The retreat signal came before they'd even fully cleared the battlefield.
Kenji heard the horn blast echo and immediately changed direction, angling back toward Konoha's defensive line. His students fell in behind him.
They weren't moving at full speed. The captive on his shoulder made rapid travel awkward, and Kaede needed time to recover his strength. That slower pace meant they were still weaving through the tail end of the battle as other Konoha ninjas began their withdrawal.
"Ahhhh!"
He snapped toward the sound. Two Konoha chunin were pinned down behind a boulder, one bleeding badly from a leg wound. Three Iwa ninjas were advancing on their position, weapons drawn and clearly going for the kill.
"Haruto, Aoi, stay with Kaede. Don't move from this spot."
He didn't wait for confirmation. He set the captive down, summoned the External Armor Puppet, stepped into the open frame, and in a flash, it sealed around him. Then, he blurred forward using Body Flicker. The distance closed in seconds.
The lead Iwa ninja noticed him too late. Kenji's kunai took him in the throat before he could shout a warning. The body crumpled.
The second enemy spun around, hands already moving through seals. Earth chakra gathered around his fists.
Kenji was faster. His hand shot out, fingers crackling with lightning chakra. "Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder!"
The lightning discharge hit the ground and spread outward. It caught both remaining Iwa ninjas, their bodies convulsing as electricity coursed through them. They dropped hard.
The two Konoha chunin stared at him.
"Get back to the line," he said curtly. "Can you move?"
The injured one nodded, his partner already helping him up. "Yeah. Thanks."
Kenji returned to his students without another word. He picked up the captive and they continued toward the defensive line.
They encountered three more similar situations on the way back. Each time, he dealt with the threats quickly and moved on. When they came across a Konoha ninja lying badly wounded, Aoi would stop to provide emergency treatment while the others kept watch. Nothing complicated, just enough healing to stabilize them for transport.
By the time they finally reached Konoha's defensive perimeter, Kenji's chakra reserves had dropped to around forty percent. Not critical, but he'd need to rest before engaging in any more combat. He had unsummoned the External Armor Puppet to conserve its chakra batteries.
The defensive line was organized chaos. Medical-nin were setting up triage stations, exhausted ninjas were reporting to their squad leaders, and ANBU operatives were coordinating the withdrawal.
"Let's find the commanding officer," Kenji said to his students.
He led them straight toward the command post at the rear of the camp. It was a large tent with ANBU guards stationed at the entrance. As they approached, one of the masked operatives stepped forward.
"State your business."
"Yamanaka Kenji, chunin. These three are my students. During the battle today, we captured an Iwa ninja. His speed was extraordinary, we suspect a bloodline limit. Here to report to the commanding officer."
The ANBU's posture shifted slightly, probably surprised. Bloodline limit users weren't common, and capturing one alive was notable.
"Wait here."
The operative disappeared into the tent. Less than a minute later, he returned and gestured for them to enter.
"The commander will see you. Leave your weapons at the entrance."
Kenji handed over his kunai pouch and nodded for his students to do the same. Then they followed the ANBU inside.
The interior of the command tent was busy. Maps covered several tables, marked with colored pins indicating troop positions. A few chunin were organizing intelligence reports, sorting through documents. And sitting at the main table, reviewing what looked like casualty lists, was someone he recognized immediately.
Spiky white hair, and bold red markings on his face. The appearance was unmistakable even though Kenji had only seen him in anime and manga.
Jiraiya.
Apart from the Third Hokage, this was his first time meeting one of the key figures of the story.
Kenji said, "Our squad captured an Iwa ninja. His speed was exceptional. Based on his abilities, we believe he's a bloodline limit user."
He moved forward and set the unconscious captive on the ground. The Iwa ninja's face was visible now.
Jiraiya glanced at the prisoner, then did a double-take. His eyes widened slightly.
"Hm? This is the Swift Release user, Sō?"
Kenji's heart skipped a beat. The prisoner was famous enough that Jiraiya knew him by sight? That meant this guy was way more important than he'd realized.
"You know him?"
"Yeah, I know him." Jiraiya stood up and walked over, crouching down to examine Sō more closely. "He's a jonin from Iwa who wields the Swift Release bloodline. It's not like the standard Body Flicker technique. Swift Release allows sustained high-speed movement over long distances. It makes him a real pain to deal with in combat."
That explained a lot. Kenji had wondered why the guy had been so relentlessly fast. Most ninjas couldn't maintain that kind of speed for more than a few seconds before exhausting themselves.
He himself could use the Body Flicker, the same technique ninjas used in the show when they "disappeared instantly" after reporting a mission. It looked flashy, but in reality, it was nearly useless, short distance, short duration, and couldn't be used continuously. Great for making a dramatic exit, but not much help in an actual fight. Plenty of ninjas knew the Body Flicker, but the only one who ever became famous for it was "Shisui of the Body Flicker."
Jiraiya's eyes tracked over the seal markings on Sō's body, then he looked up at Kenji.
"How'd you manage to capture him?"
"He was too fast to fight directly, so I set a trap. I laid down a sealing array and lured him into it. Once the seal immobilized him, I used my clan's technique to take control of his body. After that, applying the sealing was straightforward."
To be honest, catching Sō had been pure luck. The Yamanaka clan's secret arts had weaknesses, but in terms of control, they were practically bug-level. In the Fourth Great Ninja War, Ino was even able to manipulate Obito's aim with the Tailed Beast Ball, proof enough of how powerful their control could be. Battles in the shinobi world often hinged on information more than sheer strength; as long as there wasn't an overwhelming power gap, lack of intel could easily flip the outcome.
Jiraiya straightened up, a grin spreading across his face. "Not bad, kid. Capturing a jonin with a bloodline limit is impressive work, trap or no trap."
His expression turned more serious. "You've captured a foreign bloodline user. That's valuable both for intelligence gathering and research purposes. I'll report this to the Hokage. You can expect a reward from the village. If there's something specific you want, tell me now. I'll pass it along."
Kenji didn't hesitate. "I need chakra metal. If the village has any to spare, I'd like to request some."
"Chakra metal?" Jiraiya looked mildly surprised. "Planning to forge a weapon?"
"Something like that."
"Alright, I'll mention it to the Hokage."
Kenji nodded his thanks. Chakra metal was expensive and tightly controlled, but if anyone could arrange access, it would be one of Hiruzen's students making a personal request.
Time to push his luck a bit further.
"Sir, are you Jiraiya-sama?"
Jiraiya's grin widened. He scratched the back of his head in an oddly boyish gesture. "Hahaha! So I'm that famous among Konoha's ninjas, huh?"
He puffed out his chest and struck a dramatic pose, one hand raised and the other on his hip. "That's right! I am the Toad Sage, Jiraiya!"
The pose was ridiculous. Completely over-the-top and unnecessary. And yet somehow it fit perfectly with the man's personality.
Behind Kenji, his students were trying not to laugh. Haruto's face was turning red from suppressing it. Kaede looked like he might burst. Even Aoi had a hand over her mouth to hide her smile.
Kenji decided to use the moment while Jiraiya was in a good mood.
"This is my student, Hoshino Aoi." He gestured toward her. "She has exceptional talent for medical ninjutsu. If possible, I'd like to use whatever reward I'm owed to ask a favor. Would you introduce her to Lady Tsunade? So she could provide guidance on medical techniques?"
Jiraiya's gaze moved to Aoi, assessing her.
"Aoi, right? I've heard about you," he said. "You've been using medical ninjutsu to save your comrades. That's excellent work for someone your age."
Aoi's face went bright red. "I... it's not... thank you for the compliment, Jiraiya-sama!"
Her voice came out higher than normal, flustered at being praised by him. Haruto and Kaede were both staring at her with wide eyes, clearly impressed that their teacher had drawn this kind of attention.
"Graduating early and learning medical techniques in combat conditions, that's rare," Jiraiya continued. There was a hint of sadness in his voice now. He knew exactly what early graduation meant, and how many kids like Aoi got thrown into the grinder and didn't survive. "You should be proud of what you've accomplished."
Kenji saw his opening and took it. "Aoi has already learned the Mystical Palm Technique."
Jiraiya's head snapped toward him. "What?!"
He looked back at Aoi.
"You've learned Mystical Palm? That's an incredibly difficult technique. Even in Konoha's hospital, not many medical-nin can use it properly." He was studying her now like she was a valuable resource, which she absolutely was. "That kind of aptitude is exceptional."
Aoi waved her hands frantically, embarrassed by the attention. "No, it's not like that! Sensei taught me everything. I just followed his instructions!"
"Don't worry about it. I'll definitely talk to Tsunade. She'll want to mentor someone with your talent."
Jiraiya thumped his chest confidently.
Behind Kenji, Haruto and Kaede were grinning at Aoi, clearly excited for her. Aoi herself looked like she might pass out from the combination of embarrassment and excitement.
Kenji felt a weight lift off his shoulders. Getting Aoi proper training under Tsunade would massively improve her survival odds. Medical-nin were valuable enough that they usually got pulled back from the most dangerous assignments. And if she became skilled enough, she might even get assigned to the hospital full-time rather than field duty.
One less student he had to worry about dying on the battlefield.
"Thank you, Jiraiya-sama," Kenji said quietly.
Jiraiya waved off the gratitude. "No need for thanks. Talent like that should be nurtured, not wasted. Besides..." His expression turned thoughtful. "You captured Sō, saved multiple comrades on the way back, and you've clearly been training your students well despite being a chunin instructor yourself. The village needs more ninjas like you."
He turned back to the maps on his table, already moving on to the next problem. "Alright, get out of here. Find somewhere to rest and recover your chakra. I'll handle the prisoner and get your requests processed. Dismissed."
Kenji gathered his students and left the command tent, retrieving their weapons from the ANBU guard on the way out.
As they walked back, Haruto couldn't contain himself anymore.
"Sensei! That was amazing! You know Jiraiya!"
"I don't know him," Kenji corrected. "I just met him."
"But he said all that nice stuff about you! And he's going to get Aoi training with Tsunade! That's incredible!"
Aoi was still blushing. "I can't believe that just happened. Lady Tsunade might actually teach me. This is like a dream."
"Don't get too excited yet," Kenji warned. "Nothing's confirmed until he talks to her. And even if she agrees, you'll still need to work harder than you've ever worked before. She doesn't waste time on students who aren't serious."
"I'll work hard!" Aoi said immediately. "I promise!"
Kenji believed her. Aoi had been dedicated since day one. If anyone could meet Tsunade's standards, it would be her.
They found a quiet spot near the edge of the camp and sat down to rest. Around them, other ninjas were doing the same thing, eating rations, tending injuries, or just lying flat on their backs and staring at the sky.