Outside Konoha, at Minato’s ho.
Kushina had just returned from grocery shopping in the morning, agonizing over what to cook for the day or finding an excuse to mooch a al off Kurenai.
However.
Before even opening the door, she sensed sothing subtly amiss.
Standing at the doorway, Kushina’s eyes widened before she fished out her keys.
Click...
As the door opened, a wave of fragrant aroma wafted out.
Kushina’s eyes instantly welled up with tears. Clutching the groceries, she dashed inside, carelessly tossing them aside before throwing herself at Minato.
"You’re finally back!"
"We have a guest! Ha, haha..."
Minato gently urged Kushina to disengage, then apologized to Uzumaki Yuki.
The young girl remained expressionless.
She stared quietly at Kushina, her gaze devoid of excitent—only calm indifference. When their eyes t, Kushina could sense intense hostility radiating from her.
The long-awaited reunion Kushina had imagined wasn’t filled with joy, but rather estrangent and resentnt.
Why...?
She froze on the spot, utterly bewildered about how to react.
"Kushina?"
Minato tilted his head in confusion, looking at his wife.
Why was Kushina making such a face?
"I’m Kush—"
Kushina hurriedly began introducing herself.
"Uzumaki Kushina. I know. Grandma ntioned you to ."
Uzumaki Yuki replied.
Kushina forced a stiff smile before turning to Minato. "Sorry, I didn’t know you were bringing guests, so I didn’t buy enough groceries. I’ll go back out to get more..."
"I’ll go. You probably haven’t eaten breakfast yet, right? There’s food ready in the pot."
Minato smiled warmly.
Then he turned and headed out toward the streets.
Kushina gazed at the girl from her clan, her eyes dimming.
"Do you hate ?"
"Hate?"
Uzumaki Yuki pondered before shaking her head calmly. "I just don’t like you."
After a pause, she added, "Our village was destroyed. Survivors scattered everywhere, struggling to survive. Yet here you are in Konoha, living happily with a husband who adores you."
"Should I like you for that?"
Her words were blunt.
So blunt that Kushina was left speechless, unable to respond.
---
Konoha Hospital.
Kyohiko left the Hokage Building and ca straight here.
Yesterday, Kurenai had sought his advice.
Logically, Kurenai must have attempted the technique by now—so why hadn’t she reported back?
Additionally, now that he’d been promoted to jōnin, his squad might be reorganized.
With these concerns weighing on him, he arrived at the hospital.
Outside Tsunade’s lab, he overheard voices inside.
"Good. Your control is precise—that’s your strength. But your physical stamina is lacking, so your chakra reserves are limited. You must conserve every drop..."
Tsunade’s voice.
"Yes, sensei! I’ll work even harder!"
That was Kurenai’s voice.
Kyohiko paused.
Tsunade had taken Kurenai as her student!
No wonder...
Everything clicked into place.
He had skipped the chūnin rank entirely, becoming a jōnin directly. anwhile, Kakashi—also a chūnin—had been placed in their squad precisely because of his inability to cooperate with others.
Now, Kurenai was studying dical ninjutsu under Tsunade.
Since she was starting late, she’d need to dedicate most of her ti to training, leaving little room for missions with their squad.
This mirrored what Sakura and Ino would experience in the future.
Not a bad deal!
If so, that ant Tsunade must have recovered too.
He turned to leave.
However.
As he reached the entrance, a hushed whisper in the bustling lobby caught his attention.
"If Tsunade-sama steps in, could she cure it?"
"Even though Tsunade-sama has returned to the village, she hasn’t perford surgery in ages. Rumor has it she’s developed so... issue."
"W-what? No way!"
The murmured exchange in the corner would normally go unnoticed.
But.
This was a hospital.
Kyohiko glanced sideways, spotting two figures conversing furtively—like "innocent bystanders."
He didn’t linger, exiting the hospital.
Outside, Kyohiko wandered the village.
Aside from the hospital, there were no such discussions elsewhere.
After circling back, he transford and re-entered the hospital—only to find the two figures gone.
---
Nightti. Tsunade’s residence.
A shadowy figure slipped in unnoticed.
Inside, Tsunade’s eyes snapped open.
She moved to the window.
Just as she grew cautious, a soft knock rapped against the glass, followed by a low voice.
"Tsunade-nee."
"..."
Tsunade opened the window.
Whoosh!
Kyohiko slipped inside, pressing himself against the corner.
"Don’t turn on the lights."
"What’s wrong?"
Tsunade frowned, peering through the curtains.
No one outside!
"Not sure if we’re being watched. Let’s just talk casually."
Kyohiko whispered.
Tsunade imdiately grew serious.
Though they hadn’t known each other long, she understood Kyohiko rarely acted this cautiously within the village.
"What happened?"
"Earlier, I heard..."
Kyohiko recounted his observations.
Tsunade relaxed, chuckling. "That’s nothing. It’s true I haven’t perford surgery in a while. People are bound to speculate."
"Let ask—has your hemophobia been cured?"
"Thanks to your advice, Kurenai and her father succeeded in healing ."
Tsunade’s tone softened.
Then she sighed. "That technique... it’s too beautiful. It’s easy to lose yourself in it. I’m still figuring out how to utilize it properly."
So that was it.
No wonder there’d been no feedback—she didn’t know how to apply it yet.
Kyohiko instantly understood.
The virtual world was an illusion, yet dangerously addictive.
But.
The key takeaway was—
Tsunade was cured!
Kyohiko smirked. "Tsunade-nee, I have an idea. Since you’re healed, why not pretend you’re still suffering from hemophobia? Let’s see if my suspicions hold—whether soone’s truly scheming or if I’m just paranoid."
"If no major surgeries are involved, it’s manageable..."
After a mont’s thought, Tsunade nodded in agreent.
She narrowed her eyes toward the window. "If soone’s behind this, it can only be Danzo. But Danzo doesn’t act solely on his own. He could be following orders... or being manipulated."
"You an—?"
"Don’t underestimate my sensei. He fought his way through the most chaotic era."
Tsunade said gravely.
So, there was history between Tsunade and the Third Hokage that Kyohiko wasn’t privy to.
He filed the information away.
"Regardless, stay alert. See if these rumors spread further."
"Understood. I’ll keep tabs discreetly."
After exchanging recent intel, Kyohiko bid farewell—dispelling his shadow clone as Shizune’s faint movents sounded below.
---
A month passed.
Kyohiko divided his ti between training and monitoring Konoha’s gossip.
The village’s sentint was indeed shifting.
Initially, Tsunade’s return had been t with reverence. Now, whispers painted her as weakened by illness—a shadow of her forr self.
Just as he’d predicted.
Today, his jōnin vest and official approval finally arrived.
Kyohiko headed to the Hokage Building for the ceremony.
The process was straightforward, but as he accepted the vest, the system’s chi rang in his mind.
[You have personally trained a prodigy to jōnin rank!]
[Reward: Water Wall proficiency upgraded.]
Tsk!
Kudos to my own hard work.
Kyohiko sighed inwardly, quickly reviewing the influx of knowledge.
Master-level Water Wall!
At this tier, control beca effortless. Many refinents he’d previously attempted were now perfected. The key breakthrough was—
Hand seal reduction!
A jutsu requiring six seals could now be executed with just two.
Saving four seals mid-combat was invaluable. The detailed breakdown of the Water Wall’s seals left Kyohiko in awe.
Senju Tobirama was truly a genius!
And this was just the Water Wall.
The Water Dragon Bullet’s nurous seals—streamlined, simplified, then reinvented—must have demanded staggering effort.
Still, Kyohiko hadn’t been idle either.
Through personal experintation, he’d elevated Water Turbulence to master rank by incorporating "compression" nature transformation.
Now, his Water Turbulence could condense into a concentrated beam, amplifying its lethality.
The only regret?
His nature transformation mastery paled beside Tobirama’s, preventing him from achieving the precision of Water Severing Wave. Yet, it sufficed to patch his area-of-effect shortcomings.
A glance at his stats left him satisfied—though sothing still felt missing.
Vest in hand, Kyohiko stepped outside.
Kakashi leaned against the doorway, envy flickering in his eyes.
He’d already heard of Kyohiko’s promotion.
In fact, the news was unavoidable—Konoha had been abuzz with talk of its youngest jōnin for a week.
"Sensei."
Kyohiko looked up.
Jiraiya coughed, stashing his telescope before leaping down from above.
Then, adopting a serious tone, he said, "With Kurenai training at the hospital, celebrations can wait. Today’s focus is your training. I’ll offer so guidance."
"Yes!"
"Follow ."
Jiraiya led the way.
Soon, they reached the Forest of Death’s outskirts.
The secluded clearing was ideal for jutsu practice.
Jiraiya faced them.
"Kurenai’s been temporarily reassigned to Tsunade, so your squad will reorganize. The lineup’s mostly decided—you two, Might Gai, and Minato will form a new team handling A-rank and above missions."
A-rank missions ant encountering powerful enemies and high-stakes objectives.
The pay would multiply.
But so would the danger.
"Any thoughts on your training?"
Jiraiya asked.
After consideration, Kakashi answered, "For , perhaps studying various nature transformations to integrate into my sword style."
"Multiple nature transformations?"
Jiraiya recalled Kakashi’s kunai-slicing strike.
That slash must have blended Lightning Release into his blade work.
A solid approach.
He pondered briefly.
"I’ll compile so materials for you later."
"Thank you, sensei!"
Kakashi’s eyes lit up gratefully.
Ninjutsu knowledge was precious—his family’s archives were sparse.
Jiraiya waved it off. "You call sensei; no need for thanks."
Then he turned to Kyohiko.
"And you?"
"My next step is learning Lightning Release."
Kyohiko replied.
Kakashi blinked. "Why?"
Having mastered Lightning himself, their team could complent each other. Kyohiko could’ve deepened another elent instead.
Like Fire or Wind.
"Iwagakure’s recovering fast. Current intel places them in the Land of Hot Water and Land of Grass. If war erupts, we’ll clash with them."
Kyohiko laid out his reasoning.
Kakashi fell silent.
Lightning countered Earth. Against Iwa, more Lightning users would be advantageous.
This...
He felt a pang of sha.
His own training lacked such foresight, while Kyohiko planned around future needs. The contrast was stark.
Still.
"For Lightning techniques, we can exchange pointers."
"Agreed. For Water Release, I’ll likely expand my repertoire with area-effect jutsu."
Kyohiko outlined his roadmap.
Jiraiya felt both pride and guilt—
Pride in Kyohiko’s wisdom, needing no hand-holding to identify his path.
Guilt that he, as a sensei, contributed so little.
After deliberation, Jiraiya produced a scroll.
"Jutsu mastery depends on you, but there’s one thing I can provide."
Unfurling it revealed several nas—including Jiraiya’s and Minato’s.
A summoning contract!
Kakashi recognized it instantly.
Surprised, he said, "Sensei, I already have a summoning contract..."
The Hatake clan boasted pacts with ninja dogs.
"No rule against multiple contracts. The toads of Mount Myoboku can be invaluable allies in critical monts."
Jiraiya stated.
"Thank you, sensei!"
Without hesitation, Kyohiko signed the scroll.
Mount Myoboku was one of the Three Great Sage Regions—rare places to learn senjutsu.
Refusing such an opportunity would be idiocy.
Seeing this, Kakashi hesitated briefly before adding his na.
Next, Jiraiya taught the summoning technique’s secrets.
Kakashi inhaled deeply, sared blood, then pressed his hand to the ground.
Seals flared.
"Huh?"
A tiny toad appeared, bewildered, insects dangling from its mouth.
It slurped them down.
"Jiraiya, what’s up?"
Its voice was oddly feminine.
"Nothing, sorry Gamatatsu. My student summoned you. Since you’re eating, we won’t disturb you."
Jiraiya pointed at Kakashi.
Kakashi greeted it, but Jiraiya and Kyohiko knew—he was disappointed.
It was so small!
After dismissal, Jiraiya explained, "Toad size doesn’t reflect strength. Gamatatsu excels in ninjutsu and genjutsu—a rare combo among Myoboku toads."
Ninjutsu and genjutsu?
Kakashi froze.
Was that truly his specialty?
Jiraiya turned to Kyohiko.
"Your turn?"
"Okay."
Kyohiko followed suit.
Imdiately, he felt the technique draining his chakra relentlessly.
Sothing’s off!
Kyohiko frantically replenished his reserves until pale-faced, finally—
Boom!
The ground shattered as a massive toad materialized.
Its slightest movent cracked the earth.
Jiraiya quickly greeted it. "Gamabunta! Didn’t expect you today. My student was testing summoning!"
Gamabunta eyed Kyohiko.
"You summoned ?"
"Greetings. I’m Jiraiya sensei’s student, Ryoho Kyohiko."
Kyohiko bowed.
Gamabunta.
No wonder it devoured his chakra!
"Call if needed."
With that, Gamabunta vanished.
Kakashi stood expressionless, questioning life.
While abilities varied, their summonings’ sheer impact wasn’t comparable.
He was speechless.
Jiraiya awkwardly coughed. "Kakashi, perhaps your reserves are smaller, or your affinity leans toward genjutsu..."
"I’ll train harder."
Kakashi’s gloom was fleeting—he wasn’t truly upset.
With no one else around, Kyohiko scanned the area. "Sensei, with the squad reshuffle, I might leave the village soon. Given the situation, your support is crucial."
He had a hunch.
The Third or Danzo might soon deploy him outside Konoha.
"You an the recent rumors?"
Jiraiya grew serious.
Kyohiko nodded.
He shared the whispers he’d gathered during training.
Nothing concrete.
But cumulatively, they eroded Tsunade’s reputation.
Jiraiya snorted. "Relax. I’ve got a plan. Like you said—propaganda’s a weapon. Danzo wields it well, but so can we!"
Danzo’s misdeeds weren’t hard to uncover. A few scandals would ruin him.
Kyohiko hesitated. "Tsunade-nee warned not to underestimate the Hokage."
"The Hok—"
Jiraiya wanted to refute but stopped.
Danzo’s sches might stem from the Third’s machinations. Targeting Danzo alone could play into their hands.
He frowned.
"What then?"
"Strength cos first. Power silences doubt. Both you and Tsunade-nee need a chance to prove yourselves. For propaganda, highlight recent attacks—still pinning Danzo..."
Danzo was the Third’s black ops.
Without dismantling him, the Third remained untouchable.
At minimum, they had to reclaim the ANBU’s authority!
Jiraiya nodded.
"I know what to do. Don’t worry."
"With you here, I’m at ease."
Kyohiko said.
Tsunade’s leadership far surpassed the Third’s!
First, she trusted him.
Second, she was adaptable—unlike the Third, who often hesitated, achieving nothing.
Jiraiya pondered his next steps...
Then paused.
At ease?
Wait.
Hold on.
I’m the sensei here!
Jiraiya’s expression twisted wryly, but mories resurfaced.
Whatever.
Not the first ti!
"Oh, for your promotion—a gift."
Jiraiya produced a cloth-wrapped blade from his waist.
Kyohiko unwrapped it.
The dagger was shorter than Kakashi’s White Light Chakra Sword—sowhere between a tantō and kunai, seemingly incomplete.
Yet.
A quick test revealed its nature.
A chakra blade.
"Sensei, this is too generous!"
"It’s not top-grade, but it’s all I found. Make do..."
Jiraiya rubbed his neck awkwardly.
The blade was indeed short—barely longer than a kunai.
Kyohiko shook his head, bowing deeply.
"It’s perfect. Thank you, sensei!"
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