"Jonin Kyoichi..."
After leaving the Hokage Building, Kyoichi was just about to find some time to check the System Panel—he had heard the notification sound as soon as the meeting ended, but hadn't had time to look.
But.
Before he could, someone shouted from behind him.
That voice...
Minato Namikaze?
Kyoichi turned around and, sure enough, saw the blond-haired Minato Namikaze walking toward him.
"Senior Minato, is there something you'd like to ask me about?"
Minato wasn't the Fourth Hokage yet.
However, after the Battle of Mount Kikyo, he had begun to make a name for himself in Konoha. He was worlds apart from a newly promoted Jonin like Kyoichi.
"I wanted to ask your advice. Why is basic medical knowledge included in the training? Medical Ninjutsu is vast and profound. I doubt even many Jonin understand it."
Minato Namikaze looked puzzled.
Konoha's medical system was the most complete in the entire shinobi world. Even so, they still couldn't assign a medical ninja to every team, because the requirements for medical ninja were simply too high!
Especially in a four-man squad, the medical ninja had to do more than save people. They also had to prevent themselves from being assassinated by the enemy.
Therefore.
He couldn't understand why, in a mere month, they had to add medical knowledge training as well.
With such a short time, it would hardly have any effect.
However.
He felt that Kyoichi must have his reasons.
"Senior Minato, I certainly don't mean for them to become medical ninja. I just want them to understand some basic medical knowledge, such as bandaging and using medicine to stop bleeding."
Kyoichi explained.
He had noticed this before.
Konoha's medical ninja system was powerful, worthy of being called the finest in the shinobi world, but it still had some serious problems during wartime—namely, an excessive reliance on medical ninja.
Could people not be treated without a medical ninja?
Emergency treatment could sometimes save a ninja's life!
"That's true. Many Genin don't know any of that."
Minato Namikaze pondered it carefully.
Among Konoha's ninja, only some highly experienced ones knew these things. Such valuable battlefield experience had never been widely shared. It was truly regrettable.
It should be promoted!
The doubt in his heart disappeared, and he admired Kyoichi even more. He said sincerely, "Jonin Kyoichi, you really are a genius. I've heard that you're excellent at teaching and extremely powerful, but I never expected you to have studied medicine as well."
"I only know a little, a little!"
Kyoichi wasn't being modest.
His Medical Knowledge had been granted by the system. Apart from knowing the Mystical Palm Technique, he only understood some basic material.
That really was all he knew.
"Jonin Kyoichi, do you have any advice about four-man squads? To be honest, Lord Hokage asked me to lead a team this time, but I have no experience at all."
Minato Namikaze scratched his head.
That was what he had really wanted to ask.
Kyoichi was just like him, a very young Jonin, yet he was extremely knowledgeable about teaching.
Minato felt that he had more in common with younger people.
"Our village's four-man squad system is already quite mature. I'm a newly promoted Jonin myself, and tomorrow I still have to meet three new subordinates... If we divide them according to combat style, I think there should be one person specializing in frontal assaults, one skilled at infiltrating and assassinating, and another serving as support."
"Frontal assault, infiltration, and support?"
Minato Namikaze fell into deep thought.
It was very apt!
Every four-man squad in Konoha was organized according to this pattern. It was just that no one had specifically summed it up with terms like these before.
"Indeed. Even the Ino-Shika-Cho formation actually fits this pattern."
Only.
The "infiltration" position in the Ino-Shika-Cho formation was somewhat unique.
Minato finally understood it, and his admiration for Kyoichi grew even stronger. Kyoichi was clearly a young man, yet he had thought things through more clearly than those Jonin with years of experience.
To have such a genius was truly Konoha's good fortune!
Afterward, Minato and Kyoichi exchanged views on ninjutsu, especially the Body Flicker Technique.
Both of them were masters of the Body Flicker Technique.
However.
Their understanding of it was clearly different.
Minato Namikaze's Body Flicker Technique placed greater emphasis on speed, while Kyoichi had gradually developed a style resembling Shisui's—fast and unpredictable.
Different styles meant different techniques.
After exchanging pointers, both of them were very satisfied.
The only problem was that Minato Namikaze felt he had made an enormous profit. He had asked Kyoichi about so many things, and had originally planned to repay the favor by giving Kyoichi some guidance on the Body Flicker Technique...
He hadn't expected Kanda Kyoichi to be a master of the Body Flicker Technique as well, with an understanding of it no inferior to his own.
That was awkward.
Kyoichi didn't take it to heart.
The wool came from the sheep. Simply advising Minato Namikaze on these matters had earned him some rewards.
As it turned out, his guess had been right.
When he returned home and checked the rewards, Kyoichi grinned so widely that the corners of his mouth nearly split.
His Body Flicker Technique proficiency had reached its limit, and he had also gained an understanding of Wind Release chakra.
Not a loss!
Of course, those were only minor rewards.
The important reward was something else.
[Completed the 'Graduation Training' lesson.] [Evaluation: Exceptional!] [Rewards: 1. Wind Style: Rasenshuriken 2. Konoha Style: Willow 3. Four Symbols Seal The host may choose two of the three.]
Choose two out of three again.
Kyoichi wished he could have all of them, but unfortunately, he had to give up one.
And that was after receiving an "Exceptional" evaluation.
Otherwise, the decision would have been even more agonizing.
Actually, there was no need to think about it.
Of the three, he decisively eliminated the first. After all, he didn't have Sage Mode, so that technique wouldn't be very practical.
Besides.
He understood how to train the Rasengan, and he understood the Rasenshuriken as well.
Once he had Sage Mode, he could just train it himself!
The other two, on the other hand...
Konoha Style: Willow was an S-rank Phantom Sword Style, unique in the world.
The Four Symbols Seal wasn't quite as useful.
But.
Compared with the completely useless Rasenshuriken, it at least came with knowledge of Sealing Jutsu.
[Claim successful.]
He had it!
Kyoichi carefully absorbed the knowledge, and in moments, he had mastered both S-rank techniques.
After all, they were system gifts.
He didn't need to spend much time comprehending them before mastering them quickly. However, the sealing knowledge brought by the Four Symbols Seal made his head ache faintly.
There was simply too much of it!
The Four Symbols Seal alone involved so many formulas. It was hard to imagine how much time and effort self-study would have required.
But its effects were obvious—
Now that he possessed Sealing Jutsu, he wouldn't need to fear a Jinchuriki too much if he encountered one.
"Next is Sword Technique..."
Kanda Kyoichi's Sword Technique mainly came from the "ancestral" swordsmanship notes left by his grandmother. They primarily contained swordsmanship theory and related concepts.
Konoha Style: Willow was precisely an example of turning theory into practice.
It was already extremely powerful when used directly.
However.
The essence of Konoha Style: Willow was the combination of illusion and swordsmanship. How could he transform it into simpler movements and integrate it into other techniques?
For example, Iaido!
Even if it could only make the opponent lose focus for an instant, that would be enough when combined with Iaido. However, modifying it to that extent required a certain accumulation of illusion knowledge.
His current foundation of knowledge was still far from sufficient.
All things considered, Konoha Style: Willow had far greater research value than practical value. Even so, its current practicality was already quite high, especially in group battles, where its effects would definitely be formidable.
Kyoichi had a rough idea in mind.
This round of improvement was fairly good. It had filled the gap in his Sword Technique, and he no longer needed to worry about leading a team into battle.
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