184No plan survives first contact with the enemy.
It was a phrase that rang true in his old home and more so in his new home.
Yet, planning or strategizing wasn't discouraged among shinobi. Far from it, the quote was to help the newer genin to understand that even with the best fault-proof plan, nothing was completely predictable.
It was a lesson Kinjo was learning the hard way as he dueled Chinen.
"Leaf Tornado!" Kinjo growled while he swung around and bashed at his opponent's guard. The Kumo shinobi stepped back and watched the fan miss by a hair, wasting no time to create some space and fire off a sizzling arc of lightning from his sword, aimed at Kinjo's torso.
Kinjo swung his fan down and ducked, the lightning frying the top of his hair and blasting into a nearby tree. The tree exploded and burned, providing a torch of light in the dark forest. He grimaced at the thought of the lightning slamming into his worn fan again and shot forward to close the gap between them.
Immediately, Chinen launched several long blades of lightning from his sword, each slice humming and snapping through the air. Kinjo weaved through them with a bated breath, easily dodging two slices aimed at his chest and jumping over another that threatened to chop off his legs. Each streak of lightning tore up the ground and threw up dirt, forcing Kinjo to shield his eyes with his arms as the attacks scarred the earth, creating long trenches.
He finally reached his opponent with nimble precision, but he felt the rhythm of his breathing quicken. His immense bursts of speed were edging into his stamina.
The chunin showed no sign of exhaustion despite firing off multiple powerful Lightning jutsu. He was certain; the only way to win would be up close, where Kinjo could utilize his speed and power.
This time, his fan honed in on Chinen's sword, daring his foe to meet him head-on. Chinen smirked and obliged but quickly frowned when Kinjo slid onto the ground and used his fan as a shield to sweep in a Leaf Hurricane. The high kick with his right leg barely missed the Kumo shinobi's chest, but the low kick with his left slammed into Chinen's shin with a satisfying crack, making the chunin howl in fury and slam down with his sword.
The fan blocked the full bear of the attack, but it pinned Kinjo to the ground. He grunted when he felt the wave of electricity threatening to pierce through, a shudder vibrating through the gunbai. The groaning of the wood grew louder with each passing moment, and Kinjo rolled away several meters without his fan, jumping back in with a pair of kunai drawn.
He realized his mistake just in time and tossed them at Chinen's face rather than clashing metals. The Kumo shinobi swiped it away with his sword, giving Kinjo a brief moment to tug at the freed gunbai and return it to his hand. The surface was even more beaten than before, and Kinjo felt the fan protesting in agony from the abuse when he touched its face..
"Good try, but not enough," Chinen gloated loudly. The solid blow to his shin seemed negligible as he moved with only the smallest limp on his right leg. "My offer is still open."
Kinjo said nothing, dashing at Chinen before he could fire off more Lightning jutsu. He baited the chunin into deflecting a side strike while lashing out with his left fist, a blur of movement launched almost simultaneously. Yet, the chunin raised an eyebrow before smacking away his fan and slicing at the loose arm with glee. Desperately, Kinjo kicked upwards to knock the swing off course and narrowly grazed the handle of the sword.
His 'light' kick knocked the sword away, but before Kinjo could swing around to deal a crushing blow, the sword was eating into his gunbai again. Flares of lightning surrounded his weapon like waves of water threatening to spill over a dam.
He loosened his strength and flipped away, and this time, it was Chinen who chased him with aggressive intensity. Kinjo ducked under a bolt of lightning shooting out of Chinen's sword and narrowly side-stepped a slash, noting their difference in height offering a small window of opportunity.
His breathing grew louder.
Instead of continuing to dodge, Kinjo lowered his posture and bounced on his toes. Chinen noticed his movements and swung down at him, his eyes flickering over to the worn gunbai as his sword bore down on it.
A millisecond before the two weapons crashed into each other, Kinjo side-stepped and whacked his gunbai into Chinen's right side. The chunin twisted his foot to dodge, though Kinjo noticed a slight wince on the Kumo shinobi's face before the powerful swing grazed his shoulder.
A tremble echoed through Kinjo's hands as he felt the hit, causing Chinen to drop his sword and blast Kinjo away with a powerful wave of lightning coursing out from his entire body.
Kinjo tumbled away with his body jerking in awkward angles from the lightning. Even so, the needle-like pain stabbing his nervous system wasn't enough to deter his triumphant sigh of relief when he saw Chinen grabbing his shoulder. The tattered sleeve failed to cover the swelling, fresh burn slash where his fan had landed and the chunin's right hand was shaking.
He just needed to dive back in…
"You… You little shit," Chinen roared. "I was going to let you go down fighting, but I'll make your death as painful as possible."
Shaking and rising to his feet, Kinjo sprouted a pained smile while shakily grasping his weapon. His mouth felt dry and coarse, like burnt sandpaper. He winced as his right leg trembled from the aftermath of the shock, forcing him to look down to see his pants on fire.
He batted the flames out right before lightning rammed into him, barely giving him time to shield himself with his gunbai. While Kinjo gritted his teeth and broke away from the attack, another bolt of energy jolted his right foot, sending him crashing onto the ground as his leg gave away.
While falling, Kinjo witnessed a wave of lightning streaking through the air, with Chinen standing in the distance with a mad smirk on his face. Kinjo's heart pounded into his ribs, beating rapidly as if trying to escape. He waffled through his kunai holster and yanked out his magnesium shurikens, tossing them into the air and lighting them as he collapsed onto the ground.
A streak of lightning crashed inches away from him while he rolled away and shielded his eyes. The shurikens went wide and boomeranged to Chinen, but before he could swat them out of the air, they sparked into mini supernovas.
Kinjo heard the chunin scream in confusion and felt his hair rise from the rush of lightning surging from his foe. Yet, he ignored the cries and breathed out two Ash Clones. One immediately charged at Chinen, lacking the limp leg that Kinjo suffered from. The other hoisted Kinjo onto his feet, just in time to see the Ash Clone dodge and weave Chinen's attacks from a close distance.
For a moment, Kinjo leaned onto his clone and took deep breaths. He grimaced when he tapped his right leg on the ground, a sharp pain echoing through his thigh. His right foot felt limp and numb, devoid of the stinging annoying the rest of his leg. Kinjo clamped his jaw shut as he moved his leg with his hand, gritting his teeth and settling it onto the ground.
Kinjo fired a dozen fireballs into the air, orbs of flames glowing in the blank night sky. Immediately, he spat a torrent of fire at his enemy right as the fiery projectiles rained onto Chinen, still occupied by his Ash Clone.
Both attacks crashed into Chinen and the Ash Clone, but Kinjo wasted no time to grab his remaining Ash Clone's arms and nod. The clone nodded back and hurled him around before tossing him at the crater and smoke where the Kumo shinobi once stood.
He darted through the air like a shot put and honed in on the distorted figure in the smoke, the smell of burnt skin and cloth flowing into his nose. The thick smoke clouded around the Kumo shinobi, hiding Kinjo's assault as he slammed his gunbai into a coughing Chinen, his shirt burnt and his skin littered with burns. The gunbai rammed into the sword held loosely by his opponent's left hand.
The sword sailed through the air and landed meters away, a triumphant yell escaping Kinjo's lips as he slammed his gunbai into the chunin.
Instead of sending Chinen flying like his sword, Kinjo felt a powerful slam dulling his swing. He looked up to see his foe's left hand surrounded by lightning, flickering through the whole length of the arm and pulsating immense power. "Did you think it would be that easy, kid?"
The outer face of Kinjo's gunbai was layered with scorching ash, yet Chinen's face betrayed no signs of pain as he pounded into the fan again. This time, Kinjo heard the wood crack and a glimmer of light shone through. He loosened his hold on the gunbai and lashed out with a punch, slamming his fist into Chinen's limp arm while his Ash Clone appeared behind Chinen and struck from behind.
Chinen's lightning crackled around him, vaporizing the clone and shocking Kinjo's fist. Without thinking, Kinjo propelled himself away with his left foot, springing on the ground with his hands to reposition himself. The moment he touched the ground, it exploded upwards and thrust him into the air. He looked down to see the lightning surrounding Chinen's hand gone, instead gripping it into a fist and aiming at the ground below Kinjo.
Before he could drop to the surface, Chinen opened his mouth and blasted lightning, the chakra forming into a spear and booming toward Kinjo.
Kinjo twisted and held up his gunbai, his only defense against the attack. Moments before the lightning crashed into the fan, he pushed off with his hands and dropped onto the ground on his back.
He watched as his gunbai was struck by lightning and exploded into pieces, the wood raining over him as the remains of his weapon tumbled onto the dirt.
The fan landed on the ground, shattered and broken. The largest piece remaining was the handle and a jagged piece attached.
In the distance, an explosion thundered through the forest, followed by a loud shout. Kinjo recognized the voice; it was Shin's.
"It seems like Shigeru arrived," Chinen mused, twirling his fingers and swarming Kinjo with another set of lightning. "Only if you have listened… you could've run off with your other friend. Instead, he and you will die while we take the Uchiha and your sensei."
Kinjo ducked away and moved nimbly with his hands and left foot, cartwheeling and springing onto the ground while keeping an eye on the earth. Pillars of dirt shot out of the ground, but Kinjo slammed through them with his fists and continued his defense.
Narrowly dodging a bolt of lightning zipping past his cheeks, Kinjo breathed out an ash cloud to obscure the enemy's vision and sent out another Ash Clone to distract Chinen. All he heard behind his smokescreen was Chinen's frustrated shouts and the crack of lightning.
He panted while dragging his injured leg, weighing his options. He felt the fatigue creeping through his blood, sprouting a wave of nausea that made him cough.
Time was running out, his options more so.
There was still one more ace up his sleeve… yet it was a gamble. How much would it take to bring down Chinen? Would he 'only' rip his muscles, or would it lead to something far worse, especially with his injured leg?
As if it was responding to his thoughts, his right leg spasmed and shook, rearing up for a final assault. His right foot, numb as it was, moved ever so tenderly, making him chuckle.
Gai's words rang through his head as he gripped his hands into fists and lowered his arms.
'That is why you must remember to open the Gate to protect someone precious to you. The desire must be strong enough to risk your life.'
His friends needed him. He was injured, and his weapon was destroyed against an overwhelming opponent.
This was what he had trained for.
After he readied his mind and body, Kinjo parted the smokescreen and dispersed his Ash Clone. Chinen turned to him with his sword gleaming from the lightning sparking around it and grinned. "Ready for your final lesson as a shinobi?"
"Sure. I'm a fast learner."
"... If you weren't from Konoha, I would almost like you." Chinen readied his sword with his left hand. "Too bad it turned out this way."
The Kumo shinobi rushed in, his blade arcing high and his body morphing into a blur. Kinjo took a sharp breath and closed his eyes, shaking the leftmost part of his brain.
He still had people to protect, people to save.
He needed to move, to win.
A familiar lock shattered in his mind, and Kinjo's eyes flipped open, Chinen's swing boring down on him in slow motion. His senses flared, allowing him to track the exact trajectory from the smallest twitch in Chinen's shoulders. A surge of energy strengthened Kinjo's limbs, his legs bouncing and shivering. He felt himself diving deeper into his pool of chakra, an unknown reservoir previously denied to him.
His legs moved before his mind commanded them, swinging him behind the bewildered chunin in a single step. Kinjo pulled back his fist and rocked every drop of his strength into his punch. Chinen raced his sword to slice off Kinjo's arm, but Kinjo swiped his fist away and slammed it into the blade from the side.
The metal broke in half, splitting the gleaming blade into pieces. Kinjo's eyes flickered to his own destroyed weapon and smiled.
Chinen's face morphed from triumph to shock. Kinjo lashed out again, smashing the teen's chiseled face with a blinding hook. His fist scraped enough skin to bring out blood, a sizzling burn scarring his opponent's cheek. The Kumo shinobi staggered to the side from the strike and barely had time to register Kinjo's figure in the night sky.
A hail of aflame shurikens, followed by a series of dazzling flashes and an immense fireball, bombarded Chinen in the blink of an eye. Kinjo rushed into the smoke to find a small earthen barrier surrounding the teen, with visible cracks and holes. He slammed his legs through and entered, finding the shell empty.
Instead of running away, he slammed his fists into the ground, creating an immense crater. A small tuft of hair was visible amidst the destruction, and Kinjo grabbed it, dragging his foe out of the ground like he was pulling carrots.
Something snapped in his shoulder, but Kinjo continued his onslaught.
"What the…" Chinen shouted as his eyes widened.
He swung Chinen around and slammed him into a nearby tree, a loud crack echoing through the night while a pained cry escaped the older boy's lips. Chinen shakily rose to his feet, only for a kunai to lodge itself into his left arm and Kinjo to slam into his spine with both feet.
The teen collapsed for good, his spine shattered, and his arms useless. Blood dripped from various wounds, and burns were visible across his entire body. His shirt was completely gone, and his pants barely held onto him.
Kinjo stood over the older boy and winced when the crash rattled his body. His shoulders and arms felt shredded, while his right leg went numb from the aftermath. The chakra within his body refused to listen, and the ringing in his ears returned. He stumbled onto the ground, admiring his handiwork and lying down for several minutes to reorientate himself. He could only breathe, and even the air felt like spikes poking into his lungs; if Chinen could move, Kinjo would meet his end.
Minutes ticked by with no movement from either fighter. Finally, with a sliver of strength returning to him, Kinjo slowly pushed himself off the ground, stumbling to the remains of his gunbai. Kinjo grabbed the handle with the jagged end and dragged himself to Chinen. Every step felt like stepping on glass, and his arms swung loosely back and forth, but he preserved.
He knew his fight wasn't over yet.
It took him three minutes to shamble ten meters. Kinjo pressed the broken fan toward Chinen's throat and scowled. "Now talk."
"... What the hell do… they feed the kids at… Konoha?"
Despite the situation, a smile tugged at the edges of Kinjo's lips. "Good food."
"Maybe I should've… eaten my veggies when I was… younger."
"Making jokes won't convince me to spare you," Kinjo replied. "Enough chit-chat, talk."
Silence reigned between the pair. Chinen's eyes were dim yet contained a small bit of life. Kinjo wasn't sure how his face looked, but he hoped it was intimidating enough for a nine-year-old child. From the corner of his eyes, he spotted the coin his father had given him resting on the ground next to Chinen. He patted his back pocket and felt a small hole in its bottom.
"I…I only wanted to help my team," Chinen muttered after he coughed, his arms lying limp and broken. "I thought… I could start a new life. Away from war… Away from all these pointless fights and battles… But the rest of my team… they're younger, more headstrong… just young genin… They wanted to go home, back to their families and friends. I thought I could talk them out of it… but they insisted, and our jonin leader agreed with them… That man was always craving attention and fame… a coward."
Kinjo's eyes lit up in realization. "... Desertion is punishable by death. But if you brought back something of worth, like a Uchiha and the head of a reputable Konoha jonin…"
Chinen nodded, wincing as his head landed on the ground weakly. "Maybe, just maybe… we would be punished, but not with death… continue our lives afterward. At least… my teammates hoped."
"It wouldn't have worked."
"One can always hope… hope is a dangerous thing."
"So you just went along with it?" Kinjo inquired as he pressed his broken fan into Chinen's neck, blood seeping into the Kumo shinobi's chest. "You murdered all those people in hopes of… someone of worth to turn up? An entire village massacred because your team was homesick?"
"Wouldn't you do the same?" Chinen spat. "I… I can't relate to my teammates… grew up as an… orphan… But I understand… home… it's where we all want to return to… it was something I wanted to make for myself."
An uncomfortable pause passed between them as Kinjo digested his words and recalled his previous home. A life he had suppressed in his mind yet visible through his thoughts and actions.
He wasn't a child, at least not mentally. His previous home of twenty-five years had seen to that.
"... We all want to return home." Kinjo sighed. "Some of us can't, even if we want to. Still, even if I was given a choice of returning home, with the cost being murdering hundreds of innocents… I would rather build a new life and find a new home."
"We are the same then," Chinen smiled weakly after he closed his eyes.
Kinjo shook his head. "No, we're not the same. You might've not wanted to, but you killed those people anyway."
"... Do you think… your village is any different? That you can… always call it home? One day… you will be like me… alone and abandoned… A useful tool… nothing more… That is the fate of every genius… When that happens… you will do the same… kill and destroy anything… to find a new home."
Kinjo inspected his fallen opponent. Chinen's eyes remained closed as if he was resigned to his fate.
Chinen wasn't wrong. It was a common theme in this world; those who were too skilled or competent seemed to be on the receiving end of fate's wrath. Losing loved ones, losing faith in their respective villages, being isolated from their peers… Kinjo mentally jotted down a list of those that fit the description, and it was uncomfortably long.
Even so…
"... Our headbands don't represent who we are, but where we're from. Our actions show who we are," Kinjo declared. "And what you've proven is that you're scum."
As he lifted up his weapon, a small voice in the back of Kinjo's mind protested. Chinen was injured and unable to fight. He could easily be brought back to the village and interrogated, perhaps even used in a prisoner's exchange that was still ongoing with Kumo. If the Kumo shinobi was as noteworthy as he claimed to be, then there was a good chance that his village would be extremely happy to make a public example of him. Perhaps it would help thaw the tense relationship between Konoha and Kumo.
Killing Chinen wouldn't bring back the dead.
He swung his fan and stabbed it into the teen's chest. A spray of blood shot out of Chinen's mouth, his body slumping into a corpse as splinters caved into his chest.
For some odd reason, Kinjo didn't doubt Chinen's words. He seemed… desperate. While there was a good chance he was lying and spinning a tale to absolve Kumo of all responsibilities, he sounded sincere in their exchange. He even tried to de-escalate before their fight.
After all, why would Kumo send a team of a jonin, a chunin, and two genin to capture a high-value target in the middle of hostile territory?
Even so, Kinjo couldn't forget or forgive. The teen had committed a horrible atrocity and threatened to kidnap two of his team members. Chinen's death wouldn't calm the dead, but it would give the living some peace of mind.
He sealed the body into a sealing scroll, an intermediate one that could store corpses. After finishing the deed, Kinjo looked up at the night sky and picked up his coin, coated with a new sheen of blood. He peeked back at the destruction caused by him and his foe, a giant new clearing filled with craters and holes in the middle of the forest, and limped off to his team.
"Chinen Katsu… I'll remember the name. May you find some peace in hell."
It took him too long to reach his teammates, limping and dragging his feet through the woods.
When he arrived, Kinjo witnessed Izumi and Shin pounding a new shinobi, presumably 'Shigeru,' to the ground. The Kumo shinobi's blonde hair glistened from the fire of Izumi's jutsu before he was smacked in the head by Shin's bo from the rear and collapsed onto the ground in a heap.
Kinjo raised an eyebrow and emerged from the shadows while his teammates high-fived each other. The other two shinobi that Kinjo fought were strewn on the ground, defeated yet alive. While ensuring that all of them were unconscious, Izumi spotted him and tackled him with a hug. "Kin!"
She had seen better days, with her long hair in a tangled mess and her dress torn in various places, revealing numerous cuts and bruises on her skin. Her forehead protector was diced up, and her tackle was significantly weaker than what he was used to. Yet, she was alive, and so was Shin. That was all that mattered.
"Ow," Kinjo mumbled as he cringed from the sharp pain in his stomach and chest. "Not too tightly, Izumi. I'm hurting everywhere."
"Oops! Sorry." She backed off and inspected him head to toe. "You look beaten up."
He looked down to see his hoodie tattered and his shorts burnt. He hadn't noticed during his fight before, but his clothes were as battered as he was. "Yeah… I was."
"Did you defeat the blue-haired guy?" Shin asked excitedly. He was the most energetic of the three of them, though his body had a few minor injuries. The Akimichi also looked… thinner.
Kinjo nodded. "I did; he's dead."
Izumi's face fell, but she patted his arm while Shin clapped his shoulders. "Good work."
"Same goes for you two," Kinjo looked at the slumped bodies and glanced into the distance as another explosion rocked the ground. "What about sensei?"
"Probably beating up the other shinobi. Let's go and help him now!" Izumi said. She dragged the two boys from the clearing and deeper into the woods, following the charred remains of trees to reach where their sensei was fighting the last enemy.
While exhausted from his fight, Kinjo felt a spurt of energy spurring through his veins. Team Five was still in danger until every one of their enemies was dead or unconscious. He prayed that Hayama would handle their last opponent without difficulty.
Even with the three of them, they would be mere nuisances against a fully trained jonin.
A sigh of relief escaped his lips when they arrived at their sensei's location. Hayama's eyes were intense, staring at his opponent like he was staring into the abyss. He was breathing heavily but lacked any injuries. Even his clothes were ruffled rather than torn or cut.
In contrast, the Kumo jonin had seen better days. His brown hair was singed, and his face and arms were bloodied. His sword was broken at his feet, along with a pile of kunai and shurikens. He was teetering on the edge of collapse, his feet barely keeping him standing. Kinjo was certain that a light breeze could topple him from how he looked.
Hayama opened his mouth and released a torrent of blue fire, three long spires shaped into the figures of dragons and engulfed his foe. The dragon heads roared at the beleaguered enemy, who looked up to see the living fire rush in with astounding speed. The Kumo shinobi weakly spat out water and formed a wall around himself, halting one dragon and forcing it to hiss into the water before fading into steam. The scene reminded Kinjo of his genin test against his sensei, with Hayama masterfully blocking every fire jutsu with water. Instead, he was brutally punching through the water with fire, a technically achievable but difficult feat.
The remaining two pierced through, fire triumphing over water, and boiled the man inside the barrier. Kinjo watched with fascination as the water wavered and collapsed while the fire lit the Kumo shinobi alight and caused him to scream.
In a split second, Hayama was next to his opponent and punched him through the water barrier, knocking the burning man onto the ground and ramming his sword through his back. Blood seeped from the sword after Hayama pulled his blade out, the smell of death materializing from the mortal wound.
"Glad to see you three are alright," the sensei mentioned after he sealed the body and jogged up to them. "Kazuhiro was a tad more difficult to defeat than I thought. I was worried you would need my help, especially with that chunin in their midst."
"We fought against a chunin?" Izumi tilted her head and frowned.
"Chinen Katsu," Kinjo said. "I defeated him."
"By yourself?"
"Yep."
Their sensei looked down at the group's youngest and crouched next to him. "Are you injured anywhere? Does anything feel broken or misaligned?"
"I think I ripped a few muscles in my shoulders and legs. My right foot is still numb too." Kinjo lifted his foot to prove his point, dangling it in the air and watching it limp over at an awkward angle. "Lightning hit me twice."
"I see," Hayama answered with a relieved grin. "… And your fan was destroyed during the battle?"
"I still have this piece left." Kinjo held up the jagged remains with blood stained on its sharp edges. The magnet from the fan was miraculously attached to the stump.
"Do what you want with it. But if I were you, I would keep it. It's not every day that a genin fights and wins against a chunin for their first fight against a shinobi. It would be a good way to remember the fight."
"... I'll keep it."
"To think that you would defeat a chunin, though… I'll teach you more advanced techniques when we return to the village. For now, I'll send a message to the nearest outpost so they can come and collect these shinobi."
"Sensei," Izumi cut into the conversation by waving her hand. "I think we should let them go."
Kinjo's body stood erect like he was shocked by Chinen again. He turned to his teammate with a puzzled expression on his face. "... Why?"
"Before their hidden teammate attacked us, the two that we beat up said they only wanted to go home by capturing us," Shin answered in Izumi's stead. "They were going to leave after losing and live out their lives as civilians."
"And you believe them?" Hayama asked.
"No," Shin and Kinjo responded together.
However, Izumi placed her fist under her chin and sighed. "I don't know, sensei. I think they were serious. Besides, we beat them up once! We can beat them up again if they try to fight us in the future."
"Izumi," Hayama folded his arms and towered above her. "They're shinobi, and they massacred an entire village. Are you naive enough to let them go without any punishment?"
"I… I just think they should get a second chance. If they get sent to T&I, they'll suffer for the rest of their lives! And they're our age too! Kin, Shin, you agree, right?"
Shin hesitated, but Kinjo interjected and looked at Izumi sternly. "We can't let them get away."
"Kin!"
"There is always time for mercy, but this is not one of them. Even if they keep their word and avoid us, Kumo could discover and capture them in the future. And if Kumo manages to extract information from them, they'll know of our abilities and profile, along with the rest of the shinobi villages. Not to mention, as sensei said, they're criminals. If they get tortured or jailed, that's on them."
"You know he's right, Izumi," Shin said. "I know you don't like doing stuff like this, but we have to; we're shinobi. It's to protect us and Konoha."
She wallowed in silence but eventually nodded. "Ok. You guys are right."
"They'll be treated somewhat more lightly due to their age and rank. They're not our problem now," Hayama reassured, biting his thumb and placing his hand on the ground.
After the puff of smoke disappeared, a single bird remained behind and looked at its summoner. The bird was large, with black feathers and a large red pouch on its chest. Despite its unusual appearance, the animal was large, almost the size of Kinjo.
"Hayama, making me run errands again?" the bird cawed. "Meet any fools that require my presence?"
"I considered it, but my opponent was more slippery than expected. I never got the chance to call you in. Sorry about that, Takeo."
"Hmmph… Excuses again, as per usual. I know it's been some time, but I didn't expect you to have grown kids so soon."
Hayama flicked the bird's chest, making it huff up its red pouch in anger. "Kids, this is Takeo, my summon. He's a bukanbird. Takeo, these are my new students."
Kinjo's mind translated the foreign term. The bird was known as a 'frigatebird' in his previous life, but since the world was heavily Eastern-influenced, it was instead named after a type of large Japanese warship used during the Imjin Wars. Or, in this world's case, used by the Land of Tea and the Land of Water.
"Of course, you don't have your own chicks; you're always too busy with your shinobi work," Takeo said while he greeted the rest of Team Five by flapping his wings. "Now, I assume you want me to be your messenger bird again. You only summon me when you need an urgent message delivered."
The jonin took a moment to pull out a scroll and pen and scribbled a message onto the parchment. He handed it to the bird after he finished. "Two dead, three captured. We need a team to secure the prisoners. My team is too battered to handle all of them ourselves."
"Very well, I will deliver it." Takeo snatched the scroll from Hayama's hands. "I expect a large portion of squid and fish after I return."
"I already have to feed an Akimichi…"
Takeo pecked his long beak at the jonin.
"I will!" Hayama grumbled. "Now go. Time is of the essence."
"A chunin?"
"Indeed. He was a Kumo shinobi with a notable record during the war. Presumed dead after a mission went awry toward the end of the conflict."
"Yet, Kinjo killed him."
"I've read through his report of the fight… It was an exceptional effort from him, considering his age and time as a shinobi. The others did well, taking down three genin. But defeating a chunin is entirely different."
The Hokage stood up from his seat and strolled over to the window. He looked at the quiet streets of the village, only occupied by a few Uchiha and Hyuga Military Police members on their nightly patrols. "I'm sure you've asked yourself the same question, but are they ready for the chunin exams?"
Hayama stood with his arms behind his back, glancing at his village leader with an impassive expression. "I think they need more experience and training. Izumi is quite skilled with her tachi. Along with her proficiency in genjutsu and ninjutsu, she's a capable kunoichi. However, she lacks stamina and maturity."
"A Uchiha with a soft heart," Hiruzen mused. "It's good to hear of such a thing. As for the Akimichi, Shin?"
"Robust and capable. He follows protocols and guidelines very well. He falls short in leadership and ninjutsu, though his clan techniques and strength should not be underestimated."
"I see… And Kinjo?"
"He is the one closest to a promotion in the near future. This mission demonstrated his capabilities, even if his decision to fight the chunin was reckless. He also helped keep Izumi in line and temper idealism with pragmatism."
"I hope that hasn't affected your team's morale or relationship."
"It hasn't. Izumi was disappointed, but she seemed more upbeat after we returned. Though, it seems like she has things to deal with at home."
The Hokage walked back to his desk and pulled out his pipe. "Are you sure that they are not ready? They are young but have plenty of time to grow into their rank. Along with Itachi, they could show off quite a performance in Kusagakure in two months, especially with the Fire Daimyo's court and Iwa attending."
"I'm sure," Hayama announced. "I will put them up for the chunin exams after the one in Kusa."
While they were talking, the door to the Hokage's Office opened and revealed a one-eyed man wearing robes. The Hokage lowered his hat and sank into his chair. "Danzo."
"Hiruzen," Danzo nodded curtly before turning to Hayama. "I've heard of your student's recent exploits on your team's latest mission. It is truly a shame that you've decided against the team's participation in the next chunin exams."
"It is my decision to make, Danzo," Hayama responded.
"By all means, I do not object. However, I believe Kinjo can earn some valuable experience in preparation for his promotion to chunin through other means."
"You sound confident in his abilities, Danzo," Hiruzen said. "Perhaps it has something to do with you keeping tabs on young Kinjo?"
Hayama raised an eyebrow, but Danzo's face betrayed nothing as he continued. "An exceptional talent should be nurtured and urged to grow. Considering your commitment to Uchiha Itachi, I thought you would be more inclined to accept the idea. That is why I believe Kinjo should be given additional options to prove his capabilities."
"What is your idea?"
Danzo cleared his throat and pounded his cane onto the floor. "Have him co-lead a standard mission, perhaps a patrol or a delivery to a rural outpost. I can lend a few available Root agents for the task if necessary. They can pose as members of the Genin Corps or the such to add a layer of authenticity to the mission. After they return, he can be evaluated by the participating agents, and we can continue forward from there. After all, the chunin exam isn't the only way to receive a promotion; we've done promotions on demand or the field numerous times, Hiruzen."
"That is… surprisingly simplistic coming from you. Has semi-retirement finally cooled your head?" Hiruzen asked.
"It has given me time to pass time in a more calming manner."
"Very well, I will approve of the idea if Hayama agrees," the Hokage turned to his son's mentor and waited. "If you need more time to make a decision and speak with Kinjo, I can grant you a few days."
"It's fine, Hokage-sama. I believe this might be a good experience for him. I approve."
AN: And the Missing-Nin Arc winds down to a close. Pretty impressive feat for Kinjo, though it wasn't easy for him.
The next chapter will be an intermission chapter before the Mission to Kusagakure... What will happen to Kinjo in the Land of Grass? Will we see any new canon characters pop up, or anything interesting happen? Find out next time on...
The-Tobi: Spoilers! But yeah, you did get the gist of it :). Also, thanks as always for supporting the fic!
Dr1zzy: Thanks!
Guest: He's nine. Yes, Itachi was a chunin-level shinobi at that age. However, shinobi grow at different paces. And while Kinjo may not seem as impressive as Itachi, he's a capable shinobi in his own right. And I do have various signature jutsu and abilities planned for him in the future. This chapter gave a good glimpse of his potential and what he can achieve within the next few years. Keep in mind that canon does not start for another five years. So imagine how much further he can grow in that time. Not to mention, I have various other things planned for the rest of the fic...
evilstatistic19: Thanks as always. :)
drkprince: If that was possible, why didn't it happen before the Massacre? Again, it's probably a plot hole that was never considered, but I have plans for the Uchiha Clan in the future. So don't you worry?
BloodRaven46: He cares for his team and knows enough not to test them against the unknown, especially since they're still young. So I'm inclined to agree.
mysticalvoid111: Very much so. Especially since Kinjo's drive is only amplified by his knowledge. As for wine or alcohol strengthening his fire... I did consider it, but I had it jotted down as the same issue with non-chakra-infused ash: too difficult to control and very dependent on the situation and wind patterns. He'll see more advancements in the next few chapters to his fire.
The ultimate goal is to manipulate fire on his skin directly. However, there are other things he can do to increase the potency of his Fire jutsu. One thing I had in mind is when he learns Wind nature; perhaps he can manipulate the oxygen within his body to strengthen his Fire jutsu (as higher oxygen concentration leads to hotter and more potent flames). So maybe instead of just red and orange fire, we can see blue and white fire (blue fire being shown in this chapter) in the future from him.
Until next time, thank you all for your support so far! And yay, 100k words!