Chapter 109: The Golden Flash.

"You bunch of idiots, you have no appreciation for this~"

"What the heck! He's just a middle-aged weirdo dressed all flashy!"

Seeing that his meticulously prepared entrance hadn't achieved the desired effect, and instead caused these kids to doubt his identity, this 'Ero-Sennin' had no clue where he went wrong. Standing atop a rather obese green toad with garish red lipstick smeared on its lips, he began arguing with the person who questioned him, completely lacking the demeanor of an elite shinobi skilled in senjutsu.

He more resembled a show-offy child! Anyhow, the only ones daring to mock him were the ignorant genins. Those informed or specifically warned by their family elders about his true identity avoided underestimating this somewhat comical exam proctor.

There was a reason the Third Hokage chose Jiraiya for the role of the Chunin Exam proctor. With the current tensions, he couldn't afford to leave the Hokage's office, needing to closely monitor various factions and coordinate village affairs. Thus, the role of the exam proctor was temporarily vacant. Tsunade was out of the question as she wasn't interested. Orochimaru… after much thought, he dismissed the idea, knowing Danzo would likely interfere, potentially leading to disastrous consequences.

Though Jiraiya was typically unreliable, occasionally perverted, always frequenting dubious places, he was surprisingly reliable when it mattered. His luck wasn't bad either, having formed a contract with Mount Myoboku and learning senjutsu. Setting aside his personality faults, he sincerely sought out the 'Child of Prophecy' and even stayed in Amegakure to look after war orphans.

Having recently heard about Tsunade finding a lover, he rushed back to the village heartbroken. "Look at you, all dressed up like a wanderer. No wonder you don't have a girlfriend!"

Someone spoke out during the argument, hitting him right where it hurt. Jiraiya was already feeling down about Tsunade finding a partner and now it was brought up again! Reflecting on his lack of success with Tsunade, he wondered if his flamboyant attire was the reason.

Forgetting the Chunin Exam entirely, he only remembered his role once the genins quieted down. "Minato, I'll leave this to you!" he shouted at a nearby tree before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Toshirou had been attentive since hearing the name 'Minato.' Despite being only around sixteen, and not yet the famed 'Yellow Flash,' meeting him early was still exciting. Before he could fully turn his gaze, a golden streak passed through his vision.

A collective gasp filled the air, not from Toshirou alone, but from other genins curious about 'Minato.' All eyes turned to the tree and witnessed the marvel together. Only a year out of the academy, these genins understood the significance of such speed.

The residual image left in their retinas from the high-speed Body Flicker Technique was something they'd only heard of in legends. Seeing it firsthand was astonishing!

"That's ridiculously fast!" Toshirou couldn't help but exclaim, deeply understanding the effort and talent required to achieve such speed. Many only focused on Minato's Flying Thunder God technique, neglecting his natural proficiency with the Body Flicker Technique.

Even before mastering the Flying Thunder God, Minato's skill in the Body Flicker Technique was exceptional, leading to his reputation as the 'Yellow Flash.'

"Ah! My apologies!" Minato appeared without any airs, greeting everyone like an approachable elder brother, a warm smile on his face.

"For certain reasons, I'll be explaining the next part of the exam," he said, nodding kindly to everyone present.