Recently, Mishu and Kisame Hoshigaki had teamed up and completed numerous missions together.
Knowing that Kisame was highly valued by the village's upper echelons and privy to many of their secrets, Mishu decided to tentatively ask a question.
"Captain, I have a companion who is about to graduate, but his skills are lacking," Mishu said carefully. "You know the rules of the Ninja Academy; in the end, they have to fight each other to the death. I'm worried he won't make it. Do you know of any way to help him pass?"
Kisame looked at Mishu, genuinely surprised. "With how ruthless your methods have been lately, I didn't expect you to have a soft spot. Your question isn't difficult; there are many ways around it, but I don't know what specific outcome you want."
It made sense. Someone like Mishu, who came from a lower-class background, wouldn't understand the intricate political workings of the Hidden Mist.
Mishu had been agonizing over this for days, but Kisame, familiar with the village's inner workings, instantly saw multiple solutions.
"As long as he stays alive and officially becomes a Kirigakure ninja, that's enough," Mishu replied.
"Oh, is that all? I thought you had some grand ulterior motive," Kisame chuckled.
He stood up, casually dealing with the bodies of the Rogue Ninjas they had just defeated. "The simplest way is to have him drop out of the Academy directly. Once his skills reach the standard level, you can recommend him to the village. As long as he passes a standard village assessment, he can become a ninja without the bloodbath."
Mishu was shocked. "You can do that?"
Kisame laughed heartily. "You didn't think all those elite clan ninjas graduated by slaughtering each other in the Academy, did you? Most of them bypass the exam and become ninjas this way."
Mishu thought about it and realized Kisame was right. There were rarely any clan heirs in the Academy's regular classes. They had their own paths.
However, Mishu still had doubts. "But I'm just a Genin. Can I make an official recommendation to the village?"
"Only Jonin have the qualification to make recommendations," Kisame replied, shouldering his weapon. "But with your skills, Mishu, getting promoted to Jonin shouldn't be difficult."
With the heavy burden lifted from his chest, Mishu thanked Kisame profoundly.
Meanwhile, in the suffocating darkness of the underground cave, Kyosuke silently treated a fresh wound on his left arm.
Damn it, the area around the wound has completely lost sensation. That poison acts fast!
He had taken a general antidote, but the effect was minimal. The numbness continued to spread slowly up his limb. Kyosuke knew he couldn't delay; if he didn't escape soon, he would lose the ability to fight back entirely.
Fortunately, for some reason, Ooka Shin has already obtained the Rinnegan in the dreamscape. Thanks to our connection, I can now see clearly through this pitch-black darkness and unleash my full combat power.
Moreover, Sasori clearly hasn't used his full strength. He wants my body intact for puppet making. That hesitation is my only opportunity.
Crouching behind a massive stone pillar, Kyosuke rapidly analyzed the situation. He swallowed a military ration pill and scanned his surroundings. A lizard-like puppet was silently crawling down from the cavern ceiling directly above him.
Hmph, trying to sneak attack me!
Kyosuke lunged upward, driving his short sword directly through the puppet's head. With a vicious horizontal slice, he severed its Chakra threads, turning the deadly machine into a pile of useless wooden parts.
With the puppet destroyed, Sasori would instantly know his location and close in.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Sparing no Chakra, Kyosuke created a hundred Shadow Clones, flooding the cavern.
"Everyone, give it your all! Rush the exit!"
"Charge!"
The moment the horde of clones rounded the corner, they collided with dozens of waiting puppets, spearheaded by the four terrifying Human Puppets.
Sasori's real body hadn't appeared. He was hiding in the shadows, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike a fatal blow.
The battle erupted instantly. Various Ninjutsu clashed in the confined space, lighting up the cave with blinding, colorful flashes. Hidden weapons and toxic gases sprayed everywhere, accompanied by the deafening echoes of explosions.
The ground, the walls, the ceiling—every surface became a battlefield.
The Shadow Clones fought fearlessly. Knowing they were just decoys, they used every ounce of their power to attack without a single thought for defense, frequently employing suicidal tactics to take down as many puppets as possible.
The fierce clash lasted barely a minute. The majority of the clones and puppets were utterly destroyed.
The terrain was unrecognizable. The ground was carpeted with a thick layer of senbon needles. Stone pillars had been pulverized by Ninjutsu, and the cavern ceiling began to crack, raining debris down on the combatants.
Thanks to the Rinnegan's unparalleled kinetic vision, Kyosuke easily traced the complex web of Chakra threads back to their source, pinpointing Sasori's exact hiding spot.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Using the absolute last dregs of his Chakra, Kyosuke created twenty final clones. He immediately turned and sprinted toward the cave entrance, leaving only his back to them.
I'll leave the rest to you!
"Don't worry, we'll buy you time! Now run for your life!" one clone yelled, rushing toward Sasori.
"Such a handsome guy like me, dying so young. The heavens are truly jealous," another clone sighed dramatically while throwing a volley of shuriken.
The clones mocked Kyosuke even as they launched a desperate, coordinated assault using Fire Release, Wind Release, and Kenjutsu.
Having his true position revealed so abruptly caught Sasori entirely off guard. His remaining puppets couldn't pull back in time to defend him, forcing Sasori to rely solely on the Hiruko armor's defenses.
As a defensive puppet, Hiruko was incredibly resilient. Its heavy, segmented tail whipped out, shattering clones at close range, while its hidden mechanisms unleashed devastating wide-area attacks.
Moments later, amid a storm of poisonous needles, the final Shadow Clone popped out of existence.
Sasori's face twisted into a livid scowl. His prized puppet material had escaped!
"Damn it!"
Although furious, Sasori didn't dare linger. He needed to relocate his hideout immediately; otherwise, Kyosuke would surely return with an army of Konoha Ninjas.
Kyosuke burst out of the cave, gasping for fresh air. Terrified of Sasori's pursuit and wary of Danzo's potential ambushes, he ran relentlessly without stopping to eat, drink, or rest.
He finally reached the outskirts of Konoha, practically stumbling into a patrolling team of Konoha Ninjas.
Seeing the familiar leaf headbands, Kyosuke felt a profound wave of relief wash over him. His adrenaline crashed, his legs gave out, and he collapsed into the dirt, losing consciousness instantly.
The patrol team was shocked and rushed over to check on him.
"What happened?! Was there an attack?"
"Wait, this is Kyosuke! Minato Namikaze's disciple. Shikaku, take a look at him."
"Hmm... he has severe external injuries and signs of poisoning. His physical stamina and Chakra are entirely depleted. He must have encountered an extremely powerful enemy. Quick, get him to the hospital!"
The three ninjas were none other than Konoha's legendary Ino-Shika-Cho trio: Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Akimichi Choza.
Choza had executed missions with Kyosuke in the past, making him the first to recognize the boy.
Kyosuke, before fully passing out, had recognized them too. He knew these three were direct subordinates of the Third Hokage and fiercely loyal to the village, meaning they would never side with Danzo. Knowing he was finally safe, he let the darkness claim him.
When Kyosuke finally blinked his eyes open, the harsh white ceiling of the hospital greeted him.
Beside his bed stood Minato Namikaze, Kakashi, and Might Guy. Hyuga Noriko was busy assisting the Medical Ninjas with his IV drip.