Chapter 26: Konoha Jonin, Goto Mikaze Arrives

In the training hall at the center of Training Ground Four in the Death Forest, spectators were buzzing with discussion over the sudden disappearance of Kato Yufeng from the screen displaying the performance of the upper ninja examination.

On the external battlefield, as Kato Yufeng advanced swiftly using his ninjutsu, he passed by a three-member task team without them noticing. At the closest point, Kato Yufeng and the task team were less than ten meters apart. The team, led by a Konoha upper ninja, had no awareness of Kato Yufeng's presence.

For ninjas, especially those with formidable strength, ten meters was a safe distance. If Kato Yufeng intended to launch a surprise attack, he had a substantial chance of injuring or even killing the highest-ranking upper ninja in the task team. Without their leader, the remaining two middle ninjas would be no match for him.

On the screen, the icons representing Kato Yufeng and the task team drew closer, then crossed paths. The footage showed no trace of Kato Yufeng.

Wind Breath Technique: Kato Yufeng used wind-style chakra, referencing the Kato clan's secret techniques and the study of souls. This technique was derived from the ninja system's simulations.

Its effect utilized the omnipresence of wind to simulate and conceal one's information. The chakra consumption was low, allowing Kato Yufeng to maintain it during combat or in daily life to keep himself hidden. The effectiveness varied according to his chakra and soul power; greater consumption resulted in a stronger concealment effect, rendering him undetectable to ninjas with weaker perception.

Wind Breath Technique was not an illusion, but it had aspects reminiscent of one. It was a method developed by Kato Yufeng through years of specific study of the soul technique by the Kato clan, combined with his understanding of wind attributes, ultimately derived through the ninja system's simulations.

In reality, Kato Yufeng could have chosen not to use Wind Breath Technique during the upper ninja examination. Under normal circumstances, if he did not intend to engage directly, he could have easily circumvented the task team in front of him.

He was aware that the training hall had screens to display real-time situations from outside. The reason he employed Wind Breath Technique to race toward his target, passing by unnoticed, was largely to demonstrate his strength to the spectators on the podium, including the Third Hokage.

Having just used the Soul Nurturing Technique to sense and analyze the battlefield outside, Kato Yufeng devised a strategy for his examination tasks. The fundamental principle of his strategy was to ensure his advancement while also showcasing a degree of strength.

The former meant swiftly and accurately obtaining the password information for four different task objectives. For the latter, although he could use the Soul Nurturing Technique to steal intelligence directly, continuously invading and controlling four Konoha upper ninjas in a short time was both challenging and exhausting.

While the soul technique was the Kato clan's secret, its flaw was quite obvious: the body could not move after using it. Competitors might exploit this weakness against Kato Yufeng.

He also did not plan to expose the Soul Nurturing Technique, avoiding the downside of the soul technique. It was best to keep such trump cards hidden during life-and-death battles. At this point, the only person in the ninja world aware of Kato Yufeng's Soul Nurturing Technique was Tsunade, who only had a vague understanding of it.

Kato Yufeng's specific strategy for the upper ninja examination involved rushing near the indoor training hall, the final destination for task handovers, facilitating the execution of his subsequent strategies.

Once close to the indoor training hall, he would find a concealed spot, employ the Soul Nurturing Technique to steal information from two groups that were not the primary targets of his examination. He would then choose the best targets based on the task completion status of the other three groups and swiftly obtain the passwords from four different groups, completing his examination.

The subsequent examination unfolded largely as Kato Yufeng had anticipated. Maintaining the hidden effects of Wind Breath Technique and the acceleration of Wind Light Technique, he quickly found a suitable hiding place near the training hall.

In Kato Yufeng's soul perception, he had already chosen the targets for soul invasion. He could even detect the special markings made by the barrier team on him. Normally, he would have eliminated those markings, but since this was an examination and not a life-and-death battle, and with Konoha's higher-ups and close friends nearby, Kato Yufeng decided to keep the markings to allow the audience to notice him and to better showcase part of his strength.

Kato Yufeng lingered in his hiding spot for a while, employing the Soul Nurturing Technique's effect. The specifics of this process need not be elaborated. He easily achieved his objectives, as his soul power was the strongest in the examination arena. He had confirmed this during his earlier reconnaissance.

Since this was an examination and not a life-or-death conflict between enemy ninjas, Kato Yufeng did not kill the two upper ninjas he controlled after obtaining the passwords. Instead, he used his soul power to erase their memories of being controlled, ensuring that the two task teams remained unaware that their confidential information had been stolen.

Initially, Kato Yufeng had planned to alter the target password information but found that the target scrolls were custom-made by Konoha. While forgery was possible, tampering directly with the original scrolls could easily reveal his actions.

Considering that he was largely secure in passing this examination, he refrained from taking drastic actions. As fellow Konoha ninjas, being overly harmful would only backfire on himself; he still had to work alongside them in the future. If the two password groups happened to be the true passwords among the five, and he altered them, the consequences would be dire.

Being overly ruthless was not his style. Even if he were to engage in such actions, he wouldn't do so during the upper ninja examination with so many prominent figures observing. That would be foolish.

In this regard, the village elder Shimura Danzo was quite the expert.

Silently entering the village, no firing guns allowed.

Kato Yufeng successfully used the Soul Nurturing Technique to acquire two sets of password information, appearing to the ordinary audience as if he were simply waiting in his hiding place.

Of course, for the Konoha leadership, including the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Kato Yufeng's friends, they had some awareness of his intelligence and could guess that he had obtained part of the password information.

"Is he just waiting? Or is he using that technique? The legendary secret technique related to the soul..." Mito Kazan remarked to the nearby Tsukinome Koharu.

After a moment of thought, Tsukinome Koharu replied, "He must be using the soul technique, though I don't know how much password information he has acquired." Tsukinome Koharu managed Konoha Hospital and other logistical departments in the village. Due to the Kato clan's expertise in soul research, some clan members worked at Konoha Hospital.

Although these clan members could not control enemies through soul projection to kill them, they sometimes leaked intelligence in their work, so Tsukinome Koharu was more informed about the soul technique.

"He must have succeeded," said the Third Hokage, who had access to more information as the village leader.

"Ah, the soul technique... Kato Yufeng's older brother, Kato Dan, can also use it, but his personality isn't suitable for it..." Sarutobi Hiruzen focused on the icon representing Kato Yufeng on the screen, recalling a recent secret research project in the village. He glanced at his proud student seated beside him, his gaze lingering on Tsunade and Orochimaru for a moment.

At this time, Shimura Danzo was also pondering Kato Yufeng's information, while the screen displayed combat taking place elsewhere, but he merely observed it briefly.

The secret techniques related to the soul reminded Danzo of his teacher, the previous Hokage Senju Tobirama, who developed various forbidden techniques, as well as the recent secret research underway in the village. Like Sarutobi Hiruzen, Danzo also thought of Orochimaru.

At this moment, Kato Yufeng remained unaware of the thoughts of the Third Hokage and Danzo within the training hall. He had completed his planned strategy and successfully stolen two sets of password information.

He continued to hide in place, resting while simultaneously sensing the situation of others on the training field. During the time Kato Yufeng employed the Soul Nurturing Technique, the other participating ninjas were not idle. The duo alliance and the solo group, which had initially been inactive, were both suspected by Kato Yufeng to have achieved their objectives.

The duo alliance, combining their strengths and techniques, exceeded the task team and obtained the password information.

As for the solo group, Kato Yufeng observed through his senses that they were a master of stealth and information theft, also proficient in illusion techniques. Initially hesitant to act, they were likely conducting reconnaissance and analysis before ultimately choosing a target and successfully obtaining the information.

However, the earlier bold ninja who charged directly at the target was now in dire straits. While not captured by the task team, Kato Yufeng sensed that they had sustained serious injuries and were currently being pursued by the task team they had attacked earlier, unsure how long they could hold out.

Ninjas, after all, relied more on mental acuity and technical skills; if their physical strength did not dominate the situation, their survival often depended on wit.

Based on the intelligence gathered from the examination arena, Kato Yufeng devised a new plan. After recovering from his earlier exertions, he initiated action.

As for the illusion ninja in the solo group, Kato Yufeng waited patiently. When the opponent was recuperating in their hiding place, he approached using Wind Breath Technique, remaining hidden until he was just two meters away before being detected.

Unfortunately, it was too late; Kato Yufeng launched a swift attack, threatening the opponent's neck with a kunai, extracting information from them.

Kato Yufeng, in turn, did not kill them, considering they still had a chance to participate in the examination.

The duo group posed a bit more trouble, but for Kato Yufeng, it was just a minor inconvenience. The password information they obtained was not without cost; the primary defensive taijutsu ninja was heavily injured, while the main offensive ninjutsu user was heavily exhausted.

Kato Yufeng set traps along their likely route to ambush them. First, he temporarily ensnared the injured taijutsu ninja with traps, then engaged the other ninjutsu user not with a direct assault but through harassment and attrition, ultimately defeating them and obtaining the password information.

Likewise, he refrained from delivering lethal blows to this opponent and swiftly vacated the area.

By this point, Kato Yufeng had acquired four sets of different password information. Without lingering, he quickened his pace and headed directly to the central training hall.

As he approached the podium in the hall, it was still not yet 12:30; less than two hours had passed, and if he moved quickly, he might even grab a warm lunch.

During the password verification phase, the four sets of passwords in Kato Yufeng's possession included two authentic passwords obtained through the Soul Nurturing Technique. Had he been more ruthless at that moment, it was likely that he would have been the sole victor of this examination.

Ultimately, the other victor was the illusionist from Konoha.

At the conclusion of the examination, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, representing the Hidden Leaf Village, awarded the four newly selected qualified Konoha ninjas with equipment symbolizing their promotion to upper ninjas.

This included a complete set of new Konoha upper ninja combat uniforms and vests, as well as new headbands and various other gear.

Kato Yufeng stepped onto the podium, receiving his awarded items from the Third Hokage, listening attentively to the teachings of the Will of Fire.

In the days that followed, Kato Yufeng and the other three newly promoted upper ninjas had to visit the Hokage's residence to complete various registration tasks.

From then on, Kato Yufeng could officially refer to himself as an upper ninja of Konoha.

Konoha upper ninja, Kato Yufeng has arrived.

PS: A novice author seeks support, recommendations, and collections.