I, Konoha’s Sage of Life

Chapter 197 - 197: You’re a Good Ninja, But...

Kakashi's problem, honestly, was a bit of a headache.

The kid had worked things out in his head — but the result was, he'd "figured out" that he wasn't suited for team combat and wanted to transfer into the Anbu.

The problem was...

Anbu needs teamwork too!

What, did Kakashi spend the past few days during the Chūnin Exams working with some Anbu members and now think he's suddenly cut out for it?

Kyoichi mulled this over.

Things were all piling up at once, but thankfully, he didn't have to personally stress over the Hokage inauguration. Those old-timers were more anxious than anyone, with even Koharu Utatane fully backing down.

They'd keep everything simple — but...

It still had to be done.

They couldn't just slap up a public notice like Tsunade had joked.

That'd be way too informal.

On this, Kyoichi fully agreed.

Without the proper name and title, the words carry no weight.

What's necessary is necessary — and as it turns out, Koharu and Homura only really fumbled on big-picture decisions; when it came to small matters, they were barely passable, but at least they weren't inherently problematic.

Unlike Danzō.

With the recent wave of Anbu measures, Kyoichi was sure Danzō would be making his move soon.

Root wasn't like the Akatsuki.

Akatsuki was a bunch of missing-nin with nowhere to go, but most of Root's members had been shaped within Konoha, and if they left Root, they had plenty of places to turn to.

Why hang themselves on Danzō's crooked tree?

That's exactly how members of the Aburame and Yamanaka clans were thinking. So when their clan heads had a word with them, they quickly chose to withdraw from Root.

Sure, Danzō still had a fair number of subordinates, but all the true elites had returned to their clans.

Even if you're lying low, you still have to build strength.

Otherwise, if you play the "pig" too long, you really do become a pig.

The board was already set.

All that was left was a catalyst —

Leaving Konoha.

As long as Kyoichi remained inside Konoha, Danzō wouldn't dare make a move. He had to create just a sliver of space, let Danzō feel like there was room to maneuver, only then would Danzō act.

And that opportunity...

Lay with Konan.

Kyoichi circled the map.

The Land of Rain, the Land of Birds, the northern part of the Land of Rivers, and Sunagakure.

These four areas formed a chain.

Once Konan's internship here was over, he'd take the chance to leave Konoha along with her, setting the bait and waiting for the fish to bite.

With the plan set, all that was left now was the Hokage inauguration.

— Noon —

Close to dismissal time, Kyoichi finally strolled into the classroom again.

Konan was practically speechless.

This guy...

His timing was freakishly precise. Always showing up just before the bell, like he was terrified of missing anything.

Still...

By now, she wasn't nervous about teaching anymore.

At first, she thought teaching a bunch of Genin would be tough, but after experiencing it, she found they were actually pretty easy to guide — as long as she knew how to answer their questions.

If she couldn't answer, that would be seriously embarrassing.

Luckily, there wasn't anyone in this group who could stump her. The only troublesome one, Obito, had been ordered to sit quietly at his desk, still muzzled.

Of course...

Konan wasn't cruel enough to use explosive tags as a gag.

But even so...

When Obito was finally released, his legs were a little shaky, and the moment class ended, he wanted to bolt — but didn't dare. Inside the classroom was Konan; outside the classroom was Kyoichi.

He was genuinely scared now.

Scared Kyoichi would walk in and say, "Let me have a word."

"Ha ha, today was really enjoyable working with all of you. I'm a bit disappointed some of you didn't get the chance to ask your questions, but hopefully next time! Also, next class I'll be guiding you on ninja tool control, so feel free to think up questions in advance."

Konan smiled softly, then reached out and handed a flower to Obito.

Obito froze for a second, his face instantly flushing red.

"Wh-why?"

"Because—"

"What Konan means is, if you were mute, you'd actually be quite a good ninja."

Kyoichi walked in right on cue.

And just like that, Obito deflated like a punctured balloon.

Konan shook her head and said, "I saw you in that green-clad team — you're a hardworking ninja. My teacher once told me, truly strong ninjas aren't defined by talent, but by their capacity for endurance and perseverance. I'm sharing those words with you — keep them in mind."

"Konan-sensei... thank you!"

Obito took the flower, his heart a mix of excitement and emotion.

Even though he kept getting targeted...

In the end, Konan still encouraged him to keep going, recognized his hard work — and she'd only been in Konoha a day or two. This showed Kyoichi-sensei was right.

Every ninja's effort — people really did notice.

He almost wanted to cry.

"Keep it up! Alright, good job, everyone — class dismissed."

Kyoichi didn't hold anyone back.

They were all ninjas; they were responsible for their own futures. There was no need for him to nag.

After class, Konan mock-scolded him: "You dragged me here and then ran off on your own — don't you think that's a bit much?"

"Ahem, something came up unexpectedly. Couldn't be helped."

"Pfft!"

Konan didn't buy that for a second.

Something unexpected?

He'd clearly planned to stick her here to cover the lesson since yesterday — a whole day's worth of plotting. How could that possibly count as "unexpected"?

Was he trying to fool a child?

Kyoichi didn't explain. The more you explain, the guiltier you sound — besides...

He really had planned this in advance.

If you're going to take a hit, stand tall and take it.

Fortunately, Konan didn't press the matter. She just grumbled lightly and let it go.

Kyoichi didn't bring up his intention to accompany her to Amegakure just yet.

He still needed to discuss things with Tsunade before making any decisions. After all, once he left, the village — and Danzō's side — would need Tsunade to keep watch. Plus, he'd need Minato's help —

Without Minato's Flying Thunder God, it would be hard for him to return quickly from Amegakure to Konoha.

The next day...

Konan went to teach her class as usual.

Even though she knew Kyoichi had partly coaxed her into it, she genuinely found some enjoyment in teaching. Seeing the children's smiles felt like glimpsing the future.

Unfortunately...

That future wasn't Amegakure's — it was Konoha's.

These kids were strong!

The genin of Amegakure couldn't even compare. Each of these Konoha students had a rock-solid foundation, and among them, Obito stood out as a top performer in both taijutsu and ninjutsu.

Of course...

She was very aware that this group of students had already been carefully selected.

The ones almost guaranteed to make chūnin weren't even here.

The ones left were genin or slackers — Konoha's true elites hadn't shown up yet.

Honestly...

To say she wasn't curious would be a lie. But she wasn't here to gather intelligence.

Besides...

How strong Konoha was had nothing to do with Amegakure.

With Konoha's current strength, defeating Amegakure would be as easy as snapping fingers; the two villages weren't even on the same level. She even suspected that if the smaller villages banded together, they still wouldn't be a match for Konoha.

Even if they added Sunagakure to the mix.

Konoha was simply too strong!

The more she understood, the more cautious she became.

There were differences even among the Great Ninja Villages.

Meanwhile...

Kyoichi was discussing the fishing matter with Tsunade.

At first, Tsunade was reluctant to agree.

But...

After Kyoichi's repeated persuasion, she finally gave in. Once the serious discussion wrapped up, Kyoichi sat down and glanced outside.

The Hokage building was fully decorated.

All that was left was the timing.

"Tomorrow's the Hokage inauguration?"

"Yeah! If you ask me, all I need to do is go up there and say a few words. Do we really need all this ceremony? Come on, with my popularity, the moment I stand there, won't the whole crowd be cheering?"

Tsunade thumped her chest confidently.

Kyoichi's eyelids twitched —

Please stop thumping, that's a little too intense.

"It's honestly not that hard. Just say a few words of encouragement, and that's it. Oh, right — you're into psychological medicine, aren't you? Haven't you tried counseling Kakashi a bit? Why does he still want to join the ANBU?"

"Don't bring it up, that kid..."

Tsunade sat in her chair, silent for a long while, her tone heavy. "Let's just say medicine isn't all-powerful. Or rather, maybe the kind of all-powerful medicine I need just hasn't been discovered yet."

"Looks like I'll have to step in myself. I'll take him, Shisui, and Kurenai along and head over to Amegakure for a little trip."

"You're bringing Shisui?"

Tsunade frowned.

A six-year-old with the Sharingan — that kind of talent was honestly terrifying, and she was a little worried.

"Relax, with me there, it'll basically be fine."

Besides...

Staying in the village was actually the most dangerous option.

Kyoichi added that silently in his heart.

Tsunade thought it over — that was true. Kyoichi had already gone head-to-head with the Third Raikage and the Third Tsuchikage; Hanzo wouldn't be able to kill him either.

Especially since Hanzo's specialties overlapped heavily with Kyoichi's.

Water Release, poisons, swordsmanship.

These were all areas Kyoichi excelled in. The only really troublesome part might be the salamander, but Kyoichi was fast enough to avoid it...

So, after some thought, she agreed — and even added,

"If you get the chance, help me beat Hanzo up for a bit. Back when he defeated us, he even had the nerve to slap the title 'Sannin' on us. Damn it, if we hadn't been outmatched back then, I would've gone up and punched him myself."

Just recalling it made Tsunade irritated.

In outsiders' eyes, the title of "Sannin" might have been a mark of honor, a legendary name. But to her, it wasn't even as endearing as "the famous big spender" —

After all...

The big spender was a nickname she'd earned at the gambling tables herself.

"If the opportunity comes, I'll definitely help you settle that old score."

Kyoichi chuckled.

Hanzo at his peak was hard to gauge, but the current Hanzo? Kyoichi really wasn't afraid — bring on a few, they'd all be the same. The only annoying part was the poison gas.

After all...

With poison gas around, the Seven Heavens Breathing Method couldn't be used.

"Oh right, if you run into Jiraiya, pass him a message for me: Konoha's reputation has finally improved a bit, so tell him to stop dragging down the names of the Sannin and Konoha when he's out there."

Tsunade didn't think Kyoichi, with his sharp instincts, wouldn't already know about Jiraiya's little "interests," so she didn't even bother hiding it.

Meanwhile, Kyoichi was thinking...

Chances were, he wouldn't even run into Jiraiya.

That guy wasn't exactly the type to sit still. And after finally leaving Konoha, with his personality, there was no way he wouldn't swing by the Land of Hot Water —

The ultimate hot spring paradise.

Tsunade obviously knew this too, so she was just casually saying it.

At the end of the day...

She herself was just as wild when out in the world. Gambling debts, dodging creditors — when had she ever thought about Konoha's reputation then?

All three Sannin were the same.

In Konoha, they might restrain themselves a bit. But once they were outside, they all turned into lively, free-spirited rogues.

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