Yagura extended his hand, stopping Jūzō before he could continue arguing.
"That's enough, Jūzō," the Mizukage said calmly. "Don't press him further. Kyoichi may still be young, but he's not some reckless brat you imagine him to be. I believe he knows exactly what he needs."
"..."
Jūzō opened his mouth as if to protest, then shut it again, muttering under his breath before falling silent.
Seeing this, Yagura turned back to Kyoichi.
"Let me confirm once more. Kyoichi, have you truly decided to choose the Coral Palm Technique?"
"Yes."
Kyoichi nodded without the slightest hesitation.
To be honest, when he'd first gone through half the Book of Forbidden Arts, after eliminating all the Water Release and sealing-based techniques, the Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death Technique had seemed like the most practical choice.
That technique hardened the user's hair into metallic needles that could be fired like a hail of senbon—devastatingly effective. It was classified as forbidden because a single mistake during training could cause the hair to grow inward into the brain… and everyone could imagine how that would end.
If memory served, even one of the Sannin, Jiraiya, possessed a similar jutsu.
The Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death had great potential. If he ever had the chance to learn Jiraiya's version in the future, it would definitely strengthen his arsenal.
But—
when his eyes landed on the Coral Palm Technique, his mind changed instantly.
That forbidden art shared a conceptual resemblance to a sage technique he'd been developing in his mind. His instincts told him the Coral Palm would help refine and perfect his idea. So, without hesitation, he chose it.
"Alright. I understand."
Yagura accepted his decision, took the Scroll of Seals, flipped it open swiftly to the section on the Coral Palm, and, in full view of everyone, released the Water Release: Bleeding-Ink Seal that guarded the page.
Then he handed the Book back to Kyoichi.
"Study it here. Once you've memorized everything, return it to me."
Anyone capable of becoming a jōnin wasn't a fool. At the very least, none of them were lacking in memory. Memorizing a few hundred words was child's play—an entire jutsu's written contents rarely exceeded that length.
For a jōnin, committing a technique to memory was nothing.
"...Coral Palm... so that's the key. The transformation lies in this subtle shift..." Kyoichi murmured as he read, completely immersed.
Word by word, he absorbed it, analyzing and memorizing every nuance.
In that moment, everything else faded away.
His mind held nothing but the Coral Palm Technique.
Yagura waited quietly, holding an empty teacup.
Oniyuzu closed his eyes, looking half asleep.
Even the restless Jūzō now displayed the patience of a true Kiri jōnin, sitting still like an assassin in the dark—so still that unless you approached closely, you wouldn't even hear him breathe.
In that deep silence, half an hour slipped by.
"Phew…"
Kyoichi finally exhaled and lifted his gaze from the scroll. "Alright… I think I've got it. Mizukage-sama—ah, sorry! I might've gotten a bit too absorbed."
Seeing Yagura staring directly at him, Kyoichi froze for a heartbeat before sheepishly scratching his head, realizing just how lost in study he'd been.
"Looks like you've gained quite a lot, Kyoichi," Yagura said with a faint smile.
"Well... yes, quite a lot actually," Kyoichi admitted.
The secrets of the Coral Palm had indeed given him tremendous inspiration. If it weren't for the inappropriate setting, his instincts told him that after a few practical tests, he could likely complete the first Sage Technique he'd been envisioning.
"That's good to hear."
Yagura reached out to take the scroll back. "Now I can rest easy. If you'd walked away empty-handed, I'd probably have been sulking for days."
"Thank you for your concern, Mizukage-sama."
Kyoichi bowed slightly.
Whatever Yagura's deeper intentions might be, there was no denying that he had treated Kyoichi—an outsider newly arrived in Kirigakure—with remarkable fairness.
"Oh, right, Kyoichi," Yagura suddenly asked, "have you thought about which department you'd like to serve in now that you're part of the village?"
"Am I… allowed to choose?" Kyoichi asked curiously.
"The choice goes both ways."
Oniyuzu, the elder adviser who had seemed to be dozing moments ago, opened his eyes and said, "Normally, one's assignment considers both personal preference and departmental suitability. But if there's a special situation, the Mizukage's directive takes priority."
"So right now, this is a normal case?"
"Of course," Oniyuzu nodded.
"Then… what options does a jōnin have in Kirigakure? And where would someone like me fit best?" Kyoichi asked after thinking for a few seconds.
"The main divisions of Kirigakure are the ANBU, Police Force, Administrative Department, Education Department, Medical Corps, and Interrogation Unit," Oniyuzu explained evenly. "Beyond that, we have the Border Defense Force. Not just jōnin—most shinobi seeking a stable career work within these units."
He paused briefly, took a breath, and continued,
"Of course, you can also choose to remain unaffiliated and take missions independently. That path offers greater freedom, fewer rules—but income becomes unstable. Whether that lifestyle suits you depends on your own will."
Kyoichi nodded as he listened.
It was much the same as Iwagakure's system.
Not surprising, really—most villages had copied Konoha's structure at their founding, with only minor local adjustments.
"As for where you'd fit best," Oniyuzu continued thoughtfully, "based on what I know of you, if you seek stability, the ANBU, Police Force, or Border Defense would make the best use of your combat prowess. But if you prefer fewer constraints, you can always live as an independent shinobi, taking missions as they come."
He spoke slowly and clearly, addressing every one of Kyoichi's questions with patient detail.