Chapter 100: Above the Clouds

Yagura had recently passed the Jonin exam in the village, officially becoming a Jonin.

The exam wasn't just a test of combat ability, there was also a written component.

The combat portion was effortless, but passing the written test proved that Yagura's days of working like a corporate drone by day and studying tirelessly by night hadn't been in vain.

He likened it to surviving a university-level college entrance exam.

Seriously, what kind of curriculum did the shinobi world impose on kids under twelve?

Calculus, advanced mathematics, linear algebra, along with mechanics and optics from physics—was this really what elementary school students were supposed to be learning?!

After becoming a Jonin, he quickly passed the Elite Jonin selection as well.

Unlike the Jonin exam, Elite Jonin didn't require a written test—it was purely based on strength.

As his shinobi rank increased, the Third Mizukage made sure his administrative capabilities kept up.

Lately, in meetings, Yagura was no longer just a silent note-taker in the corner. He could now speak up and contribute to discussions on matters such as the diplomatic stance in the ongoing Shinobi World War and various village policies, including military and governmental affairs.

Ultimately, the village's future would be in the hands of the Fourth Mizukage. The direction the village took would depend on his decisions.

After months of close observation, the Third Mizukage had come to a conclusion:

Karatachi Yagura did not seem like he belonged in this world.

Not in a literal sense, but compared to the average mindset of shinobi. Even among his peers.

On the surface, he appeared unruly, his thought process baffling, his ideas seemingly arbitrary.

Yet, upon closer scrutiny, he was easy to understand.

This was the kind of person who would become the Fourth Mizukage—a leader vastly different from himself or the First Mizukage, who had advocated for high-pressure policies.

Still, the Third Mizukage did not reject him for it.

Perhaps, this was not a bad thing for Kirigakure.

As always, over the past few months, he granted Yagura the greatest freedom possible.

The Third Mizukage turned to Elder Genshi and said, "Genshi, report on the latest policy implementations—specifically regarding foreign shinobi mission commissions and the preliminary measures for lifting the Blood Mist policies."

Hearing this, Yagura immediately sat up straight, his drowsiness from dealing with paperwork vanishing in an instant as he fixed his gaze on the elder.

These two policies had been the Third Mizukage's main focus recently, and Yagura had been deeply involved in assisting their implementation.

Rather than saying the Third Mizukage had suddenly changed his stance, it was more accurate to say he was cooperating with the Fourth.

He could see it clearly—under the Fourth Mizukage, Kirigakure would never return to its past policies.

The village was going to change.

Unable to alter Yagura's vision, the Third Mizukage had pondered for a long time before ultimately deciding to go along with it.

Of course, another major factor in his decision to dismantle the Blood Mist policies was the village's improving financial situation, thanks to Kirigakure's increased openness after the Chunin Exams and the expansion of foreign shinobi commissions.

These achievements were entirely Yagura's doing.

With more money in the treasury, Elder Genshi looked noticeably less troubled and far more composed.

Spreading out the financial report from the village's fiscal department, Elder Genshi began his report: "In May, our village received and completed 27 S-rank missions from foreign nations. That's an increase of 21 from the same period last year. After deducting the 25% commission allocated to the mission takers, we generated a net revenue of 160 million ryo."

The base reward for an S-rank mission was one million ryo, with targets or opponents at least at the level of a Chunin squad.

If the opponent included a Jonin, the minimum reward would be in the tens of millions.

For reference, in the future, Asuma's bounty at the underground exchange would be 35 million ryo.

Only Jonin were eligible to take on S-rank missions.

In the original story, the Land of Waves mission was initially classified as a C-rank, but encountering Zabuza led to its retroactive upgrade to an S-rank.

This wasn't the later era of power scaling madness, where Kage-level fighters were a dime a dozen.

A Jonin represented the elite backbone of a village, their worth immeasurable.

Kirigakure had approximately 12,000 active-duty shinobi, yet the number of Jonin barely reached the hundreds.

Most shinobi would spend their entire lives stuck at the Chunin level.

S-rank missions were for the most valuable clients. Both the Third Mizukage and Elder Genshi placed great importance on them, assigning only the Seven Ninja Swordsmen or those with kekkei genkai to carry them out.

So far, the completion rate for S-rank missions was a flawless 100%.

"For A-rank missions, we received and completed 196 from foreign nations, an increase of 73 compared to last year. After deducting the 13% commission for the mission takers, we netted 102 million ryo, with a completion rate of 97.5%."

A-rank mission rewards ranged from 150,000 to one million ryo, and they were undertaken by Chunin or Jonin, typically involving mid-to-high-level Chunin or Chunin squads as opponents.

To ensure quality, the Third Mizukage and Elder Genshi restricted mission eligibility.

Only those ranked Special Jonin or higher were allowed to take foreign A-rank missions.

This outstanding performance, far surpassing expectations, was largely due to Yagura's overwhelming dominance in the Chunin Exams.

It also benefited from the fact that the four major shinobi villages were gearing up for war.

With their elite shinobi kept on standby for potential deployment, the four great nations outsourced missions they could no longer handle.

By sheer coincidence, Kirigakure, which had been expanding its foreign operations, was perfectly positioned to capitalize on this.

B-rank and C-rank missions were far fewer, as lower-risk tasks were typically handled internally by each village rather than outsourced to Kirigakure.

...

"Now, let's discuss the implementation of the Blood Mist policy repeal."

While the openness policy concerned village direction and mission commissions affected finances, the Blood Mist policy was tied to military affairs.

Yagura clenched his fists in anticipation.

Though the official repeal documents bore the names of the Third Mizukage and Elder Genshi, the true driving force behind them was Yagura. The Third Mizukage had merely reviewed and made final adjustments.

"The graduation exam for this year's class at the Shinobi Academy will be held on the 21st of this month."

Elder Genshi's lips curled into a smile.

"After thorough discussions, we have decided to abolish the previous survival-based team combat test in favor of a new examination format."

Yeah!!

The Third Mizukage glanced at Yagura, who was now practically vibrating with excitement, and chuckled, clasping his hands together.

"Genshi, don't keep us in suspense. Continue."

"Let me enjoy the moment," Elder Genshi quipped before proceeding. "The new graduation exam consists of four parts..."

...

The old man's gaze locked onto Yagura.

"Karatachi Yagura."

His deep voice resonated like an ancient bell, reverberating in Yagura's ears.

Those pitch-black pupils, as unfathomable as a void, seemed to draw him in.

He handed over the diplomatic document.

"What is your decision? Will Kirigakure align with Konoha or Sunagakure?"

----------------

Pls Drop some Power Stones

+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo