Chapter 141: A Pleasant Surprise

Chapter 141: A Pleasant Surprise

Nearly twenty days had passed. With Nagato's help, Ishiro had carefully deepened his understanding of gravity. He had also helped the Akatsuki outline a plan to train their younger generation.

Now, it was time to return to the village.

That evening, Ishiro told Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan that he was heading back. Though Yahiko and Konan were reluctant to see him go, they knew Ishiro couldn't stay here forever, so they only asked him to take care of himself.

But Nagato was clearly distracted.

Just as Ishiro was about to cast Light-Weight Boulder Jutsu and fly off, Nagato suddenly seemed to make up his mind.

"Ishiro," he said, "I might have a method that will let you feel what it's like to fully use gravity-style jutsu. But it's very dangerous."

Ishiro lit up with excitement. He hadn't expected Nagato to have such a method.

"What is it?" he asked eagerly.

"There's a jutsu I can use to create a central point that pulls everything around it toward itself. I can set that point as you. But I'm not skilled at controlling the strength. If too many objects crash into you, it could be very dangerous."

The more Nagato explained, the more Ishiro's scalp tingled. Cold sweat ran down his neck.

Wait—what?! Could this be… Planetary Devastation?!

Nagato, noticing Ishiro's growing anxiety, stopped explaining.

Still, despite how terrifying it sounded, the idea sparked inspiration in Ishiro.

Yes, it was dangerous—but with his knowledge of the technique, perhaps there was room to maneuver.

After thinking it over carefully, Ishiro proposed a detailed plan. Nagato agreed that it was feasible.

So, under the worried gazes of Yahiko and Konan, Nagato and Ishiro ascended into the sky.

Ishiro coated his body in Hardening Jutsu for protection. Then, Nagato placed his hands on Ishiro's back and activated Planetary Devastation.

At first, Ishiro only vaguely sensed a gravitational pull connecting him to the surroundings.

There weren't many solid objects nearby, so it felt hazy and weak.

But as the technique extended outward, Ishiro began to sense a link with the distant ground.

Tiny pebbles started drifting toward him—then larger stones began to rise.

Soon, all manner of rocks, big and small, accelerated toward him through the sky.

With each stone that neared him, Ishiro's perception of gravity sharpened.

The sensation was profound and exhilarating.

At the peak of this experience, Ishiro instinctively extended his arms and shouted:

"Banshō Ten'in!"

The stones, already moving fast, suddenly sped up again.

Nagato's eyes widened in delight. He immediately canceled the jutsu.

But even though his own gravitational field had vanished, Ishiro's had not.

The stones were still racing toward him.

Nagato's expression turned grim.

"Ishiro! Watch out!" he yelled.

The shout snapped Ishiro out of his trance. He canceled his own jutsu and began dodging rapidly.

He managed to avoid the larger rocks—but the small stones pummeled him from every angle.

It was a disaster.

The blows weren't fatal, but they hurt like hell.

He nearly lost control of his flight jutsu.

Eventually, under Nagato's guidance, Ishiro crash-landed on the ground, bruised and battered.

In those few seconds, he had been struck hundreds of times.

Despite the Hardening Jutsu and his efforts to protect vital areas, he was badly injured.

He spent two days bedridden at Akatsuki's base.

Thanks to Iwagakure's medical nin, he had never been down for more than a day since he'd reincarnated.

This was the first time he'd been completely immobilized.

That said, part of the blame lay with Akatsuki's weak medical support.

Still, surviving an ultimate gravity-style technique from one of the world's most powerful jutsu? A few injuries seemed fair.

After two days of rest, Ishiro set out for home. He wasn't fully recovered, but he could fly—and what he needed most now was proper treatment.

Even though he was injured, his deepened understanding of gravity made his flight faster than ever.

It took just half a day to return to the village.

When the gate guard saw Ishiro wrapped in bandages, he panicked and rushed to report to Onoki.

Ishiro tried to stop him, but the pain from raising his arm twisted his face. All he could do was grunt and let it go.

Soon, Onoki arrived in person.

His reasoning was clear: it was wartime.

A badly injured elite jōnin returning to the village could mean they had been attacked by a powerful enemy—possibly one still in pursuit.

If Ishiro was forced to flee, who else could step up? The Tsuchikage himself had to be ready.

But Ishiro quickly waved it off.

"Lord Tsuchikage, it's nothing serious. I got hurt during training and came back for treatment."

Hearing this, Onoki sighed in relief—but also scolded Ishiro for being reckless.

Training alone outside the village? What if he'd been ambushed?

In his current state, even a group of mid-level chunin could take him down.

Realizing he was at fault, Ishiro changed the subject.

"Oh right, Lord Tsuchikage—I've mastered the jutsu."

That instantly got Onoki's attention.

He'd known Ishiro had gone to train an S-rank jutsu.

But to have succeeded so quickly—especially before Ikura, who had started even earlier—was shocking.

"Hehe… shall I head to the hospital first?" Ishiro asked with a wry smile.

Onoki couldn't help but laugh and waved him off. "Go, go! Oh, and by the way—your three students all passed their exams."

"Also… someone left you a little surprise."

Then Onoki turned and left. He had other matters to attend to.

Ishiro had no idea what the "surprise" could be, but the news of all three students becoming chunin was good enough for now.

At the medical department, an experienced jōnin medic treated him thoroughly.

Afterward, Ishiro headed to Onoki's office to report what had happened.

Hearing the full story, Onoki felt both impressed and alarmed.

Ishiro's boldness was admirable—but also frightening.

Still, remembering how dangerous Dust Release training had been for himself, Onoki relented.

No S-rank jutsu was ever easy.

He pointed at a nearby cup and said, "Show me."

Ishiro smiled and held out his hand.

"Banshō Ten'in."

The cup floated slowly into his palm.

Onoki exhaled slowly. "Alright. Write a training report later. Now go visit your students."

"Oh, and that surprise? It's Chiko Tomoe. She broke through the jōnin barrier."

"What?!" Ishiro stared blankly.

Completely unexpected.

How? When? Why her first?

What had she experienced? What path had she found?

His mind was flooded with questions. He urgently wanted to see them.

But there was still one issue to settle.

Now that all three were chunin, the village would usually assign them to other squads or departments—possibly ANBU.

That had been Ishiro's own path.

But the decision wasn't his to make—it rested with the higher-ups.

"I don't think it's wise to split them up yet," Onoki said.

"The war is coming. Better to keep them under your command for now. Once they mature, we'll reassess."

Ishiro nodded. That was a relief.

Normally, a newly promoted chunin team would be disbanded.

There simply weren't enough experienced jōnin to lead all the new squads.

But prodigies complicated that logic.

A prodigy team captain might be strong—but lacked experience.

Worse, pushing such talent into leadership early often backfired.

After getting Onoki's approval, Ishiro made his way to the training ground.

As expected, the three students were there. It was the same location where all newly promoted chunin trained after receiving their chakra-infused medicine.

There were dozens of them gathered here. Aside from a few clan kids, the rest were all present.

Ishiro ignored the others and walked straight to his three disciples.

When they saw him, they were shocked—not at his presence, but at his appearance.

Even after treatment, he was still wrapped in bandages.

For a renowned elite jōnin to be in such a state could only mean one thing: he'd fought a brutal battle.

The students ran over at once.

"Sensei! What happened?!"

"Who did this to you?"

"Did you fight Konoha ninjas?!"

In their minds, only a battle with an elite from Konoha could injure Ishiro this badly.

But Ishiro didn't have the heart to admit the truth—that he'd done this to himself.

So, with all the authority of a teacher, he said:

"Have you forgotten the village's confidentiality protocol? Don't ask questions."

It wasn't untrue.

But it definitely wasn't in line with Ishiro's usual relaxed demeanor—his students immediately looked skeptical.

Still, the firm tone cut off their questions.

Changing the subject, Ishiro said:

"First of all, congratulations on becoming chunin. None of you disappointed me."

He looked at them with emotion.

After more than a year together, they weren't just tools to build his reputation anymore.

They were bonds.

Ties to the village. To the world of shinobi.

Then he looked at Chiko.

"Especially you, Chiko. Your progress astonished me. If I recall, I didn't break through the jōnin threshold until a few years after graduation—and I was older than you are now."

Chiko blushed.

She didn't even fully understand how the breakthrough had happened.

But she could definitely feel the changes: her body stronger, her chakra reserves greater.

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