In the evening, at the Gekkō residence.
"So, the war is starting again?"
"Yeah. I was hoping to stay in the village for a while, but it looks like that's not happening."
"Sigh... When will this war ever end..."
"Hehe, it'll probably be over by the time I get back. Until then..."
Work hard! Really hard!
...
The next day, Kazuyama smiled at the sleeping Pakura, then used the Flying Thunder God Technique to appear at the Hokage Building.
"Lord Hokage, that's a nice pipe you have there."
"It's mine now."
"Smack!"
Before Kazuyama could touch the pipe, a scroll slammed into his hand, and Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly snatched the pipe back.
"Can't you be a little more useful!"
"Give me back my crystal ball! That was the one I used best, and you stole it!"
"You little brat!"
Facing Hiruzen's outburst, Kazuyama simply sneered and casually placed two bottles on the desk.
One contained a few bees; the other was tightly sealed.
Hiruzen immediately stopped yelling. His eyes flashed sharply as he looked at the bottles.
At that moment, his intelligence truly shined.
"Bees from the Kamizuru Clan?"
"And this bottle? An insect repellent made by Orochimaru?"
"Looks like you already have a plan. Is this repellent effective? Can it directly solve the Kamizuru Clan problem?"
Kazuyama shook his head and shot Hiruzen a look that said, "You wish," making the older man's forehead vein bulge.
"This repellent can only drive them away temporarily. It won't solve the problem completely. But it's enough to buy us some time to rearrange our defenses.
The Kamizuru Clan's bees, for some unknown reason, suddenly became highly poisonous. Once they swarm, ordinary ninja won't be able to handle it."
"As for creating an effective insecticide in a short time—my sensei calls that daydreaming."
Hiruzen sighed helplessly, then picked up the insect repellent and examined it carefully, but despite his efforts, he couldn't make sense of the high-level formula.
Kazuyama helped explain.
"This medicine was crafted by my sensei based on the characteristics of the poisonous bees. Spray it on yourself, and it will effectively repel them."
"Outfitting a large force is impossible, but arming a small elite team for an assassination mission won't be an issue."
Hiruzen stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, then spoke.
"This bottle really is a blessing in disguise. But picking the assassin will be tricky, given the current situation on the front lines."
"Kazuyama, what do you think? Care to volunteer?"
Kazuyama rolled his eyes at him. He wanted to refuse, but seeing that sly grin on Hiruzen's face, he knew the outcome.
If he dared say no, he'd be immediately shipped off to the intelligence department—and just thinking about those towering piles of scrolls made him shudder.
Besides, he had to go. He still needed to visit the Land of Waterfalls.
"Do I even have a choice?"
"Hmph, you rotten old man, forcing me into labor. You're ruthless."
"I've already told Pakura. I'm heading to the front lines."
Hiruzen laughed heartily, stood up, patted Kazuyama on the shoulder, and teased,
"What are you talking about?"
"I found you a great job. It's perfect for you."
"Too bad you don't appreciate it."
"Tsunade has already led a team ahead. You should go too and deliver this insect repellent."
"As for whether or not you join the assassination squad, that's up to you."
Hiruzen knew Kazuyama too well. If he didn't push him to the brink, this kid wouldn't move.
Tsunade had worked with him before and understood his temperament. Sending him out and letting Tsunade manage him was definitely the best choice.
"You old bastard, you really arranged everything for me, huh?"
"Hmph, this mission better be classified as S-rank. I need full pay. I have a family to support now—don't even think about shortchanging me!"
"By the way, how did the Chūnin Exams turn out?"
Because of everything happening on the front lines, Kazuyama hadn't had the chance to pay attention to the exams.
Seeing his expression, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled slightly and tapped his pipe.
"Don't worry. All three of your disciples have been promoted to Chūnin."
"I have to say, even though you're a shameless troublemaker, you're pretty good at leading a team."
"With Pakura's training, Kakashi, Obito Uchiha, and Rin Nohara have all shown impressive growth."
"However, Yugito Nii from Takigakure was still a bit stronger. She won the individual competition."
"The Chūnin Exams are over, and the ninja from other villages should be heading back to their homes today."
When speaking of Kazuyama's three students, Hiruzen couldn't hide his satisfaction.
Their strength stood out even among Chūnin, thanks to the combined training of Kazuyama and Pakura.
Of course, Kakashi Hatake was a natural genius, but Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara weren't exactly prodigies. The fact they reached this point was no small feat.
For a moment, Hiruzen even considered having Kazuyama take on a few more Genin teams—maybe he could train a few more outstanding ninjas.
Upon hearing the results of the Chūnin Exams, Kazuyama secretly nodded.
The outcome was just as he had expected. He knew exactly how strong Yugito was.
"Alright, got it. I'm leaving now, old man."
"Go on."
...
After leaving the village, Kazuyama didn't immediately head toward the Land of Grass.
Instead, he crossed his hands.
"Shadow Clone Technique."
Boom!
A clone appeared and immediately ran toward Takigakure through Konohagakure's direction—it was clear Kazuyama wanted to send a message to Konan and Yugito.
But because of his mission, he could only send a clone.
Meanwhile, his real body set off toward the Land of Grass.
...
At the same time, three visitors arrived at the Hokage Building.
They were Kazuyama's three students.
"Kakashi, Obito, Rin, congratulations—you're officially Chūnin now."
"I have a mission that needs your attention."
"These locations are all within the Land of Fire. I need you to scout them out."
"Record everything you observe and report back."
Kakashi, acting as team leader, accepted the mission scroll, which clearly marked several coordinates.
"Lord Hokage, what are these coordinates?"
"You'll find out when you get there. Just go."
"Your sensei is already at the front lines. Even though you're Chūnin now, war is still too early for you."
Hiruzen didn't explain the mission details any further and simply let them carry it out.
After the three left, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed helplessly.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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