A week later, in the forest behind the Ninja Academy.
"Ah, this feels so good!"
"Ooh, that tingly, numb feeling is so stimulating! I can't handle it, I think I'm going to lose it…"
Guy was shaking and twitching all over, making sounds that would make anyone blush.
Shizune, standing beside him, watched with wide eyes and asked curiously, "Is it really that comfortable?"
In front of her, an ancient-looking longsword was plunged into the clearing, emitting electricity all around.
Guy was getting shocked and flailing wildly, while Setsuna was slowly practicing Taijutsu forms, letting the current stimulate him.
"It is pretty comfortable, but it activates the cells a little too much," Setsuna said with a smile. "Though you really shouldn't try it. Your body can't handle this kind of training yet."
Shizune nodded helplessly. She felt like there weren't many shinobi in the entire world who could handle this kind of training. Even Hiashi-sensei didn't dare stay in the electric field for long.
"If we can develop resistance to electricity, we'll have an advantage against the Cloud Village ninja," Hiashi said, looking eager to jump back in after a short recovery. Cloud Village's ninjutsu and Taijutsu often came with paralyzing effects, which was a significant counter to close-combat fighters like them.
He had heard that when Setsuna fought the Raikage's son, he was practically immune to the opponent's electric paralysis, and he naturally wanted that resistance too.
The group trained until late afternoon, when Setsuna put away his Sword of the Thunder God (Raijin no Ken). "It's about time. Let's head to the dinner party."
This was Minato's way of showing his gratitude, specially inviting their team over to his house.
"Party! Party!" Guy cheered excitedly, always happy to embrace a lively event.
Minato's house wasn't far from the Ninja Academy. If you considered the road with the Hokage's Office and the Academy as the 'Inner Ring,' then Minato's detached apartment was in the 'Second Ring.'
As Setsuna's four-person team arrived, they spotted Obito, Rin, and Kakashi moving in and out, bringing various dishes and utensils into the courtyard.
"Let us help," Setsuna and his team offered, but Minato stopped them. His nose was smudged with charcoal, but his smile was as bright as ever. "You guys are guests today! You can't have the guests doing the work, right?"
Just then, a figure came spinning and leaping from a distance. "Haha, I, the Toad Sage, have arriv… Wait a minute…"
Jiraiya was preparing for a spectacular entrance when he suddenly noticed Setsuna was also in the courtyard below. His Chakra immediately became unstable. Unable to correct his momentum in mid-air, he flailed awkwardly and ended up slamming head-first into the ground like a pole.
The ground shook, and everyone in the courtyard was stunned. Who was that? What a dramatic way to show up!
Jiraiya pulled himself out of the dirt, giving Minato a very aggrieved look.
He had just returned to the village yesterday and ran into Minato, who invited him to the party and wanted him to meet his students.
He had intended to show off his 'Sage' flair in front of his grand-students, but if he had known that violent kid was here, he wouldn't have come.
"You're that Peeping Pervert!" Obito exclaimed, then quickly corrected himself. "No, wait, it's Jiraiya-sama, the one who was just pretending to be a peeping pervert!"
"Huh? You guys know Jiraiya-sensei?" Minato was a little surprised. Jiraiya-sensei hadn't been back to the village for several years.
"Of course we do! A year ago, Jiraiya-sama was monitoring spies outside the women's bathhouse. We thought he was peeping, so Setsuna-nii beat him up!"
Obito was recounting the story vividly when he suddenly froze, pointing at the bruise near Jiraiya's eye. "Was Setsuna-nii that rough? Jiraiya-sama, that injury on your face is still there!"
"Oh no, the makeup came off," Jiraiya thought miserably. He had met Minato last night and then ran into Tsunade. Before they could even catch up, she had given him a vicious beating.
He was completely stunned at the time, wondering internally if Tsunade had developed mind-reading skills—how else did she know he planned to peep on her bathing?
After the beating, he found out that his rumors about Tsunade had been exposed.
"That Orochimaru is so tactless. Who tells on people at his age?" Jiraiya grumbled, then remembered the party. He had just agreed to Minato, so he couldn't bail on him right away.
Fortunately, he usually wore heavy eye makeup, so he just applied extra-thick makeup this time.
But today, his dramatic entrance caused him to smash into the ground, wiping off some of the heavy makeup.
Seeing the confused looks on everyone's faces, Jiraiya forced himself to save face, stating in a calm voice, "That's right. I keep this scar as a constant reminder that I must never underestimate any opponent, especially since I lost to him."
"I understand! Scars are a man's medals, proof of youth! I feel your passion, Jiraiya-sama!" Guy's eyes were blazing, his intense gaze making Jiraiya feel a little scared.
"Is this kid mentally stable?" Jiraiya muttered to himself, awkwardly laughing and changing the subject. "Haha, right, how are the party preparations going? Do you need any help?"
Hearing the commotion outside, a woman with fiery, chili-pepper-red hair came out. It was Kushina. "Jiraiya-sensei…"
Although she couldn't leave the village, she was relatively free to move around inside it—provided she ignored the Anbu ninja secretly monitoring her in the shadows, of course.
"Hey, Kushina, you…" Jiraiya was greeting her when his face suddenly changed. Kushina was running toward him with her arms wide open.
"Hold on…" Jiraiya quickly raised his hands. Even though he was a pervert, he wouldn't make a move on Minato's girlfriend!
Then, he saw Kushina run right past him and hug Setsuna fiercely. "Little Brother Setsuna, thank you so much for this!"
Seeing Jiraiya standing there with his hands raised, Guy looked confused. "Is Jiraiya-sama practicing a new Hand Sign?"
"Ha, haha, exactly! You caught on quickly," Jiraiya said with a forced smile, his eye twitching. He then asked, "Why is Kushina so enthusiastic?"
Hearing Jiraiya's question, Kushina let go of Setsuna, ran over to Minato, and hugged him, tears welling up in her eyes. "Those Cloud Village jerks! I almost lost Minato!"
"Cloud Village? What exactly happened?" Jiraiya asked with a frown. He had just returned from the Land of Rain and wasn't yet clear on what had transpired.
"Those Cloud Village jerks plotted to…" Kushina spoke, squeezing Minato tightly against her chest as if afraid she'd lose him if she didn't hold on. She completely missed the fact that Minato's face was rapidly turning blue.
Thinking about what Lady Mito had told her years ago, and realizing she had almost lost Minato this time, Kushina felt a dark, almost berserk impulse rising within her.
"Those scumbags deserve to die…" Kushina ground her teeth, then noticed Jiraiya looking scared and whispering something while gesturing wildly.
Kushina listened closely, and Jiraiya seemed to be saying, "Minato looks like he's about to pass out."
Kushina looked up and saw foam nearly coming out of Minato's mouth. Terrified, she quickly let go and started frantically patting his back.
"Minato, are you okay?"
"Cough… cough… Don't worry, I'm fine."
Jiraiya sighed and shook his head, seeing a bit of himself in Minato. The girls we chase have a slight tendency toward violence, huh.
Kushina complained, "Why didn't you say anything? I almost hurt you!"
Minato smiled gently. "I was the one who made you worry. Besides, I enjoyed your hug."
"Oh, you!" Kushina playfully pounded Minato's chest with a small, embarrassed fist.
Jiraiya was instantly put off by the sour smell of romance.
Wait a minute, this isn't right.
They both got abused, but why was he simply being beaten up by Tsunade while Minato was enjoying a hug of love?
"Is it because of looks? No way, I'm only slightly less handsome than Minato," Jiraiya couldn't figure it out, finally concluding that his method of expressing affection was too wild. Even a woman like Tsunade probably couldn't accept 'peeping' as an 'avant-garde' declaration of love.
"Ooh~" Obito was about to heckle them when he saw Kushina 'coyly' stomp her foot on the ground. The entire house shook, scaring Obito into silence.
Kushina straightened her outfit, stood on her toes to pat Setsuna's shoulder, and with a generous, 'big sister' demeanor, waved her hand. "Little Brother Setsuna, from now on, your problems are my problems. If anyone messes with you, I'll go beat them up!"
"Who would dare mess with him? It's a miracle if he doesn't mess with other people," Jiraiya rolled his eyes, rubbing the spot where Setsuna had hit him, which still throbbed faintly.
Kushina also noticed the flaw. According to Minato, Setsuna was much stronger than she was. After a quick thought, she spoke earnestly, "Little Brother Setsuna, even though you're very strong, you're too innocent on the inside. Some disgusting old geezers might try to pressure you with rules. If that ever happens, just tell your big sister. I'll go ballistic, and those old geezers are terrified of me going berserk."
With that, she even shouted menacingly toward the corners of the courtyard. "You all heard that, right? Don't forget to include it in your report!"
Hiashi secretly winced, thinking, The Hokage and the Elders are probably more afraid of Setsuna going berserk.
Watching Kushina's smug expression, Setsuna smiled. "Thank you, Sister Kushina."
Kushina wasn't satisfied and corrected him. "Calling me 'Senior' (or 'Sempai') is too distant. You should call me Sister Kushina!"
Setsuna gave a wry smile. He wasn't very used to calling people that, but he didn't want to refuse Kushina's kind gesture either. "Yes, Sister Kushina."
"Mmm, that's better," Kushina said, raising her right fist. "Now, let the party begin!"
"Party! Party!" Everyone cheered as they brought out the last of the food and gathered around the grill.
The fire in the brazier was roaring, the charcoal crackling. As thick slices of pork belly hit the grill, they made an appealing "sizzle" sound. Oil beads slowly rolled down the meat's texture and dripped onto the charcoal, creating a puff of smoky, meaty-scented steam.
Setsuna picked up a piece of grilled meat, dipped it in Kushina's special sauce, wrapped it in fresh lettuce, and took a bite. The piping hot juice burst on his tongue, and the combination of the fat, lean meat, and the savory sauce surprised even Setsuna, who had tasted countless delicacies in his past life.
While the seasoning wasn't as complex as what he had known before, the quality of the ingredients surpassed anything on Earth.
"Haha, satisfying," Jiraiya said, drinking sake and patting the ground, before asking, "By the way, Minato, how did you guys manage to escape in the end?"
Minato patiently explained; almost everyone who heard about the incident asked the same question.
Jiraiya listened, breaking out in a cold sweat. My little stunt egging Orochimaru on to challenge Setsuna didn't get out, did it?
The last time he was defeated, he thought he was just being careless and that if he had entered Sage Mode beforehand, the scales would have tipped in his favor.
But now, it seemed the outcome might not have changed even if he had been in Sage Mode.
Jiraiya's eyes met Setsuna's. Feeling a little guilty, he quickly looked away, laughing loudly to change the subject. "Haha, right, I heard about the Joint Chunin Exams being held by the Sand Village on my way back from the Land of Rain. Are you planning on participating?"
"A Joint Chunin Exam held by the Sand Village?" Setsuna was a little surprised. Although all Five Great Nations had the right to host the Joint Chunin Exams, they were usually held by the 'Top Three Hidden Villages': the Leaf, the Rock, and the Cloud.
After all, hosting the Joint Chunin Exams required a lot of funding. The Sand Village was so poor that the Kazekage had to become a "Gold Miner," yet they still managed to cough up the money to host the event.
Jiraiya tempted them. "If a war breaks out, Genin must simply follow orders, but if you're a Chunin, you can apply to undertake missions and have a certain degree of autonomy."
Setsuna stroked his chin, pondering. "This is indeed a good opportunity. Also, if I perform exceptionally well in the Joint Chunin Exams, it's theoretically possible to skip Chunin and be promoted directly to Jonin, just like Neji was promoted directly to Jonin in the future timeline."
Normally, a regular Chunin Exam could be held twice a year, but due to the military buildup, the Leaf Village hadn't held one this year, which is why Setsuna was still a Genin.
Setsuna continued to think. "If I can be promoted to Jonin before the Third Great Ninja War, I can use that status to earn more merits during the war. That will allow me to contend for the Hokage position after the war ends."
Although he didn't have any particular obsession with becoming Hokage, his parents in this life had held a fervent wish for him to achieve that title.
Even if he struggled to feel deep genuine emotion for his current parents, he still needed to repay the debt of raising him. Besides, becoming Hokage would just be a side step on his path to becoming the strongest.
Seeing Setsuna fall silent, Jiraiya looked surprised. "Don't tell me you're worried?"
Setsuna nodded slightly. "I do have some concerns."
Even if the host village was Cloud, he wouldn't be too worried. But Sand Village? That was the village that specialized the most in poison among the Five Great Villages.
Even if he was extremely careful, there was still that one-in-a-thousand or one-in-ten-thousand chance of being poisoned.
Jiraiya was speechless. "With your strength, you could probably compete for the position of Kazekage! The ones who should be worried are everyone else. What kind of psychological damage will they suffer running into a monster like you in an exam?"
Obito and the others nodded in agreement. It was totally unfair! Setsuna-nii should just be promoted directly!
Setsuna offered a slight smile, choosing not to explain anything. He just thought to himself: The one-year cooldown is almost over. I wonder if the new world will offer a way to help me resist Genjutsu or enhance my poison resistance?