Inside the Kazekage's office, Rasa soon received the response from the Council of Elders.
"Throughout Sunagakure's history, there has never been a position known as Special Jōnin."
The title itself was a product of Konoha's system. Now the elders were proposing to grant such a rank to Shiraishi—wasn't that openly challenging Sunagakure's long-standing traditions?
"The elders suggest that Shiraishi take charge of training this group of genin," Baki added calmly. "It's essentially copying Konoha's educational approach. Combined with the Special Jōnin rank, it seems the council is rather fond of Konoha's system."
Rasa fell silent.
His earlier suggestion to appoint Shiraishi as a guard had been little more than a test of the elders' stance. He had not expected Chiyo and Ebizō to push Shiraishi into the role of instructor instead, placing him directly in charge of special training.
Compared to Konoha's inclusive approach to nurturing talent, Sunagakure's ninja academy leaned closer to accelerated, expendable training for civilian shinobi. True elite education usually began only after graduation.
"If things go badly during the Chūnin Exams," Baki continued, "the responsibility won't fall on you, Kazekage-sama. And unlike Konoha, no matter how well these civilian-born children are trained, they ultimately serve the major clans."
The Chūnin Exams were a political hot potato. Mishandling them could trigger a chain reaction. Baki's words forced Rasa into deep consideration.
In truth, he had already anticipated that sending Shiraishi to the exams as a guard would be rejected. He had no expectations for Sunagakure's performance this time around anyway. If the blame for failure could be shifted to the elders and Shiraishi, all the better.
The results of the joint Chūnin Exams affected Sunagakure's prestige. As one of the Five Great Villages, appearances had to be maintained—otherwise, the village would no longer be able to sustain the immense costs of prolonged war.
Even the daimyō of the Land of Wind had begun discussing military budget cuts and an elite-shinobi strategy. If that happened, many of Sunagakure's missions would inevitably be diverted to Konoha.
After some thought, Rasa made his decision.
With more than a month remaining before the joint exams with Iwagakure, he would establish the position of Special Jōnin.
And Shiraishi would become the first Special Jōnin in Sunagakure's history.
His official appointment would be issued shortly.
"The matters concerning the Chūnin Exams," Rasa concluded, "will be handled by him—Assistant Principal of the Academy and Special Jōnin."
In the Green Oasis Ring, the moment Shiraishi stepped out of the warehouse, both Ebizō and Chiyo wore expressions too complex to describe.
Behind Shiraishi, a hexagonal mirrored construct hovered silently in midair. It remained motionless—yet its presence alone was overwhelming.
Without exchanging a word, Chiyo and Ebizō simultaneously unleashed ninjutsu. Fire and water surged forward, crashing toward the six-faced mirror puppet.
The instant the chakra was detected, the mirrors reacted.
Streams of data flickered across their surfaces. The six mirrors began to spin at high speed, effortlessly dispersing the elemental attacks.
Then, the Scarlet Control Mirror entered its second defensive state.
The six mirrors fired outward, forming a unique sensory field. From the core, dozens of chakra threads shot forth, transforming into a continuous, layered assault pattern.
"That's enough. Stop."
Ebizō raised his hand, his expression heavy with emotion.
"This level of defense and detection… there's no mistake. It's Master Shamon's exclusive support puppet—Scarlet Imperial Mirror."
Secret Puppet Technique: Scarlet Contort Mirror.
Created by the Second Kazekage, Shamon, it possessed unparalleled sensory and analytical capabilities. Under the illumination of its six mirrors, any technique could be rapidly analyzed—chakra nature, structure, and base parameters revealed in moments.
While it lacked direct offensive power, its value as a comprehensive support system was extraordinary. It allowed Shiraishi to stabilize and strengthen his chakra-thread control over other puppets.
For an average jōnin-level puppet master in Sunagakure, controlling two or three puppets simultaneously was the limit. With the Scarlet Imperial Mirror, that number could be doubled.
The puppet master lineage of Sunagakure had long been in decline. Seeing the Scarlet Imperial Mirror reborn, Chiyo could no longer contain herself—tears streamed silently down her face.
Beyond detection, the mirrors themselves provided solid defense. Forged from rare materials, the six mirrored faces were capable of shielding their master.
During the war years, Shamon had been accompanied by numerous Scarlet Control Mirrors, enabling him to project chakra threads across the battlefield and command entire puppet legions alone—a shinobi capable of annihilating an army single-handedly.
Near the end of that war, Sunagakure was attacked. Shamon went out to repel the enemy, only to be caught in the rampage of the One-Tail, Shukaku. Most of the Scarlet Imperial Mirrors were destroyed. Though he drove the enemy back, Shamon succumbed to his injuries soon after.
Chiyo and Ebizō recovered what fragments they could, sealing the remaining materials in the warehouse. The design schematics and records had all been destroyed in the battle.
For years, they tried—and failed—to recreate it.
Yet now, after all this time, it had been restored by Shiraishi.
"When I touched those components," Shiraishi said slowly, "it felt as though some force was guiding me… showing me how they were meant to be assembled."
In truth, the assembly had relied entirely on data gathered through his glasses—scanning, analysis, repeated testing. But such an explanation could never be revealed.
He had fully expected suspicion.
Instead, the two elders accepted his words without hesitation.
In their hearts, only one explanation made sense:
The Second Kazekage had acknowledged Shiraishi.
Only then could the Scarlet Control Mirror return to the world.
Shiraishi, on the other hand, was quietly tense. He had not anticipated the symbolic weight this puppet carried. But now that Chiyo and Ebizō had accepted it, his position within Sunagakure would become nearly unassailable.
There was no backing more solid than the approval of a former Kazekage.
Soon after, Shiraishi led the two elders back into the warehouse and recorded the assembly schematics of the Scarlet Imperial Mirror onto a scroll, handing it to Chiyo.
After carefully comparing the diagrams to the puppet's internal structure, both elders finally nodded in confirmation.
Especially Chiyo—her eyes shone brightly.
If her puppet techniques were paired with the Scarlet Imperial Mirror, their power would multiply several times over. Even the legendary Ten Puppets would become far more terrifying.
Of course, reproducing the device was far from easy. The materials used for the six mirrors alone were priceless—long extinct within the Land of Wind and impossible to purchase on the open market.
"Sister," Ebizō said dryly, tapping her shoulder. "You promised him."
Chiyo shot him an annoyed look, but since she had already agreed, there was no point going back on her word.
"Well… the remaining materials here," Shiraishi added helplessly, "should still be enough to assemble one more."
The two elders had been so focused on examining the Scarlet Imperial Mirror that they had overlooked the materials used. Though Shamon's originals had been heavily damaged, reconstructing two units was still feasible.
Not long after, Shiraishi and Ebizō were both kicked out of the warehouse.
Inside, Chiyo clutched the schematics and began assembling the components piece by piece.
At the same time, an official order arrived from the Kazekage's office—
Shiraishi was formally appointed as the first Special Jōnin in Sunagakure's history.
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