At Uesugi Yuu's residence in Koga City.
"Here, Qingshui, dear, try this. It's a shark fin soup I made myself."
A long-haired woman in a kimono gently served Qingshui a bowl of shark fin soup.
"Arigato, Sister Yuki."
Qingshui took the bowl with both hands and thanked her.
This woman was his cousin, Uesugi Yuki, Uesugi Yuu's eldest daughter. She was seventeen and a quintessential Yamato Nadeshiko.
Uesugi Yuu, nearing forty, also had a young son still in swaddling clothes, besides Uesugi Yuki. His wife was holding the baby at the moment.
"This family dinner is specially for you, Qingshui. No need to be formal."
Uesugi Yuu held a cup of sake and spoke to Qingshui in a deep voice.
"I've already had someone prepare everything you asked for. But there's quite a lot of it. Can you manage to take it all yourself?"
"Ah, Uncle, could you have someone deliver these things to Mount Momoyama?"
After the former Sound Hashira, Kuwajima Jigoro, retired, he secluded himself on Mount Momoyama, acting as a Trainer for Thunder Breathing, training swordsmen.
Qingshui's next step was to go there to learn Thunder Breathing.
"Hmm, anything else you need? Just say it all at once. No one in our family has ever taken the path you've chosen, and as elders, the help we can give is really limited beyond a bit of money and supplies."
"There is one thing, actually, that I'll have to trouble you and my eldest uncle to investigate together."
After Qingshui said this, he offered an apologetic smile to Uesugi Yuki and the others.
"The pork bone soup should be ready. I'll go check the kitchen."
Uesugi Yuki immediately understood, even if she didn't know why her father said her cousin was taking a path no one in the family had ever taken.
He's just becoming a police officer. Isn't my eldest uncle the Superintendent General of Police at Shiga Police Headquarters?
Mrs. Uesugi also quickly reacted, saying, "The baby must be hungry. I'll take him to drink milk."
After the three left, Qingshui pulled out a map.
"In the past month, although I haven't interacted with many people, I've looked through a lot of Demon Slayer Corps data. Based on family records and other historical texts I could gather, I've found a clue that might have a significant impact on the Demon Slayer Corps."
Qingshui drew a region on the map.
"The Demon Slayer Corps' supernatural combat ability comes from Breathing Styles, centered around five main ones. However, the most original and powerful Breathing Style has been lost. Based on my investigation, someone in this area should have passed down the original Breathing Style in some way."
"You want to find this original Breathing Style and use it as an opportunity for advancement within the Demon Slayer Corps?" Uesugi Yuu asked.
"Not entirely. Within the Demon Slayer Corps, status is linked to achievements in slaying demons, and achievements are often linked to strength.
Coincidentally, this Breathing Style is very strong, possibly the strongest. If I can learn it, I might be able to become a high-ranking member of the Demon Slayer Corps faster. According to some clues I've found, this original Breathing Style later evolved into a folk dance called Hinokami Kagura. I need your help to find a family with the surname Kamado. Their location should be within this area. They were connected to the original swordsman who created the Breathing Style. If anyone passed down Hinokami Kagura, their family is the most likely."
Uesugi Yuu didn't ask Qingshui why he had investigated in such detail.
The Ubuyashiki family had controlled the Demon Slayer Corps for over a thousand years and had considerable power and connections in the secular world. Yet, something the Ubuyashiki family couldn't discover had been found by his nephew.
His nephew certainly had some secrets, but which high-ranking individual didn't have their own secrets?
Having such ability was, on the contrary, a good thing.
"Then, after lunch, you'll come with me to the post office. We'll call your eldest uncle. First, we'll try to see if we can access household registration records from other regional police departments to search. If not, I'll send people to investigate that area. However, that's not our Uesugi Family's territory, so efficiency might be lower. You need to be prepared."
"I understand."
Qingshui nodded slightly.
...
...
A month's time is enough to change many things.
The Avatar in the Demon Slayer World had mastered Wind Breathing and was on their way to Mount Momoyama to learn Thunder Breathing, while Qingshui in the Naruto World had completely mastered Wind Release Nature Transformation—the time he publicly announced was one month, but it was actually seven days.
There was no helping it; other geniuses needed at least two or three months, or even longer. Qingshui achieving it in one month was already an astonishing feat.
At the same time, Pakura was just beginning to cut water, and Baki was still struggling with leaves.
The Wind Release talent of these two was already top-tier.
If he were to truly say seven days, Qingshui believed the Sand Village wouldn't dissect him, but if the news got out, organizations like Root from other ninja villages would assassinate him at all costs.
"Since you've learned Wind Release Nature Transformation, and Puppetry has also reached a proficient level, allowing you to control three Puppets, then I'll put you on this batch's Special Jonin promotion list and submit it to the Third Generation."
Inside the tent, Chiyo looked at Qingshui with a pleased expression.
"But... Teacher Chiyo, don't I still lack some battle merits?"
Qingshui asked Chiyo.
Chiyo smiled slightly, shook her head, and pulled out Qingshui's ninja file.
"Your current mission counts are: D-rank 68 times, C-rank 23 times, B-rank 63 times, A-rank 0 times, S-rank... 2 times."
Qingshui was slightly taken aback.
To be promoted to Special Jonin, a ninja needs to complete 60 missions of B-rank or higher, and two missions of A-rank or higher, proving their ability to participate in mid to high-level assignments.
Qingshui had one S-rank mission on his record from the White Fang incident, but where did this second one come from?
"Chiyo-sensei, this..."
"Actually, I need to thank you and Sasori for this."
Chiyo handed Qingshui a document marked "Top Secret" and explained, "Do you remember Reina, the one I promoted in the village's Medical Squad? I never expected her to be a spy sent by Konoha, and even less did I expect you to see through her facade and secretly work with Sasori to uncover her true identity."
So that's what happened.
Qingshui flipped through the document, quickly grasping the details of the incident.
Hatake Sakumo was injured by the Third Kazekage in a battle last year, but his injuries had healed at least two months ago.
Konoha Village had attempted to use Reina, their spy, to leak information about the Sand Village's personnel movements and high-ranking figures like the Third Kazekage. Their plan was to find an opportunity for Hatake Sakumo to lead an ambush and assassinate the Third Kazekage.
Sasori discovered this plot and secretly informed Ebizo. They then decided to turn the tables, hoping to use this opportunity to eliminate their formidable enemy, Hatake Sakumo, once and for all.
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