Chapter 117: Group Training
What followed was an unusual sight—while the other fronts were busy preparing for war, Ishiro's side began large-scale training.
Over a thousand regular chūnin and genin, along with several ANBU, took part. Naturally, the gap in talent was vast. The quick learners mastered C-rank ninjutsu in four or five days, while the slower ones struggled even after a week, not even grasping the basics.
Despite the fact that most shinobi had average aptitude for ninjutsu, the majority still chose to learn it. After all, the appeal of ninjutsu far exceeded that of taijutsu or kenjutsu—for no other reason than its flashy appearance alone, which was enough to drive most people mad with excitement.
Seven days later, the village delivered the first shipment of supplies. This batch was primarily living necessities for the Eastern Division's ninja, with a small portion dedicated to camp construction.
It was clear the village had no intention of completing the camp all at once—likely because war hadn't officially broken out yet.
But this worked in Ishiro's favor. With limited construction supplies, he didn't have to assign too many people to the camp work. One outpost's worth of personnel per day was enough.
He expected the training days to continue peacefully. However, ninja kept coming to Ishiro with requests. For example, the leader of one outpost came to him with a proposal.
It turned out the most common chakra nature among the troops was Earth Release. Ishiro had assigned them to learn Earth Release: Earth Wall, but this jōnin requested a more offensive technique, saying too many people were focusing on Earth Wall.
Ishiro was surprised—he hadn't thought that far ahead. Earth Release wasn't as easily combinable with other elements. Water Surge paired with Lightning could cause double damage to enemies. Fireball strengthened by Wind Release became comparable to a B-rank technique even when performed by mid-level ninja.
But Earth Release was more limited. Ishiro didn't have a great solution. So he decided to let those who had already mastered one technique use fewer contribution points to redeem a second.
The first jutsu was free, purely for tactical purposes. The second one didn't need to be. If someone had already learned Earth Wall or knew it beforehand, Ishiro's strategic goal was achieved. No need to hand out more for free.
Still, he expected many would want to learn more. And if Earth Release users had this issue, other chakra natures would likely raise similar requests.
As expected, once he put out the word, numerous shinobi came to redeem new techniques—most of them Earth Release users. Ishiro didn't hesitate and gave them the C-rank technique Rock Shatter.
Originally, people had expected him to hand out techniques like Earth Lance, so they were a bit surprised. Still, Rock Shatter could be used in conjunction with Earth Wall, so they weren't disappointed. They spent about half of their contribution points to get it.
Since most of them had only recently joined the Eastern Division, few had enough contribution points. But Ishiro allowed them to redeem on credit—they could make up the difference with future missions.
Though it wasn't free like the first jutsu, being able to get a C-rank technique at half price was more than satisfactory for most.
Shinobi with other elemental affinities also came to redeem jutsu. Unlike Earth Release, Ishiro didn't assign specific techniques for the others. He simply let them choose based on what he had in stock. The discount was a bit less generous—about 60% of the usual cost.
Technically, every country was preparing for war. Ishiro's front was considered part of the frontlines, but combat wasn't expected any time soon.
However, Ishiro's choice of camp location made Konoha uneasy. It was clear his position wasn't meant for dealing with Kumogakure, but instead strategically pointed at Konoha. As a result, Konoha began dispatching small teams to gather intelligence.
Ishiro, being a sensory-type ninja, easily noticed these scouts during his routine surveillance. Even if they belonged to the Aburame clan and used kikaichū, he still detected them.
In fact, he didn't just find traces of kikaichū—he also discovered signs of White Zetsu.
White Zetsu's appearance immediately raised Ishiro's alertness. He increased the number of patrol ninjas and intensified his personal training. After all, nothing was more important than increasing one's own strength.
A while back, Ishiro had achieved a minor breakthrough. But converting that mental breakthrough into actual power took time and effort. So recently, he cut back on ninjutsu practice and lightning chakra training to focus more on physical conditioning.
This was his fastest method for adjusting to his enhanced willpower. Through physical testing, he could better understand his limits and master his newfound strength.
Over ten days passed, and Ishiro finally adapted to the unstable period following his breakthrough. At last, he could truly be called an elite jōnin.
So what had changed since reaching that level? In one word: control. Ishiro's command over his body and chakra had improved significantly.
In practical terms, this meant faster movement, quicker reactions, and a higher degree of efficiency. Several jutsu that couldn't be simplified before now required fewer hand seals. Earth Wall dropped from four seals to three. Water Pressure Line went from five to four. Raging Water Surge decreased from nine to eight. Torrential Rain dropped from eight to seven. Several other techniques saw similar reductions.
Even more importantly, his hand seal speed had increased—from 5.0–5.5 seals per second to 5.3–5.8. Ishiro considered this more impactful than the reduced number of seals.
His Body Flicker Technique also improved—from three consecutive uses to five. But since he could already perform it without hand seals, this improvement didn't add much value.
Finally, his Body Binding Technique and Body Disturbance Technique had also become more potent.
Looking at it holistically, Ishiro had undeniably ascended to a new tier. It made sense that elite jōnin were ranked separately from standard jōnin.
With his strength stabilized, Ishiro grew eager to act. He decided it was time to deal with the Konoha ninja who had been spying near the camp.
After several days of careful sensing, he determined there were six Konoha ninja—each of them jōnin, and one likely an elite jōnin. That single individual was the reason Ishiro hadn't made a move yet.
He clearly remembered that two years ago at a supply station, it had taken multiple ANBU teams—including one elite jōnin—to take down a single elite jōnin enemy. If that elite jōnin hadn't risked their life to pin the enemy down, the target might have escaped.
Now Konoha had sent another elite jōnin, accompanied by five subordinates. It wasn't an easy problem to solve.
Currently, Ishiro was the strongest in the Eastern Division—having just become an elite jōnin. If he gathered ANBU squads and outpost leaders, he could muster over thirty jōnin or tokubetsu jōnin. That should be enough.
However, he couldn't disrupt patrols just to launch a surprise attack, or the enemy would sense something. That meant there were fewer than twenty jōnin available at the camp—still more than the enemy, but not enough for a guaranteed clean sweep.
Worse, Konoha's side included an Aburame, skilled in scouting. Discovering them was hard enough; trying to ambush them undetected was another matter entirely.
Ishiro summoned the jōnin currently stationed at the camp and briefed them on the situation. The mood turned heavy—after all, elite jōnin were no joke. Trying to capture one might cost several lives, even if they succeeded.
Only after Ishiro said he could personally deal with the elite jōnin did the others relax. Then, an ANBU with the codename "Moto" spoke up: "With only twenty jōnin at the camp, this could still go south. I recommend waiting for reinforcements."
"Tomorrow morning, I'll take four ANBU squads and circle around behind the Konoha group. Around noon, two or three more squads will return to the camp. We strike from both sides at once. Let ANBU move in squads—they're used to working together and can coordinate better than unfamiliar jōnin."
Ishiro hesitated. His initial plan was to deploy a large jōnin force without involving chūnin. But Moto made a good point—sending out a group of strangers could lead to mistakes.
After some thought, Ishiro said, "Alright, if ANBU are deploying in squads, then we'll adjust our strategy."
The next morning, Moto's squad and three others left the camp one after another. It looked routine—ANBU had been coming and going frequently, so Konoha wouldn't be suspicious.
Sure enough, Ishiro's sensing confirmed that the Konoha scouts didn't react.
By noon, three more ANBU squads returned to camp. Ishiro gathered them before they could rest and explained the battle plan.
A little while later, at the appointed time, Ishiro walked out of the command center. Around him, ANBU members and the thirteen outpost leaders quickly converged from their training spots.
Together, Ishiro led five ANBU squads, plus thirteen jōnin and tokubetsu jōnin, and rushed toward the Konoha shinobi.
At the same time, ten kilometers away, the other four ANBU squads began their charge from behind the enemy.
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