"The taste is... indescribable."
Namikaze Minato wore a lingering look of dread. Standard soldier pills were merely slightly bitter, but this pill carried a hint of a truly unbearable flavor.
"Still, for shinobi, this should sell well."
Minato gave his sincere assessment. Anything that could enhance strength—no matter how bitter or pungent—would be acceptable to shinobi. For those below Jōnin level, chakra reserves held significant importance.
Having endured the trials of war, everyone valued strength highly.
"So, are you planning to open a shop, Kin?" Minato asked curiously.
Kin always seemed to conjure up bizarre and unconventional items. If he opened a shop, he could make a fortune—though few shinobi took on side jobs, as they needed to remain on standby for missions. A shinobi's time was never truly their own.
But no one really minded. Many weaker or disabled shinobi chose to retire and open their own businesses.
"Not for now. These are for personal use," Kin replied, his face twisting into a bitter expression at the memory of the pill's taste. He could barely tolerate it. He'd need to find a way to improve the flavor—especially since it seemed he'd be consuming these for a long time.
"By the way, are you two applying for the Jōnin exams?" Kin asked curiously. When he'd first returned home, he'd overheard them discussing the Jōnin issue.
To take the Jōnin exam, there was only one requirement: the Hokage's approval, which allowed the exam to commence at any time. The Hokage's endorsement was solely based on strength, while the exam itself tested comprehensive abilities.
If a shinobi's strength fell short, they could still apply, but they'd only receive the title of Special Jōnin.
"This year's Jōnin exam has changed," Kushina muttered, slumping onto the table with a lifeless expression.
"Rumor has it the exam is being reformed," Minato added. "It no longer requires the Hokage's approval. Instead, a Jōnin must sponsor the applicant."
"After this war, there are too many shinobi with strength matching Jōnin level."
As he spoke, Minato couldn't help but glance at Kin.
The surge in Jōnin-level shinobi was largely due to him. The Foundation Internal Energy Art and Six Styles he developed had allowed many shinobi to forge their own paths, leading to a dramatic increase in overall strength.
Then there were the Three-Colored Haki. Though not many had exchanged for it yet, most who returned from the Cloud Shinobi front had at least some proficiency. With the boost from Haki, their power grew even more explosively.
This was the real reason for the exam's reform. If things continued as before, Konoha would soon have nearly a thousand Jōnin.
"I've heard the application process has been replaced with a unified exam, and the difficulty has increased significantly."
"Kushina and I have already been registered by Lady Tsunade."
"I just don't know if we'll pass."
At this, Kushina let out a heavy sigh. She already found the Jōnin exam daunting—now, with the added difficulty, it felt hopeless.
"Makes sense."
Kin glanced at his Deduction Cheat Ability.
Though he often complained about the lack of knowledge in the shinobi world, the truth was that overall strength had risen—especially in Konoha.
When he and the White Fang returned, they'd gone straight to repairing the village gates, so he hadn't heard about the exam reforms. But the White Fang would likely be notified and could sponsor him later.
Because Kin wanted to become a Jōnin.
The White Fang?
He wouldn't refuse.
"The funeral is next week," Kushina suddenly said, her voice quiet. Both she and Minato fell into silence.
Kin looked up at the cat swinging lazily from the ceiling.
It was a memorial service for all the shinobi who had died in the war.
So many had perished. Some couldn't even be recovered for burial.
Kin didn't care much about the deaths of others. Even if his closest friends—Minato and Yashiro—were buried there, he'd likely just sigh and say:
"How fragile life is."
After seeing Minato and Kushina off, Kin used the remaining materials to produce thirteen more pills.
"These bitter, fishy pills... let's call them Bitter Ascension Pills."
Their chakra-boosting effects were quite useful.
"Still, it'd be better to hand off the research to someone else."
Most of his time was spent studying and training in ninjutsu. He had little to spare for pill refinement or equipment development. The best approach was to let others handle the improvements while he reaped the results.
"What I lack is talent."
Kin sighed. Right now, he had no subordinates. Handing these over to Konoha for free felt like a waste.
His figure dissolved into darkness, sinking into the ground.
From the ceiling, Little Miao watched Kin vanish before yowling at the foolish snake below.
"Stupid snake! Let me down already!"
Little White shook its head vigorously. Kin was still home—it didn't dare.
Little Miao gritted its teeth in frustration.
It had finally tricked Little White into loosening the rope earlier, only for those two foolish humans to visit.
Don't barge into an empty house when the owner's away, you idiots!!
Now, Little White wouldn't fall for its tricks anymore.
This was infuriating.
Underground Research Lab
"My lord."
Hyūga Kiyoshi knelt on one knee the moment Kin appeared, his voice filled with reverence.
"Why are you here?"
Kin didn't turn around, instead typing the pill's formula and methodology into the computer before placing a pill into the analyzer to dissect its components.
Instead of answering, Kiyoshi produced a scroll.
Poof!
Smoke billowed, revealing a transparent container floating in the air—inside it, a pair of eyes.
Kin's gaze snapped to it.
"Byakugan?"
The container held a pair of Byakugan.
"My clansman used the Caged Bird Sealing Barrier Technique to remove his Byakugan and entrusted them to me," Kiyoshi explained.
On the battlefield, his clansman had been blown apart, losing half his body. In his final moments, he'd dug out his Byakugan.
Once the barrier's effect faded, the Caged Bird Seal activated—and without the Byakugan, it took his life.
Kiyoshi didn't know whether his clansman had died from his injuries or the seal. But at the very least, after death, the Caged Bird mark on his forehead had vanished.
Kin stepped forward, taking the container from Kiyoshi.
He studied Kiyoshi's expressionless face, though inwardly, he was stunned.
By doing this, Kiyoshi had effectively severed all ties with the Hyūga clan. If this were discovered, the clan would undoubtedly eliminate him.
"This is quite the gift. I'll develop a method to remove the Caged Bird Seal."
Kin stared at the Byakugan floating in the container.
These eyes could be used for many things.
"I live to serve, my lord."
Kiyoshi bowed his head in deference.
This was his pledge of loyalty—a point of no return.
...
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(End of Chapter)