I, Konoha’s Sage of Life

“We’ll head out first. Stay alert on the way and send the crows out.”

Kyoichi signaled to Yamashiro Aoba to follow him.

Kyoto itself wasn’t particularly dangerous—the real threats lay outside the city.

A daimyo was, of course, a noble figure. But that only applied within the capital. Outside the city, accidents could always happen. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a need for the "Twelve Guardian Ninja."

Yamashiro Aoba nodded and followed.

Once they left the city…

A thousand crows dispersed, each one acting as Aoba’s eyes and ears, scouting the surroundings for any potential threats.

Kyoichi was even more direct.

He placed two fingers on the ground, spreading his chakra outward. His sensory ability swept across the area, giving him a general picture of the surroundings.

No threats detected—for now.

“Sensei, there’s no one around for the moment.”

“Mm. This area is still safe, but the further we go, the more uncertain it becomes. My sensory ability has its limits—I can’t monitor everything at all times. We’ll need to rely on your crows for that.”

“Understood!”

They moved ahead to scout the route.

Before long…

The daimyo’s procession departed from the capital, heading outward.

The daimyo himself was relatively young. As he left the city, his gaze scanned his surroundings, quickly noticing the unusually high number of crows in the sky.

He observed them for a moment but didn’t ask about it.

However…

When his eyes fell upon Kyoichi in the distance, a particular figure surfaced in his mind. With a slight smile, he turned to ask, “Jōnin Minato, may I ask who that shinobi is?”

“Lord Daimyo, his name is Kanda Kyoichi. He’s a newly promoted jōnin from Konoha, and his strength is on par with mine.”

Namikaze Minato, walking beside him, answered respectfully.

The daimyo nodded slightly.

Not a Senju?

Strange…

His brow furrowed slightly as he studied Kyoichi for a moment longer before asking, “Is he a descendant of the Senju?”

“Kyoichi’s grandmother was from the lineage of Lord Tobirama,” Minato replied.

Realization dawned on the daimyo.

As expected, he was of Senju blood.

He knew that Kyoichi was currently scouting the area to prevent any potential ambushes. So, he didn’t have Minato call Kyoichi over for a closer look.

However…

That silver hair, that figure… Just one glance, and it was impossible not to think of the Second Hokage.

The daimyo couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. Then, as if suddenly intrigued, he continued, “Lord Tobirama was a brilliant leader. I didn’t expect him to have a descendant who became a shinobi—what a pleasant surprise. Minato, do you know who trained him?”

“Kyoichi was largely self-taught, using the Senju records and scrolls passed down by his grandmother. Recently, he earned Lady Tsunade’s recognition and signed a contract with Shikkotsu Forest. Aside from not changing his surname, he is, for all intents and purposes, a Senju.”

Minato didn’t give a direct answer.

But his words carried a clear implication—

Kyoichi had no teacher. He had learned everything on his own.

The daimyo seemed to have only been asking out of casual curiosity. Hearing Minato’s response, he simply remarked, “A young hero indeed!”

With that, he closed the curtains of his palanquin and said no more.

…

Further along the journey,

A crow descended from the sky. Shortly after, Yamashiro Aoba hurried over.

“Sensei, something’s off!”

“What did you find?”

Kyoichi knew that Aoba’s crows must have spotted something unusual.

Aoba nodded.

While his crows weren’t strong in combat, they were unmatched in reconnaissance. This was a specialty passed down through the Yamashiro clan.

After listening to Aoba’s report, Kyoichi quickly understood the situation.

It wasn’t a direct sign of danger, but—

There was a set of footprints by the riverbank.

More importantly…

The tracks followed the river, appearing and disappearing intermittently along the shore.

This wasn’t something they could afford to ignore.

“They aren’t nearby. They’re either lying in wait further ahead or hiding in the river itself, using some kind of jutsu to block my sensory detection.”

After a brief check, Kyoichi shared his assessment.

Chakra sensing wasn’t infallible—many secret techniques could be used to evade detection.

But…

After a moment’s thought, he smiled.

“No need to worry. If they’re from Kirigakure, then I’m not concerned at all.”

Water Release?

I’ve got that covered.

Kyoichi’s shadow clones had been studying Kirigakure’s Hidden Mist Technique for some time. After incorporating the principles of the Crescent Moon Dance assassination technique, he had a solid grasp of how the Mist Village’s assassination strategies worked.

He was confident.

If a thick mist covered the battlefield, he would have the advantage.

For now, they acted as if they hadn’t noticed anything.

The procession continued moving forward.

The daimyo kept admiring the scenery along the way. Seeing how prosperous the Land of Fire was and how well it had recovered, he couldn’t help but feel pleased.

The flourishing landscape before him was proof that the Land of Fire was thriving.

However…

His mind was still preoccupied with one thought—

Kyoichi.

A Senju!

He hadn’t changed his surname, but just the fact that Lady Tsunade had acknowledged him as part of the Senju bloodline was remarkable in itself.

There were plenty of Senju descendants, of course. 

But…

Are There Any Still Worthy of Recognition?

It wasn’t that Tsunade was unwilling, but the integration of the Senju into Konoha was a foundational rule set by the First and Second Hokage—Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju. It was something that simply couldn’t be changed.

For this young man to gain such recognition, he must be truly exceptional.

His face remained calm, yet his mind swirled with countless thoughts.

At that moment, a scream pierced the air from the front, and the carriage came to an abrupt stop.

“Jōnin Minato…”

The daimyō peeked out, only to see a thick mist gradually enveloping the surroundings. His face instantly turned pale.

Though he wasn’t a shinobi, he knew of certain infamous jutsu.

Like the Hiding in Mist Technique.

As a daimyō, this was the technique he feared most—within the blinding fog, nothing could be seen clearly.

Minato, Asuma, and Obito immediately took defensive positions around the carriage, their expressions grave.

Someone actually had the audacity to attack!

---

Ahead…

A body floated in the river, blood dyeing the water red.

A Kirigakure shinobi.

With a swift Body Flicker Technique and a flawless Iaido strike, he was cut down instantly.

“Sensei, his forehead protector has a scratch.”

“That doesn’t mean much. Keep an eye on the body and stay alert for enemy ambushes—I’m going after them.”

With those words, Kyoichi vanished.

Yamashiro Aoba tensed.

He didn’t know much about the Hidden Mist Technique, and now that Kyoichi had left, his palms began to sweat. The fear of an unseen attack gnawed at him.

And sure enough…

In the darkness, another Kirigakure shinobi watched closely.

His original plan was to wait for the perfect moment to assassinate the daimyō, but now that Kyoichi had left, only a single boy remained.

A reconnaissance-type shinobi, no doubt!

He hesitated briefly before finally making his move.

Silently, he emerged from the water, blade flashing toward Yamashiro Aoba.

But then—

A sudden, searing pain in his neck.

Blood sprayed into the misty air.

His hands clutched his throat, eyes filled with confusion.

What… just happened?

He would never get the answer.

Aoba stood frozen in shock.

The Kirigakure shinobi had practically thrown himself onto an invisible blade.

If it weren’t for the faintest ripple in the water afterward, Aoba would have thought the man had simply killed himself.

The Hidden Mist Technique was powerful, but it didn’t make someone truly invisible…

How had Sensei done that?!

It was beyond belief.

Yet, as the shock faded, Aoba felt a wave of relief.

Sensei hadn’t abandoned him.

Meanwhile, the remaining Kirigakure shinobi lurking in the mist could no longer focus on Aoba.

The last survivor among them was utterly terrified.

Kyoichi’s techniques were too eerie!@@novelbin@@

He couldn’t help but recall the Second Mizukage from long ago…

It felt like that kind of genjutsu.

Absolutely terrifying!

He knew now that this mission was doomed. There was no way they could succeed. His only thought was escape.

Silently, while submerged in the river, he began forming seals.

Boom!

A massive surge of water exploded forth, and in an instant, a giant shark swallowed the two corpses whole.

At the same time, he used the commotion as cover and fled downstream.

But—

Just as he gained some distance, he felt an unnatural shift in the water.

The next second…

The entire riverbed beneath him rose abruptly.

Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!

What the hell?!

How was this Earth-Style Wall so absurdly massive?!

Just who were these people protecting the daimyō?!

Their strength was absolutely insane!

His heart pounded as he cursed inwardly.

And in the next instant—

He was forced out of hiding.