Outside the hospital room, Tsunade, Shizune, and Rin all brightened the moment Veigar stepped out, faint smiles gracing their faces.
"Tsunade-sama, sorry to keep you waiting."
"Shizune, Rin, thank you both for looking after me these past days."
As soon as Veigar exited the room, he bowed slightly in gratitude toward the three women.
Shizune and Rin quickly waved off the thanks, but Tsunade simply said, "Let's go. It's time to head to the command post."
"An 10-year-old jōnin… You've already made your name echo across the shinobi world. From now on, you're Konoha's greatest prodigy in history."
...
Three days earlier, Konohagakure.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi received Tsunade's latest medical report on Veigar, he was stunned on the spot.
The boy who had once been deemed permanently unfit to serve as a shinobi by Tsunade herself was now making a miraculous recovery.
After much contemplation, Hiruzen signed off on Veigar's new appointment and had it sent to the front lines with unprecedented urgency.
Veigar's meteoric rise was both Hiruzen's hope and his concern.
The battle report detailing Veigar's clash with Tanjiro, and the forbidden jutsu he used at the end, made it clear to Hiruzen: Veigar now possessed the power to drag even a Kage to the grave with him.
In other words, Veigar had become Konoha's ultimate trump card, and potentially, its greatest threat.
What made it even more terrifying was the fact that Veigar was only ten.
Hiruzen could already foresee the boy's future. And yet, in the chaos of the current war, a genius like Veigar was exactly what Konoha needed to bolster its deterrence against external threats.
Not only could they not suppress him, they had to elevate him. Celebrate him. And in doing so, further highlight Tsunade's unparalleled medical expertise.
Together, Tsunade and Veigar, an unmatched healer and a rising war hero, could propel Konoha's prestige to new heights.
As soon as the special jōnin appointment letter left for the front, Danzo Shimura appeared at the Hokage's office.
Danzo Shimura.
Yes, the very same man who had once relinquished his position as head of the Root division, now serving as Hiruzen's advisor under close watch.
In the turbulence of war, it had taken less than two months for Danzo to be reinstated, over the objections of many, by none other than Hiruzen himself.
"You'll regret this appointment, Hiruzen," Danzo had warned.
Just the mention of Veigar stirred a storm of resentment in Danzo's chest. But with his current lack of influence, he couldn't confront Hiruzen head-on. His tone was visibly diminished.
Still, his ambition for the Hokage's seat had not wavered. He was already plotting anew.
"This is what I promised him," Hiruzen replied. "And it's what he's earned. Konoha needs him now."
Danzo only responded with a cold, dismissive snort.
Following closely behind Tsunade, Veigar entered the Mount Kikyo Command Post. Inside, three to four dozen Konoha jōnin turned to look at the new arrival. Under their watchful gaze, Veigar showed not a trace of nervousness.
Of the many veteran jōnin gathered there, only a few seemed to understand what was about to happen.
That didn't stop the others from watching Veigar with thinly veiled curiosity.
Word had already spread across the shinobi world: Veigar had killed a senior elite Sand shinobi in a suicide-style technique.
Accompanying that tale was the news that Veigar had been permanently crippled and would never fight again.
Yet here he stood, alive, whole, and evidently restored. Many began to wonder if the rumors of his injuries had been a deliberate ruse to mislead the enemy.
At the center of the command post, Tsunade sat down beside Orochimaru. The pale Sannin opened his mouth, his raspy voice echoing off the walls.
"Veigar… congratulations are in order."
Without any ceremony, he produced a scroll and read aloud:
"By the authority of the Third Hokage, for distinguished service and battlefield valor, Veigar Koshima is hereby appointed to the rank of Special Jōnin."
Upon hearing the words, Veigar immediately dropped to one knee. Though his heart burned with emotion, his voice was calm.
"Thank you, Lord Third. Thank you, Orochimaru-sama."
The room erupted in murmurs.
None of the gathered jōnin had expected this. Veigar, a mere boy, had already ascended to their ranks. With this title, he had one foot firmly planted in Konoha's highest combat echelon.
And yet, there was no dissent.
Veigar's record spoke for itself. Twice, he had stayed behind to cover his team's retreat. His battle against Tanjiro, a veteran elite of the Sand, had proven his strength. Not to mention his other kills on the battlefield.
Anyone unwilling to accept it was free to present a combat record superior to Veigar's.
Most of them knew what this meant: in the turbulent era ahead, Veigar would be the eye of the storm.
After all, he was still just a child.
Unless he fell in battle, it was all but certain, Veigar would one day stand among the village's greatest powers.
Taking the scroll from Orochimaru, Veigar stepped aside, blending into the crowd. Yet he still stood out as the brightest star in the room.
"The first matter is resolved," Tsunade declared. "Now, onto the second."
Though his rank was technically "Special" Jōnin, Veigar was now eligible to attend jōnin-level meetings.
However, having just spent over a month recovering in the hospital, he only knew the current war situation from what little Shizune and Rin had shared.
It was also his first strategy session. So, he chose to stay silent, listening intently. Even during votes, he abstained.
The meeting stretched for over an hour, with logistics and deployments restructured before the jōnin slowly filtered out.
Each one glanced back at Veigar as they left.
Before long, the once-crowded command post held only a handful: Orochimaru, Tsunade, Shikaku, the chief strategist, and Veigar, who had yet to leave.
"Veigar, is there something else?" Orochimaru asked, his voice a dry rasp.
"Orochimaru-sama," Veigar replied, "could I review the most recent battle reports?"
He paused.
"And… I'd like someone assigned to brief me in detail on the current situation."
With his new rank came expanded authority, and Veigar was quick to put it to use.
Before long, he returned to his quarters atop Mount Kikyo, arms full of scrolls. He began poring over every record of the Sand's maneuvers.
Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated.
That night, as he was deep into his analysis, he sensed someone approaching the door.
A knock soon followed.
"Captain Veigar," came a voice from outside. "Orochimaru-sama sent me."
It was Shikatsu Aburame.
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