Quasi-Kage

Finally, perhaps because all the skilled fighters from Kawakita had already been tested, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

Yichen looked around and figured that only Mifune hadn't played yet. He was thinking about how to get Mifune to step down when Mifune stepped forward on his own initiative.

"I'll take the last one."

Yichen was surprised, while Kawakita Bei's eyes lit up. The failed challenges he had just faced had taught him a lot, but somehow, his body and his sword were telling him that he was still a little short, a little short.

After Mifune was brought out, Kawakita launched a full-scale attack on Mifune without saying a word. Faster, faster, even faster.

Kawakita unleashed the fastest strike of the day in all the battles so far.

Yichen didn't feel much about this scene; he only noticed that Kawakita had improved a bit more. However, many of the sword masters who had just defeated Kawakita had a change of expression.

"This level?" They all looked at the sword masters of the major schools. Kawakita had reached the level of these major sword masters. You have to know that these sword masters were not only able to defeat Kawakita, but also leave Kawakita unharmed. This means that there is actually a big difference in strength between the two sides.

But in the blink of an eye, Kawakita overcame that hurdle. Although Kawakita is still very immature, with further training, it will surely catch up soon.

"What a genius! No wonder the Tsuchikage took him as a disciple and went to the trouble of bringing him to challenge the masters of the Land of Iron." These sword masters exclaimed in admiration.

These thoughts flashed through their minds in an instant, and by then, Kawakita had already rushed up to Mifune.

Kawakita, having unleashed the most exhilarating slash he had ever made since learning swordsmanship, focused all his attention on Mifune.

Unfortunately, even so, he still couldn't see Mifune's movements clearly.

Mifune seemed to wave his hand lightly, or perhaps he didn't move at all, but in that instant, Kawakita felt as if something inside him had shattered.

I looked at the knife in my hand; it was intact. I touched my body; there was still no problem. So what exactly broke?

Just then, a voice echoed in Kawakita's mind, "Why are you learning swordsmanship?"

"For what? Yes, for what?" Kawakita looked puzzled. "To become an excellent ninja? It doesn't seem like it. To repay the teacher's teachings? It doesn't seem like it. To protect our comrades and the village? It doesn't seem like it either?"

"What was that for?" Kawakita couldn't help but recall the first time he came into contact with a long sword when he was a child.

Kawakita's parents were both Genin who didn't usually use swords, opting instead for Kunai. But one day, his father suddenly brought home a short sword, which was said to be a trophy from killing a wandering ninja.

While his parents were out on a mission, Kawakita picked up the short knife, which was still a bit heavy for him at the time, out of curiosity.

At that moment, Kawakita had a feeling that he liked knives. From then on, it seemed that Kawakita had never been without knives.

Although the knife in my hand is no longer the same one, and I have used many different knives, the knife in my heart has never changed.

I learned swordsmanship simply because I liked it!

"Boom!" Just as Kawakita gave his answer, it was as if a thunderclap rang in Kawakita ears, and the things that had just shattered seemed to recombine.

"Oh, so what just shattered was the knife in my own heart." At this moment, Kawakita was completely awake.

Yichen was unaware of Kawakita's inner turmoil, but he could see that Kawakita's aura was beginning to recede. Yichen was overjoyed. "Good lad, he's already become a Quasi-Shadow?"

Those sword masters who had just defeated Kawakita all paled at this moment; they had only ever felt this way with Mifune.

Could it be...?

Ignoring their shock, Mifune and Kawakita, once they regained their senses, turned to Yichen said, "Tsuchikage, we've done all we can. We won't keep Tsuchikage here."

Yichen nodded, took out a long sword he had obtained from Madara Uchiha, tossed it to Mifune, and said, "This sword was originally intended as a thank-you gift to the swordsmanship master who instructed Kawakita. However, I didn't expect so many people to be instructing him today, so I only brought one. Please forgive me."

Upon hearing this, Kawakita immediately bowed to Mifune and the other swordsmen, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, seniors."

Mifune nodded without saying a word.

The swordsmen returned the salute with complicated expressions. Just now, they had been defeated by Kawakita, but next time they met, they might not be a match for him. The group felt somewhat puzzled.

Seeing this, Yichen, knowing he was unwelcome, led the four of them away the way they came.

Watching Yichen and his group of five leave, Mifune breathed a sigh of relief. While he was surprised by Kawakita's progress, he was more at ease knowing that this matter hadn't dragged him into the chaos of the Five Great Nations.

On the way back to the Land of Earth, Yichen was very excited, even more so than Kawakita himself.

Look at Kawakita, he seems pleasing to the eye no matter how you look at him. I suppose Ōnoki felt the same way about himself back then.

To ensure that Yichen could successfully become a quasi-Kage, Ōnoki even abandoned the pursuit of the fleeing Konoha Ninja Army.

"Kawakita, do you want to rest for a while?" Yichen asked.

Kawakita shook his head and said, "Teacher, I'm fine."

Yichen nodded. He wasn't entirely clear on how everyone reacted when they became a Quasi-Shadow, as there were very few templates to refer to.

For example, Yichen and Ikura directly learned the fifth attribute's Nature Transformation.

However, Kawakita stated that he had absolutely no feelings about it.

"Sigh," Yichen with some regret, but then he thought, "Was I too greedy? Oh well, this result is already quite satisfactory."

In a good mood, Yichen became even stricter with the three of them, including Uzumaki Riori, feeling that they hadn't been training hard enough.

"Hurry up, Akino, hang in there, we've only been running for a short while; Riori, control your strength, look at what you've done to the branches, everyone will know a ninja just passed by; Kiyoshi, what's wrong with you? Didn't I tell you to Water Release to cover everyone's movements? How come you can't even do this simple thing right?"

The three little ones tried their best to do as Yichen said, while looking at Kawakita with resentment.

It was precisely because Kawakita became a near-film leader that, in comparison, the three of them seemed to be doing something wrong or not.

Previously, Kawakita was a reliable and trustworthy older brother in the eyes of the three, so why does he seem so hateful now?

Kawakita felt a little awkward being stared at by the three, so he slowed down and deliberately lagged behind them.

Seeing this, Yichen quickly said, "Kawakita, are you tired? Do you want to rest for a while? It's okay, the three of them are tired too."

Kawakita:...

The three Team Five:...

The three members of Team Five are still somewhat in a dreamlike state. They now know what a near-Kage level is. To put it simply, they estimate that in another year or two, Kawakita will have the same level of strength as their teacher and the Third Lord.

That's the strength of a Kage! How did Kawakita- nii suddenly reach that level?

Under Yichen's deliberate exploitation, Team Five traveled tirelessly without sleep and finally returned to Iwagakure in excruciating pain.

After leaving his three disciples, who were nearly exhausted, at the village entrance, Yichen took Kawakita directly to the Tsuchikage.

On the way, Kawakita asked, "Teacher Yichen, is it good to put pressure on them like this?"

Kawakita naturally knew that Yichen's disdain for the three was all an act; well, the three probably knew it too. Yichen just wanted to find an excuse to train them.

It's alright, they're just too relaxed. Think about how you trained since you were a child, you won't die.

Kawakita thought about himself, then about the three people in Team Five, and fell silent.

Upon arriving at the Tsuchikage's Office Building, Yichen immediately convened the Advisor Group to share the good news.

The moment Ōnoki and Ikura saw Kawakita, they sensed something was wrong and exclaimed in unison, "Kawakita has become a quasi-Kage?"

Mei and Saka, who were following Ōnoki and about to enter the Tsuchikage's Office, were also taken aback, then overjoyed. Was Iwagakure about to produce another Kage Level?

In the conference room, Yichen looked smug as he watched the four consultants scrutinize Kawakita.

Of the four, Saka was the most deeply moved. The scene of Yichen selecting the three disciples of Team One the list seemed to be right before his eyes. At that time, Yichen himself was only a Jonin, and his strength was not as good as Saka's.

It's only been a few years now, maybe seven or eight. In those seven or eight years, not only has Yichen become a Shadow, but even his disciple has become a Quasi-Shadow.

Saka has an unreal, dreamlike feeling.

Ōnoki was the first to react, saying, "Kawakita, from now on, you shouldn't be doing any more missions outside the village. Don't leave the village until you become a true Kage Level. Also, although you mainly study swordsmanship, and the village doesn't have any S-rank Ninjutsu, as is customary, you have one chance to choose S-rank Ninjutsu. Go check the Scroll of Seals to see if there's anything suitable."

Kawakita nodded; Yichen had already told him all this before.

Kawakita said, "Once this graduating class graduates, I also plan to take on a few disciples."

Kawakita had no intention of taking on disciples before, but during this period, first on the way to the Land of Rain, he acted as a babysitter, and then on the way to the Land of Iron, he was shown a lot about the master-disciple relationship by Yichen. This made Kawakita consider taking on disciples.

Since I'll be staying in the village for a long time anyway, I might as well take on a few disciples to pass the time.

Ōnoki and the others now fully support the idea of Jonin apprentices.

If it weren't for the fear of leaking information, Ōnoki would have wanted Yichen to convene a meeting of all the Jonin the village to talk to everyone about the situation in Kawakita, in order to encourage everyone's enthusiasm for taking on apprentices.

The next day, Yichen took Kawakita to see the Scroll of Seals. Because Yichen had already introduced the list of Ninjutsu in the Scroll of Seals to Kawakita beforehand, Kawakita's selection process did not take much time.

The ninjutsu that Kawakita chose was one that Yichen suspected originated from the Tenseigan eye technique—a ninjutsu that uses chakra to condense a giant sword outside the body.

After Kawakita fully memorized this Ninjutsu, Yichen placed a seal in his mind.

As they were leaving the secret room, Kawakita suddenly told Yichen, "Teacher Yichen, Tomoko has become Elite Jonin."

Yichen was taken aback. "Huh?"

Tomoko and Kawakita graduated in the same class. Kawakita has become a quasi-Kage, so it doesn't seem like a big deal for Tomoko to become Elite Jonin.

However, Yichen was still somewhat surprised because Tomoko's talent was too ordinary. Her ceiling was actually quite obvious. Yichen had always thought that Tomoko would only ever be Jonin, but he didn't expect that she still had room for improvement.

"How did she get promoted?" Yichen asked curiously.

Kawakita said, "After returning from Konoha, the village promoted all three of her disciples to Chunin, and it was at that moment that she became Elite Jonin."

"Do the Third Generation know?" Yichen asked.

Kawakita shook his head and said, "Not yet. Tomoko herself isn't sure. She only came to confirm this with me yesterday after she found out I was back. We've decided to go and select disciples together after this year's students graduate."

Yichen nodded and said, "I understand. I'll talk to the Third Generation and the others about promoting her."

Kawakita left to train in S-rank Ninjutsu, while Yichen excitedly went to meet with Ōnoki and other high-ranking officials.