Shisui went back to his house. He also had a mission tomorrow, but since it was a routine mission, he would most likely be back within three days.
...
For the next three hours, Kaida and Yomi trained their movement jutsu while taking small breaks in between.
After three hours, Ryota came to the training ground.
"Took you long enough to just meet your parents," Kaida said to Ryota.
"What can I say? I’m not here to train, but to call you guys. When I was coming here, a ninja told me we were called to the Hokage's office."
"Hah, I don’t know what Lord Third will ask us about. What do you guys think?" Yomi asked, slightly unnerved.
"I don’t think he’ll ask us anything serious. It’s most likely just a formality for A-rank missions. Otherwise, Sensei would’ve given us some warning or something," Kaida said.
"Yes, I also think we’ll just have to answer some basic questions about the mission, that’s it. But let’s hurry up; I don’t think Lord Third will like waiting for us," Ryota said.
All of them used Body Flicker Jutsu and headed toward the Hokage's office.
...
Upon reaching the reception at the Hokage’s office, Kaida approached the receptionist and asked, "We were called here to present the mission report."
"Oh, are you Yukihiro-sama's squad?" the receptionist asked. As she was newly appointed, she didn’t know much about this squad, as they weren’t that famous by face until now.
"Yes, we are," Ryota said.
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"Then you should hurry; Lord Third is waiting for you in his office," the receptionist said with a smile.
Hearing that, all of them headed straight to the Hokage's office. You can’t keep someone like the Hokage waiting.
*Knock knock*
"Come in."
"Greetings, Lord Third," Ryota said, bowing slightly.
"Good morning, Grandpa," Kaida and Yomi said.
They were surprised to see Yukihiro also present there. Sensing their confusion, Hiruzen began speaking.
"Yukihiro has reported about your mission, and I must say I’m both impressed and shocked. It’s great to have such talented ninjas in Konoha.
But, Kaida, I have a question for you. Yukihiro mentioned that not only were you able to hold your own against a jonin alone, but you also forced him to summon his animal during the fight. Is that true?"
"Yes, Grandpa, everything I told Yukihiro-sensei about my fight is true. I also know the jonin’s name and the name of his summoned animal," Kaida said with a serious face.
"Oh? Then why didn’t you mention it to your sensei?" Hiruzen asked.
"I did, Grandpa," Kaida said with an awkward smile.
Hearing that, Hiruzen glanced at Yukihiro for further explanation.
"Oh, I forgot to tell him the names. Sorry," Yukihiro said nonchalantly.
"Hah, Kaida, just tell me the name of the ninja you faced," Hiruzen said, shaking his head slightly.
"His summoned animal called him Kazuki," Kaida said.
Hiruzen was surprised after hearing the name. Kazuki might not be famous, but Hiruzen knew many ninjas from other villages, and Kazuki was well-known for his excellent defense and formidable strength.
If Kaida had been able to force him to summon his animal, it meant Kaida was strong enough to be considered a jonin. But he was still less than 9 years old, and there was no way Hiruzen would promote him and make him a target for other villages—at least not for another 2–3 years.
Konoha was slowly regaining its strength, and it was estimated that in a few years, Konoha would achieve its former glory. If only two of the three legendary Sannin were still present in Konoha, the village wouldn’t have to feel any tension.
Now, seeing such a talented ninja, Hiruzen was certain Konoha would not only reach its former level but also surpass it, ensuring peace in the village for much longer.
Even though Yomi and Ryota weren’t at jonin level, they were still able to fight and hold off multiple chunin by themselves. They, too, were geniuses.
After meeting them, Hiruzen was sure Yukihiro’s suggestion was right—it was time to groom this team to become a future supporting pillar of Konoha. Hiruzen then remembered that he had been so shocked by the news that he forgot to congratulate them.
"You guys did a great job. I wasn’t expecting you to become so powerful in such a short time. But now that you’ve shown your talents to me, my expectations have increased. I hope you can meet them in the future."
If Hiruzen could get even one Elite Jonin from this team (which he was pretty sure he would), he’d feel satisfied. He wasn’t even expecting an S-rank ninja, as one couldn’t reach S-rank status through hard work alone; it also required a huge amount of talent and luck.
Seeing the proud expressions on their faces, Hiruzen smiled and continued.
"I have good news for you. Your sensei said you’re ready for chunin promotion, but I don’t want to promote you yet. It would put your names on the hit list of every other ninja village. So, your sensei and I have come up with another idea for you.
Well, technically, it was a previously discussed plan. You’ll now focus on a specialization for at least two years. You can choose any specialization, and the village will provide all the resources for your learning. So, do you have any specializations in mind?"
Hiruzen asked, expecting them to ask for time to think about it, but...