The task of investigating Hatake Sakumo and his followers ultimately fell upon the newly promoted Tokubetsu Jōnin, Fox.
Yōkō's heart itched with the desire to immediately learn the Water Release: Water Cutting Wave, but for the mission's sake, he had to follow Hatake Sakumo from a distance.
Hatake Sakumo walked slowly on Konoha's streets, his steps heavy.
Assuming the role of Deputy Commander placed great pressure on him.
The pressure was even greater after mustering the courage to voice his request to the Hokage.
Hatake Sakumo was well aware that one of the cornerstones of the Hokage's power was the recommendation system for ninja ranks.
But many of his friends were stuck, unable to get promoted due to this system, suffering through missions.
Who had the right to recommend was decided by the Hokage.
It wasn't possible for just any ninja to walk into the Hokage's office and recommend someone for Tokubetsu Jōnin.
The outcome of the recommendation was also decided by the Hokage.
Starting from the promotion from Genin to Chūnin, the recommendation system influenced every ninja's destiny.
Whether one was qualified to take the Chūnin Exams depended on a recommendation from their team leader.
The Chūnin Exams selected not the strongest Genin.
The Hokage assessed the overall capabilities of the participating Genin before deciding who could be promoted.
The first-place finisher in the exams wouldn't necessarily become a Chūnin, while lower-ranked Genin might be promoted instead.
The explanation would be that the higher-ups deemed they had special talents.
In the original story's Chūnin Exams, Shikamaru forfeited in the third round but was promoted to Chūnin.
If the exams hadn't been interrupted, Sasuke might not have been promoted even if he won first place.
This was Konoha's version of the 'double-slit experiment'.
Whether a ninja was promoted depended on whether they were observed by the Hokage and his advisors, much like the wave-particle duality of particles depended on the presence of an observer.
Through the recommendation system, the Hokage maintained firm control over ninja promotions.
If it changed to an assessment system, Konoha's advancement structure would undergo a fundamental shift.
Whether a Genin took the Chūnin Exams would be determined by their mission count.
Whether they passed the exams would be determined by their ranking.
Whether a Chūnin could promote to Tokubetsu Jōnin, or a Tokubetsu Jōnin to Jōnin, would be entirely determined by their mission record.
Jutsu acquisition would also be determined by mission performance.
Konoha's fairness would be greatly enhanced.
Hatake Sakumo, who valued his comrades immensely, had keenly identified what his companions – the civilian-born ninja around him – needed most.
Fairness, fairness, and still more fairness.
But besides civilian ninja, who wanted fairness?
My clan has accumulated power for three generations; why should I lose to your ten years of hard training?
Yōkō hid in the canopy of a roadside tree, using only his peripheral vision to watch Hatake Sakumo on the street.
There were many Anbu within Konoha, concealed at street corners and in woods.
Jōnin who spotted them wouldn't say much, assuming it was routine intelligence gathering for the Hokage or some secret mission they weren't privy to.
Hatake Sakumo's death is still about five years away, Yōkō pondered, How should I walk my future path?
Stay in the Anbu as a black ops agent forever?
He looked at Hatake Sakumo's retreating back, his eyes flickering.
In the original story, Hatake Sakumo seemed like a trustworthy person, didn't he?
Yōkō saw Hatake Sakumo return home.
A nanny came out carrying an infant, handed the child to Hatake Sakumo, and then left the Hatake residence.
That infant was probably Kakashi.
Before long, three people entered Hatake Sakumo's house.
Yōkō carefully memorized their appearances, planning to check Konoha's ninja registry back at the Anbu to confirm their identities.
Throughout the night, over twenty people came to visit Hatake Sakomo.
Not only does Hatake Sakumo propose an assessment system, but he also forms cliques. No wonder Sarutobi Hiruzen dislikes him.
Criticizing village governance, forming factions for private interests... If Hatake Sakumo weren't so powerful, he'd already have a death sentence.
Someone like him wouldn't survive two episodes in a historical drama.
You're so naive, it's hard for me to help you. I need to plan this carefully.
Returning to the Anbu, Yōkō used the ninja registry to identify the over twenty people and submitted their names to Battalion Commander Yellow Dog.
"Well done, Fox."
Battalion Commander Yellow Dog was a workaholic, still working in the Anbu late at night. He immediately had his assistants collect intelligence on these individuals.
Seeing it was late, Yōkō decided to learn the Water Cutting Wave tomorrow and first headed to the Tsurugetsu Izakaya.
Kyōi was already accustomed to Yōkō suddenly disappearing for a while and then just as suddenly reappearing.
Her private room in the rear was always open for him.
After their passion, Yōkō felt refreshed and invigorated, while Kyōi lay limp on the bed.
Kyōi mumbled, "Kōji, could you go hang the 'Closed' sign out front? I won't be able to get up tomorrow."
Yōkō patted Kyōi's rounded buttocks. "Kyōi, even if you're not a ninja, for my sake, you shouldn't neglect your physical training."
Kyōi shot Yōkō a glare, feeling infinite grievance inside.
He actually complains about her poor stamina? Clearly, it's Kōji who has become too strong.
She didn't know what Kōji had been through, but his strength had grown so rapidly.
The next day, he went to the north side of the Forest of Death, where there was a small lake.
Taking out the jutsu scroll, Yōkō began studying the Water Release: Water Cutting Wave.
Learning jutsu on your own is such a hassle. You have to figure it out, study it.
The system was much better in that regard – a 'ding' and you learned the jutsu.
Water Release: Water Cutting Wave required five hand seals.
The first seal created water in the mouth using chakra. The next three seals pressurized the water. The final seal expelled the pressurized water from the mouth, forming a high-speed water jet.
Once mastered, the high-speed jet could cut through tree trunks and even mountain rock – its power was astonishing.
Yōkō formed the first seal, and a large amount of water appeared in his mouth.
There was too much water, puffing his cheeks out like a toad's.
Forming the second to fourth seals, he created high pressure within his mouth.
The pressure nearly burst his cheeks, and he hastily spat the water out.
The water shot forth, breaking the bark of a tree.
First attempt: Failure.
Rubbing his sore, stretched cheeks, Yōkō suddenly remembered a concept he'd learned in his previous life.
The incompressibility of liquids.
No matter how much pressure you apply to a liquid, its volume remains almost unchanged.
Which meant he shouldn't have too much water in his mouth, otherwise his cheeks would bear the force and couldn't withstand it.
It should be a continuous process: continuously creating water, continuously pressurizing it with chakra, continuously expelling it.
Yōkō looked at the scroll written by Sarutobi Hiruzen. It contained no learning tips, only the five hand seals and the chakra flow method.
The scroll is too rudimentary.
Yōkō gathered a smaller amount of water in his mouth again.
He formed the seals slowly, carefully sensing the chakra flow. Upon reaching the third seal, Yōkō noticed the water in his mouth begin to rotate.
Last time, with his mouth too full, he hadn't noticed the rotation starting at the third seal.
As the water rotated, the pressure increased.
So the water pressure wasn't created by the mouth itself, but by the pressure generated from the water's rotation.
This... wasn't this the principle of a centrifugal pump?
Centrifugal pumps use high-speed impeller rotation to generate water pressure.
When the pressure peaked, the water was expelled from his mouth in a single burst.
A thin stream of water shot towards the tree trunk ahead, piercing through it.
Not bad, not bad. Starting to get the hang of it.
The key to the Water Cutting Wave was providing the water stream with stronger, greater water pressure.
The higher the pressure, the more powerful the Water Cutting Wave's stream.
After several consecutive practice sessions, Yōkō's Water Cutting Wave slowly cut through the five-meter-thick tree in front of him.
Yōkō's expectation for the Water Cutting Wave was for it to become one of his trump card jutsu. This level of power wasn't impressive enough.
He trained hard until late at night before returning to the izakaya. Kyōi's heavy, ample bosom trembled as she moved, creating a slight breeze.
A breeze?
Yōkō suddenly had an epiphany, a brilliant idea for practicing the Water Cutting Wave.
When using the Water Cutting Wave, the water formed a single vortex in the mouth, and the pressure it provided was somewhat lacking.
What if he tried to create two vortices in his mouth, one rotating clockwise, the other counter-clockwise, like a gear pump? Not only would the rotation provide pressure, but the two vortices squeezing the water between them should generate even greater pressure!
After Kyōi's moment of confusion passed, Yōkō kissed her deeply. "I love you! Thank you for the hint!"
Yōkō pulled his pants on and rushed straight back to the secluded lake north of the Forest of Death.
Kyōi tried to grab Kōji, but he was too fast.
What hint did she give him? She didn't know anything about it.
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(End of Chapter)