After saying that, he did not spare the two of them another glance, turning around and walking back into the house.
Kurenai let out a long breath, patted her chest lightly, and then looked at Kiyohara, her eyes filled with delight.
"Kiyohara, I really didn't expect you to be this amazing!"
In the past, Kurenai had only thought that Kiyohara's kenjutsu was very strong, but she had never imagined that his sword skills could fight her father to a complete standstill, neither side able to gain the upper hand.
"Not bad," Kiyohara said, nodding slightly.
This could only be considered a sparring match.
Yuhi Shinku was best at kenjutsu and genjutsu. If he were truly fighting seriously, he would certainly alternate between the two, or even use methods similar to the "Leaf Style: Willow" pioneered by Maruboshi Kosuke, using weapons as a medium for genjutsu.
Likewise, Kiyohara had not used Magnet Release to accelerate himself or borrow the power of magnetic fields. Both of them had held back to a certain extent.
"My father is usually a very serious person," Kurenai said earnestly to Kiyohara.
Since hist father had not said anything afterward, it clearly meant that he had acknowledged Kiyohara's strength.
"Is that so," Kiyohara replied with a slight nod.
Looking at Kurenai's flushed little face, he could not help but feel as if he were meeting his future father-in-law.
In a few more years, Kurenai would grow into the mature, elegant "onee-san" image he remembered.
Thinking of that, Kiyohara felt a faint sense of anticipation.
Of course, before that, he still had to find a way to resolve Rin's situation.
If Obito failed to properly fall into darkness, Kiyohara suspected that Madara would still find ways to target Kakashi, and even Obito's grandmother, before finally turning his attention to those relatively familiar to them.
He absolutely did not want to become material for Obito's descent into darkness.
After leaving Kurenai's home, Kiyohara went to pay a visit to Orochimaru.
Orochimaru had previously said that he wanted Kiyohara to get used to the laboratory environment.
When Kiyohara arrived and took a look, he found yet another set of unfamiliar experimental equipment.
All kinds of precision instruments, cultivation tanks, and scroll racks occupied most of the space.
At this point, Kiyohara finally understood why Orochimaru, despite clearly disliking Danzo, still pinched his nose and helped him with various matters, relying on Danzo's financial support.
With mission rewards alone, it would probably be difficult even to maintain the daily operating costs of this laboratory.
There was no other reason.
Money.
Even someone as powerful as Orochimaru, an elite jonin and a sannin, could not withstand the financial drain of scientific research.
Some pieces of equipment cost several million ryō per set, or even tens of millions.
Thus, in any world, scientific research was always the most money-burning endeavor.
"Hehe, Kiyohara-kun, for now you just need to familiarize yourself with these things," Orochimaru said, pointing at the equipment around them.
"Also, there's some news I need to tell you. Your original team's jonin leader died a long time ago, so I applied to Sarutobi-sensei to temporarily serve as your team's acting instructor jonin. The transfer notice should reach you tomorrow."
Orochimaru spoke calmly.
Orochimaru becoming a team leader?
Kiyohara was genuinely surprised when he heard this.
After all, after the death of the jonin who had led Kiyohara, Kurenai, and Genma in a certain battle following the Kannabi Bridge incident, they had temporarily been handed over to Minato.
Most of the time, they also carried out missions together with Rin and Kakashi.
"Then, Orochimaru-sama, where will our next mission be?" Kiyohara asked.
"Where would Kiyohara-kun like to go?" Orochimaru countered.
"I've heard that Iwa has been very active along the borders recently. If we push a bit harder, perhaps we can win the war against Iwagakure," Kiyohara said.
"Hehe, that can only wait for the missions arranged by Sarutobi-sensei," Orochimaru said, licking the corner of his lips.
Under normal circumstances, shinobis had the right to choose whether to accept or refuse missions.
But during wartime, most missions were mandatory.
"I understand, Orochimaru-sama," Kiyohara nodded.
"Good. Before that, you should first get a basic familiarity with this place," Orochimaru said, pointing at the surrounding instruments.
"Some basic equipment operation and sample handling procedures will be helpful for our future work, as well as for your personal growth."
Over the next few hours, under Orochimaru's guidance, Kiyohara began learning how to operate a chakra analyzer, how to handle potentially bioactive samples according to strict protocols, and how to interpret basic data charts, among other things.
...
Land of Water, Kirigakure, secret meeting chamber.
In the dimly lit room, only a few oil lamps provided faint illumination.
Around the long table in the center of the room sat several figures who held real power within Kirigakure.
Seated at the head was an elderly man with white hair and beard, his face withered yet his gaze still sharp—Elder Genji.
At this moment, Genji's fingers slowly tapped against the tabletop, the sound unusually clear in the silence of the room.
"The Six-Tails Jinchūriki has lost control," the head of the Hozuki clan spoke.
"As expected, deploying tailed beasts onto the battlefield is still too early."
"Hmph. If we don't deploy them now, we won't be able to gain an advantage against Konoha. The current situation in the Land of Whirlpools and along the coastline is our greatest achievement!" a brown-haired shinobi stood up and said.
The person beside him offered a different perspective.
"Kasuke Terumi, have you considered how long our supply lines are? The territories we've occupied can't provide us with any real support—they're nothing but barren wastelands."
Biwa Hozuki let out a cold laugh.
The Land of Water lay beyond the mainland, far removed from it.
This was both a blessing and a curse.
The good part was that the flames of the Great Shinobi Wars had never reached the Land of Water; the bad part was that this distance severely weakened the Land of Water's control over the mainland.
"What Biwa says makes sense. Konoha simply doesn't have the capacity right now to go all-out against us, and our conflict with Suna is also intensifying."
"Moreover, during our recent clashes with Konoha on the front lines, we've discovered that Konoha has produced quite a number of geniuses lately. Shisui Uchiha of the Uchiha clan, White Fang's son Kakashi Hatake, and this time, another shinobi named Kiyohara who possesses Magnet Release and more—far too many. This is Konoha's foundation."
The room buzzed with discussion.
Yet Genji had no interest in listening to these exchanges.
The only thing he was paying attention to was the Third Mizukage.
Genji raised his hand, interrupting Kasuke Terumi, his face showing a trace of impatience.
"They're just some talented brats from Konoha. Perhaps they'll be troublesome in the future, but right now, they're not worth mentioning."
Below him sat representatives of the younger generation, such as Karatachi Yagura, along with several veteran jonin and family delegates.
To Genji, these people were his confidants.
When they heard his words, they all turned their attention toward him, not daring to show any negligence.
Kirigakure's political system differed from that of Konoha. The Mizukage was usually selected from among the village's strongest shinobis.
However, major village affairs had to be discussed with the council of elders, and Genji, as the eldest elder, held a highly respected position, possessing authority and status equal to that of the Mizukage.
"Elder Genji, what do you mean?" an elite jonin from the Hozuki clan asked in a deep voice.
"The Third Mizukage… is growing older and weaker," Genji said slowly, his voice hoarse.
"Moreover, in the past six months, he has often been lost in thought alone. His handling of village affairs has become increasingly sluggish, with many oversights. Most importantly… he has yet to clearly designate his intention for the next Mizukage."
Genji paused, then continued,
"All signs indicate that…"
A sharp glint flashed through Genji's eyes.
"That man is weakening. Perhaps… something has gone wrong with him, such as… his lifespan nearing its end…"
The more Genji thought about it, the more plausible this possibility became.
His aged body could not help but tremble slightly.
'Finally… finally, that man is about to die!'
Genji thought to himself, an image of a man flashing through his mind.
Those scarlet eyes, capable of controlling the power of the Nine-Tails, and even manifesting that enormous blue giant, everything was still vivid in his memory.
That was a shadow that had survived from the Warring States Era.
Many rumors claimed that man had died in battle against Hashirama Senju.
But Genji had a different answer.
That man was still active in the dark underbelly of the shinobi world!
His eyes were spread across the entire shinobi world!
"That man?" Hozuki Mangetsu asked in confusion, his youthful face filled with doubt.
All they knew was that there were spies within the village, and that Genji deeply feared a certain man.
He did not even dare to speak that man's name, only referring to him in vague terms.
"Yes… that man…" Genji murmured.
His gaze swept across everyone present, carrying a long-suppressed excitement.
"Hozuki Mangetsu, I want your clan to continue secretly monitoring every move of the Third Mizukage, especially any contact he has with the outside world. Remember—absolute secrecy!"
The named Hozuki Mangetsu nodded and accepted the order.
He was the youngest among those present.
And also the most promising genius to become the next of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, or even surpass the previous generation.
Genji continued,
"According to scattered intelligence, the Third Mizukage seems to have secretly dispatched a team carrying the Three-Tails Jinchūriki, intending to carry out some kind of sabotage plan against Konoha.
"The specific details are unclear, but… as long as that man is about to die, then no matter what this plan is, its importance will be greatly diminished!
Kirigakure's true opportunity lies in breaking free from that man's shadow and regaining true autonomy!"
His voice trembled uncontrollably, filled with wild joy and anticipation at the prospect of Kirigakure escaping its nightmare-filled future.
"Monitor closely, wait patiently. When that man's power completely dissipates, it will be the day Kirigakure sets things right and once again sees the light of day!"
...
The next day.
Orochimaru reassembled Kiyohara's team and presented them with three mission options.
Kiyohara guessed that this was probably one of Orochimaru's privileges.
If it were an ordinary jonin, there likely wouldn't even be room to choose.
"I still hold important duties, so even as a temporary team leader, I can only take on one mission," Orochimaru said, taking out three scrolls.
At this moment, Kiyohara, Kurenai, and Genma stood before him.
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama," Kiyohara nodded.
Orochimaru, like Minato, was extremely busy. Most of the time, he had to support the battlefield or handle command duties, leaving him with very little free time.
Only when the war situation eased would he have some leisure.
"Kiyohara, which one do you want to choose?" Kurenai asked curiously.
To be honest, when she learned that Lord Orochimaru would serve as their temporary instructor jonin, she had been both surprised and honored.
Both she and Genma vaguely suspected that this arrangement was due to Kiyohara.
After all, Kiyohara's performance on the battlefield had been exceptionally eye-catching.
"Let's take a look first," Kiyohara said.
He opened the scrolls Orochimaru handed over, and the three of them examined them together.
All three missions were located in the Land of Rain.
The first mission was a garrison assignment:
Stationed at the border of the Land of Rain for one week.
Mission rank: C-rank (with the possibility of being upgraded to B-rank).
The second mission was to escort a merchant caravan into the border region of the Land of Rain.
There was a chance of encountering attacks from Iwagakure.
Mission rank: B-rank.
The third mission was to conduct intelligence exchanges with the shinobis of Amegakure, which in reality meant mutual probing and deterrence.
Mission rank: B-rank.
"Orochimaru-sama, aren't these missions a bit too difficult?" Kiyohara said after looking them over.
He noticed that they were all B-rank missions.
"Hehehe, Kiyohara-kun, don't you know that you're about to become a 'jonin'?" Orochimaru said.
"Kiyohara's becoming a jonin?" Genma froze on the spot.
Seriously? Other people worry about their friends moving into bigger houses—Kiyohara was skipping straight to a villa!
"No pressure, huh~ Kiyohara, you're pretty capable after all," Genma said, removing the senbon from the corner of his mouth.
"But didn't Kiyohara only become a chūnin not that long ago?" Kurenai said, her face filled with surprise as well.
Kiyohara's promotion speed was just too fast.
Under normal circumstances, a shinobi's promotion path went from academy student → genin → chūnin → special jonin → jonin.
Every step required experience and credentials. Only after completing enough missions would the village conduct selection, evaluation, and approval.
A jonin was practically the pinnacle of shinobi ranks.
Beyond that was becoming Hokage.
Otherwise, one would enter ANBU or other important departments as management.
"A shinobi as outstanding as Kiyohara-kun naturally deserves an exception," Orochimaru said with a smile.
Only chūnin had formal exams. From special jonin onward, promotions were handled purely through selection.
As for how that selection was conducted and what standards were used, the village's upper echelons had their own considerations.
"Orochimaru-sama, when will my notification document come down?" Kiyohara asked.
He was already mentally prepared for becoming a jonin.
After killing so many enemies, even taking down an enemy commander, if that level of talent and merit still wasn't enough for promotion, then Kiyohara didn't know who would qualify.
Not everyone was like Might Duy or Maruboshi Kosuke, eternal genin by choice.
"Probably in about a week," Orochimaru replied.
These matters had to be entered into the archives, making the process extremely troublesome and the procedures particularly cumbersome.
"I understand," Kiyohara nodded slightly.
A week would likely be too late.
They probably wouldn't even stay in the village for a full week. They would have to complete the mission first and then return to receive the notification.
That document would include proof of Kiyohara's qualification as a jonin, certifying that he was a legitimate jonin with all the corresponding rights and authority.
"Let's look at the missions first," Kiyohara said.
He took out a map and began marking and sketching on it with his finger.
"The intelligence exchange mission is relatively simple, but quite tedious, and it may take a long time. The garrison mission is similar. As for the caravan escort mission…"
Kiyohara paused here.
In Akatsuki Hiden, in Konan's recollections of the past, it was evident that the Land of Rain was plagued by both internal and external troubles.
Not only was there infiltration from enemy nations, but there were also many people who could be considered "traitors of Rain."
(End of Chapter)