KONOHA :THE RISE OF KAITON

"Kaiton! You b*****d!"

A roar erupted from behind Kaiton, shaking him to his core. Feeling the wind rushing against his back, he instinctively turned around.

A flying figure darted past—Jiraiya, aiming for a sneak attack, missed spectacularly.

Plop!

Jiraiya, mid-air, crashed straight into Orochimaru, who stood next to Kaiton.

Kaiton glanced down, eyes wide with disbelief.

Nearby, Tsunade's mouth formed a perfect "O," her round face flushing red with excitement.

The classroom fell silent. All eyes fixed on the ground where Jiraiya had pinned Orochimaru, their lips awkwardly pressed together.

Jiraiya and Orochimaru locked gazes, shock registering in both their expressions. It took several agonizing seconds for reality to sink in.

"Ugh! You b*****d... I, Jiraiya, can't—damn it!" Jiraiya shoved Orochimaru away, doubling over to retch.

Orochimaru's snake-like pupils narrowed dangerously as his expression twisted in fury. Without a word, he lunged at Jiraiya, and the two began wrestling furiously.

"Tsunade, what should I do?" Kaiton asked as Tsunade tugged on his sleeve. Though her words sounded worried, the sparkle of excitement in her eyes betrayed her true emotions.

"This violent woman…" Kaiton muttered to himself. Then, turning back to her, he sighed. "What else can we do? Pull them apart!"

That single sentence galvanized the class into action. Students rushed forward to separate the two. After much effort, the scuffle ended with Orochimaru shooting Jiraiya a cold glare before storming out of the room.

As Kaiton approached Jiraiya, the latter's anger flared anew. Only the restraining hands of others stopped him from charging forward.

"This is all your fault!" Jiraiya barked. "If I hadn't waited for you for over an hour, this wouldn't have happened! And now… my reputation—"

Sensing things escalating, Kaiton stepped forward, motioning for the others to release Jiraiya. Draping an arm around his shoulder, Kaiton grinned.

"Oh, come on, brother. It's not my fault! I wanted to wait for you, but I had to deliver lunch to Tsunade on time. Priorities, you know? You'll forgive me, right?"

"Tsunade?" Jiraiya's fury subsided as he glanced at her direction.

"Yeah, see for yourself." Kaiton smirked.

The moment Jiraiya's eyes landed on Tsunade, his anger vanished, replaced by his trademark bold grin.

"Oh, brother, why didn't you say so earlier? I'm not the kind of guy who'd let my friend down over a woman! Next time, just tell me."

Kaiton eyed Jiraiya with amusement. So you're an LSP, huh? Let's see how far you go with this.

Feigning innocence, Kaiton led Jiraiya toward Tsunade.

"Hi, beauty! I'm Jiraiya. Your name's Tsunade, right? That's such a lovely name," Jiraiya declared, puffing out his chest. "So… how about we go on a date later?"

Kaiton's jaw dropped. Brother, you've got guts! Do you even know how to spell 'death wish'?!

Sure enough, Tsunade's face darkened, and a vein bulged on her forehead.

"Pervert! Die!" she roared, her tiny fist smashing into Jiraiya's cheek.

Bang!

When the dust settled, Jiraiya was embedded in the wall, limbs twitching weakly.

The class collectively shuddered, silently vowing to never provoke Tsunade.

Jiraiya was promptly rushed to the hospital by their teacher, Tenzou. Meanwhile, Kaiton and Tsunade enjoyed a peaceful lunch in the classroom.

Kaiton opened his bento, revealing three dishes, one soup, and egg-fried rice. The aroma wafted through the room, making everyone else sigh at the sight of their plain rice balls.

---

Afternoon – Practical Training Ground

Outside the classroom, Kaiton and his peers stood in orderly rows as Tenzou explained the rules for their first practical combat class.

"This exercise will be a tournament-style match," Tenzou announced. "Each of you will pair off. Winners will advance to the next round. Only taijutsu is allowed—no weapons or ninjutsu. The match ends when one person admits defeat. You have ten minutes to form teams."

With that, the students scattered, seeking partners.

"Tsunade, let's have a fun duel!" Tsunade exclaimed, her grin wide.

Kaiton grimaced. "No way! You're the last person I'd want to fight. I'm picking someone else."

Having faced her wrath many times before, Kaiton knew better than to agree. No matter how hard he tried, Tsunade's monstrous strength always overwhelmed him.

"What? You coward!" Tsunade's expression soured, and she raised a fist threateningly.

"Uh…" Kaiton hesitated. Then an idea struck him. "Tsunade, maybe you're scared of losing. Is that why you won't fight anyone else?"

Tsunade bristled. "What?! Fine! Pick someone for me, and I'll prove you wrong!"

"Great!" Kaiton said, leading her toward Orochimaru, who stood alone in a corner. "How about Orochimaru? He's strong and hasn't chosen a partner yet. Perfect, right?"

Tsunade tilted her head. "Is he really strong?"

"Absolutely. He's so strong that no one dares challenge him!" Kaiton replied, stifling a grin. Turning to Orochimaru, he added, "What do you think?"

Orochimaru gave Kaiton a calculating look before shrugging. "I don't mind."

With that settled, Kaiton quickly excused himself to find another partner, leaving the two behind.

Spotting Jiraiya—head still bandaged from his earlier mishap—Kaiton hurried over.

"Jiraiya, let's team up!"

Jiraiya stared at Kaiton incredulously. "Do I look like I'm in any shape to fight?"

"Don't worry about that," Kaiton said, leaning closer. "I'll let you borrow my new issue of Weekly Photo Magazine if you join me."

Jiraiya's demeanor shifted instantly. "Brother, this is just a scratch! Let's do this!" He jogged over to Tenzou, announcing his participation with newfound enthusiasm.

Within minutes, teams were finalized, and Tenzou began calling out matchups.

"The first match: Nara Luming versus Ono Aoi."

The two opponents stepped forward, and the crowd buzzed with excitement as the sparring began.

---

Later Matches

Kaiton and Jiraiya's turn finally came. Though still bruised, Jiraiya fought valiantly, his techniques sharp despite his earlier beating. Kaiton relied on his agility and quick thinking to complement Jiraiya's more straightforward approach.

In another corner, Tsunade easily overpowered Orochimaru, who, though skilled, couldn't match her brute strength. Watching her land blow after blow, Kaiton couldn't help but smirk.

---

By the end of the day, the matches had left everyone bruised but exhilarated. Kaiton, leaning against a tree, watched as Jiraiya rambled about their earlier fight, still hyped from the experience.

"You know, Kaiton," Jiraiya said, "even though today was rough, it was worth it. Just wait—next time, I'll come out on top!"

Kaiton chuckled. "Sure, brother. Just make sure you don't flirt with Tsunade again, or you might not survive to see the next round."

They laughed, the camaraderie among friends making the day's chaos worthwhile.

-------------------------------------------

Visit our Patreon for more:

patreon.com/Johnwick007