While everyone was still reeling from the shock of Hatake Sakumo's earlier outburst, Mitokado Homura quickly collected himself and began the final round of the exam. With only three candidates remaining, all of whom were Hiruzen Sarutobi's students, one of them was bound to be eliminated.
Jiraiya gripped the railing, watching Mitokado Homura slowly search through the lottery box. His heart seemed to pound with every movement. He secretly glanced at the calm-faced Orochimaru, praying that he would be matched against Orochimaru.
Orochimaru was Hiruzen Sarutobi's most favored student, and the preferential treatment Orochimaru received often made Jiraiya jealous. Furthermore, Orochimaru's expression was always calm and indifferent, as if nothing mattered to him, which greatly annoyed Jiraiya.
Jiraiya often fantasized about how he would defeat Orochimaru, making him lose that composed expression, how Hiruzen-sensei would shift his attention to him, and how his teammate Asumi would praise him... though none of this had ever happened in reality.
Orochimaru's ancestors had no shinobi among them, yet he possessed extraordinary talent. At a young age, he had already mastered the nature transformation of two chakra natures. It was known that, without the aid of Shadow Clones, it would take an ordinary person at least a year to learn one chakra nature transformation, yet he had already mastered two.
In Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, Orochimaru might even be able to master all five chakra nature transformations, just like him. How could he not care for a student who resembled him so much?
Jiraiya, on the other hand, was just an ordinary dead-last. In terms of talent, he and Orochimaru were worlds apart, and he lacked Orochimaru's calm intelligence. However, he knew how to compensate for his shortcomings through hard work, even if it often led to embarrassing situations, such as the Shurikenjutsu that Hiruzen Sarutobi considered a dark past. Despite this, his strength continued to grow, slowly catching up to those with natural talent.
Although there was still a significant gap between him and Orochimaru, Jiraiya had a trump card. It was the Summoning Jutsu, which Hiruzen Sarutobi taught him during a request for a powerful jutsu. Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that instead of teaching Jiraiya a high-difficulty jutsu, it would be better to find him an assistant.
To use the Summoning Jutsu, one must form a contract with a summoning beast. Summoning beasts primarily live in uncharted secret realms. These creatures possess intelligence similar to humans and formidable power, making them excellent choices, but not everyone can encounter them.
The Sarutobi clan had signed a contract with the Monkey clan long ago, making them the Sarutobi clan's inherited summoning beasts. Although Hiruzen Sarutobi cared deeply for Jiraiya, he still had to carefully consider allowing him to sign a contract with his own clan's summoning beast. Perhaps Jiraiya could sign a contract in the future, but for now, it was better for Jiraiya to use summoning beasts that were not from secret realms but were specifically bred by shinobi for combat.
However, while Hiruzen Sarutobi was contemplating which summoning beast to choose, Jiraiya, unaware of the full scope of the Summoning Jutsu, used it. As a result, he was carried away by the technique. The Summoning Jutsu is, at its core, a type of space-time ninjutsu. Due to incorrect usage, one could accidentally trigger a space-time disturbance. With good luck, one might be thrown somewhere within the village; with bad luck, there was no telling where they would end up.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was immediately stunned, not expecting Jiraiya to be so impatient. He didn't know what to do, as finding one person in the entire shinobi world was no easy feat. Just as he was discussing with his teacher, who could use space-time ninjutsu, how to search for Jiraiya, Jiraiya inexplicably returned to Konoha Village. When Hiruzen questioned him, he learned that Jiraiya had been sent to a secret realm called Mount Myōboku. The toad creatures living there considered it a fated encounter and signed a contract with him. Later, a toad that was out on an errand came near Konoha Village and used the Reverse Summoning Jutsu to call Jiraiya back.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had vaguely heard of Mount Myōboku. It was said to be the land where Sage Mode was passed down.
Jiraiya actually had such an opportunity. Upon learning that Mount Myōboku, where he had inexplicably arrived, had such a background, Jiraiya was extremely excited. He pleaded with Hiruzen Sarutobi not to tell anyone else about it, especially Orochimaru.
Hiruzen Sarutobi understood Jiraiya's thoughts. After much deliberation, he agreed to keep this secret for Jiraiya, not revealing it to Orochimaru or Asumi. Besides studying under Hiruzen Sarutobi, Jiraiya also frequently traveled to Mount Myōboku to learn the legendary Sage Mode.
Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't tell Orochimaru or Asumi, but he did reveal it to his own teacher and fellow disciples. Tobirama believed it was Jiraiya's destiny, so he let him be and didn't interfere much, only somewhat concerned about whether Jiraiya could truly learn Sage Mode.
An ancestor of the Sarutobi clan had also once attempted to find a secret realm and learn Sage Mode, but returned injured and disabled, taking many years to recover from the after-effects of practicing Sage Mode. Hiruzen Sarutobi himself wasn't sure if he would pursue learning Sage Mode if the opportunity presented itself.
After hearing about this, Kazamori Masaki consoled Hiruzen Sarutobi. He believed that Jiraiya was a pure and emotional person, and Sage Mode training emphasized personal experience. Perhaps Jiraiya was very suitable for learning Sage Mode.
This was Kazamori Masaki's deduction based on his own experience. To practice Sage Mode, one must first be able to sense natural energy. Unless one possesses a true Sage Body, ordinary people must undergo rigorous training to allow their mental state to perceive it, becoming completely absorbed and one with nature.
This state pursues a pure and tranquil mind. Jiraiya's pure nature made it possible for him to approach this state. Kazamori Masaki felt that although Orochimaru was smarter than Jiraiya, he might not be as suitable. After all, the more intelligent people think, the more worries they have, which is inconsistent with the state of mind pursued by Sage Mode.
In the future, Orochimaru would find the Ryūchi Cave, the land of Sage Mode's inheritance, but he would be unable to withstand the power of Sage Mode. Kazamori Masaki had once thought it was due to the mental damage and physical discomfort caused by the Impure World Reincarnation, but after personally experiencing the realm of Sage Mode, he felt it might be because Orochimaru's obsession with immortality was too strong, preventing him from achieving the state of mind pursued by Sage Mode.
As for why Tsunade also failed to learn Sage Mode, it might be that she didn't want to learn, or perhaps the grief of losing her brother and lover had robbed her of the motivation to pursue that state of mind.
The true learners of Sage Mode should be those pure "fools," not clever people with other intentions.
As a fellow disciple for many years, Hiruzen Sarutobi already knew that Kazamori Masaki possessed Sage Mode. Although he didn't know the specifics, as someone who had successfully learned Sage Mode, he certainly understood it better than himself. Therefore, he chose to believe Kazamori Masaki's words and prayed that Jiraiya could truly learn Sage Mode.
At this time, Jiraiya had not yet learned how to enter Sage Mode, but he had already begun to grasp the basics. Fukasaku-sama of Mount Myōboku believed this was a good start, and with time, Jiraiya might truly master Sage Mode. For now, Jiraiya did not consider Sage Mode his trump card, but rather the summoning toads of Mount Myōboku.
"Now, let's see what the next round's match will be…" Amidst Jiraiya's eager anticipation, Mitokado Homura glanced at the drawn number tag and announced, "Next round, Orochimaru versus Asumi."
"Huh?" Jiraiya was stunned, not expecting to be the one to get a bye.
"Me and Orochimaru?" Asumi looked at Orochimaru with a hesitant expression. Seeing his calm face as he turned to walk down, she grew even more unsettled.
Asumi was well aware of Orochimaru's strength; his taijutsu, genjutsu, and ninjutsu were all excellent. It's good to know oneself, and she knew she couldn't possibly defeat Orochimaru. She didn't have Jiraiya's competitive spirit, and knowing she was bound to lose, she didn't want to fight her fellow disciple. So, she simply raised her hand and shouted, "Homura-sensei, I forfeit!"
Orochimaru stopped in his tracks, looking back at Asumi with a strange glint in his eyes, as if he hadn't expected her to make such a choice. Soon, the strangeness in his eyes disappeared, and he turned back around.
"Are you sure, Asumi?" Mitokado Homura asked.
"Yes." Asumi nodded firmly.
"Hey, why forfeit? Isn't it good to test your own strength?" Jiraiya asked Asumi, puzzled.
"There will be plenty of opportunities to fight Orochimaru in daily training; there's no need to do it here. If it were a candidate from another village, I might fight for it, but if it's Orochimaru, then forget it." Asumi smiled.
"Women are truly hard to understand." Jiraiya said, shaking his head with his arms crossed, as if he had seen through something profound.
"Indeed." Orochimaru unexpectedly agreed.
"Oh! Orochimaru, you actually say such things? Could it be that you…" Jiraiya seemed to have discovered something new and leaned closer to Orochimaru.
"You're annoying, Jiraiya." Orochimaru said expressionlessly.
"Compared to that, what you two are saying is really unpleasant. Isn't it good that I conceded the match?" Asumi said with a smile, though her tone carried a dangerous edge.
"No, no, that's not what I meant." Jiraiya immediately jumped back, waving his hands repeatedly.
"Hmph, honestly." Asumi turned her head away, not looking at them.
"Asumi's decision actually aligns well with the ninja code." Hiruzen Sarutobi walked over at this moment, smiling as he said, "While it's true that ninja battles aren't absolute, and one can sometimes defeat a stronger opponent with clever tactics, we ninjas shouldn't constantly seek such miracles. A miracle is a miracle precisely because it's rare. Unless absolutely necessary, it's often better to retreat. In combat, the primary goal should be to bring back enemy intelligence, not to gamble on the possibility of your own victory."
"But this isn't combat, sensei. Can my choice be considered correct?" Seeing her teacher, Asumi humbly sought guidance.
"Indeed, since it's not combat, and you two are fellow students, a match wouldn't hurt. But as Asumi said, there are always opportunities to fight Orochimaru, so it's a bit ambiguous," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a chuckle. "Regardless, Asumi's keen judgment regarding victory and defeat is actually a good thing. When facing an enemy, it can help you survive better. If it were Jiraiya, he'd probably go all out and fight the opponent to a standstill, wouldn't he?"
"Hiruzen-sensei, don't underestimate me." Jiraiya said, displeased. "I've memorized the ninja code you made me copy every day."
"Is that so?" Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled, saying, "Then how about I quiz you after the exam ends?"
"Why is the exam ending soon?" Jiraiya asked curiously, completely ignoring Hiruzen Sarutobi's question.
"Tsk." Hiruzen Sarutobi inwardly marveled at Jiraiya's evasiveness and said, "To make the exam more anticipated, we've decided to start it a month from now. Nobles will come to watch then, so you all should perform well."
"I see." Jiraiya nodded repeatedly. "In that case, we need to train hard and not waste time on trivial matters."
"What are trivial matters?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked.
"Just things unrelated to training, of course." Jiraiya leaned against the railing, looking excited. "Anyway, I can't wait."
"I wonder who he takes after." Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head with a smile. "Perhaps this kid won't necessarily insist on fighting an enemy to the death."
At this point, Mitokado Homura announced the results of this exam. The remaining qualifiers would begin their exams a month later, and the list of matchups had been drawn. Representatives from various countries immediately understood the implication: this was to allow the candidates to undergo targeted training in the coming month. The candidate information obtained from this preliminary round would become valuable intelligence, which would certainly test a ninja's capabilities.
Whether by fate or not, both Chik and Ryū were matched against their dream opponents, and their fighting spirit soared. In the coming month, they would thoroughly research their opponents' information and train accordingly. The same applied to their opponents.
Hanzō looked at the expressions of the qualifying candidates and felt that the exam next month would surely be a grand event. However, for him, whose students had all been eliminated, he could only be a spectator.
He patted his disappointed students on the shoulders and said, "Don't be disheartened; there will be another chance next time. Train hard and come back. Of course, I believe you are already qualified to be Chūnin. If you wish, I will recommend you to the village when we return."
"Sensei, we've decided to try again." One student hesitated, then spoke, and the other two also expressed their desire to participate in another Chūnin Exam.
"Good." Hanzō smiled with satisfaction. Competing with candidates from these great nations seemed to have broadened his students' narrow perspectives and minds. If they could truly achieve good results, they could become quite excellent Chūnin in Amegakure.