Though Kaito Fujiwara had officially become Hanzō of the Salamander's apprentice, it had been over a week since their last meeting in the office. Since then, Kaito hadn't seen the shameless Hanzō again. Instead, a special Jōnin named Mizukuma had been teaching the class.
Mizukuma, a water bear of a Jōnin, was an unremarkable figure with an odd look—his large nose and a forehead that seemed to try its best to hide under his sparse hair. Every time Kaito attended class, he couldn't help but worry that the small tuft of hair on Mizukuma's head would fall off like a dandelion seed in the wind.
Kaito once asked him why he didn't just shave his head and appear more handsome. Mizukuma answered, in a melancholic tone, "It's not just about the hair—it's about a man's last stubbornness."
Later, Kaito learned that Mizukuma, despite his mature appearance, was only eighteen years old, in the prime of his life.
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The room Kaito stayed in, arranged by Hanzō of the Salamander, was located on the top floor of a high-rise building in the heart of the village, next to Hanzō's office. Though it had excellent lighting and ventilation, this was Rain Shinobi Village, not Konoha. The constant rain meant the sun rarely made an appearance, and the drainage on the upper floors was far worse than on the lower levels, contributing to the country's peculiar customs.
Most people lived on the ground floor, while the upper floors were used as the resting place for the dead. The only thing Kaito could be thankful for was the grotesque statue of a human face with a long, menacing tongue just outside his door—large enough for a person to sit on. Kaito didn't dare to sit there, however, fearing that on a rainy day, he might slip and get smashed into a meat patty.
A week had passed since Kaito's first meeting with Hanzō. Over the course of these days, he had been learning the unspoken rules of the ninja world under Mizukuma's guidance. It was only after understanding these rules that Kaito realized just how unethical his actions had been when he used the Great Fireball Technique to blow up Hu Jingen Yong. No wonder the guy had nearly exploded with rage.
Kaito soon learned that this kind of operation was seen as a despicable tactic in the ninja world, a move no ninja of any standing would ever consider using. Furthermore, if an opponent did use such a tactic, it was taken as an immense show of disrespect.
Kaito took a moment of silence to mourn for Isamu Ione's fate.
"Knock... knock... knock..." The rhythmic knocking at the door broke Kaito's quiet reverie.
Sighing, Kaito mentally apologized to Isamu Ione, promising to honor the moment of silence when he had the chance. He stood up to answer the door.
Mizukuma, wearing a raincoat and Jōnin uniform underneath, walked into the room and casually placed the breakfast he brought on the table.
"Eat now. After you finish, we'll begin the Chakra Refining Course," Mizukuma said, pulling out a chair and sitting at the table. He then pulled out a teapot and, with a flick of his wrist, produced a teacup, filling it with hot tea before placing it in front of Kaito.
Kaito couldn't help but twitch his mouth. Mizukuma's smooth, practiced movements were impressive. If only he didn't look so untidy, maybe he could have been married and had children by now.
Kaito thanked Mizukuma and began eating his breakfast. As Kaito ate, Mizukuma started talking in his usual rambling way.
"This week has passed quickly, and you've now grasped the basics of being a ninja. Today, we'll begin learning Chakra extraction techniques."
"My... lapel... is broken," Kaito mumbled with his mouth full.
Mizukuma rolled his eyes, unamused. "I know you won't be able to do it yet. I've seen too many of your kind—the Evil God Cult taught you a castrated version of Chakra extraction!"
"Wait... there's a castrated version?" Kaito asked, his eyes wide open in confusion.
"Never mind," Mizukuma sighed. "Forget everything you learned before. Pretend you never learned it."
Mizukuma walked to the bed, sat cross-legged, and began demonstrating the Chakra extraction technique.
"I'll show you how it's done," he said, closing his eyes.
Kaito, having learned about Chakra through his prior knowledge, observed closely. Mizukuma's body began to glow with a faint blue light, as Chakra emerged from his body, following a set path.
Kaito recognized the effort required, knowing that not everyone could extract Chakra as smoothly as Mizukuma. But that didn't matter—what mattered was how Kaito's body responded. His cells were tired, yet he was aware that his immortality prevented him from exhausting himself completely.
Kaito didn't want to reveal his immortality, however. He had no desire to show off his special talent, especially not when working under someone like Hanzō, the legendary figure of the ninja world.
Instead, Kaito pretended to struggle with the technique, making it seem like he was exerting more effort than he actually was. This was the safest course of action for now. He didn't want anyone to know he was anything other than an average ninja.
The training continued for the next week, with no noticeable improvement. One day, Kaito was once again practicing Chakra extraction on his bed when the door suddenly knocked.
"Knock, knock..."
Mizukuma frowned slightly, stood up, and opened the door. He was clearly surprised when he saw who it was.
"Lord Hanzo!" Mizukuma exclaimed, immediately stepping aside to let him in.
Hanzō of the Salamander entered the room, wearing his mask and a cold, emotionless expression. Behind him were three Rain Shinobi ninjas, including the infamous Salamander Kamada.
Kaito stood up and took his place by the bed, keeping a respectful demeanor. Hanzō gave him a quick glance before sitting down at the table and motioning for Mizukuma to speak.
"How's the training been going?" Hanzō asked, his voice flat and uninterested.
Mizukuma, visibly sweating, stammered, "Uh, Master Hanzō, Kaito Fujiwara's been practicing the Chakra extraction technique diligently. He hasn't slacked off, not even a little."
Hanzō nodded as he listened, although his expression remained unchanged. Mizukuma, trying to avoid talking about the lack of progress, changed the topic. "His... Chakra volume... has improved, a little. He can now extract Chakra at any time."
Hanzō's gaze sharpened. "Is that so?" He raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.
He threw a piece of paper on the table. "Kaito, show me your Chakra."
Kaito silently walked to the table, picked up the Chakra test paper, and tried his best to appear like he was struggling. However, he wasn't using any of his Chakra at all.
The paper remained unchanged, neither burning, tearing, nor even showing the slightest reaction. Kamada couldn't help but grin as he saw the test paper fail to react. This was his moment of triumph.
Hanzō, however, remained silent, but his eyes betrayed his disappointment. After a long moment, he stood up and walked toward the door.
Behind him, Kamada and the other bodyguards followed quickly. Kaito stood still, feeling the weight of his failure. In this world, even a demigod like Hanzō valued results. Without them, one was expendable.
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