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Takigawa could no longer serve as a ninja. After stabilizing his emotions, his complexion remained ashen, planning to submit a retirement application upon returning to the village.
Shigeru tried to persuade him twice, but to no avail.
Takigawa was considered talented, especially in barrier techniques, capable of creating barriers that concealed traces and scents. This skill alone was what allowed him entry into Shigeru's team.
Even if he had left the reconnaissance team, he could have applied to join the Barrier Team.
However, now that Takigawa had no desire to be a ninja at all, joining the Barrier Team was out of the question.
"The Uchiha clan truly is difficult to get along with. Those words were a bit too harsh," Jiraiya commented during a casual conversation with Shikaku.
He acknowledged Takigawa's talent in barrier jutsu but noted that a few words from Yoichi had dissuaded him from being a ninja entirely.
"Being criticized like that, especially by a prodigy like Yoichi, it's understandable he couldn't bear it," Shikaku remarked.
"Back in Konoha, this kid seemed to have had a similar incident at the Hokage's office, attacking a peer. Although his talent is undeniable, his temper is not."
Jiraiya thought of his pupil, believing Minato would have handled the situation better.
Shikaku sighed, acknowledging the pity of Takigawa's situation but also recognizing his mistake, especially towards Yoichi, who completed the mission.
Completing an S-rank mission alone within a month, and considering its difficulty, granted them a significant advantage in negotiations with Sunagakure. Calling Yoichi a hero of Konoha was not an exaggeration.
Blaming Yoichi for a teammate's death, even out of grief, was unacceptable. Allowing such accusations would enable future misuse of this excuse to attack others.
Shikaku felt Takigawa was more at fault, yet people often sympathize with the weaker party, overlooking the true right or wrong.
"Lord Jiraiya, let's discuss our negotiations with Sunagakure. Though we can't completely remove them from the River Country, we can still seize a share of their missions."
Shikaku shifted the topic back to negotiations, their main mission. Takigawa's issue was just a minor interruption.
The two then discussed negotiations with Sunagakure. Messages from Konoha suggested using the Third Kazekage's intelligence to pressure Sunagakure.
Konoha's higher-ups believed the Kazekage's disappearance would weaken Sunagakure not just in strength but also in morale, especially since the assassination was an inside job, potentially leading to internal conflict.
Under such circumstances, stabilizing their own village would be Sunagakure's priority, leaving them no room to provoke Konoha.
The third round of negotiations began with Jiraiya and Shikaku feeling confident.
However, this had little to do with Yoichi, who wasn't part of the negotiation team. After completing his mission, he just needed to wait for Jiraiya and Shikaku to finish and return to Konoha with them.
Yoichi spent his days scratching off lottery tickets and training lightly, careful not to exhaust himself.
Being in the River Country, he needed to remain combat-ready, although the likelihood of Sunagakure turning hostile was slim.
Over several days, he scratched off five tickets, four of which were useless items. The fifth, however, gave Yoichi a huge surprise.
[Passport of Satan (Limited to Three Uses)]: This item induces a mental hypnosis on anyone other than the user, forgiving any misdeeds committed by the user.
[PS: The affected will come to their senses before death.]
Yoichi remembered this item well from Doraemon. No matter the deed, presenting this passport would ensure forgiveness.
He decided to save this item, planning to steal the Sealing Book once he returned to the village. It was a pity it could only be used three times; otherwise, Yoichi could potentially rule the world.
---
"Everyone, the mission is over. We can start our journey back to the village the day after tomorrow."
Jiraiya announced cheerfully to those involved in the mission, his expression hinting at their success despite not sharing specifics.
Shikaku added, "Although the mission is complete, we must not lower our guard. Until the replacement team arrives the day after tomorrow, everyone must remain vigilant and continue with the patrol duties as previously arranged."
After nodding in understanding, the team received a few more reminders from Jiraiya and Shikaku before being dismissed.
One team left early to escort the Fire Country's Minister of Finance out of the River Country.
The new Daimyo of the River Country, unlike his father, was not fixated on his own ninja village but was concerned for his safety, thus hiring an elite ninja team from Konoha to protect the Daimyo's residence.
He also extended a similar request to the Rain Village but overlooked Sunagakure, given the rumors of the previous Daimyo's death at Suna's hands.
Despite Suna's denials, the River Country's Daimyo and his aunt maintained these claims, leading to distrust towards Sunagakure.
Two days later, with the border outpost established and the team for the River Country Daimyo in place, Yoichi and the troops finally returned to Konoha.
This Jonin exam mission wasn't particularly challenging for Yoichi, who knew of the Third Kazekage's likely demise. If tasked with gathering intelligence on the Third Raikage alone, even Uchiha would have declared the mission a failure.
Upon returning, Yoichi, along with Jiraiya and others, first reported to the Hokage Building about the mission.
He wasn't privy to the negotiation details, only Jiraiya and Shikaku reported those. After waiting for hours, the Third Hokage invited Yoichi and seven others in.
Besides Yoichi, the remaining six were reconnaissance team leaders.
The Third Hokage, smiling, praised them, "I've heard the details from Jiraiya. You all did very well, especially Yoichi-kun, who unexpectedly found the most crucial intelligence, greatly aiding the successful negotiation."
"Uchiha Yoichi, your Jonin exam mission is a success. From today, you are Konoha's second ninja to be promoted to Jonin at fourteen."
(End of Chapter)