In Konoha, you get one evolution point every day.

Jiraiya stood in front of a rock several meters tall, forming hand seals, and the next second he spat out a ball of flame:

"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"

The orange flames pierced through the rocks, and a plume of white, hot mist rose from them.

He repeated this several times, and beads of sweat the size of soybeans appeared on Jiraiya's forehead from his training.

Jiraiya wiped his sweat.

"Jiraiya, it's you who's training."

Upon hearing Bunta's voice, Jiraiya turned his head.

Behind him stood Gamabunta, a toad about the same height as Jiraiya, with a pipe dangling from his mouth.

Jiraiya glanced at the white bandage still wrapped around Bunta's forehead, then turned to look at the rock:

"Yes. Is your head... alright?"

The previously nonchalant Gamabunta widened his toad eyes: "Good my ass! My injury won't heal for another half a month!"

Jiraiya scratched his face awkwardly: "Sorry, I thought you, boss..."

"Sigh. Stop talking about this." Gamabunta raised his toad paw and waved it. "It's my fault for not being able to beat him. If Lin Fan hadn't held back, you'd be seeing me at the Toad Mound right now."

Gamabunta approached Jiraiya and looked at the rock in front of him, saying, "You still haven't mastered the Fire Release chakra nature transformation? You're really slacking off, Jiraiya."

"I want to try my best, but time doesn't allow it," Jiraiya said helplessly, spreading his hands.

Gamabunta glanced at Jiraiya.

—This kid is making excuses again.

"Come on, cooperate with me."

Gamabunta placed the pipe on the floor and clapped his toad hands together: "I'll use oil, you use fire."

Jiraiya paused for a moment after hearing this, then immediately understood what Gamabunta meant.

"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"

"Toad oil!"

"Combination Ninjutsu: Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"

The oil expelled by Gamabunta combined with Jiraiya's fire to form a more powerful Fire Release ninjutsu.

The roaring flames transformed into a massive incendiary bomb.

The rock, several meters high, cracked instantly under the intense heat of the flames.

With a loud bang!

The rock, several meters high, split open in the center of the flames and fell to the ground.

"Phew." The flame in front of Jiraiya's mouth dissipated.

Looking at the scene before him, Jiraiya exclaimed in admiration:

"Impressive! No wonder you're the boss!"

Gamabunta picked up the pipe from the floor and dusted it off.

"If you can master nature transformation, the power of Fire Release will be even greater."

He looked at the rock in front of him:

"For example, this rock, if you mastered the nature transformation of fire-style chakra, plus my toad oil, then the rock should shatter into dust, instead of just cracking and collapsing like it is now."

"I understand, boss," Jiraiya said helplessly. "It's time for me to give it my all."

"I've been following the instructions of the great immortal to find the child of prophecy, and I haven't been cultivating properly."

"But now, perhaps I can take a break."

"By the way, is the Great Toad Sage still not awake?"

"The Great Toad Sage once said that he seemed to have dreamt of some changes in the ninja world, and then he fell into a deep sleep..."

Gamabunta shook his head:

"Jiraiya, you should ask the two great sages about this."

Jiraiya scratched his head and said:

"Too."

"In that case, I, the Great Patience of the Toad, will also give it my all!"

......

As for Lin Fan, he went with Jiraiya and Minato to Mount Myōboku for training. He also wanted to learn Sage Mode, but because he was too thick-skinned, Fukasaku hit him more than a dozen times before he could expel the natural energy he had absorbed. If he hadn't been expelled in time, he would have become an animal along with Lin Xiaobai. So, cultivating Sage Mode is really extremely risky.

However, the sage Fukasaku did offer a solution.

—Sage Fukasaku: "If the sage techniques of Mount Myōboku are not suitable for you, you may consider Ryūchi Cave and Shikkotsu Forest."

Jiraiya: "What? Sage Mode in Shikkotsu Forest too?"

—Minato: "Then why haven't I heard Lady Tsunade mention it?"

—Fukasaku the Sage: "The conditions for learning Sage Techniques in Shikkotsu Forest are extremely difficult. Apart from the First Hokage, who was able to train in the way that Slug Sage did, everyone else... Oh, it seems that besides the First Hokage, Tsunade is the only contractor in Shikkotsu Forest. Anyway, the toads of Mount Myōboku cannot learn the Slug Sage's training method."

So Lin Fan went to Tsunade and said he wanted to form a contract with Shikkotsu Forest to learn Sage Mode.

—Tsunade: "Don't joke around, do you want to die? Even my grandmother couldn't learn the Sage Techniques of Shikkotsu Forest."

—Lin Fan: "You stingy person."

—Tsunade: "...It's not that I'm stingy. Fine, fine. You'll have to get the slug's approval first."

—Lin Fan: "Approval?"

Then, Tsunade summoned a small blue and white slug.

—Slug: "Lady Tsunade. Huh, who's this?"

—Lin Fan: "My name is Lin Fan, and I want to form a contract with you."

—Slug: "Wow, wow, wow! Long time no see, contractor! This is amazing! Tsunade, you've found me another interesting person! ...So, what level of medical ninjutsu have you learned?!"

—Lin Fan: "Hemostasis technique."

—Slug: "...Sorry, Lady Tsunade, I have something to attend to. My main body is calling me back for dinner!"

After saying that, the slug ran away.

Tsunade shrugged: "Look."

Lin Fan: "..."

Damn, nobody told me that contracted slugs need to learn advanced medical ninjutsu!

At this time, the newspaper article had not yet been officially published, so Lin Fan could only deal with the matters at hand. After hearing from Nara Shikao about which families had not joined, he decisively went to them. The first family to visit was naturally the Yuhi Clan.

Knock on the door, and the door opens.

A middle-aged man with black hair and a slightly thin build walked out.

It turned out to be Lin Fan.

The door closed...click!

Lin Fan pressed his hand against the door.

"Shinko, what are you doing here? I came to catch up with you."

Yuhi Zhenhong: "..."

—Who are you kidding? You're clearly trying to drag me down with you.

"My lord, as you know... there aren't many people left in the Sunset Clan."

Don't ruin my life!

"Shinku, do you think I'm the kind of high-ranking official who would throw ninjas onto the battlefield as cannon fodder?"

Lin Fan said seriously.

Yuhi Zhenhong: "..."

Seeing that Kurenai Yuhi remained silent, Lin Fan asked, "?"

What do you mean? Am I really that bad?

However, Kurenai Yuhi still allowed Lin Fan to join the clan.

Lin Fan grinned when he entered the Sunset Clan.

The Chunin Mitomon, who witnessed this scene from a short distance, recorded it all.

"Crimson Jonin, your house is quite big."

Lin Fan walked down the corridor and spoke to Zhen Hong with a hint of a smile in his voice.

"It's alright."

Kurenai Yuhi casually replied, his only thought being to get Lin Fan away as quickly as possible.

"Speaking of which, I think I just saw a Mitokado clan ninja pass by not far away. Do you think he was sent by the Mitokado clan to keep an eye on me?"

Yuhi Zhenhong: "..."

At that moment, Kurenai ran out of the clan's courtyard.

"Dad! Hey, Brother Lin Fan, what brings you here? Did you agree to be Hong's boyfriend?"

Just as she was about to continue refusing, the string in Yuhi Makoto's mind snapped: What boyfriend? Did he hear her wrong? Makoto is so obedient, how could she find a young man in his twenties...?

Hong, holding Lin Fan's hand, introduced them:

"Dad, his name is Lin Fan. He's my classmate. I've mentioned him to you before."

Kurenai Yuhi's gaze toward Lin Fan suddenly turned hostile.

"Ahem." Lin Fan coughed. "Senior Zhen Hong, you don't want Hong to be left without anyone to rely on after this tournament, do you?"

Lin Fan patted Hong's head and said to Yuhi Makoto.

Yuhi Zhenhong: "..."

--Grass!

......

The matter with the Sunset Clan is settled.

The Yuhi clan now only has one Jonin, Yuhi Shinku, and three Chunin under its command, and that's it.

Therefore, winning over Shinku Yuhi is equivalent to winning over the entire Yuhi clan.

......

The Shimura family.

"What are you doing here?" Shimura Terutaro, the head of the Shimura clan, looked at Lin Fan, who had come to visit with gifts, with a displeased expression. "My Shimura clan has no intention of getting involved in the conflict between your two factions, so please..."

"You should know who the culprit is, right?" Lin Fan interrupted with a smile.

Terutaro Shimura remained silent for a long time.

"I know. I can't think of anyone else but him."

When he said this, there was a hint of anger in Terutaro Shimura's eyes.

It is conceivable that Danzo did more than just withhold the pensions of his two juniors.

"What if I were to hand over the opportunity to carry out the execution to someone from your Shimura clan?"

Lin Fan's voice rang out.

Shimura Terutaro: "!"

Terutaro Shimura hesitated almost without hesitation.

"My lord assistant, there are many people outside. Please come inside and we can discuss this further!"