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By the time Sawara Kiri finished processing the remaining documents, the sun was already setting.
Although there was only a stack of those documents, in this era without computers, all kinds of paper-based logistics statistics and other data had to be manually cross-referenced.
It was only then that Sawara Kiri roughly guessed that Orochimaru must have piled all the most troublesome work on him.
"Seriously."
"He's such a big person, yet he's still bickering with me, an underage kid."
He muttered to himself for a few moments.
After leaving the Lord's Mansion, which had been requisitioned as a combat camp, he strolled around Kikyo Castle twice. The city, now in a state of war, no longer had a normal commercial environment. Only a few brave merchants, bringing their goods by truck from various places, gathered in the outer district to sell grain and miscellaneous items.
Naturally, those people included spies of all kinds.
However, this was the case for large-scale wars in every Village: without dedicated logistics troops and a centralized management department, they could only rely on purchasing supplies with money from various sources, and at very high prices.
Sawara Kiri bought a basket of fruit from the merchants in the outer city and, incidentally, caught a thief who clearly had traces of Chakra in his body.
After handing him over to the patrol unit, he walked directly towards the injured Ninja recuperation area in the northern part of the city.
"Minato, I'm here to see you."
Sawara Kiri stepped into the room, an apple in his hand, which he placed on the nightstand.
"Are you feeling better?"
Namikaze Minato lay on the sickbed, his face still pale and bloodless.
Seeing Kiri-kun enter, a relieved smile unconsciously appeared on his face, and he waved to him:
"Kiri-kun."
"The doctor said I still need to rest for a while to recover my mental energy. Moving around might be a bit inconvenient."
As he spoke, he hesitated slightly, like a well-behaved child who had accidentally done something wrong, and cautiously asked, "Has Orochimaru-sama succeeded?"
Sawara Kiri waved his hand dismissively: "Of course, he did. After all, it was corroborated by the three of us."
"Although it looked a little strange, they probably didn't investigate further."
He lied without changing his expression.
Minato, upon hearing this, let out a long sigh of relief instead.
Namikaze Minato, who had dreamed of becoming Hokage since childhood, was not a good child in the traditional sense. This could be seen from the range of friends he made; he also had some small thoughts of his own.
However, the fact that he was recognized as a disciple by Jiraiya and chosen by Sarutobi Hiruzen as the next Hokage shows that Namikaze Minato's obedience to traditional hierarchical concepts and the commands of Ninja superiors and subordinates was absolute.
Tampering with battle reports like today's incident would have been unimaginable for him before.
It was only after Sawara Kiri sincerely asked him that he reluctantly agreed.
"But…"
Namikaze Minato looked at him, puzzled: "Kiri-kun, why must you hide your strength?"
If it had been before, Minato could still understand, as the Village's treatment of him was indeed lacking at that time.
However, after becoming a Jonin, Sawara Kiri's treatment was entirely up to standard.
If Kiri-kun was still dwelling on past hardships, Minato felt that as a friend, he had to fulfill his responsibility and properly advise him.
He thought this to himself.
However, Sawara Kiri's answer made him pause.
"Because it's not appropriate."
Namikaze Minato looked up, bewildered.
Sawara Kiri sat down on the edge of the bed, picked up a Kunai from the bedside table, and slowly peeled an apple: "Minato, what do you think a very powerful Ninja means to the Village?"
"That would naturally be…"
He subconsciously wanted to answer, "a very powerful asset."
However, Sawara Kiri interrupted him beforehand:
"Think carefully."
Minato then stopped speaking, showing a thoughtful expression.
He was not a fool; on the contrary, he was very intelligent, both as a Ninja and as a simple human being.
He actually understood very clearly the connection between his identity, responsibilities, and obligations.
Currently, he was a disciple of Jiraiya, one of the Sannin; the lover of Kushina, Konoha's only Jinchuriki; and the closest friend of Akimichi Choza, Aburame Shibi, and Inuzuka Tsume.
This series of identities was like a network of intricate nodes, interconnected to form a circle of relationships called the 'Hokage Faction.'
As a commoner without any bloodline limit, he happened to be in a crucial position that connected the past and the future.
It was precisely because of this that his talent could be nurtured, and his abilities allowed to be unleashed; whenever needed, he could obtain corresponding resources.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was an S-rank secret technique. Although this secret technique was famous for its difficulty, among all of Konoha, there were countless talented individuals of similar age to him. Was it truly impossible for anyone to master it?
It was merely that they lacked the qualifications.
So, what if he didn't have these qualifications, but possessed such talent?
Almost instinctively, he thought of Hatake Sakumo, who, relying on his swordsmanship alone, with almost no resources poured into him, had independently grown to become one of Konoha's pillars.
And what kind of position was Hatake Sakumo in now?
"…"
Namikaze Minato lay on the sickbed.
His previously relaxed brows gradually furrowed as he thought.
"Kiri-kun, are you worried?"
Minato turned his head, suddenly wanting to say something, but didn't know how.
With his current identity and network of relationships, whatever he said to Kiri-kun seemed to be of no avail, and instead, vaguely carried a hint of being out of touch with the struggles of the world.
Sawara Kiri, however, acted as if he didn't care, holding up a finger to block his view.
"That's roughly what I mean."
The apple in his hand was already neatly peeled, but he didn't hand it to Minato. Instead, he began to eat it himself, crunching loudly.
"I haven't reached my limit yet, but I'm already very strong, strong to an awkward degree."
"So, occasional concealment not only provides me with a protective umbrella but also avoids making those above feel troublesome—this is a win-win measure."
"A future Kage-level expert and a fifteen-year-old Kage-level expert are not the same concept."
Namikaze Minato's brows gradually relaxed upon hearing this. He could understand the difference.
A fifteen-year-old Kage-level expert.
That almost certainly meant this person would be the strongest in all of Konoha in the future, and might even be a God of Shinobi like Senju Hashirama, capable of dominating an entire era.
How could such a prodigy allow the already stable upper echelons of Konoha to maintain their position?
"Kiri-kun, you have it tough too."
Thinking of this, Namikaze Minato also let out a long sigh.
He was clearly the most talented person in the Village, the wisest person, yet he had to conceal his overly dazzling brilliance.
At this moment, Minato also felt disheartened.
Sawara Kiri, munching on his apple, saw his expression and likewise felt relieved.
The saying 'a gentleman can be deceived by principle' was probably about this.
Such things should not be spoken by him directly; instead, it was better to let Minato guess for himself—compared to others' opinions, people are always more likely to believe conclusions they derive themselves, aren't they?
However, this was also because his bond with Minato was strong enough.
If it were a stranger, Minato would certainly first suspect his motives.
Nonetheless, after reaching this conclusion, Minato himself inexplicably lost some of his spirit, perhaps due to the negative conjectures about the Village, or perhaps suddenly realizing his own position.
'If I also had talent like Kiri-kun, would the Village have a greater chance of accommodating Kiri-kun's existence?'
He thought this from the bottom of his heart.
After all, the man named Namikaze Minato was enveloped within the network of the Hokage Faction. As long as he grew strong enough, the Village would naturally be able to accommodate more power.
Just like the First Hokage back then.
After possessing unparalleled strength that could dominate the world, what did it matter if a few Tailed Beasts were distributed?
Was he not still the invincible Senju Hashirama?
The two chatted for a while longer, and seeing that Minato was getting tired, Sawara Kiri then left the sickroom.
During Minato's recovery period, their entire squad would stay in Kikyo Castle for a while, considered a brief holiday during the inter-war period.
After Kiri left the sickroom.
Minato lay blankly on the bed, still thinking about matters related to strength, and raised his hand to look at his palm.
His strength was still too weak.
Whether facing the god-like monster from before, or facing the giant Tailed Beast, or the highly defensive Third Raikage, he was utterly helpless.
"Buzz"
A subtle Chakra vortex slowly gathered in his palm, forming a tiny Rasengan.
After Kiri-kun's guidance, he already knew that the next step for the Rasengan was to further incorporate the nature transformation of Chakra into this ultimate Chakra form change.
He naturally possessed only three affinities.
Fire, Wind, and Lightning.
Among these three, he was actually most proficient in Wind Release and Lightning Release, which were used to accelerate his body.
However, after preliminary experiments, Minato found that gradually incorporating these two attributes, without an enormous amount of Chakra as support, would likely only result in a half-baked jutsu.
In terms of power and speed, it might not even be as good as the 'Flying Thunder God + Rasengan' combination he had created.
As he pondered, Minato suddenly thought of Kiri-kun's jutsu.
"That jutsu, it's called 'Limitless', right?"
"Not a very pleasant name."
"But…"
Recalling the principle of that jutsu, the spatial barrier that could be released around the body, the complete defense against any physical and Chakra attacks, and that purplish-red offensive that, like a natural disaster, directly pierced through Susanoo.
Namikaze Minato instinctively began to ponder.
"What if I also incorporated the space-time ninjutsu nature of the Flying Thunder God Technique into the Rasengan?"
"Could it achieve that same effect?"
"Space-natured Chakra isn't that difficult to exploit, so it should be fine, right?"
"Also, the fact that the Flying Thunder God Technique requires hand signs greatly affects combat; one hand must be free. If it could be made hand-sign-free…"
Inside Minato's head.
Eh!
A small figure raised a finger.
After exiting Minato's hospital room, Sawara Kiri wandered around the injured Ninja section, visiting a few colleagues he had known on the battlefield, before returning to the camp.
Jonin is not just a mere title, but also a responsibility.
Ninja holding this position on the battlefield often need to not only complete their own missions but also direct others' actions.
When fighting the Sand Ninja, the reason Yamanaka Omo of the search team contacted him immediately after being wounded was because he was one of the highest-ranking personnel nearby.
At the same time, he did not disappoint those who trusted him.
As for Yakushi Nonō, after returning with Yamanaka Omo and others, she was kept in the temporary hospital in the injured Ninja section.
During wartime, the places most lacking in manpower are always the front lines and hospitals.
However, even after he finished dinner and went out, Sawara Kiri did not see Uchiha Megumi, not knowing where she had gone.
Just as he finished dinner and was preparing to return to his quarters from the camp.
His gaze suddenly sharpened.
Sawara Kiri's steps paused, as if he hadn't noticed anything, he came to a secluded spot by the roadside, scanned around with his Six Eyes, casually took out a few grains of rice from his pocket, crushed them, and fed them to the crows perched by the roadside.
One of the crows hopped a few steps, picked up a grain of rice from his hand, and put one back.
After finishing all the grains he had scattered, they all flew away with a rustle.
Almost simultaneously with the crows flying away, that tiny grain of rice had already been kneaded into a paper ball by his fingertips in his pocket.
However, once he found a suitable place and finished reading all the writing on the paper ball, he scoffed dismissively, casually conjured a flame, and burned the paper scroll to ashes.
The words on the paper scroll were clearly:
"Someone will be sent to replace your position soon, please prepare quickly."
"Idiot."
Clearly, because a certain someone was not in their position and not fulfilling their duties, had not provided intelligence to the Village for a long time, and was not inside Konoha, the Hidden Mist people could not intervene on the front line, which made them anxious.
After all, the continuous intelligence he had sent back to the Village over the years was a major source of income for the financially struggling Hidden Mist Village.
The Hidden Mist Ninja, having tasted the sweetness, naturally did not want to let go so easily.
'But do those idiots really think just anyone can take my place?'
Although not obvious, for Sawara Kiri, who, after gaining strength and confidence, gradually dared to decide his own affiliation, his Hidden Mist identity had become purely a negative asset to him.
"If I could use the opportunity of war to shatter Hidden Mist in one go…"
Sawara Kiri thought to himself, but then shook his head slightly.
Konoha, currently, was gradually reaching its limits in both finances and manpower.
Passive defense was not difficult.
But proactive offense had become impossible.
Night, North District.
Since the Commander Orochimaru personally set an example, and also to prevent assassination teams from launching explosive attacks on specific building targets.
Even though their 'Anti-Sand Ninja Army' base was within Kikyo Castle, the Konoha Ninja still set up a lodging camp on the open ground outside the North Borough.
Everyone slept in tents.
Sawara Kiri had already gone to bed that night, and the footsteps and shadows of the patrol team outside were not unfamiliar to someone who had experienced some time on the battlefield, so he was not disturbed.
However, just as it was getting late into the night, he suddenly caught a faint sound of footsteps and a seemingly imperceptible breath.
He instinctively activated his Six Eyes and looked outside the tent.
His expression froze.
Miss Megumi had suddenly appeared outside the door at some point, her fingers intertwined behind her back, constantly opening and closing, her lips slightly pursed, and the high ponytail that was always tied at the back of her head was loose, as if she was hesitating about something.
Sawara Kiri's body, which was about to sit up, immediately froze and he continued to lie on the ground.
At the same time, his Six Eyes carefully looked at Megumi's palm behind her back, confirming that she was not holding a Kunai or a cleaver, which made him subtly sigh in relief.
"It seems it's not that serious yet."
"No, actually, maybe I was overthinking it?"
Sawara Kiri suddenly realized that his preconceived notions had some issues.
Ever since he saw Megumi's final bond route, he had subconsciously regarded Megumi as a yandere who could go berserk at any moment.
But in reality, the current Megumi was still as he saw her—usually feigning coldness and arrogance, but privately sometimes having a little temper, and a personality that was easy to get close to.
Even someone like Tsunade had a 'Honey Hime' route, which indicated that these chaotic futures were inherently extreme and not necessarily destined to happen.
So, Uchiha Megumi becoming a yandere could also be a low-probability event, right?
After all, from the Ninja Academy until now, they've had nearly ten years of friendship. Doesn't he know what kind of person Uchiha Megumi is?
How could that be.
Thinking this, Sawara Kiri was about to sit up and go out to explain those little misunderstandings to her.
However, just as a slight movement came from his tent, the tent flap was already lifted by the girl, and she strode in without hesitation, squeezing into the narrow space that could barely fit one person lying down.
"I knew it…"
"With Kiri-kun's sensory abilities, he should have noticed already."
"Megumi?"
Sawara Kiri was stunned.
Before he could sit up in the narrow tent, Uchiha Megumi, who had stepped in, had already reached out, gently pushing his shoulder, pressing him to the ground, and supporting her body with one hand draped across his neck.
Their eyes met.
At this moment, Sawara Kiri's brain began to work rapidly, contemplating what he had done in the past few days since his return that could have caused such a big reaction.
Nothing happened in between, right?
"It's fine."
In the dark night, the girl's voice was softer and gentler than ever, as she whispered close to his ear: "Just something I happened to forget to take care of."
In the quiet, cramped tent, Miss Megumi's scarlet eyes appeared exceptionally enchanting at this moment.
Three black tomoe slowly rotated like swimming fish on the surface of the girl's pupils.
The distance between them was so close that even warm breaths brushed against their skin, and it seemed that with just a slight movement, their noses would collide.
However, from her subtly charming face, no unusual emotion could be detected; it was as calm as ever.
The girl's fingertip rested on Sawara Kiri's lips.
"This is it, right?"
"The place that woman corrupted."
"This time, I'll help Kiri clean it up, and in the future, Kiri can't touch such dirty things again, okay?"
"Megumi, I think we might…"
Sawara Kiri opened his mouth with difficulty, still wanting to argue a few words, taking advantage of this last chance.
But his words had barely reached halfway.
The girl suddenly leaned down.
The sudden intruder immediately made him unable to utter any sound.
The profound yet clumsy sense of suppressed entanglement caused him to feel a slight suffocation, and his eyes involuntarily widened.
The entire tent fell into a dead silence.
After a long while, Miss Megumi slowly rose, her already enchanting scarlet eyes seeming to glow even brighter, nourished by this satisfied emotion.
The girl grabbed Sawara Kiri's collar, the tomoe in the depths of her eyes spinning faster and faster, her voice growing gentler, yet extremely persuasive:
"I won't give you to anyone else."
"Kiri."
Sawara Kiri lay on the ground, looking at the three tomoe in Miss Megumi's eyes that were almost forming a chain, and nodded silently.
He didn't dare to say another word.
You will never know under what circumstances an Uchiha will awaken their unique Mangekyo at that moment.
However, he could confirm it now.
The berserk, peerless yandere in the final bond path was indeed Miss Uchiha Megumi, right in front of him.
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for dozens of advance chapters for over a dozen fics | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter