"Who is it? Come in," Kai asked, somewhat puzzled.
A ninja wearing a ninja vest walked in.
Calling him "sir"? Judging by the looks, he should only be a Chūnin.
"Is there something you need?" Kai inquired.
"Mitarashi Kai-sama, this is your mission scroll."
The Chūnin respectfully handed the scroll to Kai. Even though Kai was only seven years old, the Chūnin showed no negligence, having witnessed Kai's promotion to Jōnin firsthand.
Not to mention, the massive pit in Konoha's training ground number one spoke volumes.
"Oh," Kai responded, taking the scroll.
It wasn't surprising to Kai that the mission wasn't personally issued by the Third Hokage. With countless ninjas in the village, if every mission were issued by the Hokage himself, he'd be exhausted.
"Mitarashi Kai-sama, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave," the Chūnin said after delivering the mission scroll.
"Alright," Kai replied, then opened the mission scroll.
The scroll didn't contain much; it simply stated:
Mitarashi Kai is assigned to Sarutobi Shin'nosuke's team. Assemble at Konoha's gate at 9 AM tomorrow to support the battlefield in the Land of Rivers.
"Sarutobi Shin'nosuke, huh?"
Kai rubbed his chin. "The eldest son of the Third Hokage, known as the 'Green Sprout,' inheriting the Third's Earth Release talent, reputed to be unbeatable as long as he stands on the ground."
"It seems Tsunade is stationed on the battlefield in the Land of Rivers. Now sending another Kage-level powerhouse, it looks like the situation in the Land of Rivers is tense, and a full-scale war with Sunagakure is about to erupt."
Kai thought to himself, "But this could be good. A war might allow me to gain a lot of reputation points."
...
Early the next morning, Kai finished organizing all his ninja tools and, confirming everything was in order, headed towards the village gate.
As he stepped out, he saw three people standing several meters from the gate. The leading ninja, with brows resembling the Third Hokage, was undoubtedly Sarutobi Shin'nosuke.
"Sorry, I'm late," Kai said as he approached the group.
Before Sarutobi Shin'nosuke could speak, a black-haired youth beside him spoke first, his tone unfriendly:
"So you're Mitarashi Kai, the seven-year-old Jōnin? What's going on? How can anyone just become a Jōnin? Moreover, as a junior, you arrived late for the assembly."
"Listen up, kid. Don't drag us down during the mission, or I won't let you off."
Kai looked towards the voice, seeing a black-haired youth wearing a fan-patterned outfit.
No need to guess; he was a ninja from the Uchiha clan, known for their arrogance and self-importance.
Over the past two years, Kai had interacted with the Uchiha clan during missions. With their Sharingan, the Uchiha clan naturally possessed ninja aptitude.
In the one-tomoe state, their insight was exceptional; in the two-tomoe state, their perception was unparalleled; in the three-tomoe state, they could copy, recognize, and repel genjutsu, making every Uchiha clan ninja an elite among elites.
However, due to the Uchiha clan's superior attitude, Kai had no fondness for them.
Frowning, Kai retorted without hesitation, "First of all, you should understand that it's not yet 9 AM. Technically, I'm not late. Also, I hope you don't drag me down."
"What did you say? Kid."
Hearing Kai's words, the Uchiha's face showed clear anger, glaring at Kai, ready to fight at any moment.
"Seems your ears aren't working well. Should I repeat myself? I hope you don't drag me down, Uchiha clan's... trash."
Kai's voice calmly reached the Uchiha's ears, igniting his fury. He gritted his teeth:
"Kid, you're asking for it."
As a member of the Uchiha clan, he had never been insulted like this and immediately attacked Kai.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
The Uchiha clan's Fire Release was renowned throughout the ninja world, and the Great Fireball Technique was their signature jutsu.
"Furyō, stop!"
Sarutobi Shin'nosuke hadn't expected Ryota Uchiha to attack directly, but it was too late to stop him. Ryota Uchiha's hand seals were already complete.
Kai was well aware of the Uchiha clan's nature.
As soon as Ryota Uchiha started forming seals, Kai was prepared, simultaneously forming his own hand seals.
Without a second thought, Kai knew Ryota Uchiha would use the Great Fireball Technique.
Thus, Kai used the Great Fireball Technique to counter.
Using one's own methods against them.
The two Great Fireball Techniques collided in mid-air.
However, Kai possessed the bloodline of Asura, creating Lava Release through the fusion of fire and earth attributes.
Compared to ordinary flames, lava was a step above!
Though Kai didn't fully utilize Lava Release, merely mixing some earth chakra into the Great Fireball Technique.
But that was enough!
Kai's Great Fireball Technique appeared thicker, directly consuming Ryota Uchiha's Great Fireball Technique and then heading towards Ryota Uchiha.
Ryota Uchiha hadn't anticipated this, but being a Jōnin, he managed to use the Substitution Technique to dodge at the last moment.
Leaf Whirlwind!
Having predicted Ryota Uchiha's landing spot, Kai's speed, honed by the Lightning Body Technique, surpassed that of a Jōnin, showcasing it perfectly.
He had already pinpointed the location, and with a powerful kick, he aimed for Ryota Uchiha's chin.
Ryota Uchiha was knocked to the ground. The force of Kai's kick was enough to leave Ryota Uchiha dazed for quite a while.
"Stop!"
Seeing Ryota Uchiha struggling to get up and counterattack, Sarutobi Shin'nosuke stood between them, speaking up.
"Seems the Uchiha clan's level is limited to this," Kai remarked, looking at the fallen Ryota Uchiha, his tone mocking.
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