CHAPTER 333: CHAPTER 333: WHERE OTHERS LACK, WE EXCEL!

Rōshi was quick to agree.

He might have ideals, but he also had a solid sense of self-preservation.

If Madara was truly still alive—and still hunting tailed beasts—then running around blindly was nothing short of courting disaster. Getting captured was one thing, but if things went as Kyoichi said and they ended up being controlled by genjutsu...

That would be the end.

As for the truth of Kyoichi’s words, Rōshi didn’t doubt it much.

Madara had set precedents before.

The Nine-Tails back then—wasn’t it Madara who had unleashed it upon Konoha?

Even a tailed beast had been subdued by him. Compared to that, what chance did a jinchūriki have? The Nine-Tails was the mightiest among the tailed beasts—if Madara could capture that, then they were practically walking offerings.

Kyoichi departed.

Rōshi and Han sat across from each other, the air between them awkward.

The confidence and vigor they’d shown before had completely evaporated. Especially Han—as the Five-Tails’ jinchūriki, who hadn’t even participated in the Third Great Ninja War, he’d always been proud of his power before encountering Kyoichi.

Now, though...

"Hey, that guy... how can anyone be that strong? Is he even human?"

"He’s strong," Rōshi sighed.

He’d said it before—this wasn’t a fight they could win. There was no need to be stubborn.

But Han insisted on testing his strength anyway.

Even Rōshi hadn’t expected Kyoichi’s current power to be so terrifying.

During the war, Kyoichi had needed to use every trick in the book—various ninjutsu and seals—to break through a tailed beast cloak and suppress him.

Now, with a single ice pillar, he had sealed them both.

Four-Tails, Five-Tails—it didn’t matter. One overwhelming force shattered all techniques.

Han scratched his head, lost for words. After a long silence, he finally muttered, "So... what do we do now?"

"Wait," Rōshi said. "See what Ōnoki and Sunagakure decide. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll just head to the Land of Fire."

He smacked his lips.

Trees rot when they stay still; people thrive when they move.

He still wanted to change how jinchūriki were treated—but survival came first.

Returning to Iwagakure wouldn’t be the end of the world. Rōshi knew Ōnoki well: a stubborn, unbending old man, but not a bad one.

They hadn’t harmed any villagers or killed many ninja on their way out. If they went back, there would still be a place for them—just with less freedom.

Still, if they could stay outside, it was safer that way.

Han thought about it and nodded.

"Ōnoki’s strong, but compared to that man, he’s still a bit behind. If Madara really is alive..."

Once, Han might have dismissed Madara as nothing to fear. His years of wielding the Five-Tails’ power so smoothly had made him a little overconfident.

Now, after being flattened in a single exchange—literally a single exchange—he understood.

The gap was enormous.

Even Kyoichi, as powerful as he was, would struggle before that legendary name that once shook the entire shinobi world.

The two of them sat in silence for a long time before finally reaching a conclusion.

Wait.

And if waiting didn’t work—go to the Land of Fire.

Plans never kept up with reality. That was life.

Rōshi comforted himself with that thought.

...

Passing through the Land of Rivers and running into Rōshi and Han there had been sheer coincidence for Kyoichi.

He’d been prepared to track them down, but fate saved him the trouble. Now he could head straight to Tenbin Village.

Tenbin Village had previously contacted him about joining Konoha for protection.

Kyoichi had agreed and even taught them basic methods for sensing and balancing natural energy. Over the past weeks, their control had grown much steadier, and the bouts of madness had almost disappeared.

When Kyoichi arrived, the village streets were lively—people coming and going, laughter filling the air. Compared to the silence and fear of his last visit, the change was striking.

The meeting went smoothly.

After inspecting their progress and checking their chakra flow, Kyoichi found everything satisfactory.

Their improvement was remarkable.

Having lived here for generations, the villagers’ bodies had long since adapted to the dense natural energy around them—they simply hadn’t known how to control it.

Even the elderly had begun to master the basics. They weren’t warriors, but they could now prevent the violent chakra surges that once drove them mad.

That was enough.

Kyoichi never expected the old folks to become fighters. What mattered was that the entire village now formed a stable, special chakra ecosystem—a blend of natural energy and chakra, producing proto–Sage Chakra.

It would prove invaluable in many ways.

For example, cultivating Wood Release plants.

Though Wood Release vegetation had spread across Konoha, it still required Kyoichi’s oversight. Jiraiya, as usual, had long abandoned his duties, wandering "in search of inspiration."

Kushina had wanted to call him out on it—but for Minato’s sake, she’d held back. Otherwise, she’d have already flattened him with one punch and confiscated that novel he handed Minato.

Kyoichi chatted with the village head for a while—the same elder as before.

Even though most villagers were now stable, they still experienced occasional relapses, and the old man managed things well. There was no reason to replace him.

Replacing him now would be the height of ingratitude.

When Kyoichi explained Konoha’s terms, the villagers were overjoyed.

They knew that life in Konoha wouldn’t be as quiet as before, but the Land of Rivers was changing fast. More and more rogue shinobi were appearing. Eventually, conflict would reach their borders too.

Better to move before that day came.

Under Konoha’s protection, life would only improve—and they trusted Kyoichi completely.

Without him, they wouldn’t have the peace they enjoyed now.

Excitement spread through the village. Some wanted to leave immediately, though Kyoichi reminded them the process had to stay discreet—after all, the Land of Rivers was still an independent nation.

That wouldn’t be a problem.

A little careful planning and they could move unnoticed—especially since the Land of Rivers’ defenses were lax. Kyoichi would later assign Kakashi to lead the operation.

Kakashi now led his own team.

His overall strength rivaled that of a jōnin, though he’d once been too rigid and cold to lead effectively. But after overcoming that flaw, he was finally ready.

His team members were all competent: Obito, Rin, and Shiranui Genma.

Ebisu, meanwhile, was being trained by Kyoichi as a specialist instructor and rarely took field missions anymore. As a result, Guy’s team had disbanded; Guy now often went on missions with Shisui and Kurenai.

It was a snapshot of Konoha’s restructuring.

In the future, not every squad would be led by a jōnin. Guidance would shift toward collective mentorship, supported by one-on-one or one-on-three training models. The shinobi corps would also diversify further.

Where others lack, we excel; where others excel, we surpass.

If Konoha wished to remain the number one village in the shinobi world, it had to keep evolving.