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Facing such an outstanding junior, Jiraiya and Tsunade smiled warmly and said,
"So you're Rin. Even though we haven't returned to the village all these years, we've heard a lot about you."
"Meeting you today, we can see you're truly exceptional—your strength is almost on par with ours."
Rin, who had been immersed in the joy of reuniting with her childhood friend Shizune, quickly composed herself upon hearing Jiraiya and Tsunade's praise.
Despite the happiness of reuniting with an old friend, she couldn't neglect her seniors.
Blushing slightly, Rin responded, "You're too kind, Jiraiya-sama, Tsunade-sama. I still have much to learn."
"But I must say, I'm quite surprised to see you both here for the entrance selection. I'm sure Minato-sensei would be thrilled if he knew."
Indeed, despite Orochimaru having already joined the Ogami Clan, seeing Jiraiya and Tsunade at the entrance selection still shocked Rin.
Jiraiya and Tsunade were the epitome of the carefree, wandering ninjas of Konoha. Rin had thought they would maintain this lifestyle until the end of their days.
Jiraiya and Tsunade laughed heartily at her words.
They had lived the wandering life for many years, but it was precisely because they had done so for so long that they now sought a change.
After all, they were still ninjas at heart, and the pursuit of greater strength was always a part of them.
Moreover, another crucial reason for their presence was related to the prophecy of Mount Myoboku.
As the chosen one of Mount Myoboku, Jiraiya had always carried the burden of finding the Child of Prophecy.
It was this mission, among other reasons, that had driven him to leave Konoha and roam the ninja world.
However, six years ago, while Jiraiya was gathering information in a red-light district, he was suddenly reverse-summoned to Mount Myoboku by the toads.
The Great Toad Sage, who had been in a deep sleep, had awakened and specifically requested to see Jiraiya.
Upon being summoned, Jiraiya was given a cryptic message: "Destiny has been altered, the path is now unclear, but light will come from the north."
After delivering this message, the Great Toad Sage fell back into a deep slumber, leaving Jiraiya bewildered.
Even after leaving Mount Myoboku, he remained puzzled, unable to decipher the meaning of the prophecy.
It was only a month later, when he was summoned again and told that the Child of Prophecy was no longer the one to decide the world's fate, that Jiraiya began to piece everything together.
The theory was complex, but Jiraiya only needed to understand one thing:
The Child of Prophecy no longer needed to be found because the world's future was already bright.
This light was coming from the north. By that time, the Ogami Clan had already established itself at the pinnacle of the ninja world.
Jiraiya had no doubts that the north referred to the Ogami Clan, situated at the north pole.
Jiraiya never doubted the Great Toad Sage's prophecy.
Such an ancient being's power was beyond his comprehension, and the Great Toad Sage was renowned for its prophecies.
However, despite his certainty, Jiraiya couldn't directly approach the Ogami Clan, as their territory was surrounded by concealing barriers except during the entrance selection.
Without a valid reason, Jiraiya had no means to enter the Ogami Clan. Thus, he set his sights on the entrance selection as his opportunity.
So, confronted with the prospect of joining such a prestigious clan, Jiraiya and Tsunade had no reservations.
They recognized that the days of carefree wandering had given them ample time to refine their skills, but the pursuit of greater power and the call of destiny could not be ignored.
During this time, Jiraiya didn't return to the village but instead sought out Tsunade, who was also wandering.
After discussing his thoughts with her, they both agreed.
They wanted to see the place that would decide the future of the ninja world, reconnect with Asahi, and improve their strength.
Why not? So, they decided to participate in the Ogami Clan's entrance selection. After travelling together for a few years, they arrived here.
However, they didn't see the need to explain all this to Rin, so they kept it to themselves.
Instead, they were puzzled when Rin mentioned Minato and the others. Both Minato and Kushina were high-ranking members of the Ogami Clan.
It was surprising not to see them at such an important event as the entrance selection.
Not to mention, Orochimaru, who had joined the Ogami Clan early on, was also absent.
So Jiraiya asked directly, "Rin, speaking of Minato and the others, why haven't we seen any of them?"
Rin explained, "Jiraiya-sama, it's like this: Minato-sensei and the others are in seclusion to break through, so this entrance selection is being overseen by Nagato-sensei."
"Seclusion? Breakthrough?" Jiraiya and Tsunade were visibly taken aback.
Both Minato and Kushina, as well as Orochimaru, were already at the peak of Kage-level. What level could they be breaking through to?
"That's right. A few months ago, Minato-sensei and the others began their seclusion to break through to the Six Paths level."
"According to the Clan Leader, it'll take a few more months before they succeed," Rin explained, seeing their confusion.
Hearing this, Jiraiya and Tsunade were stunned.
The Six Paths level was beyond their imagination, and Minato and the others were attempting to reach it.
As their mentor, Jiraiya felt a mix of pride and dismay.
It was an achievement to have students surpass him, but it was also a blow to his pride, especially since Orochimaru, their teammate, had also surpassed him.
Still incredulous, Jiraiya asked hesitantly, "Is Orochimaru also in seclusion?"
At that moment, Jiraiya held onto a sliver of hope, thinking maybe Orochimaru just hadn't shown up yet.
But Rin's answer shattered his last bit of stubbornness. "Yes, Orochimaru-sama is also in seclusion."
"He was the first among the Konoha's disciples to take this final step." As Rin spoke, a look of admiration appeared on her face.
Despite Orochimaru's formidable strength, achieving this level in just ten years was impressive.
Even Hanzo, who was hailed as a demigod in the ninja world, was still struggling to make that breakthrough.
Although Hanzo was close to breaking through, he still lagged behind Orochimaru.
Hearing this and seeing Rin's admiration, Jiraiya felt deeply disheartened.
Who would have thought that Jiraiya, the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku, would be so far behind Orochimaru?
With a reluctant sigh, Jiraiya's face twisted in frustration.
"That damn Orochimaru, he beat me to it. But he won't have the last laugh for long; I'll catch up soon enough!"
Jiraiya said with a bit of pride, but despite his expression, he was genuinely happy for Orochimaru. Tsunade felt the same.
Even though Orochimaru had advanced far ahead of them, they weren't discouraged.
They believed in themselves and knew they would eventually catch up with him.
However, their conversation ended abruptly as Nagato began to float in the air before all the participants.
With Nagato's appearance, everyone knew that the main event was about to begin.
The more powerful ninjas could sense the depth of Nagato's strength.
Although he didn't exude any visible pressure, the abyss-like aura he gave off was undeniable.
Onoki, who had experienced the intimidating presence of Madara Uchiha, was particularly astonished.
Nagato's presence felt far stronger than Madara's.
That was Madara Uchiha, known as the Shura of the ninja world. The abyss-like feeling Nagato emanated excited everyone.
Yes, it was excitement, not fear. Although Nagato was incredibly strong, perhaps stronger than all of them combined, it didn't matter.
They weren't there to fight the Ogami Clan; they wanted to join it.
The stronger Nagato was, the stronger the Ogami Clan appeared, and joining it would only make them stronger.
This realization only fueled their determination to join the clan. At this moment, Nagato began to speak.
"Congratulations on passing the first round of the Ogami Clan's selection entrance.
You are now eligible to participate in the formal entrance examination.
The first round of the examination will require you to survive for one month on the extreme northern ice fields.
During this time, your chakra will be sealed, putting everyone on equal footing.
There are scattered supplies to sustain you, but you must use your abilities to obtain them.
A friendly reminder: apart from the hidden supply points, each storage location is guarded by the Snow Bear clan.
So, if you want supplies, be extremely cautious. Now, let the examination begin!"
As Nagato's voice fell, countless lights lit up from the participants' identity badges. Immediately, everyone felt their chakra being sealed.
These identity badges were crafted by Nagato himself.
The number of participants who passed the first round was within Nagato's expectations.
Every moment, information about the participants was being reported back.
Based on this intelligence, Nagato could accurately estimate how many would pass the first round.
Although there might be slight discrepancies between his estimates and reality, they were minor.
It was precisely because of Nagato's calculations that he had created these special identity badges.
While his strength had surpassed the Six Paths level, sealing the chakra of tens of thousands of people simultaneously with precision was beyond him.
However, triggering tens of thousands of sealing talismans at once was something he could easily accomplish.
Thus, these special identity badges were born.
Seeing Nagato's methods, Asahi, who had been closely monitoring the entrance selection, nodded slightly in satisfaction.
Nagato's performance pleased him. Not only had Nagato devised a suitable examination method, but he was also able to execute it smoothly.
The participants, now with their chakra sealed, were shocked but not surprised.
For them, any unconventional actions by the Ogami Clan were to be expected.
After all, these were basic operations, so there was no need to worry. At this point, the remaining members of the Ogami Clan stepped forward.
The tasks had already been assigned, so they led a large number of participants directly to the North Pole glacier.
As they set foot in the glacier, all the participants instinctively shivered. Compared to the warm Ogami Clan island, this place was unbelievably cold.
Without the protective enchantments on their identity badges, their bodies, now devoid of chakra, wouldn't last long before freezing to death.
Even with the identity badges warding off the worst of the cold, they could still feel a piercing chill.
In this situation, ordinary people dressed in thick clothing had a considerable advantage.
Though it wasn't unbearably cold yet, they couldn't afford to relax.
The Ogami Clan members who guided them had mentioned that the badges' anti-cold functionality would only last for three days.
After that, the feature would deactivate.
If they couldn't find supply points and gather resources within that time, the cold alone would be enough to eliminate them.
Moreover, each supply point only contained enough provisions to last three days, meaning that every three days would mark a peak in the elimination process.
With this in mind, everyone tightened their thin or thick clothing and looked at the scant supplies they had been given.
Determination shone in their eyes. They had to endure!
Without hesitation, everyone plunged into the icy wilderness.
As the participants ventured into the North Pole glacier, the Ogami Clan members quietly blended into the surroundings, following them into the icy expanse.
This examination was perilous; without the protection of the identity badges, the weak—especially ordinary people—would quickly succumb to the cold.
As examiners, each Ogami Clan member was responsible for rescuing participants.
Over time, the tens of thousands of participants gradually dispersed, spreading across the vast icy landscape.
Every participant utilized their lifelong skills—digging holes, building shelters, and various other survival techniques.
Even Asahi had to admire the resourcefulness of these participants.