The immediate consequences of the small skirmish weren't too significant. The Mizukage was angry about losing a Jonin from the Hozuki clan but couldn't do much since the fight took place in seas that belonged to the Land of Fire.
For once, Hiruzen stood firm, sending the envoy back to Kiri empty-handed. However, this whole kerfuffle prolonged my stay in the Anbu by an additional year. The border patrols intensified due to the attack. While I would normally be angry about that, most of my assignments were at the border, where nothing interesting happened from that point on.
What my thoughts drifted off to was my attempt to replicate the Hydrification jutsu. And unsurprisingly, I wasn't successfull.
The jutsu required such a powerful connection with Water Release that replicating it seemed completely impossible for me. Completing the nature transformation training alone would not be anywhere near enough.
What might be possible for me was applying the same technique to other elemental releases. I even paused my efforts to recreate Kirin to explore this possibility.
Being able to harness any element would be incredibly useful, not to mention the significant increase in both control and power over water that the Hydrification jutsu seemed to provide. If that aspect could be applied to other elements as well, it could become one of the most valuable jutsu in anyone's arsenal.
For the experimental phase, I enlisted Hinata to observe my attempts. Her Byakugan was an invaluable tool, allowing her to identify any potential points of failure in the jutsu. Without her help, the project would have most likely remained purely theoretical.
Thankfully, Hiruzen supported my decision to leave the Anbu after that bonus year, giving me time to focus on my training. I felt like celebrating at that moment. Finally, I would be able to team up with Hana and Izumi again, at least occasionally.
However, the reunion would have to wait, as I wanted to break at least one record, the Jonin promotion record. To my knowledge, no one had ever been promoted to Jonin before the age of twelve. Even Itachi remained a Chunin despite already being in the Anbu and serving as a team captain there.
I applied for promotion, which, surprisingly, didn't require another exam. Instead, it was more of a deliberation in which highly regarded Jonin of the village would evaluate the candidates and recommend those who should be promoted, with the Hokage providing final approval.
From what I learned about the process, it resembled a job interview more than a trial by combat.
So here I was, just a few weeks after turning eleven, walking up to the Hokage building to attend the promotion hearing. Flashbacks from my old life took me back to an office job performance review, making me shudder.
Thankfully, the memories of my former life were fading overall. Aside from the knowledge I actively tried to recall, only the most niche facts and, for unknown reason, music remained sharp in my mind.
I entered the building, my headband displayed prominently while I wore my combat gear, just in case it was needed. The poncho covering my Chunin vest held spare weapons that I might require.
I stepped into an area of the building I had never been before, a small waiting room filled with more than a dozen of chairs, occupied by other ninjas. All of them were there for the same reason I was.
My entrance caused a bit of a stir; people clearly didn't expect someone half their size to be present, leading to whispered conversations among them.
I swiftly dodged a stick that flew my way by angling my head to the side, turning toward the source.
"Huh, good dodge, kid," came the voice of a young woman. She was not seated but instead propped against a wall, lazily chewing on a dango.
Her jagged purple hair framed her face, and her steel mesh looked more like fishnet than armor. She wore an orange miniskirt and a light brown trench coat over the mesh, giving off a vibe that resembled a mix of a cosplayer and a possible sex offender. It was quite clear her outfit was designed to draw attention to her body, and it ded the job well.
I didn't have to think twice to recognize her; she was quite infamous among the ninja force.
"That was a completely innocent wall you hit, Mitarashi-san," I said with a mischievous smirk on my face.
"Cheeky brat... Aren't you too young to even wear that?" she muttered, pointing lazily to my headband.
"I'd say I am, but that didn't stop anyone from sending me off to war," I shrugged, my smirk fading to a neutral expression.
I didn't need to prove anything to anyone present, and honestly, it was nice not being recognized. Especially since the people who recognize my on sight usually try to kill me.
In a sense, I was the opposite of Gai. Gai was famous, or rather infamous, within the village, but not so much outside of it. My situation was the complete opposite.
"You must've pulled some crazy shit to even be called in here..." she grinned, and I simply shrugged, already knowing I would have to disappoint her.
"Unfortunately, all of the crazy shit is classified... I couldn't even tell my parents." A smile crept back onto my face, if only for a moment.
Anko laughed at my remark, fully aware of how it feels when you can't share anything with anyone, no matter how much you want to.
One by one, the Jonin candidates were called in, some leaving happy, some less so. Even Anko was called in before me and left the room with a grin.
"Well, squirt... as a Special Jonin, I outrank you now," she sang playfully, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
"For a full ten minutes, maybe," I shot back, returning the banter.
"Good luck! Find me if you feel old enough to have a drink. I'm off to celebrate!" she cheered, pumping her fist in the air as she left the room, happily skipping instead of walking like a normal person.
I snickered at her energetic attitude. At least someone in this room knows how to still have fun.
Unfortunately, no matter how much I was tempted, I was still way too young to drink. I sighed and waited for my turn, the room feeling emptier as more and more people started leaving. But eventually, my turn came, and I was called into another room.
I entered a room and immediately spotted Hiruzen sitting at a large table in the center, surrounded by several people, some of whom I recognized.
Gai was seated to Hiruzen's left, his blinding smile making him stand out among the serious-looking Jonin.
On Hiruzen's right was Shikaku, who appeared bored out of his mind, judging by his expression and the fact he laid his head on the table the moment I entered.
I also noticed Tenzo and Kakashi, both accomplished Jonin likely representing the Anbu corps.
Ah, Ryuuzaki-kun, take a seat," Hiruzen said, his grandfatherly voice filling the room.
I gave him a short bow and sat down in front of the committee, waiting for their assessment. Hiruzen quickly opened up my file, sharing the non-classified sections.
"Haruno Ryuuzaki, age 11. Mission record as follows: 33 D-ranked missions, 65 C-ranked missions, 68 B-ranked missions, 37 A-ranked missions, and 3 S-ranked missions." He read aloud for the others in the room. I was pleased to see my mission record had improved significantly during my tenure in the Anbu, showing a much more well-rounded experience than before.
Murmurs arose among the present Jonin. S-rank missions were quite rare, even in the Anbu, and the fact that an eleven-year-old had completed three of them was unexpected.
"Out of those, 1 B-rank mission is classified, 5 A-rank missions are classified, and 2 of the S-ranked missions are highly classified," Hiruzen continued, handing out copies of my regular file, while keeping the classified parts to himself.
The room fell silent as those unfamiliar with me read the files started reading through them thoroughly. Shikaku didn't bother reading at all, his eyes closed as he took a short nap. He was familiar enough with my exploits to make his decision.
Tenzo glanced at it briefly before raising his head again, followed shortly by Kakashi.
"Anything you wish to add, Ryuuzaki-kun?" Hiruzen asked, giving me an opportunity to convince the Jonin that I deserved a promotion.
"I don't think so, Hokage-sama. If the file doesn't convince you, then nothing I say would either," I replied, maintaining a neutral expression and calm voice.
"Quite right, Ryuuzaki-kun!" A loud and energetic voice filled the room. Gai seemed to have read enough and began his assessment.
"This young man is indeed fanning his flames of youth, Hokage-sama! Apart from his young age, there is no reason not to promote him," he said, his voice reverberating throughout the room, much louder than necessary but getting the point across.
I could feel the raw emotion behind his words; it was quite overwhelming. There were a few nods, though most other ninjas cringed at Gai's volume.
"Gai is right, even if his delivery could use some work," Kakashi remarked, his monotone voice cutting through the silence that followed.
"I've worked with him on many occasions and observed him leading several lower-ranked missions," Tenzo added, his voice measured but warmer than Kakashi's. "From my experience with him, there's little reason to deny the promotion," he concluded, and I could almost swear he was smiling under his mask.
It seemed that everyone I had worked with was in favor of the promotion.
"It would help if we knew more about the classified missions. What can you tell us about them?" asked a Jonin I didn't recognize, his gaze still scanning my file.
"Not much, I'm afraid. I can only say that one of the classified S-ranked missions is related to my assignment during the One Month War, and the A-ranked missions all concern the border patrol." I replied promptly, making sure not to reveal any classified details.
"And my age shouldn't be a problem, I believe," I added, capturing the attention of everyone in the room. "I was sent to war at age seven. Nobody believed me too young for that. Why would this be any different?" I posed the question, wanting an answer.
It seemed strange and even a bit unfair to me that sending kids to war was acceptable, but promoting them beyond Chunin was not.
My question prompted the Jonin to murmur among themselves, unsure of how to respond.
"That is, quite surprisingly, not a question I've heard anyone ask before," Hiruzen said, a small smile remaining on his face.
"On paper, there is no rule forbidding youngsters like you from being promoted. However, outside of wartime, it is seldom done due to a few factors." He adopted his professor persona to explain further.
"For one, Ryuuzaki, most people your age, even if they are impressive, lack mastery of at least two chakra natures." He raised a finger as he spoke, drawing everyone's full attention. "Secondly, young candidates are usually... unrefined. They tend to be boastful and overly eager to prove themselves." He added a second finger to the first.
"These are the main reasons why I have drastically reduced the number of promotions for young prodigies unless absolutely necessary." He finished with a knowing smile spreading across his features, his eyes glimmering.
"That said, you have managed to remain humble about your success. And I can personally attest that you have indeed mastered two nature transformations," he acknowledged.
"Can we be done with this troublesome discussion?" asked Shikaku, lifting his head from the table where it had rested for some time. "If he were just a year or two years older, we wouldn't even be having this meeting. He would have been directly promoted for his performance," he added, casting his voice in favor with lazy wave of his arm.
The meeting was relatively short after that. The vote wasn't unanimous, but I was finally promoted to Jonin.
I figured a small celebration was in order; all I needed to do now was find Hana and Izumi... and send a message to Itachi to let him know I outrank him now. Just a little harmless fun, I swear.
It took another three months after the promotion for me to finally have a breakthrough: my fingers fully transformed into Crystal for the first time, if only for a few seconds.
"I think I get it now..." I muttered under my breath, watching my fingers revert back to flesh.
"Um, the jutsu only works with your most powerful affinity, doesn't it?" Hinata asked, her Byakugan focused intently on the small changes in my arm.
I nodded, sharing the same hypothesis.
"I believe so. I was aiming for lightning for months... but even then, I became Crystal instead..." I trailed off, cringing at the time I had lost.
If only I had tried to fully transform into Crystal first; I got blindsided by the intense desire to just zap around in full lightning form and develop a jutsu both me and Hinata could use.
However, none of that research would be wasted. Once we make sure it's safe, Hinata will undoubtedly want to try it for herself.
Her lightning affinity is much more powerful than her fire affinity, making both of us believe that eventually, she should be able to do it. And Even though this has slowed our training in other areas, I believe it will be worth it in the end.
A full year of intense research for only a small breakthrough would likely drive others to madness, but if I can fully integrate with my Crystal constructs, I can become a force of nature on the battlefield.
As for Hinata, I wasn't entirely sure how the lightning transformation would work yet, even with the research we've poured into it. Would she need a storm to transform, or could she turn her body into lightning and back on command?
That uncertainty was part of why I attempted to create a lightning version of the Hydrification jutsu first, even before going back to working on my Crystal version.
But even with all the chakra control in the world, it was impossible for me; I was locked into the Crystalification route, and there was nothing I could do about it.
I wasn't angry, just a bit disappointed that I couldn't access both forms.
I sighed and glanced at Hinata. She was concentrating on the spirals visible through her active Byakugan. This was her personal main project, but we hadn't made much progress.
It was something I simply couldn't see, which made it hard for me to understand. Without a grasp on what could potentially become a powerful ability, she didn't want to start creating her spirit weapon until we figured it out.
From her explanation, which boiled down to the idea that "everything is a spiral," I could only hope we would figure it out eventually.
The breakthrough in this area came just a few weeks after my success with the Hydrification jutsu; I finally remembered that math is a real thing that exists, and within math, there are innumerable graphs that could be visualized as a spiral.
It all came down to the Golden Ratio and the Fibonacci Spiral, an infinitely continuing spiral that appears in nature to a startling degree.
I wanted to bang my head against a hard surface when I finally figured it out. The moment Hinata understood what she was working with, it only took her a few days to tap into that spiral.
She managed to spin and throw a simple glass marble with enough force to completely distort a small rock, leaving it misshapen with a hole where the marble had struck.
This gave me a really good idea, inspired by a piece of fiction I only vaguely remembered now. I already knew what would be the perfect spirit weapon for her. Now, we just needed to create it.