Not using Ice Release after learning it would be a foolish move.
Kyōichi had no intention of hiding it.
Therefore.
lately, aside from training, he'd been conducting "research" on Ice Release. Since he'd previously studied Wood Release, his research on chakra nature fusion was already "precedented."
The notes he was writing now were mainly for others to see.
With this setup, he wasn't afraid of being investigated.
Tsunade was also aware that Kyōichi was researching chakra fusion. She had initially wanted to advise against it, but since Kyōichi was using a shadow clone for the research while his main body was learning the Creation Rebirth technique, she decided not to say anything.
With all the groundwork laid, he could bring it out when needed.
Moreover.
With the Hidden Mist Technique as cover, it wasn't certain that others would notice when he used it.
That's how he had dealt with the Kirigakure ninjas last time.
However.
What gave Kyōichi a headache was that the Sandaime was serious—the old man really intended to go to the battlefield.
"Tsunade, don't try to persuade me anymore. Besides, Kyōichi will be leading the operations. I just need to keep an eye on Ōnoki. If it comes to it, I have a trump card to deal with him."
"..."
Don't jinx it, old man.
That "trump card" of yours is just the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, isn't it?
Kyōichi didn't know how to retort.
"Let Kyōichi lead the squad with Jiraiya's support. There's no need for this."
"The eastern front must also be guarded. Neither Jiraiya nor Kyōichi can fully suppress that man."
The Sandaime shook his head.
He wasn't just worried about the northern and northwestern fronts. He was also concerned about the Land of Water in the east and Danzō.
With Koharu and Homura stepping down, he couldn't guarantee that Danzō wouldn't cause trouble. Only by personally going to the Iwagakure front could he feel at ease. In fact, he had already discussed this with Tsunade several times.
This time, Tsunade wanted Kyōichi to help persuade him.
But…
How could he?
Everything the Sandaime said was true.
Given the current situation, which differed from the original timeline, Kyōichi couldn't guarantee that Danzō wouldn't resort to desperate measures. The Sandaime's reasoning had genuinely convinced him.
"Enough! Both of you, stop."
Tsunade waved her hand.
If persuasion failed, so be it.
After all, the affairs of the troops and the village had already been handed over. Whether the Sandaime was present or not didn't make much difference. Tsunade's objections stemmed only from her wish to keep him off the battlefield.
In his fifties.
Not old, but not young either.
"I leave Konoha to you. I believe you can do better than I did."
The Sandaime sighed with emotion.
This was the truth.
He believed Tsunade could do better than him. After all, long ago, Tsunade had advocated for reforming the medical ninja system, while he and others hadn't seen any issues with the existing system.
History proved Tsunade right.
Thanks to her reforms, Konoha's medical prowess remained the best among the five great nations.
As for himself…
He felt ashamed for not having made any significant contributions.
The Sandaime removed his Hokage cloak, revealing the standard flak vest beneath, and exited the Hokage Tower with Kyōichi.
The gathered ninja gasped.
The Sandaime would join the expedition?!
This—!
"Hokage-sama, this… it's not appropriate!"
The crowd below erupted in chaos.
However.
The jōnin remained calm, clearly having already been informed.
"The Sandaime is personally leading the charge against Ōnoki because Konoha has successors. Ōnoki, with his broken back and no reliable heir, has to risk leaving the village at his age. that is true tragedy."
After Kyōichi's words, the noise below quieted down a bit.
That…
Kind of makes sense?
However.
Iwagakure isn't that bad off, is it?
The Sandaime thought to himself.
Ōnoki was in his sixties. Although his body was weakening and various ailments were starting to show, his strength was undeniable. Otherwise, he and Danzō wouldn't be so worried.
So, living another decade or so shouldn't be a problem.
Still.
Iwagakure's lack of successors was undeniable.
None but Ōnoki had mastered Dust Release.
While Dust Release wasn't the sole requirement for Tsuchikage, without it, Iwagakure's strength would plummet—not to Sunagakure or Kirigakure's level, but they certainly wouldn't be as formidable as they were now.
"Move out!"
At Kyōichi's command, the group vanished using Body Flicker.
They knew that Kyōichi was much faster and would catch up quickly. Meanwhile, the Sandaime was deep in thought—
Wasn't the mobilization supposed to be his job?
Yet this brat Kyōichi stole the entire show.
He side-eyed Kyōichi.
"Hokage-sama, shall we go?"
"Ahem, let's go, let's go."
The Sandaime didn't dwell on it.
He marveled at how Kyōichi's eastern campaign had skyrocketed his authority. Previously,
A teenage jōnin saying such things would not only fail to convince anyone but would've been ridiculed for his arrogance.
But now…
The strong dictate truth.
The escort included numerous Anbu—Shin'nosuke Sarutobi himself led the Sandaime's guard. Additional personnel from Intelligence and Combat Divisions joined them.
This excluded regular forces.
For this battle, the Sandaime staked everything to crush Ōnoki.
"Sensei, you summoned me?"
"Yes, how's your Lightning Release nature transformation coming along?"
Kyōichi asked.
Shisui had only started practicing Lightning Release recently.
Kyōichi monitored his progress but lacked specifics—his attention was divided among ten trainees
Shisui scratched his head, looking somewhat ashamed. "Sensei, my talent for Lightning Release seems pretty average. I've mastered the chakra nature transformation, but the effects aren't strong."
"No matter. This sword is particularly effective against Earth Release. Use it for now."
Kyōichi handed him the Thunder Sword Kiba.
Of the six swords seized, only Samehada, Kiba, and Kubikiribōchō remained. The rest had been returned to Kirigakure, all three now sealed against summoning.
Kirigakure wouldn't be able to summon them back.
Kiba wasn't Shisui's ideal weapon.
But that guy remained stubborn.
Kyōichi also gave Shisui a tantō forged from Kubikiribōchō's fragments—inferior to legendary blades, yet superior to standard gear.
Asuma, on the other hand, was even better off.
He received custom-made chakra knuckle blades, and over the past ten days, he had also mastered the Breath Activation Technique, significantly improving his taijutsu.
In terms of strength, Yūhi Kurenai had made the least progress.
During these ten days, she had been focusing on taijutsu and medical ninjutsu, barely touching genjutsu.
Under Kyōichi's influence, she'd realized genjutsu's auxiliary role—true lethality lay in taijutsu and medical arts.
Deeming her talent limited she had no intention of learning more techniques beyond these three.
Clearly.
Kurenai had taken Kyōichi's "poisoned mantra" to heart.
As they ran, Kyōichi observed them.
Even without him, Asuma and the others were strong enough to rival many elite chūnin squads, and all three of them were skilled in taijutsu…
After traveling for a while, Kyōichi called them over during a rest break.
"Kyōichi-sensei."
"I'm giving you a choice."
Kyōichi's tone turned grave. "Iwa's forces are vast and formidable—unlike Kiri. Missions under me will be perilous. You may join other squads."
"Sensei, what are you talking about? No matter how difficult the mission, someone has to do it. If we don't, others will face the same dangers. We're ninjas too, with the will to protect the village and our comrades!"
Asuma's chuunibyou levels were off the charts.
But.
These were his genuine feelings.
"Sensei, we've learned a lot during these days of special training. We won't be as clueless as last time and will be able to coordinate you."
Shisui also chimed in.
Last time on the island, they had been completely lost in the mist, let alone able to coordinate with Kyōichi.
This time was different.
After ten days of training, they were now very familiar with the Hidden Mist Technique and the Silent Killing Technique.
They were confident they could keep up.
"I've said it before at the academy: on the battlefield, no one can protect others 100%. Especially for you, who've just graduated, even a small trap could cost you your lives."
Kyōichi paused here, then continued, "I only have one requirement: obey orders!"
"Yes!"
The three of them responded in unison.
Nearby, the Sandaime watched with bittersweet pride as Asuma stood resolute. He murmured, "I failed as a father."
"Asuma will understand eventually."
A masked ninja beside him said.
"It's not just Asuma. I haven't fulfilled my duties as a father to you or Asuma. Especially with this kid, Kyōichi seems more like a father to him than I do…"
What stung most was
Kyōichi wasn't even seventeen yet.
In comparison, he really had failed.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke had nothing to say, because when it came to raising children, Sarutobi Hiruzen had indeed failed. He and Asuma had mostly been taught by the clan and their sensei.
However, having followed the Sandaime for many years, he understood the reason.
The Sandaime was too busy.
The responsibilities of being Hokage had consumed all his energy.
Of course.
He also acknowledged…
Over the years, the Sandaime had only managed to prevent Konoha from declining too much. Faced with chaotic situations, the old man seemed somewhat overwhelmed.
He hoped the future would be different.
His gaze fell on Kyōichi.
The Sandaime had naturally chosen Tsunade, but everyone knew her role was transitional.
Therefore.
Konoha's future lay with Kyōichi.
They set off again.
Along the way, Kyōichi saw another group of people moving.
This time, they weren't heading deeper into the Land of Fire but south toward the Kikyō Mountain area, which had been affected by last year's war.
That area was relatively peaceful this year.
However, according to the latest intelligence from the front lines, Iwagakure hadn't directly reached the borders of the Land of Fire. The war was still confined to the borders of the Land of Grass.
So, the Land of Fire was still in a decent position.
The Land of Grass, however, was different.
Situated between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire, Ōnoki didn't dare provoke Hanzo, but he had no problem bullying the Land of Grass.
However.
As Kyōichi looked over the intelligence, he realized they had overlooked something.
"Hokage-sama, after entering the Land of Grass, I'd like to take some people and investigate the area between the Land of Grass and the Land of Rain."
"The Land of Rain is remaining neutral this time."
The Sandaime was puzzled. Why did Kyōichi want to check that area?
Kyōichi picked up a piece of intelligence.
It was from yesterday's report.
"Look here. It mentions that many villagers from the Land of Grass are fleeing the war, but we haven't received many reports of them crossing into the Land of Fire."