Shizune was in the courtyard working on poison formulations when she heard a knock at the door. She quickly went to answer it, only to see a man with orange hair—around twenty years old—wearing the attire of a shinobi from Agakure.
And...
His arms were full of packages. It was hard to tell whether he was here to deliver gifts or planning to move in.
If it was the forr...
That was way too much!
Shizune blinked, confused.
"Excuse , you are...?"
She couldn't recall ever traveling to the Land of Rain with Tsunade. She shouldn't know anyone from Agakure.
"Hello, I'm here to visit Jonin Kanda Kyoichi. Is he ho?"
"He is. Please, co in."
Shizune nodded and opened the door for him. But then, rembering the poisonous experints she had scattered around the courtyard, she quickly added, "Wait just a mont! Let clean up the yard."
"No need, it's already very—"
Yahiko was about to say it looked quite clean, but as he glanced around, his words stuck in his throat.
The yard was littered with bottles and jars, many of them brightly colored and accompanied by strange-looking creatures. It was clear these weren't ordinary dicines.
That stuff...
Was poison, right?
The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. He had a rough idea of what the girl was doing.
Mixing poisons.
Judging by her age, she was probably a genin who had taken part in the Chunin Exams—a dical ninja, perhaps.
A dical ninja... working with poisons...
Even the dics in Konoha were this dedicated?
Konoha really was terrifying.
Yahiko's understanding of Konoha had mostly co from his teacher, Jiraiya, who described it as a relatively peaceful village—occasional conflict, sure, but on the whole, not bad.
Later on...
After so advice from Kyoichi, Yahiko aligned himself with Hanzō and gained access to substantial resources, along with a wealth of previously unknown intelligence.
Konoha's image in his mind had grown more complex.
It was a textbook Great Ninja Village.
Powerful and formidable.
They had a massive population, yet their approach to training hadn't seed very aggressive. Kids didn't officially graduate until age twelve, spending all the years before that in the academy.
To Yahiko, that seed like an extravagance.
And yet...
His opinion was once again being reshaped.
Even if they spent years studying, it didn't an they were slacking off, as Hanzō had suggested. Shinobi faced their own hardships. So did students and genin.
Konoha lived up to its reputation.
"Co on in, Shizune, no need to tidy up. Just carry on with your work—Yahiko's probably not interested in any of that."
Kyoichi had stepped out from the house.
Yahiko, though from the Land of Rain, had ambition, a bright mind, and an honest character Kyoichi could trust.
Shizune blushed, bowed slightly, and apologized.
"I'm so sorry..."
"No need," Yahiko said with a wide smile. "I am an Agakure shinobi, after all."
He walked in with his arms full and, as promised, didn't glance at the poisons again.
Once inside, he set the gifts down.
Then, his gaze shifted in surprise.
Kyoichi had co out, yet soone still remained inside the house.
A shadow clone?
Even now he was multitasking—clearly studying or researching jutsu.
Kyoichi was just as hardworking.
Yahiko's expression grew thoughtful.
So it's true...
The atmosphere of a village always flows from the top down.
Only after Kyoichi signaled did Yahiko take a seat. He bowed politely and said, "Last ti, I was fortunate enough to receive your advice. I discussed it with Hanzō-sama, and he fully supports the idea of uniting the smaller nations and empowering countries without hidden villages."
"Sounds like you gained quite a bit from this short war."
Kyoichi smiled.
Compared to Sunagakure, which had suffered heavy losses at Kikyō Pass, the other major villages— Iwagakure, Kusagakure, Kirigakure, and Kumogakure—had also taken hits.
Agakure, on the other hand, was a different story.
Hanzō was no weakling.
What held Agakure back was the Land of Rain's population. The last Great Shinobi War had cost them dearly, and the country had yet to recover.
But now...
With unrest in the Land of Grass, the Land of Rain had seen a surge in population, allowing it to regain much of its lost vitality. If this alliance plan succeeded, then the coalition surrounding Agakure could beco a true force.
"Yes. We've already allied with the northern nobles of the Land of Rivers and the Land of Birds. The Land of Demons has shown interest as well, but between us lies the Land of Bears, and that one's tricky."
"The Land of Bears? That's where Hoshigakure is, right?"
The na jogged Kyoichi's mory.
"Exactly. That country is riddled with miasma, so they're rather cut off from the outside world. Still, their Peacock Art is quite formidable."
Yahiko spoke diplomatically.
But—
Kyoichi had already ford a rough impression.
That village...
Was downright bizarre.
Their shinobi harnessed radiation from a fallen star, giving them a unique form of chakra transformation that allowed them to manifest chakra in various shapes for battle.
The village leader even called himself the Hoshikage—the "Star Shadow."
Even Hanzō didn't go so far as to call himself the "Rain Shadow."
Yahiko wasn't quite sure how to deal with that village. He'd sent people over once, but they hadn't even made it past the gates, let alone started negotiations.
Unfortunately, the Land of Bears sat right between the Lands of Demons and Birds. Without dealing with it, any alliance involving the Land of Demons would be difficult to realize.
"Their secret technique cos from a star, but if I'm not mistaken, training with its power must co with major side effects. You could use that to reach out discreetly to their Hoshikage."
Kyoichi paused in thought, then offered the suggestion.
"Really?"
Yahiko was stunned. The Star Technique had such severe drawbacks?
That was the first he'd heard of it.
But he knew Kyoichi's dical expertise was top-notch, and his sister was the legendary Tsunade-hi. When it ca to dicine, Kyoichi's word carried weight.
If he said so, it must be true!
If they could recruit Hoshigakure, their alliance would beco significantly stronger.
Yahiko glanced at the gifts he brought.
Suddenly... they didn't seem like enough.
He spaced out briefly, then returned to the conversation with a solemn tone.
"If that's the case, then it's definitely worth pursuing. I'll have to speak with Hanzō-sama. I was only ntioning it casually, but you've already helped imnsely again... Actually, I ca hoping to ask about your teaching thods."
"Teaching thods?"
Kyoichi paused, then quickly realized what this was about. Thinking of the situation in the village and Might Guy's taijutsu training group, his expression turned a little strange.
Could it be...
That whole gang was still grinding?
"How did you get the kids to be so motivated? Agakure's children work hard too, but compared to yours, we're miles behind."
Most motivation strategies relied on a sense of urgency.
But Konoha had just won a three-front war—there was no such pressure right now. That's what puzzled Yahiko the most.
"Well... first, you need a few to lead by example. Then, create a reward system. For instance, once they reach a certain level, they can learn new jutsu or receive personal instruction from Hanzō."
"Lead by example?"
"Ever seen sheep herding? The flock usually follows the lead sheep."
Kyoichi offered a simple analogy.
Even in a competitive environnt, soone had to start the race.
If no one moved, it was just a group of people loafing in the sa pond. That was pointless.
Yahiko pictured it for a mont, and instantly understood. His eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly.
"Anything else?"
"Frequent exams."
"Exams? What kind?"
"Theory, ninjutsu, physical ability—test them monthly. Reward those who rank high. Put those at the bottom through special training. Fill in their weaknesses. And tailor your teaching to each kid's interests and strengths."
Kyoichi didn't hold back.
Since Yahiko was genuinely interested, he was happy to explain more.
After all, a ninja's strength isn't just about how hard they fight—it also depends on the foundation of their village. Things like research institutes... Kyoichi had no intention of opening those to outsiders.
"For example, since your village has early graduations, you can set up regular Chūnin assessnt exams, Chūnin prep classes, and review programs. Make them free for your own people, but charge a reasonable fee for outsiders."
"And then, run so mock Chūnin exams among a few small villages. Wouldn't that really help build the atmosphere?"
Kyoichi rattled off his suggestions, and Yahiko nodded repeatedly in agreent.
At that mont, there was only one thought in Yahiko's mind:
No wonder it's Kyoichi!
Too brilliant!
He hadn't realized there were so many layers to it. Compared to this, Agakure was still stuck in the old "one jōnin leading three genin" thod...
Completely out of touch with the tis!
Yahiko sighed to himself, feeling more and more that the gift he brought was far too modest. But then he thought—given Kyoichi's capability and wealth—he probably wouldn't care about the gift at all.
He only accepted it to spare Yahiko the embarrassnt.
"Kyoichi, you may not be my teacher, but to , you're like a guiding light. I can't offer anything too grand, but please, at least accept my bow."
As he spoke, Yahiko started to kneel.
Kyoichi quickly reached out and pulled him up.
After all...
Yahiko had already paid the price.
[Fire Release: Exploding Fla Formation]
It was Hanzo's jutsu—and also the first Fire Release technique Kyoichi had received from the system.
Though it wasn't a pure Fire Release technique, Kyoichi felt it paired quite nicely with his Paper Jutsu. The added fire nature transformation was at least enough to get his foot in the door.
That was all he needed.
He didn't have high demands for Fire Release—learning it was fine, not learning it was also fine...
It wasn't sothing he relied on in battle anyway.
Besides...
"We're friends—no need for that kind of formality. And I'm teaching you because small villages uniting benefits Konoha. Otherwise, from a political standpoint, I wouldn't be able to help you at all."
Kyoichi spoke seriously.
"These are two separate things."
"That's right, Kanda Kyoichi—you're selling out national interests!"
A voice rang out from the entrance.
Tsunade walked in wearing her signature green robe, looking utterly exhausted.
Working overti was brutal—especially when both her real body and shadow clone were pulling extra shifts...
She was worn out.
But as soon as she stepped into the courtyard and heard the two of them loudly "conspiring," she couldn't resist throwing in a jab.
Yahiko's face changed the mont he heard the voice. He quickly stood up and turned around. At first, he didn't recognize her, but once he saw that familiar hair and face, it hit him.
Tsunade-hi!
They had crossed paths once, long ago.
Tsunade paused when she saw Yahiko too. That face...
Looked really familiar.
She thought for a mont, then said, "A-nin? I rember now. You were the leader of those three little brats. Jiraiya taught you for three years, didn't he?"
"Yes. Thanks to Sensei and your support, we were able to survive," Yahiko said with a deep bow.
"I didn't do much. It was Jiraiya's bleeding heart at work," Tsunade said, tossing her robe aside and pulling out a bottle of sothing strong from the cabinet. "The other two brats doing alright?"
"They're with in Agakure now. Hanzo-sama values us highly," Yahiko replied.
Tsunade was silent for a mont. Then she nodded.
"Seems Jiraiya's teachings didn't go to waste. At least all three of you made it. And Hanzo... he's a decent leader."
"Hanzo-sama and I share a similar vision. Ultimately, we both hope for peace in the shinobi world."
Yahiko knew her story well.
Several of her loved ones had died in the Second Great Shinobi War.
"Whatever your ideals are, just rember—don't raise a hand against Konoha. Even if Jiraiya can't bring himself to deal with a traitor, I will make sure you understand the price of betrayal."
Tsunade's expression turned stern. She was genuinely worried that Kyoichi might be nurturing a snake in the grass.
Yahiko gave a small nod, saying nothing.
Words ant nothing. Only actions could prove where one stood.
And besides...
So long as Kyoichi and the others believed in him—that was enough.
***************************
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