Furen watched Choji's ridiculous antics and, for a moment, didn't know what to say.
After the conclusion of all the Chunin Exam preliminary matches, Hayate Gekko finished recording the results and stepped into the middle of the arena. "I hereby announce that the preliminary matches for the third exam are officially over!"
"Congratulations to all of you for advancing to the third stage of the Chunin Exam. Although some people were absent, I still wish to extend my congratulations!"
All the seated ninja stood up, except for the Third Hokage, who remained seated, puffing on his pipe. He surveyed the participants, his eyes showing clear approval when they landed on Furen.
Furen's information was incredibly important to Konoha, and Orochimaru's appearance in the Forest of Death confirmed the authenticity of the Konoha Crush plan.
"So, the Sand and Sound are working together? Let this old man deal with you," the Third Hokage thought as he narrowed his eyes.
"Now, I'll explain the details of the final match," the Third Hokage said, finally removing his pipe. "As I mentioned before, you will be fighting in front of an audience. You will represent your respective nations' strength, so I hope you can all perform at your best. The final match... will be held in one month!"
"This time is for you to prepare. It's also meant to inform the daimyos and ninja leaders of various nations and invite them to attend the final match. It also gives you all some time to get ready."
Hearing the Third Hokage finalize the schedule, Furen became even more certain that this information hadn't been leaked to Danzo or the other high-ranking officials.
Glancing at Jiraiya, who was standing not too far away, Furen mused to himself, "Looks like the Third wants to handle this on his own... As expected of the Hokage, he's got guts."
"Alright, whether you train or rest, see you in a month," the Third Hokage said as he left.
After his departure, the other ninja quickly left the Forest of Death as well.
"Sasuke, who's still unconscious due to the Curse Mark, will be personally trained by Kakashi to learn Chidori, while Naruto will be taken by Jiraiya for training..." Furen calculated in his mind, but then his brow furrowed as he sensed someone following him.
Turning around, he only caught a glimpse of a white-haired figure hastily hiding.
"Jiraiya?" Furen thought to himself but decided not to expose him, pretending he hadn't noticed as he continued walking through the village.
As Furen passed by the bathhouse and then a deserted street, Jiraiya, who had been following him, couldn't resist glancing several times at the women's bathhouse before finally jumping in front of Furen.
With a thud, Jiraiya, riding on his toad, landed before Furen in what he thought was a very cool pose.
"Hey, kid! I am the great Sage of Mount Myoboku, the toad sage, Jiraiya!" he declared proudly.
Furen blinked, pondering for a moment, and then showed an expression of admiration. "Are you really Lord Jiraiya?"
"Hahahaha! It seems like you've heard of me, kid!" Jiraiya dispelled the summoning of the toad under his feet.
Furen nodded. "Lord Jiraiya, what can I do for you?"
Furen initially thought Jiraiya might have come to probe him for more details about the Konoha Crush plan, but unexpectedly, Jiraiya blushed, hesitated for a long time, and then awkwardly said, "Well... kid, how about I teach you Transparent Escape Technique ?"
" Transparent Escape Technique ?" Furen's expression became a bit complicated, and after a couple of seconds, he realized what Jiraiya was talking about.
Transparent Escape Technique allowing the user to erase their presence and make their body invisible. Furen wasn't surprised that Jiraiya knew it, considering he had likely used it to peep into the women's bathhouse for years without getting caught.
Jiraiya scratched his head. "Hahaha, yeah, it's that Transparent Escape Technique . So, kid, do you want to learn it?"
Furen blinked, but he wasn't particularly interested in this technique. In truth, it was quite a weak jutsu. Its stealth capabilities weren't especially impressive; otherwise, Hayate Gekko wouldn't have been killed while using it to eavesdrop on the Sound and Sand ninja.
"Better than nothing, and forming a good relationship with Jiraiya wouldn't hurt," Furen thought to himself before speaking.
"Can you really teach it to me?" Furen asked.
Jiraiya laughed awkwardly again, then leaned in close to Furen's ear. "Of course, I can teach you, but... I want to know how exactly... um... how you managed to make so many women fall for you willingly."
Furen stroked his chin, deep in thought for a moment. "Hmm… maybe it's because I'm handsome."
Jiraiya: "..."
…
After Jiraiya left, Furen checked to make sure no one was around. He then performed the Summoning Jutsu, calling forth the large-faced cat that had been relaying information between him and Tayuya.
"Meow~" The large-faced cat meowed as it appeared, and Furen took the scroll from its paw.
Opening the scroll, Furen read the contents carefully.
"As expected… Orochimaru is making his move too," Furen said, burning the scroll to ashes after reading it. He patted the large-faced cat on the head before dispelling the summoning.
Furen then made his way outside the village. Since the one-month gap was for training, it wasn't unusual for participants to leave the village for a while.
Once outside Konoha, standing on a tree branch, Furen glanced back at the bustling village, removed his Konoha headband, and pulled out a Sound Village headband from his storage scroll, tying it around his forehead.
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T/N:
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