I, Konoha's Sage of Life

"No wonder Minato Namikaze took three years to create this technique."

Kyoichi had been studying all night.

It was one of the rare times he had stayed up late since coming to this world.

And the gains were immense!

Minato had drawn inspiration from the Tailed Beast Ball to develop the Rasengan. However, despite repeated attempts to compress chakra, he struggled to succeed.

He even…

Considered incorporating sealing techniques to assist in stabilizing the Rasengan—

Training with balloons? That came much later.

The entire step-by-step process was meticulously documented in this scroll by Minato himself.

And it wasn't just about the Rasengan.

There was a wealth of other knowledge.

For example…

Chakra compression techniques.

Sealing techniques…

Although incomplete, it was still invaluable.

Kyoichi carefully put the scroll away.

This was a treasure.

Of course…

The most precious part of this scroll was—

As its creator, Minato Namikaze had granted him the authority to pass on this secret technique.

Jiraiya was truly generous.

Kyoichi knew that Jiraiya was the key reason behind this.

Minato barely knew Yahiko and his group, yet because of Jiraiya, he had been willing to share even handwritten copies of the original Rasengan research.

After finishing, he let go of the scroll.

It floated up on its own and drifted toward the bookshelf.

Dance of the Shikigami.

A simple application—but extremely convenient.

Of course…

Dance of the Shikigami wasn't without weaknesses.

It required significant preparation time!

Later on, Konan had developed specially treated paper, making her techniques resistant to most attacks except oil-based jutsu.

However…

That level of preparation required an enormous amount of chakra and time.

Temporary paper constructs could work—

But their effectiveness…

Was far inferior, with numerous vulnerabilities.

Kyoichi found this a bit disappointing. But after thinking it over, he found it reasonable.

No jutsu was perfect.

Even Gaara had to lug around that massive gourd all day!

The Following Days

He experimented with the principles of Dance of the Shikigami to create special paper.

The results were impressive!

Just the battle applications alone were incredible, especially when combined with explosive tags—

An almost unavoidable assault!

If Konan had fully mastered Dance of the Shikigami back in the Land of Rivers, he wouldn't have been able to intimidate them so easily.

"The Akatsuki really aren't to be trifled with."

The weakest among them was probably Yahiko.

But he had a sharp mind!

Kyoichi was curious—what would Yahiko do now that he had returned to Amegakure?

Unfortunately…

This world's communication wasn't that advanced.

From Konoha, there was no way to immediately learn what was happening in Amegakure.

Aside from refining Dance of the Shikigami, Kyoichi had also improved his chakra compression techniques.

His Water Severing Wave already incorporated compression principles.

Now, with Rasengan as a reference—

He attempted to compress Wind Release chakra to enhance Wind Release jutsu.

A major breakthrough was still out of reach.

However…

Techniques like Vacuum Wave and Vacuum Blade integrated perfectly.

And the results were evident.

The power increased significantly—but the technique required precise chakra control. Otherwise, there was a risk of self-inflicted injury.

For now, Asuma and the others weren't skilled enough to learn it.

Aside from his own research, he hadn't neglected teaching his three students.

Yesterday…

Shisui had finally made progress in Wind Release nature transformation.

So now…

In addition to Asuma, Shisui would also be learning Wind Release.

Fortunately, they had covered quite a few Wind Release jutsu recently.

"Sensei, We Haven't Taken a Mission in a Week…"

"Are you out of money?"

Kyoichi chuckled and glanced at Asuma.

This kid had been acting smug lately—rumor had it he even treated his classmates to barbecue.

Asuma's face turned red.

What did this have to do with money?

…Okay, maybe a little.

The Third Hokage wasn't giving him an allowance, forcing him to earn his own. Lately, there had been no missions, and his expenses were piling up—it was starting to hurt.

"That last B-rank mission was an exception. You're still far from completing a real B-rank task. Don't get cocky after just one success. Focus on improving for now."

Kyoichi shut them down without mercy.

In truth, he hadn't been taking missions lately simply because he had been too absorbed in his studies.

"Kurenai, did you finish reading the book I gave you?"

"Yes, Sensei. I've also been practicing Palm Healing Jutsu. Recently, I've been trying it on fish…"

"Are your parents sick of eating fish yet?"

Kyoichi smirked.

Kurenai blushed, gripping her sleeves in embarrassment.

Her family's fridge was still packed with fish. Lately, Yūhi Shinku had been looking visibly tired of them.

Everyone chuckled knowingly.

Medical ninjutsu was notoriously difficult—

And every medical ninja started by practicing on fish.

"Let's Go See What Missions Are Available!"

Kyoichi stretched.

Upon arriving at the Hokage's Office…

Just as he was about to enter—

"Master Kyoichi, the Hokage has summoned you."

A Chūnin was waiting at the entrance.

Kyoichi paused for a moment, then nodded slightly.

He signaled for his students to wait downstairs before heading to the office.

The Hokage's Office

The Third Hokage was smoking.

The room was thick with smoke.

Kyoichi waved a hand to clear the air and stepped forward to pay his respects.

"I wanted to speak with you a few days ago, but I heard you were busy with research, so I didn't disturb you… But you've given me quite the headache."

The Third Hokage sighed as he put out his cigarette.

"You mean…?"

Kyoichi had a good guess—

It was likely about Yahiko.

"We just received intel. Yahiko has returned to Amegakure… and seems to have met with Hanzō the Salamander."

The Third handed over a scroll.

Kyoichi took a look.

Yahiko went to see Hanzō?

A bold move.

Amegakure's survival amidst the Three Great Nations was largely thanks to Hanzō's efforts.

If Yahiko could reignite Hanzō's ambitions and use his influence to strengthen Amegakure, then over time, the village might rise to become a dominant force among the smaller nations.

Of course…

That was Kyoichi's perspective.

From the Third Hokage's standpoint…

He might not be thrilled.

Kyoichi set down the scroll.

"I think this is a good thing. A stronger Amegakure could serve as a buffer between us and Iwagakure. If Ōnoki ever considers attacking Konoha, he'd have to think twice about this thorn in his side."

"Jiraiya said the same thing."

The Third Hokage nodded.

He put away the scroll and continued, "For now, we've decided to leave Amegakure's situation as it is. If Yahiko and his group influence Hanzō's decisions and make him more favorable toward Konoha, that wouldn't be a bad outcome."

Then, Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up and handed Kyoichi another scroll.

Kyoichi frowned slightly.

He opened it—

The Hiding in Mist Technique: Analysis and Countermeasures.

What was this?

Were they being sent east to deal with Kirigakure?

Kyoichi was baffled.

His team…

At their current level, sending them against Mist ninja was practically serving themselves on a platter.

"Ahem. Just study it for now. The Land of Water is becoming restless… We may need your team's support later. You know how things are in Konoha…"

"Short on manpower? Lord Hokage, you're really not afraid of pushing us too hard!"

Kyoichi was speechless.

For a Genin, the eastern front was the deadliest battlefield.

Kirigakure's ninja were experts at eliminating weaker opponents.

The Hiding in Mist Technique and Silent Killing made them lethal adversaries.

Unless someone had a special ability, a Genin squad encountering Mist ninja would be in serious danger.

Kyoichi wasn't too concerned.

But Asuma…

That was another story.

"I trust in your abilities."

"…No pressure at all, huh? Alright, Lord Hokage, if that's all, I'll take my leave."

Leaving the office, Kyoichi pondered for a moment—

Then chuckled.

Of course the Hokage knew everything happening in Amegakure.

He was the Hokage.

And as for Jiraiya's discussions with him…

Kyoichi could already guess.

Clearly…

The two had fundamental disagreements.

Jiraiya had likely refused the Hokage position, leading to his conversation with Kyoichi. And it seemed Jiraiya had withheld certain details about Nagato.

Keeping an ace up his sleeve, huh?

Kyoichi didn't mind.

His own strength—whether hidden or not—didn't make much difference.

But Nagato…

That was another matter entirely.

The Rinnegan…

Now that was a hot potato.

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