Chapter 124: The Third Shinobi War Begins
Ishiro was thrilled—not just because his own strength had improved, but more importantly, because of the growth of his disciple Kawakita. Not even half a year since becoming a genin, and he had already comprehended sword aura. A child like this was bound to become a focus of Iwagakure's cultivation efforts. His future accomplishments were guaranteed to be great.
To put it simply, as long as he continued growing steadily, Kawakita had a strong chance of becoming a jōnin. Even if he eventually plateaued at the barrier between chūnin and jōnin, the destructive power of his sword aura would still make him a tokubetsu jōnin—and one of the stronger ones at that.
Since Kawakita began practicing Ishiro's foundational body training methods, he had improved bit by bit every day. Ishiro was satisfied with the results, though he hadn't initially placed much hope in Kawakita—after all, Kawakita was the only disciple he hadn't handpicked.
Ishiro's greatest hopes had originally been placed on Kajiyama Ri. What Ishiro valued most in him was his way of thinking—someone capable of forming original insights about ninjutsu had the potential to create his own techniques. Ishiro himself had developed Water Pressure Line and Water Cutter through this path.
More than anyone, Ishiro understood how great the advantage was for a ninja who could create their own jutsu. His Water Cutter consumed far less chakra than a typical A-rank jutsu. And since he hadn't fully mastered it yet, there was still plenty of room to improve.
He had intended to wait a few more years, until Kajiyama Ri's strength had grown further, before guiding him toward creating his own jutsu. If Kajiyama Ri succeeded, he would undoubtedly reach the jōnin level.
But Kawakita's unexpected success changed Ishiro's mind. Perhaps it was time to start guiding Kajiyama Ri now.
As for Tomoe—she was the one Ishiro felt most confident about as a testament to his teaching ability. Not because she had the highest potential, but because of how far she could go from such a weak starting point. She had been at the very bottom of the ordinary class.
If Ishiro could raise her to the level of a chūnin, it would prove the effectiveness of his teaching. If she could become a tokubetsu jōnin, Ishiro would be praised as a master instructor—and that reputation could greatly benefit his future promotions.
So far, Tomoe's performance had lived up to expectations. Her unusual chakra sensitivity allowed her to learn many things faster than others.
Come to think of it, it had taken her even less time than Ishiro to learn a C-rank jutsu. And her hand seal speed was already quick. If she simply continued on this path and reached her physical peak, becoming a tokubetsu jōnin was well within reach.
Originally, that would've been enough for Ishiro—but after seeing Kawakita's breakthrough, his mindset changed. He began wondering if he could push Tomoe even further.
Tomoe currently had two chakra natures: Wind and Earth. However, due to her low chakra reserves, she hadn't learned many jutsu.
And with few jutsu under her belt, walking the path of ninjutsu development would be difficult. She had too little to draw inspiration from.
Ishiro had two ideas. One: gradually teach her the C-rank Earth Release jutsu he knew, building up her repertoire so she could one day develop her own technique. Two: train her to become a master of sealing techniques. Her sensitivity to chakra made her a good candidate.
After thinking it through, Ishiro decided to let her choose for herself.
He gathered the three disciples and said, "Today surprised me—not just because I learned sword aura, but because Kawakita broke through."
"Originally, I hadn't expected such a sudden leap from you, so I kept your training rather relaxed. But now I've changed my mind. Since Kawakita could break his limits, I believe Tomoe and Kajiyama Ri can too."
The two immediately perked up, their confidence renewed. Ishiro nodded in satisfaction and continued, "Kajiyama Ri, I've always had one goal for your future—to develop a jutsu of your own. A ninja who can do that has no theoretical upper limit. And that's not just my opinion—Lord Ōnoki himself said that."
Hearing this, all three straightened up, listening intently.
"Kawakita, do you remember when I was selecting disciples? I wasn't too impressed when you used Water Formation Wall—but one question you asked made me reconsider."
Kawakita nodded. He remembered that day clearly.
"You're a ninja who thinks for himself. That's a rare and valuable trait. Your next step should be to find a jutsu you're familiar with—preferably a Water Release one—and begin modifying it to create something new."
"When I developed Water Pressure Line, it took years. Upgrading it to Water Cutter took even longer. I nearly gave up more than once."
Reflecting on those hardships, Ishiro said, "Kajiyama Ri, what jutsu you develop is entirely up to you. You'll have to explore the path alone at first. Only once you have a direction can I help you. It will be hard. Can you endure that?"
Without hesitation, Kajiyama Ri nodded. "Yes, Sensei. I will. I'll create a jutsu of my own—just like you did."
Ishiro nodded in approval, then turned to Tomoe. "Tomoe, your talents are a lot like mine—low chakra, high control."
"But unlike me, you didn't start improving your body at age three. If you try that now, it'll be a hard road."
"I've thought it over, and I'll give you two options."
He laid out the two paths: one, build her Earth Release jutsu collection to eventually create her own; two, focus on becoming a sealing technique master.
To Ishiro's surprise, Tomoe shook her head and said, "Ishiro-sensei, I want to develop Wind Release. I feel a strong affinity for it. I believe it might be my path."
Ishiro was startled, then warned, "You've thought this through? If you choose Wind, I won't be able to help you much. Of the five chakra natures, Wind is the only one I haven't mastered."
Tomoe nodded seriously. "Yes, I've thought it through. I don't know why, but after hearing what you said to Kajiyama Ri, I had a feeling—this is the right path for me."
"You once told us that when you developed Lightning Release, you had a similar feeling—and you said we should never ignore that. I believe in you, and I believe in my instincts."
Ishiro blinked, seeing Tomoe in a new light. She had always seemed timid, but now he realized she might be the smartest and most self-aware of the three.
He smiled and ruffled her hair. "I'm glad you're staying true to yourself. With that kind of conviction, your path forward will be smoother."
Having helped his students find their respective directions, Ishiro felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders. Glancing around, he said, "If we were back in the village, I'd treat you all to your favorite grilled meat."
"I don't even like grilled meat."
"It's clearly you who likes it, Sensei."
"I'm sick of it already."
"Good thing we're not in the village."
"Yeah, lucky us."
"Haha—how about I grill it myself for you?"
"No thanks!"
"Nope!"
"Please don't!"
…
The next day, Ishiro sent an ANBU squad back to the village to report on their multi-front offensive and the clearing of enemy scouts. He also reported Kawakita's progress and submitted a request to officially teach him a B-rank kenjutsu.
Only a day later, the village responded. Not because they were urgently focused on Kawakita—though they were certainly pleased a sword genius had emerged—but because news had just come in: Suna's army had entered the Land of Rivers.
The Third Shinobi War had begun!
Ishiro immediately gathered all the ninja in the camp and announced the news.
Though some of the thousand-plus ninja looked uneasy, the overall mood was stable. Clearly, they had been mentally preparing for this day.
And with their recent power-ups, many had lost their initial fear of war.
After making the announcement, Ishiro upgraded the camp's defenses and increased patrols. Seizing the heightened morale, he also initiated another round of intensive training.
Ishiro remained calm. War might've started, and though Suna and Konoha were at each other's throats, Iwa hadn't officially entered the fray yet. His daily life wouldn't change much for the time being.
Once he received permission from the village, Ishiro passed on the B-rank kenjutsu to Kawakita.
His request to the village hadn't just been about Kawakita. He'd also submitted one more idea.
That day, when Tomoe spoke of her affinity for Wind, it gave Ishiro inspiration. He requested to place a natural energy sealing formation near the Eastern Front.
The village—perhaps for its own reasons—approved it.
However, the materials needed to create the seal had not yet arrived. They would come with the next supply shipment.
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