Chapter 16: Chapter 16: The Forbidden Scroll—Flying Thunder God or Reanimation Jutsu?
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office...
"Well done!"
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, set down the mission report, a wide smile lighting up his face. "This time, the Cloud Village put everything on the line. They even had that brat, the Fourth Raikage, lead the team to infiltrate our borders."
"But, they ran into Jiraiya and Kazuya."
"Shikaku," Hiruzen said, turning to his trusted advisor. "Our instincts were right. Kazuya has proven himself to be an exceptional shinobi, far surpassing our expectations."
Nara Shikaku nodded. "Indeed, Hokage-sama. According to the report, Kazuya faced off against the Fourth Raikage head-on and held his ground. That's not something just any ANBU ninja can do. It seems Kazuya has broken through his limits since being discharged from the hospital."
Hiruzen beamed with pride, his pipe between his teeth. "When Kazuya returns, I'll need to give him even more responsibilities. He's both talented and loyal—exactly what the village needs."
"I couldn't agree more," Shikaku said.
Hiruzen set his pipe down and gazed out the window, his thoughts drifting.
Because in Kazuya, he saw the true embodiment of the Will of Fire. He also saw shades of Minato.
At the same time, the Fourth Raikage and his team had crossed the border into the Land of Hot Water.
"Damn it!"
The Raikage's towering frame shook with fury as he roared, "That damned Konoha ANBU! Find out who he is. Next time we meet on the battlefield, I'll take his head!"
His subordinates stood by silently, wary of their leader's burning rage.
"How infuriating!"
The Raikage's face twisted in anger. Not even during his encounters with Minato Namikaze had he felt this humiliated.
"Boss, what about the plan?" one of the Cloud Jonin asked cautiously.
The Raikage's voice was filled with venom. "Now that our ambush has been exposed, there's no point in continuing. With Hiruzen, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and that mysterious ANBU in the village, any attempt to strike the Daimyo's residence would be suicide!"
"But what about the head ninja's orders?" another Jonin asked.
"Orders?" The Raikage's eyes gleamed dangerously. "If he doesn't return with the Byakugan from the Hyuga Clan, he doesn't need to come back to the Land of Lightning at all!"
The surrounding Cloud ninjas exchanged cold glances, fully understanding their leader's resolve.
Even as he left the Fire Country behind, the Raikage's fists clenched with a promise of vengeance.
Two days later, Kazuya and the ANBU squads finally returned to Konoha.
After debriefing and handing over the mission report, Kazuya had planned to go home for some much-needed rest. But before he could, Sarutobi Shinnosuke informed him that the Third Hokage wished to see him.
"The Hokage wants to see me?" Kazuya mused, a smile tugging at his lips.
He had a pretty good idea of what this was about.
Hiruzen probably wanted to discuss his recent stellar performance in battle.
But Kazuya wasn't concerned in the least.
At 17, he had already become a Jonin. Being a genius meant sudden breakthroughs weren't all that unusual.
Everything's perfectly reasonable, he thought. After all, compared to Naruto and Sasuke's insane power-ups, this is downright logical.
When Kazuya arrived at the Hokage's office, Hiruzen greeted him with a pleased smile.
"Well done, Kazuya." The Third Hokage took a puff of his pipe, his eyes gleaming with pride. "Your performance in this mission was outstanding. You truly embodied the strength and spirit of Konoha's ninja. I'm proud of you!"
"But," Hiruzen added with a fatherly tone, "don't let it get to your head. There's still a long road ahead of you. Stay humble and keep working hard. Understood?"
Kazuya nodded respectfully, but inwardly, he was less impressed.
Here we go—another speech. How about some bonus pay if you mean it?
Just as Kazuya was mentally grumbling, Hiruzen reached for a scroll on his desk and walked over to him.
"This…" Kazuya's eyes narrowed in curiosity.
"This is the directory of the Forbidden Scroll," Hiruzen said with a smile. "I've decided to grant you access to it. You may choose one jutsu from the scroll to learn."
"The jutsu recorded in the Forbidden Scroll are considered forbidden for a reason. Each one is powerful and dangerous, and mastering them requires great effort. For now, you may select one to study. Once you've fully grasped it, you can come back to choose another."
Kazuya's eyes lit up.
The Forbidden Scroll!
The ultimate compendium of Konoha's forbidden techniques!
In the original story, contained all kinds of powerful jutsu, including Edo Tensei (Reanimation), the Infinite Exploding Tags Jutsu, Eight Gates, Shadow Clone Jutsu, and the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"Is Sarutobi Hiruzen trusting me with this?"
Kazuya kept his expression neutral, but inwardly he was excited.
This was an incredible opportunity, even for someone as powerful as him.
His heart raced as he quickly scanned the directory.
Kazuya crossed off the Edo Tensei from his list immediately. Picking that would only end with Hiruzen turning on him instantly.
Eight Gates?
Too self-destructive. Not worth it.
After going through the various options in the Forbidden Scroll of Seals, Kazuya's eyes finally settled on the perfect choice: Flying Thunder God Technique.
This... could work!
He already had the Ultra-Speed Reflexes special ability, which would synergize beautifully with the Flying Thunder God Technique. It was a perfect match.
The only problem was the difficulty. Throughout the entire ninja world, only two people had ever truly mastered it—and both were long gone.
That made gaining experience points for leveling up the technique in an uphill battle.
But Konoha had a unique advantage…
Kazuya grinned. There were still three very special experience bundles waiting for him.
With his decision made, he confidently declared, "I'll choose the Flying Thunder God Technique."
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Kazuya, I must warn you, this technique is incredibly difficult. After the Second Hokage, only Minato Namikaze was able to master it. Even I, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru failed to fully grasp its secrets."
Hiruzen paused, his tone serious. "Are you sure about this?"
Kazuya nodded, determination clear in his eyes. "I believe in my abilities. I'll find a way to make it work."
Hiruzen smiled warmly. "Very well. I trust your judgment, Kazuya."
He retrieved the actual Scroll of Seals from a storage scroll and allowed Kazuya to copy down the portion detailing the Flying Thunder God Technique.
As Kazuya finished, he suddenly turned to the Hokage. "One more thing, Hokage-sama. I'd like to borrow three individuals."
"Three people?" Hiruzen asked, intrigued.
"Yes."
A few minutes later, Kazuya left the Hokage's office with a wide grin on his face.
The experience bundles... are secured.
Note: If you are interested, read up to chapter 30 at patreon.com/MythicForge11
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