After dinner, Obito and the other disciples went home. Jiraiya, still wanting more, bought some sake, and the three of them chatted while eating and drinking.
It was mainly Jiraiya talking, with Mokgetsu and Minato listening and occasionally initiating small topics.
"Imitating the Tailed Beast Ball is even harder than I imagined." Minato talked about his efforts in developing Ninjutsu, hoping to get inspiration from Mokgetsu and Jiraiya.
"Trying to develop a Ninjutsu similar to the Tailed Beast Ball is certainly not a simple task," Jiraiya said after drinking his sake and stroking his chin.
A lot of the intimidation of the Jinchuriki comes from the Tailed Beast Ball. Its destructive power is too great. Even Jiraiya has no choice but to dodge when facing it.
"I tried to imitate the shape of the Tailed Beast Ball and develop it in the form of a Chakra Ball, but now the Chakra Ball is very unstable, and its power can't even penetrate a big tree." Minato continued discussing the difficulties he encountered during development.
"If it's unstable, I think you could find a solid round object to assist you in practice, like a ball or something," Mokgetsu suggested after pondering.
Minato's eyes lit up, feeling that Mokgetsu's suggestion was excellent. He smiled and thanked Mokgetsu, "Using a solid object to assist in practice is indeed a good idea."
After discussing the Rasengan, Mokgetsu also took the opportunity to share his previous ideas.
"Setting a seal to store Chakra on a single Chakra Acupoint is indeed a bit inappropriate. After thinking about it carefully, if we can expand the range and incorporate more Chakra pathways and acupoints, it might work."
"You haven't given up on this bold idea, huh? Theoretically, it might work, but it requires very precise Chakra control and a strong foundation in Medical Ninjutsu," Jiraiya remarked.
He still wasn't too optimistic about this direction, as developing on the Chakra pathways and acupoints posed too much risk and could easily lead to self-harm.
Of course, while the risk is high, the payoff could be substantial. If achieved, the increase in strength would be significant, essentially creating a lot of Chakra out of thin air.
"Yes, I'm somewhat confident in Chakra control precision, but I'm not very knowledgeable about Medical Ninjutsu. I haven't studied it extensively and currently have only a preliminary understanding of Mystical Palm Jutsu, so I'm still in the theoretical stage," Mokgetsu continued following Jiraiya's words.
Upon hearing that Mokgetsu had started learning Medical Ninjutsu, Jiraiya swallowed his advice.
Fortunately, Mokgetsu knew his limits and wouldn't recklessly proceed without assurance.
Listening to Mokgetsu's words, Minato felt a sense of admiration. Mokgetsu had been working tirelessly to develop a technique that could store Chakra, not only delving into Fuinjutsu but also currently learning Medical Ninjutsu, making Minato feel he'd been a bit lax lately and hadn't dedicated enough time to developing Ninjutsu.
"Jiraiya-sama, you and Tsunade-sama are both members of the Sannin. Could you help introduce me? I want to consult Tsunade-sama on some Medical Ninjutsu matters." With the groundwork laid, Mokgetsu revealed his ultimate purpose.
He had previously thought of seeking out Tsunade but wasn't adequately prepared at the time. Now, Mokgetsu had gained some notoriety within the Konoha Ninja Circle, and his Medical Ninjutsu came from the Ninja Dojo, so there were no major issues.
"Tsunade indeed has very strong Medical Ninjutsu. She should be able to help you with your studies, but she's not the easiest person to talk to," Jiraiya pondered.
He knew Tsunade inside out; they were teammates and good friends, having lived and died together countless times.
Honestly, Jiraiya considered Tsunade kind-hearted. She proposed equipping every squad with a Medical Ninja to reduce ninja casualties, and although it wasn't adopted, she made an effort.
Nevertheless, claiming Tsunade has a good temper would be an exaggeration. After being teammates for so many years, Jiraiya knew Tsunade's temperament quite well.
"Taking you to see her is no problem, but I can't guarantee she'll help you solve your problems," Jiraiya poured himself a cup of sake and replied.
If Mokgetsu were severely injured or suffering from an illness, Jiraiya could confidently get Tsunade to treat him. Tsunade, as a Medical Ninja, has the medical ethics. But as for teaching, Jiraiya couldn't guarantee she'd agree, as it's a private matter, and Tsunade has the right to choose whether or not to teach.
"Yes, Jiraiya-sama, as long as you can introduce me, that's sufficient. I'll handle the rest and communicate with Tsunade-sama myself." Mokgetsu smiled, toasted, and expressed gratitude. Having Jiraiya as a bridge would certainly be better than suddenly approaching by himself.
Jiraiya laughed heartily and patted Mokgetsu's shoulder, saying:
"You should be alright. You're just a tad less handsome than I am, and you have marvelous culinary skills. Maybe offer some cooking as a condition; she might agree."
"I remember she enjoys having tender chicken while drinking."
Mokgetsu silently noted Tsunade's preference for tender chicken.
After eating and drinking their fill, Minato supported a now-tipsy Jiraiya as they went out. Mokgetsu continued studying Fuinjutsu until eleven-thirty at night, then washed up and went to bed.
...
The next morning, Mokgetsu created a Shadow Clone to handle school affairs, as the Ninja Academy was about to start, and there were some matters needing his attention before he prepared to head to the Southern Border Forest to instruct his disciples.
But just as Mokgetsu finished breakfast and was ready to depart, a ninja knocked on his door.
"Please head to the Hokage Building, the Third Hokage wants to see you," the ninja said succinctly.
Mokgetsu nodded, left a Shadow Clone, and after his real body set off for the Hokage Building, the Shadow Clone headed to the Southern Border Forest where Shisui was still waiting.
Knock!
Mokgetsu knocked on the door of the Hokage Office.
"Come in," Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice came from inside the office.
Mokgetsu pushed the door open, discovering that besides Sarutobi Hiruzen, there was another ninja whom he did not know.
"Third Hokage," Mokgetsu greeted Sarutobi Hiruzen with respect, simultaneously giving a smile to the unfamiliar ninja, and then walked to the desk.
"Is there a mission?" Mokgetsu asked Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head and then smiled broadly, "No, it's your promotion."
"Due to your outstanding performance at the Ninja Academy, coupled with the merits you've achieved on the battlefield, you are now qualified to be promoted to Jonin."
Saying this, Sarutobi Hiruzen handed Mokgetsu a brand-new ninja certificate, which no longer read Special Jonin, but simply Jonin.
"Thank you, Third Hokage," Mokgetsu's face showed excitement and gratitude, as if he had accomplished something extremely significant, with Sarutobi Hiruzen being the benefactor who assisted him in the process.
Of course, it was all an act. Mokgetsu felt no emotional response inside.
The promotion from Special Jonin to Jonin was within his expectations, given the powerful abilities he demonstrated and the notable merits achieved on the battlefield, coupled with the performance at the Ninja Academy. It was fairly common to be promoted to Jonin during the wartime period when promotion conditions were more lenient.
In fact, it was slower than Mokgetsu had anticipated, considering that it had been a while since he returned from the battlefield. Mokgetsu guessed that Sarutobi Hiruzen intended to collectively promote a group of meritorious ninjas, hence the slight delay.
Mokgetsu used his peripheral vision to glance at the unfamiliar ninja's profile, who was also promoted to Jonin.
"No need to thank me, it's the reward you deserve for your own merits and strength, for protecting Konoha," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a satisfied smile.
Mokgetsu did not continue to express gratitude but maintained an expression of excitement and gratitude. He knew that Sarutobi Hiruzen denied it verbally but was quite appreciative inside.
This promotion was solely for the ninja level, and did not result in any changes to other positions.
The reason was simple; his position at the Ninja Academy would not rise any further in a short time. Above him were two people: one being Teacher Class Leader Shimotsuke Hisanobu, the other being Principal Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The Teacher Class Leader was merely an ordinary Jonin in terms of strength, but he had been working at the Ninja Academy for a long time, holding senior Jonin status. It would be unreasonable to remove him without cause, and for Sarutobi Hiruzen's principal position, it was even more extraordinary and impossible to alter currently.
Of course, being promoted to Jonin means being in the upper echelons of Konoha, so there will certainly be some substantial rewards. Mokgetsu gained two additional opportunities to select ninjutsu at the Ninja Dojo.
Before Mokgetsu left, two more ninjas entered the Hokage Office, further validating Mokgetsu's assumption. Usually, there would not be so many people coming to the Hokage Building simultaneously.
After leaving the Hokage Building, Mokgetsu went directly to the Southern Border Forest for cultivation.
By noon, Mokgetsu had returned to his home in the main city area, because yesterday Jiraiya said he would take him to meet Tsunade at noon today, something that definitely couldn't be entrusted to a Shadow Clone.
"No matter how many times I eat it, I never grow tired of it." Jiraiya, who managed to sneak in a lunch, commented with satisfaction.
"Try not to bring up topics like brothers or lovers in front of her." Jiraiya recalled and reminded.
"I will," Mokgetsu nodded, indicating that he had memorized these taboos.
Then Jiraiya directly took Mokgetsu to Tsunade's house.
"Around this time, she should have just gotten up. If she's not home, I'll have to look for her in the nearby casino," Jiraiya said, though not daring to claim a hundred percent certainty of finding Tsunade at home.
Despite not having to search for the prophesied child like him, because of the loss of her brother and lover, Tsunade had lost interest in various ninja matters, and if not for the war, she might not even be in Konoha now.
Mokgetsu and Jiraiya were in luck; as they stepped into the courtyard of Tsunade's home, they saw Tsunade and Shizune sitting in the corridor beneath the eaves.
"Jiraiya, why are you here? If you want to peep, I'll kill you," Tsunade crossed her arms and asked Jiraiya.
"Haha, is that the impression I give you at your place? But now is not the time for gathering material," Jiraiya laughed heartily, unashamedly, and responded.