"So if I complete this mission, I can earn the Will of Fire of a jōnin?"
Ruohuo held onto the scroll and asked again.
Becoming clan head wasn't urgent.
The Uchiha Clan Head might not be as important as the Hokage, but making a seven-year-old the clan head was a bit absurd.
Gaara was only around ten when he became Kazekage, after all.
By comparison, Ruohuo was more curious about Orochimaru's motives.
"Not exactly." Orochimaru shook his head.
"Becoming a jōnin is much more demanding than passing the Chunin exams. You need to be capable of completing high-risk missions independently, and the standards are high in every respect."
"One mission certainly won't be enough... but this mission will be the starting point on your path to becoming a jōnin, Ruohuo."
"I see..." Ruohuo nodded thoughtfully, then stood up and formed a hand seal.
"Then let's get going, Sensei."
Orochimaru was slightly surprised.
Based on what he'd learned about the boy recently, he hadn't expected Ruohuo to be so easily persuaded.
After all, Ruohuo had always been determined to challenge Fugaku and become clan head.
He cast a subtle glance toward the Hokage Office Building.
Orochimaru was about to say something when Ruohuo's Shadow Clone appeared, carrying the thoughts Ruohuo had had just a moment earlier.
"I'll let Grandmother and my little brother know. Should I also send Clan Head Fugaku a challenge in advance?"
"Of course," Ruohuo said seriously. "Rescuing people is important. I'll complete the mission first, then challenge Clan Head Fugaku when I get back."
The Shadow Clone nodded. "All right. I'll tell Clan Head Fugaku to get ready and train hard, so he can meet you in the best possible condition."
The Shadow Clone ran off without changing expression.
Ruohuo turned to Orochimaru. "Every second counts when it comes to a rescue. Let's get going, Sensei."
Orochimaru hesitated, then smiled and agreed. "All right."
Inside the Crystal Ball, Orochimaru and Ruohuo were already heading for the village exit.
Only then did the Third turn to the three elders.
"You saw it for yourselves. Orochimaru didn't give him a single hint, yet the moment he received the mission, the boy chose to leave and begin the rescue."
"I told you... Ruohuo may be young, but he has a strong Will of Fire..."
The Third calmly packed tobacco into his pipe, gathered chakra at his fingertips and turned it into a flame, then lit the pipe and took a satisfied puff.
"But the way this boy interprets the Will of Fire doesn't seem quite right, does it?" Utatane Koharu asked with a frown. "All that talk about Chunin and jōnin—it sounds absurd."
It was a common mindset among those in power: what they didn't understand seemed absurd to them.
Mitokado Homura, on the other hand, understood. "Maybe it's a kind of tacit understanding between Orochimaru and the boy? Like a parent rewarding a child for reaching a goal. I've taught the children in my family that way, too."
"Uchiha Ruohuo is still very young, after all. It's quite normal for Orochimaru to do this."
Utatane Koharu frowned. "Could Orochimaru use this... tacit understanding to give Uchiha Ruohuo hints?"
"Koharu." The Third tapped the desk lightly, cutting her off. "You're overthinking it."
Then he felt something was amiss and turned his gaze to Danzo.
Danzo had been silent all day. Since entering the office, he'd kept his eyes half-closed, as if resting, and had been unusually quiet.
Noticing the Third's gaze, Danzo opened his eyes slightly and said coldly, "My position hasn't changed from the beginning."
"Members of the Uchiha Clan aren't qualified to become Chunin, especially this brat, who cheated his way through the exams."
"He also seriously damaged the exam grounds during the second test, nearly endangering Konoha."
"With Uchiha like him... I recommend revoking his Chunin rank. At the very least, he should return to the Konoha Military Police Force and be kept under surveillance to prevent—"
"That's enough, Danzo." The Third raised his voice slightly to cut him off. "You're being too extreme!"
"This is how I do things. It's also why Root was founded."
Danzo rose to his feet and glared at the Third. "Monkey... the Uchiha aren't like the Senju. You'll regret this sooner or later."
"..."
Orochimaru and Ruohuo set off, but shortly after leaving Konoha, they stopped.
Three masked ninja caught up with them.
"Lord Orochimaru, here are the supplies you requested." One of the ninja presented a Space-Time Scroll with both hands.
"Thanks for the effort. Head back for now. We don't need many people for this mission."
"Yes, sir!"
Orochimaru was thorough. Before setting out, he'd sent a clone to tell his subordinates to bring over the equipment.
That way, they wouldn't lose time, and they wouldn't have to go into battle empty-handed.
The Space-Time Scroll contained various ninja tools: long blades, kunai, shuriken, flash bombs, smoke bombs, and Explosive Tags.
There were also Military Ration Pills and plums wrapped in wax paper to help keep their mouths moist. They were top-quality, plentiful, and ideal for anyone heading out on a journey—or a killing spree.
There was just enough for two people.
"No matter what kind of mission it is, preparation is important, Ruohuo."
Orochimaru handed Ruohuo his equipment as he instructed him. "As you said, every second counts during a rescue. But if inadequate preparation causes the mission to fail, then all the time you saved will have been wasted."
"I understand, Sensei."
Ruohuo kept stuffing things into his ninja pouch. He probably wouldn't need most of it, but he could sell it.
He had elders and children to support at home, and whether he wanted to move to a better house, marry and have kids, or lead his clan in a rebellion someday, all of it would take money.
If only I could find an investor, Ruohuo thought to himself.
And it couldn't be someone from the village. Someone like Kakuzu, a wanderer, would be ideal.
The Third's surveillance was such a pain.
Ruohuo had made a quick assessment of Orochimaru's strange behavior that day.
He'd found that the chances of Orochimaru lying or trying to mislead him were below thirty percent. Apart from Ruohuo's own "Promotion of the Will of Fire Theory," Orochimaru seemed to be offering him genuine advice.
Ruohuo couldn't see any flaws or hidden motives.
And when he'd revealed his Three Tomoe, he'd vaguely sensed a gaze...
Ruohuo had reason to suspect that this mission was most likely some kind of test from the Third.
After all, a rescue mission like this was the perfect way to reveal a person's moral character.
That was why Ruohuo had set off in such a hurry. He wanted to show just how virtuous he was.
It was only a rescue mission...
He was the heir to the Will of Fire. What did he have to fear?
As it happened, Orochimaru thought the same way.
He'd just completed an S-rank mission, and now he'd been given a B-rank rescue mission...
His teacher had said he wanted Orochimaru to take the opportunity to properly teach the boy, Ruohuo.
But how could Orochimaru not realize that this was his teacher's warning about the six Konoha ninja who had died during his previous mission?
It was only a B-rank rescue mission...
All he had to do was bring the person back to Konoha alive. How hard could that be?
Before you continue