Jonin Karot

Manda didn't want to let this rare opportunity slip by. With a sweep of his tail, his enormous body crushed a bloody trail into the ground, and the Cloud Ninja's Explosive Tag troops were flattened. To Manda, the Explosive Tags were no more than a tickle.

The remaining Cloud Ninja looked desperate. Their escape route was cut off.

"Hahaha! You're not getting away!"

Manda flicked his tongue and dove toward the Cloud Ninja.

"Damn it!"

The Cloud Ninja Jonin was frantic. Manda's destructive power was overwhelming, and he had broken through the Cloud Ninja's defenses. He wanted to organize the troops to deal with Manda, but Orochimaru was right beside him, watching like a hawk and giving him no chance.

"Help me!"

"Somebody help!"

The Cloud Ninja's cries for help and wails were delicious seasoning to Manda. The more pitifully they screamed, the more excited he became.

But just then, a gigantic tentacle dropped from the sky and smacked Manda, burying him in the dirt. With a bang, Manda couldn't withstand the force of the attack and was sent back to Ryuchi Cave.

The sudden turn of events shocked everyone.

"Lord Killer B!"

The Cloud Ninja's faces lit up. Their savior had arrived.

"Damn it! You idiots, what are you standing around for? Retreat, now!"

A Hokage-style rap, an unconventional entrance with a flashy pose. Wearing sunglasses and folding his arms, he stood with eight octopus tentacles behind him, blocking the Konoha ninja.

"The Eight-Tails' Jinchuriki, Killer B."

Orochimaru said gravely.

Killer B noticed Orochimaru, too.

"Yo, Cold Lord Orochimaru! Yeah, yeah, now's not the time for a showdown. We're outta here."

Orochimaru hadn't expected the Cloud Ninja to send their Jinchuriki into battle. Unlike Konoha, which treated its Jinchuriki as a strategic weapon and kept him within the village.

With a Jinchuriki on the field, there was no point in continuing the battle. A Jinchuriki's power was immense. If the fighting continued, the Konoha ninja here would inevitably suffer heavy losses. It simply wasn't worth it.

"So this is the Eight-Tails?" Karot noticed the enormous amount of Chakra within it. Compared to an ordinary Jonin, the difference was like a pond compared to an ocean. And this was only the Eight-Tails. The Nine-Tails was said to have inexhaustible Chakra. What kind of scale would its reserves reach?

Though he belonged to the same village, Karot had never seen the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki. Karot's life was monotonous: missions, training, and nothing else. So he had only heard the name, never seen the person.

"Everyone, rest where you are. Medical Ninja, treat the wounded."

Once all the Cloud Ninja had withdrawn, Orochimaru's order finally let the Konoha ninja breathe a sigh of relief. The Jinchuriki had put an immense amount of pressure on them.

"Karot, well done."

Orochimaru came over to Karot and praised him without reservation.

"My efforts weren't wasted after all, bringing you to the front I'm responsible for. You're a hot commodity."

"Thank you for the praise, Lord Orochimaru."

"I'll report the details of this battle truthfully. Especially your performance, Karot. With your strength, the title of Chunin no longer suits you. Let me congratulate you in advance on becoming a Jonin."

"Thank you, Lord Orochimaru."

"No need to thank me. You've earned it."

With that, Orochimaru left. He had to make decisions for the entire battlefield now. Even coming over to speak with Karot had meant finding a moment amid his hectic schedule.

"Karot, I had no idea you were this strong."

Sanada had been right behind Karot since the battle began and had gotten a good look at his abilities. They were far beyond anything Sanada could match. When someone's strength surpassed all your expectations, you couldn't even feel jealous. He and Karot were teammates, yet the gap between them was like the distance between two worlds.

"So you figured it out. I hid it for so long, and you still caught on."

Karot was still grinning. He loved teasing the prickly Sanada.

"Karot, we might be parting ways soon. Take care of yourself."

Hyuga Sanada had overheard Karot's conversation with Orochimaru. Once Karot was promoted to Jonin, he would leave the squad. His teammate would become the youngest Jonin in Konoha's history. Thinking back to when Karot had first joined the squad, Sanada hadn't thought much of him at all. In the blink of an eye, Karot had left him far behind.

"Hahaha, it's only a temporary parting. Is there any need to make it sound like a tragic farewell? I still prefer that Sanada who did a striptease."

"You bastard! Go to hell, Karot!"

That was Sanada's lifelong humiliation. Once, after getting drunk at a banquet, he'd been tricked by Karot into dancing in front of everyone. He'd been so drunk that he wouldn't have remembered a thing after waking up, but then some jerk had helpfully reminded him of every last detail. Sanada hadn't been able to hold his head up afterward.

The other ninja looked at Sanada with a hint of envy. Karot had earned their respect with his strength in this battle, and quite a few of them had become his fans.

A detailed report of the battle was sent to Konoha through secret means. Hiruzen Sarutobi opened the scroll that had been spat out of a white snake's mouth, his expression twitching. The scroll was coated in a thick, sticky substance, making it hard for Hiruzen Sarutobi to handle.

Every time he saw one of Orochimaru's secret techniques, he felt a little uncomfortable. He opened the scroll and was shocked by what he read.

"A ball of light emitted from the hand, killing more than a hundred ninja."

Hiruzen sucked in a sharp breath.

"So this is the Kekkei Genkai you mentioned, Sakumo?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi fell into thought. Karot's performance had given him other ideas. Winning Karot over and strengthening the Hokage faction had become an issue.

But the answer came soon enough. Orochimaru proposed promoting Karot to Jonin, and Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed after giving it some thought.

"Promote Karot to Jonin ahead of schedule. He will be eligible to lead a squad of ninja."

Soon, Hiruzen Sarutobi slipped Karot's appointment into the white snake's mouth. With a bang, the snake vanished in a puff of smoke.

The Cloud Ninja had even sent their Jinchuriki into battle. It looked like that old Raikage was serious this time. Unfortunately, Konoha's Jinchuriki still couldn't fully control the Nine-Tails' power. If he went to the battlefield, he wouldn't be able to distinguish friend from foe, and the losses would be catastrophic. Hiruzen Sarutobi could only trust that Orochimaru would withstand the Cloud Ninja's pressure. If he couldn't, Hiruzen Sarutobi would have to go to the battlefield himself. His thoughts drifted further and further away. Maybe he should use the Crystal Ball to observe the lives of Konoha's people! He wondered if spies really did like sneaking into bathhouses. Either way, the Third Hokage was impartial.

Not long afterward, Orochimaru received the Hokage's reply. It commended him for his achievements in commanding the battle and approved his proposal.

"Hatake Karot, in recognition of your outstanding performance in the previous battle, the Hokage has ordered your promotion to Jonin ahead of schedule. You are now eligible to lead a squad independently. The Hokage trusts you will not disappoint him, and that you will contribute to Konoha's prosperity."

Orochimaru publicly read out Karot's promotion. Every ninja present was convinced; Karot's strength had won them all over.