that was an accident?" I said, giving her a small tick mark.
"It doesn't matter. We're not fighting. It's just a physical test," Mosquito Girl explained, having checked that the contestants don't actually fight each other.
"Oh, come on, really?" Kushina said disappointed.
"Yes, and then we have a test," I replied, making her even more frustrated.
"Even during the Chunin exams, weren't they more exciting? Sure, we had to take a test at the start, but everything else was fun, especially fighting each other," she added, still disappointed.
I had already told the others about her and Naruto being from another world, so they weren't surprised.
"Well, too bad. Besides, I'm going to be the top flyer," Mosquito Girl declared.
"What's that? I thought I heard a bug saying something clever. That's impossible—bugs are dumb," Kushina sneered.
"Sorry, did you not hear what I said? I guess not, with that big head of yours. It's a lot to get through," Mosquito Girl smirked as they exchanged glares.
"Alright, that's enough. Can both of you calm down?" I said, stepping between them.
"Master, I've got an idea on how to get them to focus on the exam," Ginos whispered in my ear.
"How about this: whoever scores higher in the exam wins a date with me?" I suggested, this being Gino's idea. I wasn't sure if it'd work, but considering how affectionate Kushina is with me, it might be worth a shot.
Suddenly, both of their faces darkened as they hardened their stares.
We lined up side by side for a 30-second sprint. Both girls poured everything into it—Kushina used her chakra, moving at superhuman speeds, and Mosquito Girl enhanced her strength with her mosquito powers. I just eliminated air resistance with my super speed and blew past them.
Next was the 50-meter dash. I finished in less than a second, with Mosquito Girl and Kushina crossing shortly after, half a second apart.
For strength, Kushina used her chakra chains to lift a heavy object, while Mosquito Girl relied on her physical strength. I used my armament hockey to grab the heaviest item available.
Then I did the shark bite, accidentally smashing into the ceiling as I found its location using my lightning and armament hockey.
Someone in the observers' room asked, "That was impressive. Who is he?"
"That's my little brother and his friends," Tamaki replied, watching the display of strength.
Back in the stadium, Mosquito Girl flew up to the ceiling, and I did the same, thanks to Sheena's hamster legs and her ability to jump high.
They accidentally destroyed a machine during the game, but I had planned to beat my high score anyway, so it wasn't a big deal.
We all destroyed our punching machines from punching too hard. Several hours later, we finished all the tests and waited outside the locker rooms for our results.
"That was surprisingly easy," I said with a happy smile.
"Yeah, I totally agree," Kushina chimed in.
"Even the answers on the test?" Mosquito Girl asked, making Kushina flinch.
"It's not my fault I don't know much about this world," she defended.
"Did I let you cheat on me? I knew you wouldn't do well otherwise," I said, surprisingly catching her cheating.
Our papers finally arrived.
"So, what do you think we got?" I asked, holding my letter.
"It doesn't really matter, as long as we get paid," Mosquito Girl shrugged.
"Actually, it does. If you're C-class, you only get minimum wage, but B-class is like hitting the jackpot, and S-class? The big bucks," I explained, emphasizing how serious this was.
Ginos opened his first.
"Rank 21 in the S-tier," he announced, and we all opened ours.
"I'm ranked 20," Mosquito Girl said.
"I'm S-rank 19, so I win," Kushina smirked, making Mosquito Girl grit her teeth in annoyance.
"And I'm ranked 18 S," I added.
A voice came from down the hallway—it was only Tatsumaki, who tackled me from the air with telekinesis.
"You did it all on your own, and I'm so proud!" she said, swinging me around.
"I appreciate the hug, sis, but can you put me down?" I asked.
"I was just passing by because I had to deal with another monster, but congratulations. Anyway, you need to speak with your advisor," she said, zooming off.
About an hour later, we listened to someone embarrass himself, then left the scene and headed home.
"Remember the deal?" Kushina leaned her head on my shoulder.
"What deal?" I played dumb.
"Come on, the one where the person who scores higher gets a chance to go on a date with me," she said.
"Really? Are you sure?" I teased.
"Yes, I'm sure. Besides, I've planned the perfect date—just as you promised to show me around the city," she added, slipping off my shoulder and strutting ahead with a sway.
(Mosquito Girl thought to herself, "She's so lucky.")
"Master, do you know what this means? I'm officially your disciple," Ginos said.
"Yeah, I guess so," I replied, noticing he was only slightly below me.
"Please, continue to teach me," he asked, bowing.
"Of course," I said with a smile as we parted ways with Ginos.
Back at our apartment, we enjoyed a healthy dinner before heading to bed.
The next morning, all four of us found ourselves in a remote canyon. Kushina was in her shinobi outfit, Mosquito Girl was dressed normally, and I wore my hero costume.
"As you know, we're classified as heroes, but right now, we're at the bottom of our class. When we wake up, we'll be given hero names," Ginos explained.
"Got it. It's like a bingo book—doing something extraordinary earns you a name," Kushina said, referencing her ninja homeland's ranking system.
"Oh, right, we had something similar in your world. What were you called in the bingo book?" I asked.
She puffed her chest proudly. "They called me the Red Hot Habanero because I was known for losing my temper and knocking out anyone who got in my way."
"Are you sure it wasn't just because your hair's red?" Mosquito Girl teased.
"Are you jealous I get to go on a date with Jack tomorrow?" Kushina shot back, making Mosquito Girl angry.
"That's enough. Ginos, are you ready?" I asked, distancing myself.
"Yes, thank you for agreeing," he said.
"Of course. You're my disciple," I smirked.
"Come on, Mosquito Girl, we need to come up with a name for you," Kushina said, realizing she didn't have one.
"Good point. What about before you were turned into this? Do you remember your old name?" I asked Mosquito Girl.
She thought for a moment, irritation flickering on her face. Finally, she said, "Courtney. My name is Courtney."
"Courtney, huh? Let's not leave the boys out. We're not fighting now—just a practice match. No killing, only scars," I said.
"Master, I want you to go all out," Ginos urged.
"How about we go head-to-head? We'll see if I need to go all out," I said, adopting a fighting stance.
He powered up his machines as they emerged from his back, and he rushed at me with a kick. I dodged easily with his hands, then countered with an air punch before he could respond. He tried again, only for me to jump away and avoid his attacks.
While in the air, he attempted to blast me with his abilities, but I moved out of the way as he smashed the ground, causing a mountain-sized fragment to explode in my path.
The girls, meanwhile, fought fiercely—neither wanting to kill each other but still giving it their all. Kushina enhanced her katana with chakra, blocking Courtney's attacks, while Courtney, who could fly, tried attacking from above. Kushina responded with lightning and water elements, turning the battle into a whirlwind of power.
She taunted Courtney, "Come on, attack. I thought you were a mosquito, not a chicken."
Their fight intensified, with Kushina using her mastery of elements and Courtney trying to outflank her from the air. Kushina warned her, "I knew you'd do it, and honestly, I wasn't sure that would work."
In secret, Kushina practiced lightning jutsu, trying to master the skill. She challenged herself, knowing that only the strongest survive in this world.
Back with me and Ginos, he couldn't land a hit unless he ramped up his speed. He slammed his hands on the ground, causing lightning to eject and heat the surrounding air, making it feel like lava.
I vanished into a blur, using super speed. We exchanged strikes, him trying to land a hit, but I kept predicting and dodging with observation hockey. Soon, we hit a mountain, and he punched the air as fire erupted in front of him.
I appeared behind him, tapping his shoulder. "Looks like I win," I said with a cheeky smile. Just as he threw a punch, I dodged swiftly, keeping my guard up.
He begged, "Master, please, go all out. I'm ready."
Meanwhile, the girls charged their finishing moves, resulting in a huge explosion. Kushina, with her sword at Courtney's throat, declared, "Fine, you win—for now."
She sensed her growth, knowing she had become stronger, even in her base form. Courtney was a formidable opponent, experienced from years of battle and powered by her inner beast, making her one of the most dangerous women alive.
"You're a good opponent. With some more training, you could beat me," Kushina admitted, knowing Mosquito Girl could have killed her but held back, respecting the rules.
"Thanks. Let's go see what the boys are up to," Courtney said, shifting back to her human form.
They headed to check the final scene between Jack and Ginos.
"Are you sure about this? I could destroy you," I said, with only armament hockey and advanced armor hockey active.
"Yes, I want you to use everything. Bring it on," Ginos replied.
I charged my hockey, turning my arm into a blazing, black-and-red form. Seeing this, Ginos charged forward, but I was ahead of him. He tried to kick me, but I teleport behind him, punch his face, and make him see stars. As he stumbled, I pushed him back with a gust of wind.
"Sorry, I'm hungry. Let's grab lunch first and continue this another day," I said, walking away, leaving him and the girls in shock.
I knew he was powerful, but not quite this much.
Later that evening, around 8 AM, we sat in a noodle shop.
"Can you believe there's a new restaurant in the city, and we don't hit it up every day?" Kushina said.
"That's because you'd eat the whole place if we went every day," I deadpanned.
"I would never!" she protested.
"I wish I'd seen you demolish a huge pot of noodles when you first arrived," I said, making her flinch.
"Maybe you're right," she admitted.
"So, what are you getting?" I asked.
"I'm not picky—anything with meat," Ginos said.
"I want to try the challenge—if I win, I get ¥10,000," Kushina said, pointing to the challenge sign.
They matched evenly, but since Ginos has no normal human stomach, he eventually outlasted her.
"You're a worthy opponent," Kushina acknowledged.
Just then, the door opened, and a man with blue hair and brown eyes entered. He wore a white coat, black T-shirt, and black pants.
"So, you're the four S-rank heroes I've been hearing about. I'm Number One A-rank Hero, Sweet Mask," he said, approaching us.
"And why are you here?" Courtney asked.
"Just a quick word outside," he replied. We nodded and went outside.
He explained he wanted to welcome us and remind us of our responsibilities, subtly hinting he could take us down if needed—nothing we couldn't handle for now. We paid and headed back.
On the way home, Ginos suddenly spoke up.
"Master, I'll be returning," he said.
"Bye, Ginos," Kushina waved.
"Goodbye, tin can," Courtney added.
"Good night, Ginos," I said as we returned to our apartment, where Kushina was feeding Naruto before going to sleep.