Jonin Karot

Orochimaru's snake did not want to let this rare opportunity slip away. With a sweep of its tail, its massive body crushed a bloody trail, grinding all of the Cloud Ninja's Explosive Tag soldiers beneath it. The power of the Explosive Tags was nothing more than an itch to the snake.

The remaining Cloud Ninja wore expressions of despair; their path to survival was severed.

"Hahaha, you cannot escape."

The snake flicked its tongue and dove down toward the Cloud Ninja.

"Damn it."

The Cloud Ninja Jonin was extremely anxious. The snake's destructive power was too great; the Cloud Ninja's defensive line had been scattered. He wanted to organize personnel to deal with the snake, but Orochimaru at his side would not give them the chance, watching menacingly all the while.

"Save me."

"Help!"

The Cloud Ninja's cries for help and wails of agony were delicious seasoning for the snake. The more miserably they screamed, the more excited it became.

But just then, a massive octopus tentacle descended from the sky, striking the snake directly and slamming it deep into the earth. "Boom." Unable to withstand the damage from the attack, the snake was forced to return to Ryuchi Cave.

This sudden turn of events shocked everyone.

"Killer B-sama."

Joy appeared on the Cloud Ninja's faces. Their savior had arrived.

"Bastards, you bunch of bastards, what are you standing around for? Hurry up and retreat."

A Hokage-style rap, a different kind of entrance and pose. Wearing sunglasses, arms crossed. Behind him, eight octopus tentacles blocked the Leaf ninja.

"The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B."

Orochimaru said, his expression grave.

At that moment, Killer B also noticed Orochimaru.

"Yo, Cold Lord Orochimaru. Yeah, yeah, now is not the time for a decisive battle. We'll be going first."

Orochimaru had not expected the Cloud Ninja to send their Jinchuriki to the battlefield, unlike the Leaf, who treated their Jinchuriki as a strategic weapon, never leaving the village.

With the appearance of a Jinchuriki, this battle had become pointless. The power of a Jinchuriki was too great. Once it began, the Leaf ninja here would surely suffer massive losses, making it not worth the cost.

"So this is the Eight-Tails?" Karot noticed the immense amount of Chakra contained within the Eight-Tails. Compared to an ordinary Jonin, it was like the difference between a pond and an ocean. And this was only the Eight-Tails. The Nine-Tails, said to have inexhaustible Chakra—what kind of sight would that be?

Though they belonged to the same ninja village, Karot had never seen the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki. Karot's life was very monotonous: missions, training, and nothing else at all. He had only heard the name, never seen the person.

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

When all the Cloud Ninja had withdrawn, Orochimaru's command finally let the Leaf ninja breathe a sigh of relief. The pressure the Jinchuriki had put on them was simply too great.

"Karot, well done."

Orochimaru came before Karot and praised him without reservation.

"It wasn't a waste of my effort, pulling you into my war zone. You are very much in demand."

"Thank you for the praise, Orochimaru-sama."

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

"Thank you, Orochimaru-sama."

"No need to thank me. You deserve it."

Having said that, Orochimaru left. The entire battlefield now required his decisions. Coming over to speak with Karot was already taking time out of his busy schedule.

"Karot, I never expected your strength to be this great."

Sanada had been right behind Karot since the battle began. He fully understood Karot's strength—it was something he could never hope to match. When someone's power exceeds your imagination, you cannot bring yourself to be jealous. He and Karot were teammates, yet the gap in their strength was like two different worlds.

"You saw through me, huh. I hid it for so long, and you still found me out."

Karot was still grinning mischievously. His favorite thing was to tease the tsundere Sanada.

"Karot, we might have to part ways from now on. Take care of yourself."

Hyuga Sanada had heard Orochimaru and Karot's conversation. Karot would be promoted to Jonin and would leave the squad. His own teammate would become the youngest Jonin in Leaf history. Thinking back to when Karot first joined the squad, he had looked down on him. In the blink of an eye, Karot had left him far behind.

"Hahaha, a temporary separation. Do you have to make it sound like a farewell between life and death? I still prefer the Sanada who does the striptease."

"Damn you, go to hell, Karot."

This was the eternal pain of Hyuga Sanada's life. Once, at a drinking party, he got drunk and was tricked by Karot into dancing in public. Normally, if you're drunk, you wouldn't remember when you wake up. But the key was that some bastard helped him recall every single memory of that drunken night. It made Hyuga Sanada unable to hold his head up for a long time.

The other ninjas looked at Sanada with a hint of envy. Karot's strength in this battle had earned him the respect of the other ninjas, and many had become his fans.

The battle details were sent back to the Leaf via secret technique. Hiruzen Sarutobi opened the scroll spat out from the white snake's mouth, his face twitching involuntarily. The scroll, covered in a thick, viscous substance, was unpleasant to handle.

Every time he saw Orochimaru's secret technique, he always felt a bit uneasy inside. Opening the scroll, he was greatly shocked by the contents.

"A light ball fired from the hand, causing the deaths of over a hundred ninja."

Hiruzen drew in a sharp breath.

"Is this the Kekkei Genkai you spoke of, Sakumo?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi fell into deep thought. Karot's performance had stirred a different intention in him. Recruiting Karot to strengthen the Hokage faction's power had become a problem.

But the answer to the problem soon appeared. Orochimaru proposed promoting Karot to Jonin. Hiruzen Sarutobi thought for a moment and then agreed.

"Karot is hereby granted a special promotion to Jonin, with the authority to lead a ninja squad."

Soon after, Hiruzen Sarutobi stuffed Karot's appointment order into the white snake's mouth. "Poof," the snake vanished into smoke.

The Cloud Ninja's Jinchuriki had personally taken the field—it seemed that old bastard Raikage was playing for keeps. Unfortunately, Konoha's own Jinchuriki couldn't yet fully control the Nine-Tails' power. If unleashed on the battlefield, ally and foe alike would suffer, and the losses would be devastating. Could Orochimaru withstand the pressure from the Cloud Ninja? Hiruzen Sarutobi had no choice but to trust him. If he couldn't, the Third Hokage would have to take the field himself. His thoughts drifted further and further, until he turned to his crystal ball to observe the daily lives of Konoha's citizens. He wondered if all spies had a habit of sneaking into bathhouses—either way, the Third Hokage remained impartial and incorruptible.

Not long after, Orochimaru received the Hokage's reply. It affirmed his achievements in commanding the battle and approved the suggestions he had submitted.

"Hatake Karot, in recognition of your outstanding performance in the last battle, the Hokage has ordered your special promotion to Jonin, granting you the right to independently lead a squad. We hope you will not disappoint the Hokage in the future and will contribute to the prosperity of Konoha."

Orochimaru read Karot's promotion order aloud in public. Not a single ninja present questioned it—Karot's strength had earned their full respect.