On the way back, Jiraiya remained silent.
Kyohiko followed behind, silently lanting the lack of response from the system—
Though it was expected.
Yahiko and the others moving south to avoid the influence of the Land of Rain and the Land of Earth, temporarily laying low to strengthen themselves, wouldn’t bring any imdiate benefits to Konoha.
However.
There was no doubt that their attitude would lean favorably toward Konoha.
If a war broke out with Sunagakure in the future, Yahiko’s group, operating covertly in the Land of Rivers, could beco a valuable ally and source of intelligence for Konoha.
As for rewards...
They would likely only co once Yahiko actually implented his plans and took concrete actions.
This was a long-term investnt.
A casual move, with no significant downside for him at the mont.
Moreover.
Whether Nagato and the others could stay in the Land of Rivers for long was still uncertain—
Would Madara let them off so easily?
Hard to say.
As they approached Yugakure, Jiraiya broke the silence.
"Kyohiko."
"Don’t worry, sensei. I’ll keep your secret."
Kyohiko replied.
Jiraiya chuckled and shook his head. "Not that."
"Promise you’ll prioritize your safety. You’re important to , to Tsunade, and to Konoha!"
Jiraiya was serious.
Compared to Minato and Nagato, he now felt that Kyohiko might be the "Child of Prophecy" he had been waiting for.
As for Tsunade...
Jiraiya believed that Tsunade had transferred so of her emotions and expectations onto Ryoho Kyohiko, as her recent state in Konoha had noticeably improved.
If Kyohiko were to die, Jiraiya could imagine how devastated Tsunade would beco, and he would never forgive himself.
"Sensei, let’s not talk about unfortunate things. It affects our luck."
"Huh? Hahaha, you’re right!"
Amidst the laughter, the two quietly returned to the courtyard and dispelled the shadow clones they had left behind.
Of course.
Both shadow clones were Jiraiya’s doing.
...
Over the next few days, Kyohiko continued to experint and refine his combination of the Body Flicker Technique and Clone Technique.
The Clone Technique and Shadow Clone Technique needed further improvent!
The forr would be difficult to advance in the short term without delving deeper into genjutsu, but the latter had been sothing Kyohiko had been practicing consistently, and he had gained significant insights recently.
He had a vague feeling—
He was on the verge of a breakthrough with the Shadow Clone Technique.
In the following days, he consulted Jiraiya about the intricacies and key points of the Shadow Clone Technique, comparing them to the issues he was currently facing.
Finally.
On the eve of the Chunin Exams...
[Na: Ryoho Kyohiko]
[Age: 7]
[Kekkei Genkai]: None
[Skills]:
Transformation Technique (Proficient)
Clone Technique (Master)
Substitution Technique (Proficient)
Body Flicker Technique (Grandmaster)
Water Release: Wild Water Wave (Proficient)
Water Release: Water Wall (Proficient)
Shadow Clone (Proficient)
Superhuman Strength technique (Expert)
White Fang Swordsmanship (Beginner)
Proficient-level Shadow Clone!
This was a significant milestone for Kyohiko, as the Shadow Clone Technique’s proficiency had been entirely self-taught, making the achievent of the proficient level no small feat.
At the proficient level, the Shadow Clone Technique didn’t change much. It mainly improved the control over the chakra in the clones, making them faster to create and reducing the chakra loss when dispelling them.
While it might seem minor, fine-tuning these details could an the difference between having enough chakra for one more jutsu or not.
However.
Both the Shadow Clone Technique and the Clone Technique were primarily used to enhance deception.
The real killing moves were still his sword and the Superhuman Strength technique.
At that mont, noise ca from downstairs.
"Kyohiko, let’s go."
"Alright."
Today was the day the Chunin Exams began.
Kyohiko packed his things and went downstairs to join the team.
...
Outside Yugakure, a venue composed of a dormant volcano, forests, and streams had been set up as the exam site.
This ti, most of the villages from the eastern regions had participated, with only a few, like Iwagakure and Sunagakure, absent.
Outside the exam site, ninjas from various villages gathered.
At a glance.
There were so familiar faces from Kirigakure.
Hoshigaki Kisa, Hozuki Mangetsu, and a young girl whose features looked sowhat familiar.
From Kumogakure.
He didn’t recognize most of them, but one person stood out—
A girl with light brown hair tied into a simple braid, her face looking very young, probably only six or seven years old, her gaze coldly scanning the surroundings.
Based on her appearance, she was likely Kumogakure’s Two-Tails Jinchūriki, Nii Yugito.
Even a Jinchūriki was here!
Was Kumogakure insane?
Kyohiko suppressed his surprise and continued observing the others.
In the corners of the crowd, ninjas from smaller villages stood scattered, including Kyusuke.
Then, he noticed a team.
Judging by their forehead protectors, they were from Kusagakure. The reason they caught his attention...
"So many ninjas."
"Ugh! It’s been so long since there’s been a proper Chunin Exam, and now... what bad luck! If only that new red-haired girl were here. I heard she has healing abilities..."
"Shut up!!"
The team’s jonin leader barked, and the three imdiately fell silent.
Kyohiko’s heart stirred.
Red-haired girl.
Healing abilities.
Karin’s mother?
He glanced over, morizing their appearances.
The jonin seed to sense sothing and looked toward the Konoha group. When he saw Jiraiya at the front, he nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on his face.
The two sides exchanged greetings.
Jiraiya turned and smiled. "The first exam is about to start. Let’s go in."
"Yes!"
Gai couldn’t wait and was the first to head toward the temporary exam site at the foot of the mountain, with Kurenai following closely behind.
Kyohiko took a few steps.
Jiraiya caught up from behind.
"Kyohiko."
"Sensei, any instructions?"
Kyohiko stopped.
Jiraiya hesitated for a mont, then said in a low voice, "Ensure your own safety first, but try to help your fellow villagers as much as possible. At least keep them alive."
"Understood, sensei."
Kyohiko nodded.
After entering the fenced area, all the jonin from their village stayed outside. Soon, the area beca noisy.
Kyohiko searched through the chaotic sounds and found Gai and Kurenai, who had already entered and were with Yamashiro Aoba’s team.
Just as he was about to join them.
"Are you Ryoho Kyohiko?"
A cold voice ca from his side.
The light brown-haired girl.
Nii Yugito.
Kyohiko nodded. "A ninja from Kumogakure. What can I do for you?"
The girl relaxed slightly.
But soon, her expression shifted from relaxed to serious, with a hint of nervousness.
"My na is Nii Yugito. I want to challenge you during the exams!"
"No problem. You look younger than , so your academic knowledge probably isn’t as solid as mine."
Kyohiko smiled.
The girl’s face imdiately turned red, then quickly returned to a cold, indifferent expression.
"I an in combat, not the first exam!"
"If we happen to et."
Kyohiko said, then turned to join Gai and the others.
Although he didn’t have sealing techniques, dealing with a Jinchūriki would be tricky. But if they did cross paths, Kyohiko was curious to see how he asured up against a Jinchūriki.
Nii Yugito, not getting a definitive answer, imdiately said, "I’ll co find you!"
Kyohiko waved his hand, his attitude noncommittal.
In the crowd, Hozuki Mangetsu looked conflicted but didn’t dare to say anything provocative.
Their previous encounter had left him sowhat disheartened.
In contrast, Hoshigaki Kisa was more eager, his face filled with excitent.
"This ti, I’ll wash away the sha of my defeat!"
He had been dissatisfied with his previous loss, believing it was due to a lack of understanding of Kyohiko’s abilities.
If they fought again, with his superior ninjutsu, he was sure he wouldn’t lose to a Konoha ninja who also practiced Water Release. He had even mocked Hozuki Mangetsu for his defeat.
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