Surviving that disaster completely changed Heiichi Yamanaka.
Senzan got to experience an entirely new side of the man—he was a massive chatterbox.
Heiichi babbled non-stop for the entire journey.
If he hadn’t been a fellow Leaf shinobi, Senzan genuinely would have used his scale powder to strike him mute on the spot.
Trust him, he absolutely could have done it.
Taking a massive detour from the Land of Hot Water, they crossed the border into the Land of Rice Paddies.
The moment they stepped into the new territory, the tight knot of tension in Senzan’s chest finally unraveled.
The rest of the journey would be smooth sailing.
The Land of Rice Paddies would eventually become the home of the Hidden Sound Village, but for now, it was just a peaceful, ordinary nation.
After all, Orochimaru was still firmly stationed in the Hidden Leaf, fully immersed in his scientific research.
Speaking of Orochimaru…
Senzan felt a familiar itch creeping up his spine.
The man was the greatest scientific mind in the entire ninja world.
If the opportunity ever arose, Senzan definitely had to take a stroll through that laboratory.
Who knew what kind of incredible loot he could swipe?
Once greed takes root, it’s like a burst dam—completely unstoppable.
Senzan and Heiichi didn’t linger in the Land of Rice Paddies.
They traveled straight south, crossing back into their own territory.
By the time they finally stepped through the massive gates of the Hidden Leaf, three days had passed.
Senzan could have just used the Flying Thunder God Jutsu to instantly teleport them back, but the chakra cost of solo teleportation versus carrying a passenger was drastically different.
Jumping by himself only drained about five percent of his chakra reserves, but bringing someone else along spiked the cost to a whopping fifteen percent per jump.
Only an absolute idiot would burn through their chakra like that just to skip a road trip.
Back in the Hokage’s office, a dust-covered Senzan and Heiichi stood before Hiruzen Sarutobi, finishing their debrief on the Hidden Cloud’s movements.
Hiruzen’s expression was incredibly grim, and Sakumo Hatake, standing beside him, mirrored the sentiment.
They had anticipated the Cloud making a move, but they never expected it to be this rapid and highly targeted.
“You both did excellent work on this mission,” Hiruzen said heavily.
“Mizuno and Yoshimori’s sacrifices were not in vain.
The village will remember their service.
Heiichi, you are dismissed to get some rest.
Senzan, stay behind.”
‘I knew I couldn’t escape,’ Senzan sighed inwardly.
During the report, Heiichi had completely spilled the beans about Senzan using the Flying Thunder God Jutsu.
Senzan couldn’t exactly blame him—they had just fought the Third Raikage’s son.
A detail like a space-time ninjutsu was impossible to leave out of an official report.
Once the door clicked shut, leaving only Hiruzen, Sakumo, and Senzan in the room, the Hokage finally spoke.
“You little brat.
Where exactly did you learn the Flying Thunder God Jutsu?”
Feeling the intense, scrutinizing gazes of the two highest authorities in the village, Senzan felt thoroughly exasperated.
If he had had a choice, he never would have exposed his trump card. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
“I just learned it naturally,” Senzan lied smoothly, not missing a beat.
“I’m blessed with unparalleled talent, you see.
Plus, the Second Hokage came to me in a dream and imparted his wisdom.
I woke up, and bam—I knew how to use it.”
Hearing the boy’s painfully earnest tone, the two veterans almost laughed out of sheer annoyance.
“Senzan, you don’t need to lie.
I already know,” Hiruzen said, taking a slow pull from his pipe.
“The Scroll of Seals was tampered with a while ago, and I could never track down the culprit.
But now it all makes perfect sense.
You used your Transparency Jutsu to slip right in, didn’t you?”
Hiruzen’s eyes locked onto him, radiating the absolute confidence of a man who had the suspect dead to rights.
“Spit it out.
Aside from the Flying Thunder God, what other forbidden jutsu did you steal?”
“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about, Lord Hokage,” Senzan replied, his face a perfect mask of innocence.
“The Scroll of Seals is a priceless village treasure.
How could I possibly sneak a peek at it?
The only thing I sneak peeks at are the lovely curves of the village kunoichi, purely to help Lord Jiraiya gather material for his research.”
Hmph.
As long as he denied everything, no one could prove he touched that scroll.
“It doesn’t matter if you refuse to admit it,” Hiruzen sighed, waving a hand dismissively.
“Given that you have mastered the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, you are officially promoted to the rank of Jonin.
I expect you to shoulder the responsibilities that come with the title and pass on the Will of Fire.”
Senzan stared at him.
‘…What the hell?
Did I just get promoted again?!’
Seeing the corner of Senzan’s mouth twitch violently, Hiruzen’s mood actually lifted.
Shinobi capable of mastering space-time ninjutsu were incredibly rare.
Aside from Senzan, Minato Namikaze was the only other person currently grasping the underlying theory.
The new generation of the Hidden Leaf was looking very promising indeed.
“Alright, you’re dismissed.
Go get some rest,” Hiruzen ordered, effectively kicking him out of the office before Senzan could argue.
Once the door closed behind the boy, Hiruzen lit his pipe again.
Blowing a plume of smoke, he turned to his commander.
“What do you think of him, Sakumo?”
Sakumo had been quietly observing Senzan ever since he walked into the room.
Relying on years of battlefield experience, he was absolutely certain the kid was still hiding his true depths.
“He definitely stole the jutsu,” Sakumo stated matter-of-factly.
“But considering he successfully mastered it and used it to save a comrade from a fatal situation, I’d say his merits outweigh his faults.”
He paused, his expression turning serious.
“We are entering a highly volatile period. New chapters come out on g.com first.
Having a shinobi who specializes in both flawless concealment and space-time ninjutsu will be absolutely critical on the battlefield.
However, unlike Minato, his combat aggression is practically non-existent.”
“According to Heiichi’s report, the only target Senzan eliminated was the enemy sensor ninja.
To me, that proves he prioritizes escape above all else.
He killed the sensor simply to blind the enemy so he could evacuate quickly.
He is incredibly skilled, but he actively avoids combat.”
As Sakumo spoke, a faint spark of battle lust flickered in his eyes.
The Third Raikage’s son, A.
He wouldn’t mind crossing blades with him.
It had been a while since his White Light Chakra Sabre had tasted the blood of a powerful lightning user.
“A major war is looming on the horizon.
Every bit of strength helps,” Hiruzen sighed deeply.
“But that little rascal…
actually abusing his Kekkei Genkai to sneak peeks at the Scroll of Seals.”
Hiruzen rubbed his temples, genuinely exasperated by the boy’s blatant thievery—and his ridiculous misuse of such a powerful bloodline limit.
“If he wanted to learn it, why couldn’t he just complete high-rank missions and exchange his merits for the opportunity like a normal ninja?
He’s going to be the death of me.”
Sakumo chuckled softly.
It was true.
Possessing such a phenomenal genetic gift and using it to peep on bathhouses was, quite frankly, a disgrace.
‘Disgrace?’ Senzan would argue if he were there.
‘As long as it gets the job done, who cares?’
“What do you think about transferring him into the Anbu?” Hiruzen suggested.
“He’s an excellent seedling.
We can’t just let him waste away doing nothing.”
Hiruzen’s feelings toward the boy were a chaotic mix of deep appreciation and intense headaches.
“I wouldn’t recommend it.
His personality is completely unsuited for the Anbu,” Sakumo replied.
“The Anbu’s primary directive is assassination and lethal force.
Look at him—does he seem like an assassin to you?”
“Then how about we assign him to Orochimaru’s team?” Sakumo proposed instead.
“Having Orochimaru keep a close eye on him might help straighten out his personality.”
Hiruzen nodded, agreeing with the idea.
After all, during this period, Orochimaru still appeared to be a loyal, devoted shinobi.
Of course, this was just a surface-level illusion; in the shadows, Orochimaru was already deeply entangled with Danzo.
With their discussion concluded, Sakumo excused himself.
He had a mountain of work waiting for him, especially with the urgent need to establish countermeasures against potential Hidden Cloud ambushes.
Left alone in the office, Hiruzen walked slowly to the window.
Staring out at the sprawling, peaceful scenery of the village, he let out a heavy sigh.
“A season of troubles…”