Inside the secret base.
Animal Path–Hiruko once again activated the Chimera Technique, attempting to integrate the Seven-Tails' wings into a newly prepared summoned beast.
Although this summoned beast was far stronger than the previous one,
the result was still a failure.
Clearly, ordinary summoned beasts were simply incapable of bearing the power of a Tailed Beast.
"It seems I underestimated the sheer power contained within the Seven-Tails' wings after they absorbed the Nine-Tails' chakra."
"But where can I possibly find a summoned beast powerful enough to endure it?"
There were countless types of summoned beasts in the ninja world. However, when it came to truly powerful summons, the first thing that came to mind was undoubtedly the Three Great Sage Land.
They stood at the pinnacle of the summoning world, just as the Five Great Ninja Villages stood at the pinnacle of the ninja world itself.
And precisely because of that, the Three Great Sage Lands were not places one could provoke lightly, nor were they easy to approach.
First was Shikkotsu Forest.
Aoshi himself was already a contractor of Shikkotsu Forest, so it was naturally impossible for him to target it.
Moreover, although Shikkotsu Forest was one of the Three Great Sage Lands, it possessed only a single true sage.
That was the Slug Sage.
Whether it was the many slugs seen within Shikkotsu Forest or the slugs summoned into the ninja world in various sizes, they were all merely her clones.
Thus, daring to act against Shikkotsu Forest was equivalent to provoking the Slug Sage directly.
That was no different from courting death.
One should never assume that the Slug Sage's gentle demeanor meant she could be offended at will. She was, after all, one of the Three Great Sages of the summoning world.
Next was Mount Myōboku.
Among the Three Great Sage Regions, Mount Myōboku was the most renowned.
The Great Toad Sage, its founder, possessed the power of prophecy. Through this ability, he had even established a connection with the Sage of Six Paths.
Who knew what hidden methods he possessed that had never appeared in recorded history?
Furthermore, Jiraiya maintained an extremely close relationship with Mount Myōboku.
Out of respect for Jiraiya, Aoshi could not target them either. That left only Ryūchi Cave.
Among the Three Great Sage Regions, Ryūchi Cave had by far the worst reputation. And Aoshi had no relationship with them whatsoever.
If he had to choose a Sage Region to act against, Ryūchi Cave would unquestionably be his first choice.
However, he was not a contractor of Ryūchi Cave.
And to make contact with Ryūchi Cave, he would need to go through Orochimaru. But Aoshi had no intention of proactively seeking out Orochimaru.
Thus, the path of acquiring summoned beasts from the Three Great Sage Regions could only be set aside for now.
He would have to search elsewhere for powerful summoned beasts.
Unfortunately, the most famous summoned beasts in the ninja world already had established contractors.
There were no easy targets among them.
"Right… I remember there's an island near the Land of Fire that's especially suitable for summoned beasts."
"I think it's called—yes, Summoning Island."
Summoning Island was home to a vast number of summoned beasts, and many ninja traveled there in hopes of forming contracts with suitable partners.
If not for the lack of Sage Art inheritance, Summoning Island might have even become the fourth great holy land…
---
Konoha.
Ninja Academy.
Medical Special Training Class.
The assessment for the second phase concluded shortly after the new semester began.
Aoshi was extremely satisfied to see that all twenty-three students had passed and advanced into the third phase of instruction.
Clearly, everyone had practiced diligently during the break.
The third phase would focus on in-depth medical theory. Its difficulty far exceeded that of the first phase.
Accordingly, the duration of this phase would also be much longer.
The first phase consisted of twelve lessons over three months.
For the third phase, Aoshi estimated it would require roughly one hundred lessons.
That amounted to twenty-five months—just over two years.
Factoring in holidays and breaks, the total duration would be approximately two and a half years.
After finishing the lecture, Aoshi did not leave immediately as he usually did. Instead, he prepared a small test.
"Students, the top three scorers on this quiz will accompany me on a mission tomorrow."
The moment those words left his mouth, excitement exploded throughout the room.
From childhood until now, none of them had ever left Konoha.
Now, not only would they be able to go outside the village, they would be doing so on a mission alongside Teacher Aoshi himself.
Naturally, anticipation ran high.
Before long, the test ended. As expected, the top three scorers were Kurenai, Rin, and Shizune.
"That's amazing! Rin, Shizune—we get to go together again!" Kurenai was beside herself with joy.
To go on a mission before even graduating from the Ninja Academy— this was unprecedented.
In other words, they were making history. At that moment, everyone else could only look on with envy.
"Teacher Aoshi, what kind of mission are we going on tomorrow? Is it really all right to bring us along?"
Looking at Aoshi, Rin asked with a worried expression. She was afraid they might end up causing trouble for him.
"Oh, right—we haven't graduated yet. Can we really go out on missions?" Shizune suddenly realized this issue as well.
"Don't worry, Shizune! Since Brother Aoshi said we can go on a mission with him, there's absolutely no problem!"
Kurenai had complete faith in Aoshi's words.
Aoshi smiled and explained calmly. "It's just a D-rank herb-gathering mission. I'll speak with your instructors."
Although he had already decided to head to Summoning Island to search for powerful summoned beasts, Animal Path–Hiruko needed to remain at the secret base, so only Aoshi's main body could go.
Coincidentally, near Summoning Island was an uninhabited island rich in medicinal herbs commonly used to produce military ration pills.
So, he decided to use an herb-gathering mission as a pretext to leave the village.
As for bringing Kurenai and the other two along, that decision had been somewhat impulsive.
Still, it would serve as a valuable practical lesson. After all, identifying medicinal herbs was an essential skill for any competent medical ninja.
"However, I need to remind you of something. Under normal circumstances, D-rank missions aren't dangerous."
"But once you leave Konoha, unexpected situations can arise at any time."
"If any of you are afraid, you can choose not to go."
Aoshi's words didn't deter the three girls in the slightest.
They all insisted on participating in the herb-gathering mission.
Seeing this, the seriousness on Aoshi's face softened into a smile. "Don't worry. Even if something unexpected happens, I'll protect you."
With Aoshi's current strength, he was more than qualified to say that.
Kurenai and the other two believed him without reservation.
"The location is an uninhabited island in the middle of the sea. The trip will take about four to five days in total, so make sure you prepare properly."
Since this was their first mission, Aoshi gave them several additional instructions, especially emphasizing various precautions and details they needed to pay attention to.
Soon after, the news that Kurenai Yūhi, Rin Nohara, and Shizune would be going on a mission with Aoshi spread throughout the Ninja Academy.
For a time, the three of them became the center of attention.
Many students were filled with envy. Others were filled with regret.
Why hadn't they joined the Medical Special Training Class back then?
Why had they voluntarily withdrawn from it?
Otherwise, they might have been the ones going on the mission.
Because of this, many students went to their teachers to apply for entry into the Special Medical Training Class.
The answer they received was the same every time—there were no more openings.
"Rin, I heard you're going out on a mission tomorrow?" After hearing the news, Obito immediately went to find her.
When Rin confirmed it, he blurted out, "It's dangerous outside Konoha! I have to go too—only I can protect Rin!"
As he spoke, he was about to run off to find a teacher.
Rin quickly grabbed him and stopped him.
"Don't worry, Obito. We're going on a mission with Teacher Aoshi."
"That's right. With Brother Aoshi there, our safety isn't an issue at all. Obito, you should probably worry about your own grades first." Kurenai couldn't help but add.
Her words instantly made Obito flush red with frustration.
Shizune, seeing the scene unfold, quietly stepped aside and covered her mouth, laughing softly.
"Kurenai, all of you be careful." Unlike Obito, Asuma simply offered a calm reminder.
After school, once she returned home, Kurenai told her father, Shinku Yūhi, about the mission.
"Going out to gather herbs with Aoshi? That's fine—just as I'd expect from my daughter."
Shinku didn't object at all. On the contrary, he was quite pleased.
As a jōnin, he had naturally heard the increasing calls for Aoshi to become the Fourth Hokage.
And he personally agreed with them.
So, if Kurenai could build a good relationship with Aoshi in advance, he naturally supported it wholeheartedly.
It would be even better if Aoshi could become Kurenai's squad leader after she graduated.
Of course, Shinku also knew that such an outcome wasn't very realistic.
"Kurenai, this is your first time leaving Konoha. During the mission, you must listen carefully to Aoshi, understand?"
After his initial happiness, Shinku began giving instructions.
At the same time, he explained many mission-related precautions and personally helped her prepare the tools she needed.
---
Early the next morning.
Konoha's main gate.
Following her father's instructions, Kurenai left home and arrived at the agreed meeting point.
Because she was so excited, she had woken up extremely early—so early, in fact, that she was the first to arrive.
Fortunately, not long after, Rin and Shizune arrived as well.
"Good morning, Kurenai!"
"Good morning, Rin. Good morning, Shizune."
"You're here so early—did you skip breakfast?" Rin asked with concern.
"I ate. I was just too excited, so I woke up really early." Kurenai explained.
"I thought I was the only one that excited. Turns out you were too." At this moment, even the usually quiet Shizune was visibly excited and full of anticipation.
"Yeah, I was so excited last night I almost couldn't sleep. I thought I was going to be late today."
The three of them chatted and laughed together.
Soon, Aoshi arrived as well.
"Good morning. Have you all eaten breakfast? If not, make sure you eat now—we have a long journey ahead."
The three quickly nodded, confirming that they had already eaten and were ready to depart.
"Since everyone's prepared, let's go."
"Yes!"