Chapter 94
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Orochimaru couldn't find words to describe his feelings.
What he and his other 2 friends were doing at Kyomu's age? The talented and charming Hatake Sakumo, what was he doing when he was Kyomu's age?
In any case, whether it was Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Tsunade, or the late Sakumo, none of them could recall.
But Kyomu himself knew that the reason for his explosive performance this time was all thanks to his passive skill.
This passive was just too overpowered. It was like Kyomu had a lot of peak experience cards.
If he fought from day to dawn, as long as he didn't die, Kyomu dared to say he could wrestle with the Old Man of the Six Paths.
But when the passive skill refreshes next month, those peak experience cards will be gone.
"Lord Orochimaru, I was just pretending," Kyomu found an excuse for himself, "this is a forbidden technique I developed. If I try to use it again, I'll probably be in danger."
As Kyomu finished speaking, Orochimaru couldn't help but nod.
That's normal. If such an attack could be used casually, Konoha wouldn't need more than four thousand troops stationed at the border of the Land of Fire; they could just send Kyomu.
And Konoha could also guarantee that as long as Suna didn't start a war, they wouldn't deploy Aragami Kyomu making him a basically a natural-born nuclear threat.
Orochimaru smiled, "Your forbidden technique has indeed scared Suna, their retreat was so decisive, it's the first time I've seen it."
But then Orochimaru became serious, "Kyomu, tell me the truth, how many times can you still use this technique?"
"I estimate only once..."
"Just once?" Orochimaru looked towards the direction of Suna, "In that case, in the intensity of the upcoming war, we'll suffer a lot."
Orochimaru understood very well, and Kyomu also instantly realized after seeing Suna's retreat.
The move "Purple Blade: Flowing Fireflies" excelled in group capabilities. As long as there was an opportunity, or if Kyomu approached the majority of Suna's forces, with one stroke, there would be barely anyone alive within three kilometers, and countless casualties within six kilometers.
Before they could counter this move, Suna's forces had no choice but to retreat.
And when they came back, either they found a way to counter it, or they brought the Jinchuriki to the battlefield.
"But it's okay," Orochimaru changed the subject, "even if Suna returns with the Jinchuriki, as long as you don't expose the information that you can only use this forbidden technique once more, I think they won't easily deploy a Tailed Beast, they'll just see it as a deterrent."
Alright!
Kyomu inwardly exclaimed. Did his strategic position now equate to a Tailed Beast?
Orochimaru stood up, patted Kyomu's shoulder, "Rest well for the next few days. I'll report your achievements truthfully. I estimate in a few days, I'll have to appoint you as Captain."
Kyomu stood up immediately after, bowing slightly to Orochimaru, "Thank you for your promotion, Lord Orochimaru."
"Heh, this is what you've earned," Orochimaru shook his head, "But no matter what, since you've pushed the intensity of the war to this extent, if a Tailed Beast goes rampant in the future, I'll need you to lead by example."
Kyomu hesitated a bit, but looking at Orochimaru's cold eyes, he still agreed, "Rest assured, Lord Orochimaru, I can still use that forbidden technique once more!"
Only then did Orochimaru smile, waving his hand towards the tent entrance, "In that case, rest well and prepare to welcome the cheers of your comrades."
Kyomu turned and left. As he lifted the tent flap, the first thing he saw was a sea of people.
"Kyomu!"
"Kyomu!"
"Kyomu!"
The uniform cheers were deafening, although it was unclear how many were just following the crowd, and how many were genuine, those familiar faces at the front were all ecstatic without exception.
These people were all the ninjas that Aragami Kyomu had led before and safely brought back to the camp.
Except for Hyuga Ren... (T/N: I don't know why I kept this name... Let's change it to Ren.)
Kyomu had a keen eye for people, and he caught a glimpse of a different light in Ren's Byakugan.
But before he could think deeper, Hizashi grabbed Kyomu's wrist and pulled him into the crowd.
At the same time, several people reached out and unceremoniously lifted Kyomu into the air. As he fell freely, they caught him again.
"Aragami Kyomu, our hero!"
"Our hero!"
"Our hero!"
Repeated back and forth, although it sounded rustic, it truly lifted spirits. Kyomu couldn't help but crack a smile, almost laughing out loud.
The feeling of being surrounded was amazing!
But it lacked something, Kyomu didn't have a title yet.
But actually, before the celebration, the Leaf ninjas wanted to give Kyomu a title, but after a while of arguing, they couldn't agree on one, and they lacked authority anyway.
It wasn't much of an affair if your own people gave you a title. It had to be the enemy, filled with fear and respect, giving Kyomu a unified title to be considered legitimate.
For example, Konoha's White Fang was a title given by the Sand ninjas who were chilled to the bone during the Second Great Ninja War.
Obviously, Kyomu hadn't reached the achievements of Sakumo back then. Perhaps he was close, but he still lacked a bit of hard, quantifiable accomplishments to prove it.
After celebrating for a while, the Leaf ninjas were tired. Kyomu, who had been tossed around, finally entered his tent somewhat embarrassed, under the watchful eyes of everyone.
"Phew... I thought I'd never come down from the sky just now."
Kyomu patted his chest with lingering fear. But as soon as he finished speaking, Ebisu immediately took over.
"Captain, if it were me, I'd rather be kept flying in the sky."
"You can just dream about that." Genma immediately countered.
"Heh, even if I just dream about it, it's better than your head full of useless trash!"
"Ebisu, you foul-mouthed person!"
"Are you mad because you're embarrassed?" Ebisu gave a sidelong glance, "Looks like I hit the mark."
"You..."
Seeing the two about to start another commotion, Kyomu quickly separated them, "Alright, you've been noisy enough just now. If you keep going, I won't be able to sleep."
The two immediately quieted down, exchanged glances with their surrounding comrades, bowed slightly to Kyomu, and then exited the tent.
At the same time, the voices outside the tent also grew quieter, apparently hearing the commotion, and worried it would disturb Kyomu's rest.
"Actually, I prefer it when you treat me like a friend rather than in a superior-subordinate relationship," Kyomu murmured, but his lips couldn't help but curl up. He hugged Yoei and fell asleep on the bed. In less than five seconds, he entered a deep sleep.
-----
He was truly tired.
He slept until noon the next day, waking up hungry.
As soon as Kyomu opened his eyes, he found a delicately crafted bento box placed beside him, undoubtedly the work of Uncle Duy.
"The medicinal cuisine still tastes the same as in my memory," Kyomu couldn't help but sigh. "Five years have passed in the blink of an eye; time truly flies."
After quickly finishing his meal, Kyomu cleaned the bento box and tidied his clothes before stepping out of the tent.
"Captain Kyomu, good afternoon."
"Afternoon."
"Captain Kyomu, you're looking well!"
"You too."
"Captain Kyomu, good afternoon."
"Afternoon."
The distance from his own tent to Orochimaru's tent brought Kyomu across paths with many ninjas, each of them very friendly and polite in their greetings.
Many of these ninjas Kyomu didn't recognize, but since they greeted him, he greeted them back with a polite smile and exchanged a few words.
"Not used to it, huh?"
Inside the tent, Orochimaru turned around, smiling at Kyomu.
Rubbing his stiff mouth with a touch of a forced smile, Kyomu responded, "It's alright, they're just too enthusiastic."
"Getting used to it is good. I went through the same thing back then," Orochimaru remarked.
"So that's why you always had a cold face?" Kyomu replied, half-jokingly.
Orochimaru chuckled, then shifted the conversation, "So, what brings you to me so soon after waking up?"
Kyomu carefully chose his words, packaging his recent thoughts before explaining them to Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru-sama, while leading my team on infiltration missions, I've noticed a fatal flaw. The communication between infiltration teams is insufficient, leading to each unit strictly following the original plan and lacking flexibility, making it easy for enemies to exploit weaknesses. Just like the previous arrangement by Chiyo, if I hadn't discovered the problem in time and had forbidden techniques at my disposal, myself and the other infiltrating ninjas could have been wiped out."
Orochimaru nodded upon hearing this, following up, "Indeed, while you are equipped with wireless radios, the coverage range is only sufficient for communication between nearby squads. Moreover, this technology is still immature and susceptible to enemy eavesdropping. Therefore, I will address this issue with the village and expedite research on wireless communication."
In the world of shinobi, the technology tree was skewed. While electronic devices existed, they were not heavily emphasized, and various problems persisted.
However, Kyomu's intention was not to urge Orochimaru to hasten the development of more advanced wireless communication devices but rather to propose utilizing the white phosphorus snakes in the Dragon's Lair.
"Orochimaru-sama, will there be enough time for this?" Kyomu broached the subject gently. "Aside from this unstable wireless technology, I place more trust in traditional methods of intelligence transmission. I suggest restructuring the ninja teams to include members of families with summoning beasts, dividing them into different squads and utilizing their shared summoning beasts to perform more real-time intelligence transmission."
Using summoning beasts for various types of intelligence transmission was a favored method among ninjas, much preferred over technological means.
Kyomu's suggestion seemed reasonable, with no apparent flaws. However, Orochimaru, being as clever as he was, cast a probing gaze at Kyomu, almost as if he could see through his thoughts.
Kyomu, of course, noticed Orochimaru's demeanor but chose to feign ignorance. "Of course, we can also request support from the Yamanaka clan to bolster our frontline forces. Their 'Heart Transference' secret technique..."
Finally, Orochimaru interrupted Kyomu, unable to tolerate his pretense any longer. Both were intelligent individuals, and circling around each other was getting tedious.
"Is there a third option?" Orochimaru grinned, "Or perhaps, how do you suggest we improve our long-distance intelligence exchange and real-time tactical arrangements?"
"Orochimaru-sama, I believe we should utilize summoning beasts for communication between us," Kyomu stated boldly.
With the passive skills at his disposal, Kyomu no longer feared Orochimaru, who, in turn, would undoubtedly regard him with apprehension.
Moreover, after Kyomu gained so much reputation yesterday, he wouldn't face any pressure from his own side until the end of the war.
What did they call this again?
Confidence without fear!
"Heh, it's no wonder why Sakumo praised your intelligence. I didn't expect you to direct it towards me," Orochimaru chuckled.
"But obviously, Orochimaru-sama is even wiser," Kyomu immediately revealed his intentions. "The first time I saw your summoning beasts, I thought of this."
"Are you truly only interested in establishing real-time and close battlefield contact through summoning beasts?" Orochimaru stared directly into Kyomu's eyes, as if trying to peer into his soul.
"Not entirely." Kyomu shook his head.
At this point, Kyomu had completely let go, and seeing Orochimaru's attitude, he felt even more confident.
"I also intend to use summoning beasts to enhance my combat capabilities, to cope with Sand Ninja's fiercer assaults in the future."
"Very pragmatic response, and your honesty and hidden motives coexist. You're quite interesting, Kyomu," Orochimaru said, amused.
With a chuckle, Orochimaru spat out a massive scroll, still moist with his saliva, making it somewhat uncomfortable.
Swoosh.~
Ignoring this, Orochimaru directly unfurled the scroll, pointing to the end, "Kyomu, you may begin."
Kyomu nodded and walked over slowly.
(End of Chapter)