LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 9: Sea Prison Whirlwind Machine
The "Sand Village Jōnin Spirit Manual", a testament to Sunagakure's ideals, consisted of 1,247 words.
Reading it out loud left Qi Hai and the other newly appointed jōnin parched and exhausted.
Yet Qi Hai's serious expression while reciting the manual filled Chiyo with satisfaction.
She had feared Qi Hai might refuse to accept the position, which was why she hadn't pressured him over the past few days. Chiyo had deliberately let him experience life in the village, hoping he would make his own choice.
Now, Qi Hai had clearly decided to stay.
After finishing the recitation, Qi Hai received the official Sunagakure jōnin insignia—a blue cactus-shaped badge.
Qi Hai was now a true jōnin of Sunagakure.
"Woohoo!"
"Haha! I'm a jōnin now!"
"Jōnin Kujimaru, reporting for duty!"
The newly appointed jōnin cheered and celebrated, their previous frustrations momentarily forgotten.
Chiyo smiled at the sight. She had invited the village's genin to witness the ceremony, hoping it would inspire them to strive for greatness.
When the excitement subsided, Chiyo coughed lightly and said, "Alright, enough celebrating. Don't embarrass yourselves in front of the children."
The jōnin quickly straightened up, turning their serious gazes toward the genin seated in the audience.
But the sight was disheartening—the number of new genin was pitifully small.
"Sunagakure," Chiyo thought bitterly, "what terrible karma have we accrued?"
Every newly appointed jōnin brimmed with optimism, dreaming of ways to restore the village to its former glory.
Chiyo addressed the genin, "Listen, children. From now on, you will train in three-person squads, each led by a jōnin."
"!!!"
The announcement made the newly appointed jōnin's hearts race. They were about to become mentors!
Immediately, all eyes turned toward three individuals in the audience:
Gaara. Temari. Kankurō.
The three stood out as the best genin and, more importantly, were the children of the Fourth Kazekage.
Becoming their mentor was akin to stepping onto the path of the Kazekage's inner circle—an incredible opportunity for career advancement in Sunagakure.
Everyone wondered whether the trio would be assigned to the same squad or split up.
Jinbi's heart pounded with anticipation.
As someone who believed himself to be a "chosen one," Jinbi thought luck had always been on his side. His recent promotion to jōnin had only reinforced this belief.
"Gaara will definitely be assigned to me," Jinbi thought smugly. "I'm a genius, after all."
Chiyo began to announce the assignments.
"Squad One: Gaara, Kankurō, Temari."
Kankurō's face lit up with excitement before he glanced nervously at Gaara.
Temari's heart raced, while Gaara remained expressionless, arms crossed. However, the sand at Gaara's feet trembled faintly.
"Assigned mentor: Jōnin Qi Hai."
"Boom!"
The hall erupted into chaos.
The trio turned in unison to stare at Qi Hai, the young jōnin who had entered last. He didn't look much older than they were.
Temari's reaction:
Although she was a fan of good looks, her desire to grow stronger outweighed her appreciation of Qi Hai's charm. Still, she admitted to herself that their new mentor was quite handsome.
Kankurō's reaction:
Annoyance. The thought running through his head was: "What? This guy looks so lame!"
Gaara's reaction:
Gaara fixed Qi Hai with a deadly glare, his unspoken message clear: "If you're unqualified, I'll kill you."
The other jōnin breathed sighs of relief.
As expected, the trio had been assigned to Qi Hai. No one could complain—the man had defeated the Kazekage, after all.
But one jōnin wasn't ready to accept the situation: Jinbi.
"Advisor Chiyo, I object!" Jinbi declared. "Who is this Qi Hai, anyway? Is he even from this village? What qualifies him to lead Squad One?"
Jealousy and frustration burned in Jinbi's eyes. Leading Squad One was a golden opportunity, one he felt he deserved as the so-called "chosen one."
His protests, however, were cut short by Chiyo's stern voice: "Stand down, Jinbi. This is the Kazekage's decision."
"The Kazekage's decision?" Jinbi froze, disbelief etched on his face.
While Jinbi didn't trust Chiyo, he wouldn't dare defy Rasa. The Fourth Kazekage was known for his ruthless nature and zero tolerance for insubordination.
Qi Hai, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke.
"Do you want to mentor Squad One that badly?" he asked with a playful smirk.
Jinbi hesitated, then nodded cautiously.
Qi Hai's expression turned cold. "Sorry, but you're not qualified."
"Not qualified?"
Jinbi's anger flared. "You brat! I'll show you who's unqualified!"
"Earth Style: Rock Spike!"
Jinbi stomped the ground, summoning a sharp stone spear aimed directly at Qi Hai's chest.
It was a swift and deadly attack—a true assassination technique executed by a skilled jōnin.
But Qi Hai didn't flinch.
He simply stood there, letting the spike strike his body. Just as it seemed he would be impaled, Qi Hai vanished.
Or rather, he moved faster than the eye could see.
Using Shave, one of the Six Powers from One Piece, Qi Hai propelled himself forward with incredible speed, leaving Jinbi and the onlookers stunned.
"Whoosh!"
In the blink of an eye, Qi Hai appeared in front of Jinbi.
"You picked the wrong person to mess with," Qi Hai said, his voice icy.
"Sea Prison · Whirlwind Machine!"
A cylindrical prison of water appeared out of nowhere, trapping Jinbi inside.
Before he could react, the prison began to spin violently.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
The sound of water churning filled the hall as Jinbi was subjected to a horrifying experience.
The spinning was so intense it robbed him of breath, his body rendered useless by the overwhelming centrifugal force.
The Sea Prison was one of Qi Hai's most torturous techniques. Spinning at 60 revolutions per second, it caused disorientation, oxygen deprivation, and severe damage to the circulatory system—each effect enough to incapacitate or even kill.
Within moments, Jinbi was left dazed and helpless, unable to even form coherent thoughts.
Qi Hai smirked. "If you survive this, maybe you'll learn your place."
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Chapter 8: The Jōnin Appointment CeremonyNew3 days agoShow less
Four days later, Qi Hai had been in Sunagakure for a week.
Surprisingly, he was starting to enjoy life in the village.
Although the people had a rough-and-tumble attitude, spoke crudely, loved taking advantage of others, and weren't the most hygienic, they were genuine and straightforward.
Afternoon.
Just as Qi Hai was about to enter the Sand Village Snack Shop, a few figures stopped him.
"Qi Hai-sama, Advisor Chiyo requests your presence." They hesitated, then added cautiously, "It's a very important matter!"
Chiyo?
Over the past few days, Qi Hai had familiarized himself with the basics of Sunagakure. He knew the Kazekage he had beaten to a pulp was named Rasa and that Chiyo, the village's second-in-command, was a renowned master of puppets and poison.
"Alright." Qi Hai agreed without hesitation.
Whatever came, he could handle it. His skills were top-tier, after all.
He followed them through winding paths until they arrived at what appeared to be a school building. The structure was low and small, suggesting a limited number of students.
Inside the large hall, a sizable crowd had already gathered.
At the center were about twenty people, each brimming with confidence, clad in earthen-colored ninja combat uniforms. Their focused gazes were fixed on an elderly woman seated at the front—Chiyo, who seemed lost in thought.
Chiyo's favorite pastimes were daydreaming and fishing.
To the north of the hall was a tiered seating area filled with children aged 9 to 15. Some were watching in awe, while others looked unimpressed, chatting noisily like sparrows.
"Hey, Kankurō, what's this all about?" Temari asked curiously.
"Uh... maybe it's a talent show or something? Look at those old dudes trying to show off!" Kankurō joked, laughing awkwardly.
"Idiot. These people are obviously strong. They're probably here to teach us a lesson," Gaara replied coldly, exuding his usual aloofness.
Hearing Gaara's words, Kankurō shrank back, sweat beading on his forehead. As someone frequently bullied by Gaara, even being spoken to by him sent chills down his spine.
"Aha... You're probably right, Gaara," Kankurō said nervously, forcing a laugh.
"Hmph," Gaara snorted, turning away.
Meanwhile, Jinbi, a middle-ranked ninja, was brimming with excitement.
For days, he had been stuck with a boring B-rank escort mission outside the village. Everyone knew he was more than capable of handling A-rank missions, but there were two issues:
Only jōnin could accept A-rank missions, and Jinbi was still a mere chūnin.
Sunagakure rarely received A-rank missions. Few clients trusted the village with such high-stakes requests.
But today, his dream of becoming a jōnin was about to come true!
Through "rigorous selection" and "strict evaluation," Jinbi had been chosen as one of twenty new jōnin.
Still, as he glanced at Chiyo and his "old comrades," confusion clouded his excitement.
"Why hasn't the ceremony started yet?" Jinbi asked a younger ninja nearby.
"They're waiting for someone."
"Who? The Kazekage?" Jinbi asked, puzzled. He knew everyone involved in the selection was already here, and Ebizō never attended these events.
"The Kazekage is injured and won't be coming. Oh, look—my idol is here!" the younger ninja exclaimed.
"Your idol?" Jinbi was baffled.
After just one B-rank mission, he felt completely out of the loop. Since when did the Kazekage get injured? And why had the dynamics in the village changed so much?
Qi Hai arrives!
"Finally here, huh?" Chiyo said with a slight smile.
Having nearly given up on Sunagakure, Chiyo had resigned herself to a life of fishing, daydreaming, and idleness. The village's lack of resources and declining strength had left her feeling powerless.
But now, Sunagakure had gained a new super-Kage-level fighter. No, a boy!
With Rasa as a Kage and Qi Hai as a super-Kage, Sunagakure had a chance to rise again. A brighter future awaited!
Filled with hope, Chiyo approached Qi Hai, her face lighting up with a grandmotherly smile. "Qi Hai, you've finally arrived. Just call me Granny!"
"Alright, Granny. Why'd you call me here?"
Chiyo didn't answer immediately. Instead, she returned to her seat and put on a stern expression.
This was the Chiyo of legend—the advisor of Sunagakure, the one-woman army capable of destroying an entire city.
"Alright. I believe you all know why you've been called here today?" Chiyo's sharp gaze swept over the younger ninjas.
Everyone nodded, except Qi Hai, who shook his head with a clueless expression.
"Good," Chiyo said, ignoring Qi Hai's antics. She glanced at him with a mixture of hope and amusement. "From today onward, you are officially Sunagakure's new jōnin. As jōnin, you are the embodiment of wisdom, courage, and honor. You are the backbone of the village, the role models for all ninjas, and the battle-hardened warriors of the sand—"
(At this point, Chiyo's speech continued for another 3,000 words.)
The Children's Section.
Temari and Kankurō exchanged glances, their gazes drifting toward Gaara.
"Scary..."
It wasn't that they enjoyed poking fun, but Gaara had already taken all the attention. They couldn't help but laugh at his expression.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Chiyo concluded her speech:
"Now, please recite the Sunagakure Jōnin Code!"
Qi Hai blinked. "Huh, it's over?"
A group of obedient young ninjas handed out small booklets for the jōnin to recite. Naturally, the rebellious trio of Gaara, Temari, and Kankurō weren't given any.
By this point, Qi Hai understood why he had been called here. The past few days had given him a vague idea.
Sunagakure Jōnin?
Not bad.
For the first time in this world, Qi Hai had a legitimate identity and a place to belong.
Still, he couldn't forget his ultimate goal—becoming the Kazekage in just over 20 days.
If he was already a jōnin, how far off could the Kazekage title be?
"Wahahaha!"
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