The three of them perked up immediately upon hearing this, looking at Jiraiya with anticipation.
'There's a reward too?'
Jiraiya spread open a scroll. "Well, I'm sure you're not in the mood to listen to the preamble, so I'll skip it. Overall, in view of your outstanding performance on the battlefield, you are hereby appointed—"
"Aoki Yoru as Jonin;"
"Tanaka Kenta and Shimizu Yui as Special Jonin."
Saying this, Jiraiya looked up at them. "Given that you defeated the Eight-Tails and made an indelible contribution to the victory of the war, each of you will be credited with the achievements of two S-rank missions."
He then handed the appointment letters to them.
Aoki Yoru happily took the scroll. What delighted him wasn't the promotion to Jonin, but the rewards for two S-rank missions.
Ever since purchasing experimental equipment, he had gone from being a Konoha millionaire straight back to poverty, so broke he was about to pawn his pants. With these two mission rewards, he could hold out for a while longer.
"Alright, the Village's rewards have been given to you. Next is my personal guidance. Do you have any doubts regarding your cultivation?"
He was not stingy with his advice for the outstanding juniors of the Village; after all, they were the future hope of the Village.
The three looked at Jiraiya with pleasant surprise. They hadn't expected an extra harvest—personal guidance from one of the Sannin. Tsunade's guidance last time had already benefited the three of them greatly.
They then asked their cultivation questions one by one. Jiraiya truly lived up to being the most suitable person to be a teacher in the Hokage's world, pointing out the trio's problems with pinpoint accuracy.
Aoki Yoru also took the opportunity to ask about Sealing Techniques. His progress in Sealing Techniques was very slow and required guidance from a master.
"Phew—"
After a long time, Jiraiya let out a long sigh of relief, looking at Aoki Yoru with shock.
The learning ability of the boy before him was too strong; he was like a sponge constantly absorbing knowledge, seemingly without a limit, almost draining him dry.
He then looked at Aoki Yoru with satisfaction. This boy would surely become a remarkable Ninja in the future; it wasn't impossible for him to surpass the Sannin.
"It seems you've all gained something," Jiraiya said, glancing around at Aoki Yoru and Kenta.
Revealing a lecherous smile, he pulled a book from his robe. "Would you like to appreciate this great lord's latest masterpiece?"
Hearing this, Aoki Yoru rolled his eyes. He didn't expect things to take this turn at the end—didn't he see how old they were?
"No need. This book is just so-so—no plot, and the writing is dry." Aoki Yoru had once used a Transformation Technique to buy a copy at a bookstore and was utterly disappointed; it was just a blunt description of bedroom affairs, not gripping at all.
"What? What did you say?" Jiraiya looked at him in disbelief. This was his painstaking masterpiece, famous throughout the Ninja World. Which old pervert didn't have a copy?
Aoki Yoru turned to Kenta and Yui, who were still confused, and said, "You two head back first."
Although the two were curious about what Jiraiya's masterpiece was, they could only leave with their questions.
Seeing the two leave, Aoki Yoru stepped forward and began to recount the plots of books from his previous life, including 'Bai Jie', 'Old Man Li the Guard', and 'Young Master Abin'.
The sun set in the west, and the sky gradually darkened.
By this time, Jiraiya's face was flushed, his mouth was wide open with drool running down, and he was breathing heavily, unable to stop himself.
"Genius! You guy are simply a genius! To have such skill at such a young age, this old man is ashamed to be inferior!" Jiraiya, coming back to his senses, cried out in loud amazement.
Aoki Yoru modestly waved his hand. "Not at all, not at all. I'm just a theoretical strategist. How can I compare to Lord Jiraiya, who has done it for real?"
Hearing this, Jiraiya's face turned red, and he nodded in agreement. "Of course, this Immortal is a veteran of a hundred battles."
Aoki Yoru then leaned in and said with a fawning look, "Lord Jiraiya, do you think these few books have any publishing value? If you write them and publish them, we can split the profits fifty-fifty... no, forty-sixty, you get sixty and I get forty."
He was certain these books could become hits across the Ninja World, but he had no confidence in actually receiving royalties. Don't underestimate the shamelessness of those merchants; as an obscure Ninja, they would screw you over without a second thought.
Only a powerhouse like Jiraiya could make those unscrupulous merchants think twice.
Jiraiya waved his hand. "You came up with the plots, so it's fifty-fifty."
Then he heavily draped an arm over his shoulder and said lecherously, "If you have more inspiration in the future, you must share it with me immediately!"
Aoki Yoru nodded as a matter of course. This was a continuous gold mine; all his future experimental funds would depend on it.
He then bid farewell to Jiraiya and walked out of the tent under his reluctant gaze.
After coming out of the headquarters, Aoki Yoru went straight back to the dormitory, intending to rest.
Lifting the curtain, Aoki Yoru froze for a moment upon entering the room, then nonchalantly turned around, left the room, and walked toward the outskirts of the camp.
Deep in the border forest, Aoki Yoru stopped and stood there quietly.
Suddenly, Lightning Release Chakra erupted from his feet, spreading frantically across the ground in all directions.
Crackle...
Sounds suddenly came from underground as dense swarms of insects emerged from the soil, trying to escape, but it was too late.
The black poisonous insects were instantly pierced and charred by the lightning, letting out continuous, faint cries of pain.
Aoki Yoru looked up into the depths of the forest. "Come out. Danzo should have told you about my sensory abilities. Hiding is useless."
Rustle... snap...
A figure slowly emerged from the depths of the forest, wearing a dark gray skin-tight bodysuit covered by a black half-sleeved cloak-like top with a high collar that almost covered half his face.
'That old thief Danzo really hasn't given up.'
Although he was a few years younger, Aoki Yoru recognized him at a glance—Danzo's right-hand man, Aburame Torune.
Aoki Yoru looked at him. "Did Danzo just send you here to die?"
Aburame Torune didn't answer and extended both arms.
Dense swarms of black poisonous insects instantly surged from around him, churning like a black mist.
"Secret Technique: Insect Haze."
As the words fell, that black tide of insects suddenly exploded, turning into countless tiny poisonous needles that shot toward Aoki Yoru, covering the sky.
Then he immediately followed up with a second move.
"Secret Technique: Poison Dust Technique."
A black poisonous mist instantly spread out, continuously surging toward Aoki Yoru.
"Hey, hey, hey, you really think highly of me!"
Once these poisonous insects touched the skin, they would immediately burrow into the body, devouring Chakra and releasing deadly toxins. As for the poisonous mist, a single breath would paralyze the meridians and cause agonizing pain throughout the body.
At this moment, Aburame Torune was like a walking nest of deadly poison; everything within three feet of him was a dead zone.
These two moves were not easy to deal with. If it weren't for meeting a bug-level character like Obito, who could avoid the insects and mist with intangibility and suck him into the Kamui space, the outcome would truly be uncertain.
Looking at the incoming insects and mist, Aoki Yoru gave a contemptuous look. He then formed a seal with one hand, crossing his index and middle fingers, and said coldly:
"Domain Expansion: Lightning Release: Lightning Shield."
The Lightning Release Chakra on his body expanded outward, forming a lightning protection shield several meters in diameter.
Standing inside the shield, Aoki Yoru nodded with satisfaction. In his previous life, he thought Satoru Gojo's Domain Expansion was too cool, so he decided to act cool this time too.
Crackle...
The moment the black poisonous insects touched the lightning, they were directly scorched, exploded, and carbonized by the high-temperature electricity.
Even the poisonous gas was blocked outside the protection shield.