Minato felt his worldview shatter.
What was he seeing? His normally proud and confident teacher looking utterly submissive, while Kazuyama Gekkō wore an unhappy expression.
What was he hearing? Lady Tsunade's material? How did Kazuyama even get his hands on that? For a brief moment, Minato's mind nearly short-circuited.
Then, Jiraiya's desperate cry for help snapped him out of it. Forcing his trembling legs to move, he hurried to Kazuyama's side.
"Kazuyama, Sensei was just joking with you."
"He wouldn't want to look at Lady Tsunade. He doesn't like big—he likes flat!"
"Isn't that right, Sensei?"
Jiraiya never could have imagined that his own disciple would throw him under the bus like this.
He doesn't like big, he likes flat?
How is that even possible!!!
But now wasn't the time to argue—he had to calm Kazuyama down first. Flat or not, they could discuss that later!
"Yes! I like flat!" Jiraiya blurted out.
"Kazuyama boy, don't misunderstand!"
"A flat landscape is true love! The ups and downs are nothing but fleeting clouds!"
Heh. Seeing Jiraiya sell out his own preferences for survival, Kazuyama couldn't help but admire him.
Damn, Sensei, you'd even change your taste to stay alive? Impressive!
"Is that so? What a shame," Kazuyama said, his expression finally relaxing.
"Well, I still have to lead my team back and report, so I won't stay any longer."
"Lord Jiraiya, Minato, you two get some rest."
Hearing those words, Jiraiya nearly collapsed in relief. But the moment he did, his legs gave out, forcing him to grab onto Minato for support.
Minato, standing beside him, suddenly felt the weight shift onto his own legs. But what could he do? He gritted his teeth and held on.
Only when Kazuyama finally left the tent did the master and disciple exhale deeply.
"Minato, help me back to bed—my legs..."
"Sensei, same here…"
They exchanged wry smiles, only for their relief to be shattered when Kazuyama suddenly reappeared, peeking into the tent with a sly grin.
"Oh, Lord Jiraiya, I almost forgot—what I just said? All lies."
"I don't have any material on Lady Tsunade. I'd like to live a few more years, thank you very much. Hehehe…"
"But now, I do know that you like flat landscapes. Not bad, insightful even. I've learned something new today."
"But here's what I don't get—if you like it flat, why'd you show Lord Third the big one's picture? Hmm, maybe I should report that to Lord Third as well."
"Well then, I'm off! No need to see me out!"
With that, he vanished.
Jiraiya stood frozen, his eyes turning white and bulging in sheer horror.
And Kazuyama was once again pleased to hear the system prompt.
[Ding! Sensing that the host has once again tricked Jiraiya, completely breaking his defenses and causing him to fall into shock, I will award 4% progress towards the second type of Kekkei Genkai.]
Done! As expected, the stronger the opponent, the better the reward!
Kazuyama was overjoyed, humming a little tune as he walked toward his team.
The supplies had been delivered, but the convoy still needed to return to the village. That meant Kazuyama's team would be accompanying them back.
"Kakashi, Obito, Rin, gather Saburō Honda and the others. We're heading back!"
In a great mood and full of motivation, Kazuyama didn't mind that his chakra hadn't fully recovered. Once they left the Land of Grass, he'd be safe.
Besides, with all the chaos he had stirred on the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Rice Fields, Iwagakure likely wouldn't risk starting even a small war for now. He could return to the Land of Fire at his own pace.
"Yes, Kazuyama-sensei."
Kakashi and Obito set off to gather the others, while Rin approached Kazuyama.
"Kazuyama-sensei, I have a question."
"Huh? Rin, what is it?"
"Well... Are you and Pakura-sensei very close?"
Pakura?
Kazuyama was momentarily caught off guard. He looked at Rin, slightly embarrassed, before making up his mind.
Does this little girl want to learn combat techniques from Pakura?
"Do you want to learn from Pakura?"
Rin hesitated, surprised that Kazuyama had seen right through her.
"During the last battle... since I'm a medical ninja, I couldn't help at all."
"I want to fight too. I don't want to just stand on the sidelines and be protected."
"I want to catch up to Kakashi and Obito."
Kazuyama nodded in understanding. With the war ongoing, the village took extra care to protect its medical-nin, often keeping them out of direct combat. After all, their role was to keep the fighters alive.
Rin had a gentle nature, but she was also strong-willed. Watching Kakashi and Obito risk their lives on the battlefield had only strengthened her resolve—she didn't want to just watch anymore. She wanted to stand alongside them.
"Well... I can't promise you anything directly on this matter."
"After all, the importance of Medical-nin is absolute."
Hearing Kazuyama's words, Rin lowered her head slightly, looking a little frustrated.
Seeing her like this, Kazuyama gave a small smile.
"But if you really want to learn some combat skills to protect yourself, I don't see a problem."
"As for Pakura, I'll talk to her and ask her to teach you some self-defense techniques—or even ninjutsu."
The sudden shift in his words made Rin overjoyed. She looked up, her face full of excitement.
"That's enough. No need to thank me—Pakura's the one teaching you."
"Go pack up. We're heading back to the village."
Rin nodded seriously and went to help with the preparations.
Kazuyama let out a light laugh.
"It must be great to be in charge.
There's nothing like the joy of watching your juniors grow."
Suddenly, a deep male voice sounded behind him.
Kazuyama turned around and saw a man standing with a large yellow dog.
"Gaku…"
"I'm sorry if I made you laugh."
The newcomer was Gaku Inuzuka, accompanied by his loyal canine partner.
Despite his relatively young age, Gaku carried a mature air about him. He had been in the same squad as Minato during this battle and was known for his kindness.
"Hahaha, Kazuyama," Gaku chuckled.
"Konoha is full of talented people, and your name is no small thing now."
"Intelligence genius."
There was a glint of approval in Gaku's eyes—it was clear he genuinely appreciated Kazuyama.
"Hey, it's all just luck. When it comes to intelligence, Lord Jiraiya is the pinnacle of our village."
That wasn't an exaggeration. Jiraiya was a legend in both intelligence gathering and mission execution.
"Young people should stay humble, sure, but you also need some fire in you."
"You're too calm."
"Go on, head back to the village early. Konoha needs its young to grow strong."
Gaku patted the large yellow dog beside him before giving Kazuyama an encouraging nod.
Kazuyama nodded in return.
Just in time—Kakashi and Obito had returned, and the convoy was ready to move.
Kazuyama raised his hand and gave the order.
"Back to the village!"
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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