After everyone calmed down, Yamanaka jōnin looked around the team and nodded.
"Everyone did a good job in that battle. You'll all receive merit for this mission."
Then his gaze shifted to Raiden, and there was clear satisfaction in his eyes.
"Raiden… you handled the situation very well."
The others nodded in agreement, especially those chūnins. When the sudden attack came, the jōnins might have dodged or taken light injuries, but the chūnin knew they would have been seriously hurt — or even killed — by the explosive tags. Their gratitude toward him was obvious.
Raiden smiled slightly.
"It's my duty."
After the battle, the atmosphere within the team noticeably softened. The tension was gone, replaced with a sense of trust.
Yamanaka then spoke again.
"I'm going to take this jōnin for interrogation. If we find any useful clues, we'll decide whether to continue the mission. For now, go and rest. I'll call you back."
He paused, then added,
"Raiden… you stay."
Everyone obey and goes back,
Raiden looked a little confused but nodded and remained.
Yamanaka didn't keep him waiting.
"You've been a chūnin for three years and accumulated plenty of merit. With your strength, you're already at jōnin level. I'm also responsible for your recommendation… so you're now eligible for promotion."
Raiden was surprised — though not too much. He already knew his strength had reached that level, but status mattered. As a jōnin, he would have more authority within the village.
He bowed slightly.
"Thank you, Captain."
Yamanaka waved it off casually.
"Don't thank me. This is your ability."
He continued,
"In peacetime, the Hokage appoints jōnin personally. But in wartime, the camp commander has authority to promote. After some rest, go to the commander's camp to receive your promotion and your jōnin vest."
"Yes."
After saying goodbye, Raiden headed back to his tent.
Once inside, he freshened up and swallowed a soldier pill before sitting down to think about the battle. Although it looked easy, he knew that without the element of surprise — and without his intervention — the outcome could have been very different. No one on their side had been injured, but that wouldn't always be the case.
He had to remain cautious.
If not for his time-stop ability, the ofense wouldn't have been so swift. And with Iwa ninja appearing on this front, they might soon have to deal with two enemy camps at once.
He needed to grow stronger — quickly.
The fastest improvement would be mastering Chidori. With his dynamic vision, it would be a waste not to learn a high-speed technique.
After resting for two hours, he prepared to head toward the commander's camp. Before leaving, he formed a hand seal.
"Shadow Clone Technique."
Boom!
Boom!
White smoke burst out, and two identical clones appeared in front of him.
Raiden glanced at them.
He rarely used shadow clones. Their durability was weak, and most shinobi used them for scouting — something he didn't need due to his sensory abilities. Training with clones also caused slight headaches, and it consumed a lot of chakra. Until recently, his reserves weren't large enough.
But now his chakra had reached above average jōnin level. He could afford it.
The clones would help him learn Chidori faster.
There was one regret, though. He had hoped the clones might also use his time-stop ability, but it seemed they couldn't — perhaps their willpower was too weak. Maybe in the future the clones might able to use.
The two clones moved aside and began practicing chakra control, recalling how Kakashi used the technique.
Raiden then headed toward the commander's camp.
Along the way, he noticed the camp had become more tense. Patrols were stricter, and conversations were quieter. His expression turned solemn. It seemed Yamanaka had extracted some information from the captured jōnin.
After receiving permission, he entered the commander's tent.
Inside were four people, and the atmosphere was heavy.
Isshi forced a small smile when he saw him.
"Congratulations, Raiden. This is your new identity… jōnin. And this is your vest."
He handed over a scroll and the green flak jacket, offering a few encouraging words.
Raiden accepted them, but the tense mood didn't escape him. He turned toward Yamanaka.
"Leader… did you find out anything?"
Yamanaka's face was grim.
"Yes. Just as we suspected… the situation is bad."
He paused.
"We've called for a jōnin meeting. You stay as well. When the others arrive, we'll discuss everything."
Raiden didn't speak. He quietly put on the new vest and stored the scroll away, waiting in silence.