I, Konoha’s Sage of Life

“Ranking system?”

The Third Hokage furrowed his brows.

He understood exactly what Kyoichi meant.

Not all forbidden techniques posed the same level of danger. For instance, The Impure World Reincarnation was, in his view, an absolute forbidden jutsu—one that toyed with the dead and could provoke the wrath of the entire ninja world.

However…

Techniques like Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu weren’t inherently catastrophic. As long as they were used within reasonable limits, the physical strain was manageable.

The same applied to Eight Gates, Seven Heavens Breathing Method, and the downgraded Cell Activation Jutsu.

Was there risk?

Of course.

But it wasn’t necessarily life-threatening. The training process carried some danger, but compared to dying in battle, the risks were negligible.

More importantly…

These forbidden jutsu had the potential to change the tide of battle.

Still, implementing this system wouldn’t be easy.

The Third Hokage hesitated.

But he couldn’t deny that the idea was tempting. In recent years, Konoha had suffered significant losses in conflicts with other villages, depleting its shinobi ranks.

If they could reduce casualties among Special Jōnin and Jōnin-level shinobi, Konoha would gain a substantial advantage in warfare.

After a long pause, he took a deep breath and sighed.

“Lately, I’ve been reflecting… Maybe I really am getting old. Ever since my teacher passed and I took over, Konoha hasn’t changed much.”

“Uh…”

Kyoichi secretly exhaled in relief.

He knew it—

The Third Hokage was going to agree!

Hiruzen Sarutobi paused for a moment before continuing, “Alright, I can approve this plan. Other than you, the only person in the village deeply invested in forbidden jutsu research is Orochimaru. I’ll call him in. We’ll also bring in Minato and Might Duy. The five of us will hold a meeting.”

“Yes, sir!”

Kyoichi nodded.

This was practically a done deal—now they just needed to establish the ranking criteria for forbidden jutsu.

As Kyoichi left the office, the Third Hokage remained seated, lost in thought about Asuma and the others.

Shisui was an exception—he had already been recognized as a genius.

But Asuma and Kurenai…

Their transformation and rapid growth were almost unbelievable, even to him.

Maybe…

He really was getting old.

---

[Mission Complete: “Combat Training” Exercise]

[Evaluation: Exceptional]

[Rewards]

[1. Chakra Scalpel]

[2. Konoha-Style Kenjutsu – Crescent Moon Dance]

[3. Vacuum Blade (Select 2 out of 3)]

Additionally, there was a reward for Forbidden Jutsu Application Training—

Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet.

The reward itself was nothing special, but the Exceptional rating yielded three much more valuable options.

All three were great choices.

Kyoichi had long desired the Chakra Scalpel, but after some thought, he decided against it.

Why?

Because Tsunade’s scrolls already contained that medical technique.

Given his excellent chakra control, he was confident he could learn it on his own. Better to save his rewards for something he couldn’t easily obtain.

With that settled, he made his choice—

Vacuum Blade and Crescent Moon Dance!

After receiving the rewards, a thought struck him.

“Wait a second—”

He immediately turned back and re-entered the office, where the Third Hokage was puffing on his pipe while reviewing documents. Upon seeing Kyoichi, he coughed violently.

Maintaining a composed expression, Hiruzen sat upright and asked, “Something else?”

“Of course! Lord Hokage, you promised me that if I successfully handled the Chūnin Exams planning, you’d get me a chakra blade.”

“Uh…”

The Third Hokage fell silent.

He had been so preoccupied with other matters that he had completely forgotten about it.

A chakra blade wasn’t cheap, and even with money, they weren’t easy to come by.

After a moment of contemplation, he sighed, “Do you have any specific requests?”

“Just a regular katana, something suited for Iaido. The Raijin Blade doesn’t feel right for me.”

“That’s a reasonable request. Fine…”

The Third Hokage nodded. “By the way, do you have any weapon suggestions for Asuma?”

“Let him figure it out himself. Are you planning to wield his weapon for him?”

Kyoichi replied bluntly.

If there was one thing he understood well, it was Asuma.

The old man had a tendency to micromanage—

Not directly, but subtly, always steering Asuma onto the path he wanted him to follow.

But…

Asuma was as stubborn as a mule.

Try to lead him, and he’d resist even more.

At least, that was how things stood for now.

“Fair point…”

The Third Hokage nodded in agreement.

As Kyoichi left the office, he thought about his two new swords.

They were decent weapons, but the Raijin Blade still felt awkward to use. The more he used it, the more he understood why Tobirama Senju had set it aside. It was flashy, sure—but that was about it.

If anything, it was useful because Kyoichi didn’t specialize in Lightning Release, but most of the time, it was inferior to a regular sword.

That wouldn’t do.

Once the war with Kirigakure started, he’d have to find a way to snatch one of the Seven Ninja Swords.

Either the Executioner’s Blade or the Kabutowari would be great.

Not because they were inherently powerful, but because of their sheer size—

Melt them down, and they’d provide a ton of chakra-metal.

Who in their right mind would waste that much material on oversized cleavers?

---

As he walked, Kyoichi focused on comprehending Vacuum Blade and Crescent Moon Dance.

Both were excellent sword techniques.

The former was a Wind Release kenjutsu.

The latter…

The swordplay itself wasn’t particularly impressive to Kyoichi—it was mostly just slashing movements, lacking any intricate technique.

However…

What made it truly valuable was the accompanying assassination techniques—

Stealth, concealment, identifying weak points.

That was the real essence of the move!

With the system’s rewards, he could allocate an extra clone to medical studies, ensuring he mastered the Chakra Scalpel. The technique was difficult to control, but simple in principle.

As for Vacuum Blade…

A powerful Wind Release sword technique—perfect for Shisui and Asuma, but Kyoichi wanted to modify it, integrating it into his Iaido style.@@novelbin@@

A quick-draw slash enhanced with Vacuum Blade—

Ideally, a single strike would finish the job.

But…

He wouldn’t rely solely on a single move!

Kyoichi never intended to be a One-Strike Wonder.

Besides kenjutsu, he had ninjutsu, genjutsu, and now a deeper understanding of assassination. With his additional knowledge from Crescent Moon Dance, his stealth abilities had improved significantly.

Though he wasn’t at an elite level yet, his shadow clone was diligently honing these skills.

There was no rush.

For now, Madara was still alive, keeping a watchful eye on Nagato.

As long as no one tried to interfere with Nagato, the Uchiha side wouldn’t even look his way.

And honestly?

They weren’t worth his attention.

Kyoichi understood.

When Madara had proposed leaving Konoha, they hadn’t dared follow. Now they were being oppressed and suppressed, and suddenly, it was everyone else’s fault?

If he were in Madara’s position, he’d feel the same way.

Frankly, he was already being generous by not kicking them while they were down.

Just as Kyoichi was about to grab a meal and refresh his study-clone, a Katsuyu fragment suddenly appeared beside him.

“Kyoichi, Lady Tsunade asked me to deliver this to you.”

“Much appreciated!”

Kyoichi accepted the letter and opened it while walking.

Tsunade’s message was straightforward—

Mostly praising his rapid mastery of Katsuyu Summoning and his medical ninjutsu progress.

However…

The implication in her words was clear.

Tsunade had learned from Katsuyu that Kyoichi was overseeing the Chūnin Exams.

That was fine.

He had never intended to keep it a secret anyway. If anything, knowing that she was aware gave him peace of mind—at least now, the "big spender" wouldn’t have to rely on gambling as an excuse to check on his well-being.

However…

At the bottom, she mentioned something intriguing—

A forbidden jutsu she was currently developing.