Miya and Iga Kawaji met on the street leading out of Konoha.
The moment they saw each other, both of them froze.
"Miya, you're finally back!"
"Captain, your hand?"
Ogawara hurried over to Miya and pulled him into a bear hug.
"I knew you wouldn't die that easily, you brat. Hahaha, you're finally back."
Seeing the genuine smile on Ogawara's face, Miya felt warmth well up inside him.
It felt so good to have someone who cared about him!
Hyuga Senso watched with a smile. Though he didn't come over to hug Miya, he spoke up all the same.
"Welcome back!"
Miya nodded twice, then turned his gaze back to Iga Kawaji.
"Captain, your hand?"
Iga Kawaji shook his head with a smile. "I fought Rasa. I wasn't going to get away without losing something."
Miya pressed his lips together. He knew just how powerful Rasa was.
But Rasa was still young and hadn't fought in the Third Shinobi World War.
Miya had thought he wouldn't be all that strong.
Captain Iga Kawaji was an elite Jonin who had come up through the Anbu, with plenty of combat experience. Miya hadn't expected him to be so badly injured anyway.
"Captain, why didn't you go to Konoha Hospital and let Lady Tsunade—"
"Miya, let's not talk about that. Tell me how your mission went!"
Iga Kawaji cut him off, especially when Miya mentioned Tsunade.
Miya furrowed his brow, suddenly remembering something.
Tsunade's Hemophobia!
It was a secret in Konoha, known to very few.
After all, Tsunade's standing in Konoha went far beyond simply being the First's granddaughter.
She was one of the Sannin!
And as the leader of the medical ninja corps, her status was even higher than Orochimaru's and Jiraiya's.
If war broke out, having Tsunade on their side would make Konoha's ninja even more effective in battle than Orochimaru and Jiraiya could.
The reason was simple: what ninja feared most on the battlefield was being wounded or killed.
With her exceptional Medical Ninjutsu, Tsunade could save lives and reduce casualties.
But her Hemophobia kept her from going onto the battlefield to treat the wounded.
Konoha's High Command kept the news under tight control. Not only did people from other villages know nothing about it, but many people within Konoha didn't know either.
Miya stopped dwelling on the subject and began recounting the mission, starting from when they split up and describing how he'd gathered information on the ninja's positions. But when he got to the Sand Ninja, he suddenly fell silent.
Iga Kawaji frowned, remembering the escape battle that had come afterward.
"Qianzong, Yuan, you two go wait for us at the Yakiniku Restaurant. I'll take Miya to see Lord Hokage."
Some things were best kept from lower-ranking ninja.
Knowing too much wasn't good for them, especially when they were weak!
In the quiet Hokage Building, the Third Hokage looked at Iga Kawaji, who had returned, and Miya standing beside him.
He took a drag on his pipe and nodded instinctively.
Miya had a fierce, battle-hardened air about him, edged with the sharpness of someone who had faced life and death.
Ordinary boys his age could never have that kind of presence.
Miya must have survived a life-threatening encounter on the way back to the village. That was what had honed him into this.
"Lord Hokage, this is my subordinate, Miya!"
The Third Hokage nodded and gave him a kind smile.
"Miya, you've had a hard journey. I imagine you faced fierce resistance along the way!"
Miya's expression didn't change. "Completing the mission with all my strength is what every Konoha ninja should do. It wasn't hard."
The Third Hokage's eyes lit up. He liked ninja who would risk their lives for the village!
"Tell me what happened on your way back."
Miya answered without hesitation. "On the way back, we were pursued by an enemy Jonin squad. It was led by Shaquan, a Jonin from Sunagakure, along with three Chunin!"
Miya kept quiet about Kazama Heitetsu.
He didn't mention him!
He had thought it over carefully on the way back to the village and made his decision.
Killing the guard commander of the Third Kazekage was simply too shocking. Even if people believed him, revealing it would expose his trump card.
And if the village decided Miya really had the strength of an elite Jonin, it might send him on even more dangerous missions.
By comparison, killing Shaquan's squad was already enough.
After all, it was a squad consisting of a Jonin and three Chunin. No ninja could take them down easily.
Besides, Miya could explain how he'd done it.
As for whether he'd get a greater mission reward, Miya wasn't worried in the slightest.
Whether it was killing Shaquan's squad or Kazama Heitetsu, neither mattered compared to the intelligence he'd brought back!
When Miya said he had killed a Jonin squad on his own, Iga Kawaji's mouth fell open in shock.
Even the Third Hokage's pipe hand trembled. He looked deeply curious.
"How did you do it?"
"How did you do it?!"
They both asked at the same time.
Miya's face took on a faraway look, as if he were recalling that perilous battle.
"They underestimated me because I looked so young."
"I laid traps along the way to wear down their Chakra."
"I used Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld to trap the three Chunin with all my strength. I also used the information I'd gathered to mislead the Jonin, Shaquan, and create an opening."
"When Shaquan was casting a high-level Ninjutsu, I interrupted him with Earth Style: Rock Pillar Spear and Headhunter Jutsu. Then I followed up with my shuriken and killed him."
The account made sense, and the details held up under scrutiny. There was just one thing they couldn't understand.
"Shuriken?" Iga Kawaji asked curiously.
Miya bowed respectfully to the Third Hokage. "Please allow me to demonstrate my Shurikenjutsu!"
The Third Hokage smiled faintly and used a Ninjutsu to reinforce the office.
"Go ahead!"
Without hesitation, Miya threw seven shuriken. They shot at the clothes rack in the middle of the room from tricky angles.
Iga Kawaji and the Third Hokage both nodded. "They're fast, and their angles are tricky. They aren't infused with Chakra, but they carry tremendous force—enough to rival a Jonin's. But..."
"This alone wouldn't be enough to kill a Jonin."
Just as the two of them reached that conclusion, one of the shuriken suddenly curved around the clothes rack, then swung back and shot again!
Iga Kawaji was stunned.
If that had been a ninja, their carelessness would have left the back of their head or their skull pierced!
The Third Hokage applauded!
Clap, clap, clap!
"Impressive. That was a brilliant and powerful display of Shurikenjutsu. In the whole village, I suspect only Minato could match you in throwing shuriken."
Miya caught all seven shuriken. He had held back even during the demonstration.
But even so, it was more than enough to earn the trust of the Hokage and his captain.
As for the Third Hokage's assessment, Miya wholeheartedly agreed.
Minato Namikaze's Shurikenjutsu was every bit as good as Uchiha Itachi's.
After all, his signature technique, Flying Thunder God, was the culmination of combining Shurikenjutsu with Space-Time Ninjutsu.
"Thank you for your praise, Lord Hokage. I still have a lot to learn from Senior Minato."
The Third Hokage smiled faintly, puffing on his old pipe.
"What a modest young man. Now, tell me about the intelligence you uncovered during your mission. If it was valuable enough to draw Rasa's pursuit, it must be extremely important!"
Miya's expression turned solemn.
"This intelligence concerns the very survival of Konoha!"
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