[Hokage Office]
The Hokage's office looked exactly as Sukuna remembered it from all those years ago. He doubted that this particular statement would hold true even if Hashirama Senju were to rise from the dead and walk in today.
Practically nothing had changed in this place, except for the loosely tied bundles of papers cluttering the Hokage's desk, filling out one whole side of the table entirely.
The thick presence of smoke in the air exposed the chain-smoking nature of the current village leader. And lastly—the man himself.
He too didn't seem to change, no matter how much time passed.
Sigh.
"How may I help you, Sukuna-kun?" came the calm voice of Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was indeed still smoking when both Sukuna and Karin entered the office.
"We're here for a D-rank mission, Hokage-sama," Sukuna replied with a fake smile—one he had practiced enough that no one could tell the difference anymore.
"Ah, seems like Genma was hasty in his decision," the old man sighed. It was clear he was trying to shift the blame to Genma—which was fair since Genma was the one who failed them.
But the blame also lay with the old man himself. It was obvious that Genma hadn't planned to take a team in the first place. What did Hiruzen expect would happen when he forced Genma into it?
"It's fine. Jonin sensei or not, we're going to get stronger anyway," Sukuna grinned, hiding any trace of irritation. Truthfully, he preferred it this way.
He'd rather not be lectured by a Jonin he could erase with a single swipe of his finger for the next few years.
He wasn't the only one who thought so—Karin shared his opinion, though for entirely different reasons.
"You know," Hiruzen said, "Aizawa-kun heard about your results and mentioned that his offer still stands. You're welcome to work under him at Konoha Hospital."
Hiruzen recalled how the man had nearly torn down his office door a few days ago, demanding Sukuna's mentorship.
Upon learning that the pink-haired boy had chosen to join a genin team instead of staying at the hospital, Aizawa—the current head of Konoha Hospital—had tried everything to change his mind. When Sukuna still refused, Aizawa personally visited the Hokage himself.
The man had been desperate to keep Sukuna in the hospital—and for good reason. Sukuna's Reverse Cursed Technique and Cursed Technique Reversal were nothing short of miraculous in the medical field.
After years of practice, Sukuna had improved his RCT enough that he could now heal others much faster than anyone using standard Mystical Palm Jutsu.
No one came close to him in that aspect. The only thing that might outpace his healing was Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred Seal—not even her Mystical Palm Jutsu could compare.
'No wonder the man was so desperate to keep this boy there,' Hiruzen mused. Even he had to admit—the hospital reports from the past five years had been nothing short of astonishing.
Both Sakura's and Karin's records were excellent—they would undoubtedly become capable medical-nin—but Sukuna…
This boy had turned the hospital upside down.
Hiruzen recalled how Sukuna had once regrown a missing finger for a shinobi using his technique. It wasn't perfect—it had taken him a week—but that alone was beyond anything Hiruzen had ever seen with medical ninjutsu.
He couldn't even remember Tsunade being able to regrow a lost body part. He could only wonder what Sukuna would be capable of once he fully matured. Would he someday be able to regrow entire limbs?
He might not have believed it if he hadn't seen Sukuna heal Iruka from a fatal wound with his own eyes.
Hiruzen had half a mind to send the boy back to the hospital, but Sukuna had refused—repeatedly. This was just another attempt, and Hiruzen already knew what the answer would be.
"No thanks," Sukuna replied firmly. "I learned medical jutsu because it's useful. But I have no intention of dedicating my life to it."
'Knew it,' Hiruzen thought, nodding to himself. There was no point in pushing the matter further.
"Then what do you say, my boy? Should I assign another Jonin sensei to your team?" Hiruzen asked, his eyes wandering curiously, as if just noticing the absence of their third teammate.
"Kiyomi isn't planning to continue taking missions with us since the team was never officially formed," Sukuna clarified. "Karin and I will handle missions on our own from now on."
Hiruzen nodded in understanding. If his assumptions were correct, he would soon hear that Izumi had taken Kiyomi as her apprentice.
In hindsight, perhaps he should have let that Uchiha girl take over the team from the start.
But then he recalled Genma's report. The man might not have done as instructed, but at least he had revealed some valuable information about his test.
Most of it was expected—but one thing had surprised Hiruzen.
Kiyomi Uchiha had awakened her Sharingan. And not just recently—she possessed a fully developed three-tomoe Sharingan.
His earlier decision had been correct. Keeping them under observation, especially Izumi and Kiyomi, was the right move.
He still had Jonin who could be assigned to Sukuna and Karin, but finding a third member would be difficult.
"Hmm, no thanks," Sukuna said casually. "Most Jonin sensei wouldn't be able to teach me much anyway. I've got taijutsu and medical jutsu covered. Karin and I have our basics down, and we prefer to train on our own."
Karin nodded in agreement. Sukuna had already taught her everything he could—from sealing techniques to ninjutsu.
The Hokage studied the two of them for a long moment, then exhaled a puff of smoke with another sigh.
"Then I'll respect your decision," he said finally, giving a grandfatherly smile. "But feel free to come to me anytime if there's something you wish to ask. I'll be happy to help."
Others might have fallen for that trick—but not Sukuna. Still, he showed his appreciation for the offer.
"As for the reward you asked for—your assistance in stopping Mizuki and saving Iruka's life—here, take this." Hiruzen took out a small scroll and tossed it to Sukuna.
He caught it effortlessly.
"Make sure to destroy the scroll after you've memorized the jutsu," Hiruzen added.
"Got it," Sukuna replied.
This was the reward he had requested from the old man. While Naruto had asked for the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu upon Sukuna's suggestion, Sukuna himself had chosen a different jutsu—one he could actually use.
There weren't many jutsu compatible with his cursed energy, but with a few modifications and a well-placed binding vow, he was sure this one would work perfectly.
He'd been planning it for a while now.
Thanks to Danzo, he already had access to the jutsu—he just didn't have a legal reason to practice it. Given the technique's nature, it would be difficult to hide, so he had decided to get official permission from the old man.
As for whether he could actually use it or not, Hiruzen didn't know—but he was willing to invest. That was enough.
"And finally, this is your D-rank mission," Hiruzen said, handing over another scroll.
This time, Sukuna didn't bother taking it. He already had a feeling what it might be and let Karin handle it.
"Nani… clear out the grass from Mr. Tonika's lawn?" Karin blinked in disbelief. "What is this? I believe there's a mistake, Hokage-sama!"
Hiruzen, for all his age and wisdom, only gave them a knowing smile.
And thus began their grand raid through the world of D-rank missions.
...
A/N : What do you guys think he ask from Hokage ? Any guesses.
xxx
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