On a bright morning, Mitsuki awoke on the tatami mats of an old-fashioned room.
After spending so much time on the battlefield, now that he was back in Konoha, he always felt like time passed so quickly.
It had already been several days since he went to visit Kushina's house.
After getting up and washing, Mitsuki walked through the long open-air wooden corridor and stepped into the backyard.
"Cluck, cluck, cluck~"
He collected a few eggs from the chicken coop, then turned back and entered the kitchen.
"Small Stove Flame!"
With the control granted by his Six Eyes, the chakra-formed flame allowed him to perfectly regulate the heat.
…
"Oi~, it really is much more comfortable at home. Those ragged tents on the battlefield—I never want to see them again."
Stretching lazily, Tsunade walked down the stairs from the second floor. Seeing Mitsuki spreading jam on bread, she greeted him.
"Morning, Mitsuki."
"Morning, Tsunade-nee."
When Tsunade saw the sandwiches on the table, her eyes lit up.
"Oh, they look great."
Yes, this was Tsunade's home—a spacious, luxurious mansion.
Ever since returning to Konoha, Mitsuki couldn't wait to ask her about the Flying Thunder God Jutsu.
Tsunade's words had been: "Just come to my place. My house is pretty big."
Mitsuki had already acknowledged Tsunade from the bottom of his heart, so of course he didn't feel awkward.
After settling a few of his own affairs, he came straight to her.
And to make things convenient, he had been living at the Senju estate these past few days while studying the Flying Thunder God Jutsu.
It wasn't just that—Tsunade had even given him access to Tobirama's study.
So lately, besides learning the Flying Thunder God, Mitsuki had also been poring over Tobirama's theoretical notes.
To be honest, the harvest was tremendous. Tobirama truly was a genius.
Reading through his experimental records and hypotheses, Mitsuki realized his own research on chakra as an energy had been far too shallow.
Take, for example, the two books he had been studying recently:
"On the Nature Transformation and Shape Transformation of Yang-Attribute Chakra"and "On the Malignant Effects of High-Purity Yin-Attribute Chakra on the Human Spirit"
These gave him a deeper understanding of Yin and Yang chakra.
In addition to studying, Mitsuki had also taken an exam.
By the time he stepped out of the examination hall yesterday afternoon, he had officially become a Konoha Jōnin.
As far as shinobi rankings went, he was already at the top.
Alongside him, Ruri had also taken the exam.In the decisive battle against Suna, Ruri had been incredibly active.
She had already awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, giving her strength beyond that of an average Jōnin.
Combined with her mastery of Sharingan genjutsu, she had slain many notable Suna shinobi on the battlefield, including several Jōnin.
Just like Mitsuki, her strength and accomplishments made her more than qualified to be promoted.
There was a tradition in Konoha—when comrades became Jōnin, they exchanged gifts.
If it were someone else, Mitsuki might not know what to give. But when it came to Ruri, it was obvious.
He handwrote a ninjutsu scroll of "Chidori" and gave it to her.
Though she maintained her usual indifferent expression when receiving it, the slight curve of her lips betrayed her mood.
As for Ruri's gift to him, it was a leather sword sheath.
Mitsuki wasn't sure what kind of animal the leather came from, but the pearl-like pattern on it was beautiful, and the texture felt wonderful to the touch. It fit his Mistcutter perfectly.
That made him think of Heiji. That guy would never guess that he and Ruri had already stepped ahead of him by becoming Jōnin first. Right now, Heiji was probably still fighting on the Kiri frontlines.
Mitsuki walked outside. He sat on the wooden veranda, admiring the white hydrangeas blooming in the garden — a rare color in the Land of Fire.
According to Tsunade, these white hydrangeas were a variety brought from Uzushiogakure by her grandmother, Uzumaki Mito.
Casting a glance at Tsunade still eating at the table, Mitsuki unconsciously touched the necklace around his neck. It was Tsunade's gift from yesterday to congratulate him on becoming a Jōnin.
She hadn't explained much about it, but Mitsuki knew very well what this necklace represented. When Tsunade had handed it to him, she had hesitated, unsure if it was right to pass it on. After all, both of its previous owners had…
Mitsuki instantly understood her concern. He had accepted the necklace on the spot and worn it immediately.
It wasn't that he especially desired the necklace — rather, he thought that if he could wear what seemed like a cursed heirloom and still emerge unscathed, ending the Third Great Ninja War safely, then perhaps Tsunade's inner burden could finally be lifted.
…
Later, Mitsuki walked toward the Hokage Tower. He had been summoned by the ANBU, who said that Hiruzen wanted to see him.
After the ANBU at the entrance announced him, Mitsuki entered the Hokage's office.
Only Hiruzen appeared to be working inside, but to Mitsuki's eyes, there were four ANBU hidden in the shadows of the room. Quite a lot for just one office.
When Hiruzen saw Mitsuki enter, he immediately smiled.
"You've finally come, Mitsuki. I've been wanting to meet you. You did well in the Land of Rivers."
"You flatter me."
Mitsuki already knew that his nickname "Konoha's Gale" had been the handiwork of this old man in front of him.
But since this elder had dedicated his life to Konoha, Mitsuki couldn't really be angry. After all, "Konoha's Gale" didn't sound too bad.
The more Hiruzen looked at Mitsuki, the more pleased he became. From the mission reports given by Shikaku, he already knew the general picture: Strong, humble, respectful, and valuing comrades…
Hiruzen's smile grew brighter.
"The village has decided to reward you with the opportunity to select one ninjutsu from the Scroll of Seals."
As he spoke, Hiruzen produced the long-prepared Scroll of Seals. Forming hand signs, the scroll's surface lit up with complex sealing formulas, which restructured and then hid themselves again.
He spread it open and gestured for Mitsuki to step forward.
Mitsuki's curiosity was great — what kind of profound and forbidden jutsu did the legendary scroll, passed down since the First Hokage's era, actually contain?
As Mitsuki browsed through the scroll, Hiruzen's gaze fell on the strange creature perched on his shoulder.
According to Tsunade, this little tanuki-like creature was the One-Tail.
Even with Tsunade's repeated assurances — yes, repeated swearing on the Hokage's own desk—Hiruzen still found it hard to believe. Could humans and Tailed Beasts truly coexist in such harmony?
Still, he had no intention of interfering. On one hand, Mitsuki's strength was more than enough to contain the One-Tail. On the other, compared to the Nine-Tails, the One-Tail was a manageable threat. In short, it was a case of choosing your battles wisely.
Shukaku, sensing Hiruzen's gaze, rolled its eyes. For some reason, this old human's look made it feel deeply irritated.
"I've made my choice."