CHAPTER 33

At the same time that Uchiha Kiyo mastered the Earth Release: Earth Spikes Technique, Nawaki Senju and Sarutobi Shuo, who had been sparring, noticed the commotion. They both stopped fighting and ran over to check.

"Wow! Kiyo, you're amazing! It's only been a week, and you've already learned Earth Spikes. That's way faster than when you learned Earth-Style Wall last time!"

"Nonsense. While the chakra cost for the simplified Earth-Style Wall was lower, its complexity still approached B-rank ninjutsu. The difficulty levels aren't even comparable."

After three months of training together, the trio had become much more familiar with each other. Sarutobi Shuo had also grown accustomed to countering Nawaki's impulsive and sometimes thoughtless remarks.

"I still need to get used to it," Uchiha Kiyo said, shaking his head. "I was only able to cast it once, and I had to focus completely to do it. I can't even guarantee I'll be able to use it in a real fight yet."

Despite his modesty, the other two didn't believe him. Mastering a new jutsu in just a week was rare, and the process of refining it for battle use was not a major obstacle.

Nawaki stared at Uchiha Kiyo with a deep sense of envy. He had always admired Kiyo's ability to learn ninjutsu at a ridiculous pace. Nawaki himself had been able to mold chakra properly since he was six, yet despite his vast reserves, he had only mastered five C-rank jutsu—three Water Release techniques and two Earth Release techniques. Over the past three months, Orochimaru had prioritized refining their chakra control and mastery of existing jutsu rather than teaching new ones. Watching Kiyo rapidly master new jutsu one after another only fueled his frustration.

Although Uchiha Kiyo downplayed his progress, deep down, he was pleased. Learning a new jutsu quickly not only meant gaining another combat tool in the short term but also confirmed that his theory about chakra micro-circuits was working. If he continued this research, he estimated that within ten years, he would have fully mapped out the principles behind ninjutsu.

At that moment, a cold and eerie presence enveloped them. By now, the trio had become accustomed to this feeling—it was Orochimaru.

Orochimaru approached and examined the area where Uchiha Kiyo had just performed Earth Spikes. He was impressed. His student's talent in ninjutsu was indeed remarkable.

Even so, there was an element of uncertainty surrounding Kiyo's progress.

Back at the Academy, Uchiha Kiyo had kept a low profile. He had only revealed an aptitude for medical ninjutsu and a seemingly reclusive personality, which had prevented him from attracting too much attention. Even Danzo had not considered him particularly outstanding, assuming that Kiyo's rapid improvement in medical ninjutsu was simply the result of his desperation under life-threatening conditions. After all, Kiyo had spent four years buried in the Uchiha archives—it wouldn't have seemed unusual for him to take that long to learn something as specialized as medical ninjutsu.

However, now that Kiyo had joined Orochimaru's team, he no longer had to hide his talent as much. He was under Orochimaru's protection, and that gave him the freedom to reveal more of his capabilities.

Besides, showcasing his skill in ninjutsu would also ensure that Orochimaru kept supplying him with new jutsu scrolls. Their relationship was a mutual exchange—Orochimaru got a talented student, and Kiyo got the opportunity to refine his research.

"In the past three months, you've all become familiar with mission protocols, and your strength has improved significantly. You are now ready to take on more advanced missions. Today, we will undertake a C-rank mission."

Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, the three of them were thrilled but remained silent. Especially Nawaki—he quickly covered his own mouth to stop himself from shouting in excitement. He had learned his lesson. The last time he interrupted Orochimaru mid-sentence, the experience had been… traumatizing. To this day, the memory sent chills down his spine.

However, while they remained composed on the outside, their excitement was undeniable. C-rank missions often required leaving the village, whether for escorting duties or for taking down bandits.

For these young ninjas who had never left the Hidden Leaf Village, the idea of stepping into the outside world was exhilarating. Even Uchiha Kiyo, despite his rational mind, was eager to see more of the ninja world.

More importantly, C-rank missions offered something that D-rank missions didn't—merit points.

Unlike D-rank missions, which mainly involved mundane chores, C-rank missions were actual ninja assignments.

A team could complete two or three D-rank missions in a single day, earning only about 7,000 to 8,000 ryo per mission. In contrast, C-rank missions took at least three to four days but paid significantly better—usually around 50,000 to 60,000 ryo. However, they were also far more dangerous.

Despite the risks, many genin teams actively sought out C-rank missions.

The biggest reason? Merit points.

C-rank missions were the first step in accumulating merit, which was crucial for a ninja's career. Even the Chunin Exams required a certain amount of completed missions and merit points before a genin could qualify.

Additionally, merit points were the primary currency used to exchange for jutsu from the village archives. Completing ten C-rank missions was usually enough to exchange for a single C-rank jutsu. The same system applied to higher-ranked jutsu, where a ninja had to complete ten missions of the corresponding rank to qualify for learning a new jutsu at that level.

Even clan ninjas took advantage of this system. While the Hidden Leaf Village stored a vast collection of jutsu, no single clan had access to everything. As a result, even ninjas from powerful clans often relied on merit points to acquire techniques their families didn't possess.

Although Uchiha Kiyo had the privilege of learning directly from Orochimaru, he still needed an alternative source of jutsu. If he relied solely on Orochimaru for his training, the Sannin would have full insight into his progress and techniques. That kind of dependence was dangerous.

As Kiyo continued refining his chakra micro-circuit system, his ability to learn jutsu would only accelerate. Eventually, it would reach a level beyond common sense, and he needed a way to mask that. Taking a steady stream of jutsu from Orochimaru would only draw suspicion if his progress was too fast.

Orochimaru led the three eager young ninjas toward the Mission Assignment Office, located next to the Hokage's office.

Inside, mission requests were displayed:

A-rank mission: Investigate the movements of Amegakure. Objective: Gather intelligence on Rain Village's current state. (Detailed information available upon acceptance.)

B-rank mission: Escort a merchant caravan from the Sun and Moon Trading Company to the Land of Earth. Expect potential ninja attacks. (Recommended: three Chunin teams.)

B-rank mission: Monitor Cloud Ninja activity within the Land of Fire. (Recommended: at least one full Chunin team.)

C-rank missions…

After about ten minutes of searching, they found a suitable mission.

C-rank mission: "A group of bandits has been terrorizing the area near Crescent Moon Village. Eliminate the threat."

Mission details: The bandit group is rumored to include samurai with jōnin-level skills. Reward: 70,000 ryo.

At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary bandit suppression mission. However, Orochimaru assigning such a mission to them was… suspicious.

Killing bandits meant experiencing bloodshed firsthand. For fresh genin, their first kill could be a psychological hurdle. Hesitation in battle could mean death.

Glancing at Nawaki, who was practically bouncing with excitement, Uchiha Kiyo suddenly understood.

"So that's what Orochimaru is trying to do..."