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Although Senju Tobirama desperately wanted Li Ke to grow stronger quickly, he knew he could not be too hasty. While it was not impossible for Li Ke to touch upon Wood Release now, it would consume a massive amount of life force.

Therefore, Senju Tobirama planned to wait until the war ended and have Li Ke seek out Tsunade to form a contract with Sage Slug, using the senjutsu of Shikkotsu Forest to halve his life force consumption.

Or, he could simply have his older brother, Hashirama Senju, teach this fellow himself.

The problem, however, was that he first needed to know the limits of Li Ke's abilities.

He needed to determine if this ability, which was so similar to the Reanimation Jutsu, was limited to summoning only himself, or if it could summon others as well.

After all, he still wanted to test and observe Li Ke further.

But that was a matter for the future.

As for the present, even without his brother's Wood Release, he could easily grant Li Ke the qualifications to become a Kage while fighting Kirigakure!

To Li Ke, however, these words from Senju Tobirama had already confirmed many of his conjectures.

It seems the Second Hokage really does intend to groom me to be the Hokage. In that case... I need to be more proactive in my performance.

Thinking this, Li Ke couldn't help but reveal a smile, but just at that moment—

"Is that Qingtan?"

A gentle voice came from behind Li Ke. Li Ke turned his head and found it was Obito's one and only beloved, the woman who caused Obito to fall completely into darkness.

Rin Nohara.

Looking at this girl who appeared exhausted yet still wore a gentle smile, Li Ke felt a sense of melancholy.

Because she was essentially destined to die, targeted by Black Zetsu and Madara Uchiha. Without power surpassing a Kage and the ability to seal Tailed Beasts, it would be impossible to save her and bring Obito back.

Moreover, Li Ke felt that given Obito's intelligence, perhaps it was better for him to handle things on the enemy's side...

Wait...

Li Ke looked at the weary Rin Nohara and suddenly realized something—

He now possessed power that surpassed a Kage!

Although it was only average Kage-surpassing power, fighting Madara Uchiha at his current strength shouldn't be much of a problem!

Furthermore, his duty was likely patrolling and inspecting the Konoha Base Camp, and the medical unit was located right next to it. As long as he could stabilize the Tailed Beast inside Rin Nohara with Senju Tobirama's power after she was captured and the beast was sealed within her, he could both foil Madara Uchiha's plot and secure a free Three-Tails.

He didn't even need to let Rin Nohara be stuffed with the beast; he only needed to tail her. Once Kirigakure captured her, he could follow immediately and rescue her while claiming the Three-Tails at any time.

But there was one prerequisite: he had to master the Flying Raijin Jutsu!

And it would be best to master senjutsu and sealing techniques as well, so he could capture Black Zetsu. If he could do that...

It was time to see if the talent he had shared could be used to contract more "Heroic Spirits"!

Because in the Type-Moon World, he could actually continue to summon Heroic Spirits; it was only his lack of magical energy that prevented it. While the effects here had changed slightly, the specific manifestations weren't all that different!

Li Ke's thoughts raced. To Rin Nohara, it seemed as though Li Ke had only paused for a moment before responding.

"Oh, it's Rin. You're here too. You look exhausted, are you alright? And where is Kakashi? Aren't you in the same squad?"

Li Ke spoke with a smile, causing Rin Nohara to reveal a genuinely happy grin.

"Ah, I just exhausted my chakra using medical ninjutsu, so I came out to get some air..."

Rin Nohara scratched her cheek, but as she finished, a look of gloom appeared on her face, and her tone became dejected.

"As for Kakashi, he's fighting in another squad. Everyone is very busy right now. Even Minato-sensei has to constantly support the battlefield."

Her demeanor clearly indicated she was thinking of Obito, and Li Ke fell into a polite silence.

There was no helping it; he wasn't actually close to Obito. Besides, Obito wasn't truly dead, so it was difficult for him to feel grief for someone who had already lost sixty percent of his acquaintances—there simply wasn't any room left for sorrow.

"Well, make sure to get some rest. The Uchiha Clan has arrived on the battlefield, too. Everything will get better."

Li Ke patted Rin Nohara on the shoulder, thought for a moment, and then spoke in his mind.

"Lord Senju Tobirama, please, I beg you, place a Flying Raijin mark on her as well."

Senju Tobirama was slightly taken aback by Li Ke's request, but he still left a Flying Raijin mark on Rin Nohara.

"You cannot save everyone. If you use the Flying Raijin Jutsu to save people, you will often find yourself arriving a step too late."

Is this the fate of a speedster?

Li Ke understood what Senju Tobirama meant. If you rely on the Flying Raijin Jutsu to save people, there are many times when, even if you arrive, you are powerless to change the outcome.

"But I still want to master this technique—a technique that can both save friends and strike down enemies."

He stated his requirement.

Just then, more wounded were carried in, and Rin Nohara could only bid Li Ke farewell before rushing to the side of the injured, rushing toward the medical ninja camp while tending to them.

Yes, although the medical ninja camp was adjacent to the base, it was not actually inside the main Konoha Base Camp.

On this battlefield, even if a medical ninja was drained of chakra, they still had to perform other duties.

"Then it depends on whether you can perceive space."

Senju Tobirama did not refuse. Instead, he took control of Li Ke's body, guiding him to perceive those spatial coordinates while beginning to explain the sensation of using the Flying Raijin Jutsu.

Although he could use the Flying Raijin Jutsu through Li Ke's body, he did not know if Li Ke could manage it relying on his own ability.

After all, the Flying Raijin Jutsu itself was not difficult; the true challenge lay in spatial perception.

Following the tips provided by Senju Tobirama, Li Ke began to focus his perception. He did indeed vaguely sense something, though it remained quite blurry, with only two or three coordinates standing out clearly.

However, just as he intended to ask Senju Tobirama if this counted as having talent, the sound of birds chirping echoed through the Konoha Base Camp, and Li Ke immediately headed toward the main tent.

This was the signal for all Konoha jonin to assemble.

Upon entering the tent, Li Ke saw Minato Namikaze, who also bore several wounds, along with the various officers who wore grave expressions. Chojuro Akimichi's face was particularly dark.

After glancing at the tactical map, Li Ke could not help but fall silent.

The entire line had collapsed; not a single Konoha outpost remained on the border. This was the result even with Minato Namikaze providing constant support. Furthermore, there were numerous traces of Kirigakure ninjas, and they had to divert a portion of their forces just to guard against those bastards.

Although they had already retreated, who knew if they would strike again?

Nothing was certain.

"As you can all see, the situation is not in our favor. We must launch a counterattack immediately; otherwise, once the Kirigakure ninjas establish a stable foothold, it will be a massive blow to us."

Minato Namikaze was extremely serious. He knew that forcing reinforcements to counterattack under these conditions was irresponsible toward many lives.

But if Kirigakure were allowed to dig in, it would no longer be a problem solvable by the loss of a few dozen or a hundred men.

The wavering Kumogakure ninjas would surely enter the fray again, and Iwagakure could also make a comeback.

Therefore, no matter how high the sacrifice, they had to push back the Kirigakure front line within a month!

Minato Namikaze began issuing orders rapidly. Watching the ninjas receive their assignments to the front lines, Li Ke could not help but sigh inwardly.

Half of these people would likely not survive, and as for the newly graduated genin, it would be a miracle if even one in ten returned alive.

As he expected, when his name was called, he was assigned to patrol the perimeter of the Konoha Base Camp. While still dangerous, it was a mission where one had a high probability of survival, provided they weren't killed instantly and managed to fire a signal flare.

However, looking at Minato Namikaze, who had issued the order, Li Ke pondered for a moment, wanting to break away from his squad and head to the front lines.

With Senju Tobirama's guidance, he could save more people, learn more ninjutsu from him, and build his reputation more rapidly.

These were all prerequisites for becoming Hokage.

As for safety, safety was not an issue.

So, he spoke up directly.

"Lord Minato, I wish to leave my current squad and head to the front lines to provide support."

But Minato Namikaze only offered a warm, reassuring smile.

"I understand your feelings, Qingtan, but guarding the Konoha Base Camp is equally important. In the past week, our camp has been attacked by Kirigakure ninjas no less than twenty times. There is no place that doesn't need ninjas. I recall you are a rare ninja skilled in Water Release, right? With you here, we can better detect those Kirigakure ninjas who use Water Release to approach us."

Looking at Minato Namikaze's face, Li Ke was left speechless.

Minato Namikaze was a perceptive man; he likely assumed Li Ke was trying to clear his name of past issues, which was why he had assigned such a simple task.

Has Asuma become a burden at this point?

Li Ke felt a bit stifled. He knew this wretched Sarutobi brat would only delay his path to becoming Hokage!

Once he became Hokage, he would make sure Asuma saw him and Kurenai showing off their affection every single day!

Since Minato Namikaze had already spoken, there was nothing he could do but wait for an opportunity to display Senju Tobirama's—ah, no, his own—strength!

"Understood."

With the mission received, the ninja war council concluded. The ninjas who had received their orders quickly went to assemble their squads, while Fugaku Uchiha remained in the main tent with Minato Namikaze. It was clear they were continuing to discuss certain issues, specifically regarding the assignments for the Uchiha ninjas.

Li Ke returned to his camp to rest.

Their patrol was scheduled for tomorrow morning, so he still had some time to rest. While this followed regulations, it was clearly preferential treatment.

This was the value of being part of the Hokage's inner circle!

Sitting in his tent, Li Ke began to practice spatial perception in the manner Senju Tobirama had taught him. Soon, he successfully sensed two markers moving constantly within the camp, along with several others that felt blurry to him.

The sensation was strange, as if the signal frequencies were not quite aligned!

Li Ke quickly reported his perception to Senju Tobirama, and the Second Hokage was completely stunned.

He could also sense those blurry Flying Raijin markers; they were the marks of another Flying Raijin user. Because of the differences in chakra and the sealing techniques used, sensing other Flying Raijin users was extremely difficult.

But...

"This talent of yours... it truly shocks me every single time. Come, try to activate the Flying Raijin Jutsu now."

Senju Tobirama was genuinely shocked. In truth, he had already prepared himself for the possibility that Li Ke could not master the Flying Raijin Jutsu and was ready to take action himself.

But he never expected that Li Ke would actually have the aptitude for it.

In that case, the Flying Raijin Jutsu would not be such a difficult problem for Li Ke after all.

The Flying Raijin Jutsu had only three major hurdles.

First, the ability to perceive spatial coordinates.

Second, having sufficient chakra.

Third, learning how to adapt to the speed of the Flying Raijin for high-speed combat.

The rest were things that could be mastered with just a little practice; given Li Ke's talent, he could likely grasp them in about a day.

"However, how you reasonably utilize this technique is the issue that needs solving... How about this: go find that kid named Minato Namikaze right now and tell him you intend to exchange your war merits for the scroll of the Flying Raijin Jutsu. If your previous merits aren't enough, remember to have Fugaku Uchiha verify them for you."

Konoha's war merits were still quite valuable. Li Ke's merits were actually enough to exchange for many ninjutsu long ago, but practicing them was not so easy.

Moreover, no matter how many ninjutsu one exchanged for, if they couldn't master them, they were merely death traps for oneself.

Therefore, Li Ke had always exchanged for ninjutsu to practice based on the guidance of his jonin instructor and the occasional pointers from Hiruzen Sarutobi.

It wasn't impossible to exchange for ninjutsu scrolls from a commander on the battlefield; after all, as fellow members of the Hokage's inner circle, Minato Namikaze would certainly give him this face.

After all, anyone who wasn't blind could see that Minato Namikaze was already the Hokage.

After all, what kind of Hokage candidate would be transferred away just as they were about to reap the fruits of victory on a battlefield?

Wouldn't you agree, Orochimaru?

That's right, Orochimaru was that unlucky fellow who was about to reap the fruits of victory, only to be transferred back to Konoha Village.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's intention not to let Orochimaru become Hokage had actually existed for a long time.

"However, kid, you should prepare your own coordinates and cipher for the Flying Raijin mark, otherwise, any user of the Flying Raijin Jutsu could use your mark to teleport."

Senju Tobirama continued his instruction, and Li Ke did not delay. Under the puzzled gaze of Yuhi Kurenai, he headed toward the command post once again, waiting for the appearance of Minato Namikaze and Fugaku Uchiha.

Soon, Li Ke saw Fugaku Uchiha and Minato Namikaze appear at the entrance together; it was clear they were also making preparations.

Li Ke hurried over and recited the speech he had prepared long ago.

"Lord Minato, I would like to exchange my war merits for your Flying Raijin Jutsu!"

Although it was a bit of a waste, in order to gain war merits better and faster, as well as to have the right to act independently on the battlefield, wasting these merits was a small price to pay. Being able to use the Flying Raijin at a time like this was what mattered most!

"My Flying Raijin Jutsu?"

Minato Namikaze was not surprised. Since he had become the commander and gained this authority, quite a few people had come to him to learn the Flying Raijin Jutsu during this short period.

It was just that many people couldn't learn the technique, and exchanging for it rashly would only be a waste of war merits.

So, he pondered for a moment, recalled Li Ke's file, took a small booklet out of his pocket, and undid the seal on it.

"The Flying Raijin Jutsu is extremely difficult, so you had better think twice, Qingtan. The writing in this booklet will last for two days, and it contains some of my personal insights... If you can manage it, come find me again. As for now, I'm sorry, the front line is urgent, and we must leave first."

After saying this, he placed the booklet into Li Ke's hands, patted him on the shoulder, and grabbed Fugaku Uchiha's arm, teleporting away and leaving Li Ke unable to even get a word of refusal or thanks out.

"How come I can't even spend my war merits..."

Li Ke opened the booklet, speechless, and then his eyes widened.

Flying Raijin Jutsu!

This booklet contained the complete training method for the Flying Raijin Jutsu!

He closed the booklet and couldn't help but exclaim.

"What does it mean to be part of the Hokage's inner circle..."

This is it!