From Naruto onwards, I Control Time

[Veltoria]

"Tsusa Yanosuke!!"

The Mist ninja standing next to Hoshigaki Kisame suddenly changed expression, his face filled with shock and disbelief. He couldn't help but cry out in alarm.

Tsusa Yanosuke was the sensor-type ninja among their trio. Their ability to continuously hunt down other teams relied heavily on his sensory skills. Normally, he should have been the one to react the fastest in the face of an ambush or sneak attack.

But now—

Tsusa Yanosuke had been taken out in an instant!

He didn't even have time to use a Substitution Jutsu or Body Flicker!

"Guh… cough…"

Though Tsusa Yanosuke had been sliced in two, he wasn't dead yet. He coughed up a mouthful of blood as his upper body collapsed to the ground. He looked toward Kaede with an expression of disbelief.

Because they had neared the finish point and were talking with Kisame and the others, he had let his guard down a little and wasn't fully focused on sensing. So when Kaede ambushed him midway, he hadn't sensed it in time. But that wasn't the key issue.

The real issue was, too fast!

Kaede's movements were too fast, so fast that Yanosuke had no time to react or resist at all.

That level of speed was far beyond what a Genin should be capable of. Even for a Jōnin, it would be extraordinary. To be ambushed by someone of Jōnin-level speed while distracted, it was no surprise he was taken out instantly.

"So it's you."

Hoshigaki Kisame stared at Kaede. Despite the death of his comrade, there was no sign of anger or loss of composure on his face, as if the one who died was utterly insignificant.

He curled his shark-like lips into a grin, revealing a mouth full of jagged teeth. "Looks like not all of Konoha's Genin are trash after all."

"……"

Kaede glanced at the bisected body of Yanosuke on the ground, noticing a small pile of scrolls that had fallen from him. He muttered, "So that's what this is."

Collecting this many scrolls, clearly, these people weren't taking part in the Chūnin Exams just to pass. Their real goal was hunting others and sending a message.

"As expected from the infamous Blood Mist Village…"

Kaede raised the short sword "White Fang" in his hand, lightly running a hand across its blade as if wiping it clean.

Then—

With a poof, his body suddenly dispersed into smoke.

Kisame's face changed. Without hesitation, he leapt backward and quickly formed hand seals mid-air before slamming his hands down.

"Water Style! Exploding Water Colliding Wave!!"

Crash!

An overwhelming surge of water burst forth instantly, cascading like a reverse flood.

However, the water didn't strike Kaede, because Kaede hadn't targeted Kisame at all, his real target was the other Mist Genin!

"Water Style! Spiral Water Blade!"

That Genin responded almost simultaneously. As Kaede vanished, he unleashed a jutsu, exhaling thin spiral threads of high-pressure water in all directions. These threads were sharp enough to slice through stone on contact.

But just as the Spiral Water Blades shot out—

Kaede appeared at his right side.

Rather than evade, Kaede revealed an almost inhuman speed. He twisted mid-air and danced between the spiraling blades, slipping through their gaps like he was weaving through deadly threads.

"Crap…"

The Mist Genin's face twisted in horror. He couldn't believe Kaede had dared to charge directly into his jutsu, and made it through unscathed.

Without incredible speed and perceptive dynamic vision, such a move was no different from dancing on a razor's edge. one mistake and he'd be sliced in half!

Shing!

The Genin drew a kunai and slashed toward Kaede.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Kaede's blade moved so fast it left trails of white in the air. In an instant, he unleashed seven or eight slashes and flashed past the Mist ninja.

The Genin's body stiffened.

He struggled to turn his head, catching a glimpse of Kaede behind him. His eyes widened in disbelief, then his body erupted in a web of blood lines and collapsed in a spray of crimson.

The Spiral Water Blade had failed to keep Kaede at bay. once Kaede got in close, the result was inevitable.

If it had been a Sharingan user with speed to match, perhaps they could've fended off Kaede's blade style, but this Genin clearly didn't have that kind of ability.

In the blink of an eye, two Mist ninja were dead!

"To act so arrogantly in someone else's village… there's always a price. Kill or be killed, that's your Blood Mist philosophy, right? I think it's fair to return the favor."

Kaede stood on the water's surface and looked calmly at the last one—Kisame.

Kisame gazed at Kaede from a distance. He was no longer as calm as before. The grin on his face had stiffened slightly.

"…Looks like you're the strongest Genin in Konoha. Seems our intel was a bit off. But that's not a big deal…"

As he spoke, Kisame suddenly formed seals with both hands.

"Water Style! Water Shark Bullet Technique!!"

Crash!!

The water under Kaede's feet exploded as massive shark-shaped water projectiles surged toward him, aiming to tear him apart.

Whoosh!

Kaede leapt straight into the air, aiming directly at Kisame.

Kisame didn't flinch. He raised his right hand and released another surge of water, this time, a single massive shark hurtled toward Kaede head-on.

Kaede's hand clenched around White Fang.

He drove the blade into the shark-like torrent. His entire body blurred into a spiral of motion as the blade tore through the water, slicing through the jutsu, and right through Kisame!

Splash!

Kisame's body shattered.

But no blood spilled, only water surged upward, wrapping around Kaede in an instant.

"...Water Prison Jutsu!"

Kisame's true body emerged from beneath the water, placing one hand on the surface of the water sphere that now encased Kaede.

"Your speed really is troublesome… but inside my Water Prison, that speed of yours is useless, isn't it?"

Inside the prison, Kaede didn't panic. Instead, he calmly looked at Kisame.

"Water Prison Jutsu… a classic from the Mist, huh? But if I already knew you had this technique, do you really think I'd fall for it so easily?"

Kisame's expression changed.

In the next instant—

His body twisted to the side, but a flash of white light still sliced across him. With a spray of blood, his arm was severed and dropped into the water.

"Brilliant."

Inside the central control room of the Death Rock Cave, Orochimaru watched the screen, eyes filled with admiration.

Beside him, Hiruzen Sarutobi also couldn't help but exclaim, "I thought he only relied on that speed… but to use Clone and Substitution so fluidly… Not even you could do this at his age, could you?"

Even Orochimaru and Hiruzen were stunned by Kaede's sheer talent and combat instincts.

As for the other Jōnin and Chūnin—

Like Yūhi Kurenai and the rest, they were shocked.

They already had a pretty good grasp of Kisame's team's strength from prior observation. Both Mist Genin had elite Chūnin-level abilities. Kisame himself, with his massive chakra reserves, was close to the level of a special Jōnin.

Yet even so—

In front of Kaede, two were killed in a flash, and one heavily wounded!

Whether it was his raw power, his battle awareness, or his judgment, Kaede's performance left nothing to be criticized. He didn't resemble a nine-year-old Genin at all, more like a hardened elite from countless battles!

 

[Veltoria]

"……"

Hoshigaki Kisame's figure appeared over a dozen meters away from Kaede.

His right arm had been severed at the shoulder. He was clutching the wound with his left hand, his forehead beaded with cold sweat as he endured the pain, his previous composure completely gone.

Too young.

Kaede looked at Kisame and sighed inwardly.

At this point in time, although Kisame was already remarkable in terms of chakra, without the Samehada sword, his power wasn't that exaggerated. His combat experience also lagged far behind the matured version who would later kill Fuguki Suikazan and join the Akatsuki.

The jutsu Kisame had used earlier, including the water clone to bait him and the following Water Prison Technique, could easily have caught someone else off guard.

But Kaede had already anticipated these moves from the start.

Information disparity.

If both sides had an equal understanding of each other, then perhaps Kisame might have been able to put up a decent fight. But in this scenario, where Kaede had the upper hand in intel, it was simply a one-sided slaughter.

"Hmm?!"

Just as Kaede was about to finish Kisame off, his eyes suddenly flashed, and he turned to look in a certain direction.

Three figures were rapidly approaching from that direction.

"More people…"

Kaede gave Kisame a glance, then made a single-hand seal and disappeared with a whoosh.

The ones rushing over were three Genin from the Hidden Cloud Village.

They hadn't deliberately hunted other Genin teams like Kisame and his team had, but they had still defeated two squads.

other villages' Genin teams, upon acquiring enough scrolls and getting close to the finish line, would typically choose to pass the round quickly. But Kumogakure ninjas were notoriously aggressive. Sensing the commotion, all three unanimously decided to investigate.

After all, they'd have to fight in the third round anyway. Might as well take this opportunity to eliminate some competitors, no harm in that.

"That was a Water Style jutsu… probably those Mist guys."

"Didn't expect to run into Mist ninja. Might as well take them out here."

Kamoi's dark-skinned arm crackled faintly with lightning as he spoke while flexing his knuckles, a grin creeping onto his face.

Among all the other villages, the Cloud ninjas feared the Mist the least. Lightning beat Water, and Cloud Village's battle style was aggressive and overwhelming, while the Mist specialized in assassinations, styles that directly clashed, and Cloud had the upper hand.

However—

Just as the three were nearing the battlefield, one of them suddenly sensed something and shouted:

"Watch out!"

Kamoi's expression shifted. In an instant, his body was enveloped in lightning as he darted sideways, narrowly dodging a horizontal slash that sliced up from beneath the earth.

Whoosh!!

Missing the initial strike, Kaede stepped back two paces and looked calmly at Kamoi.

"As expected of Cloud ninjas, your speed and reaction time are quite impressive…"

Whoosh! Whoosh!!

The other two Cloud Genin immediately flanked Kaede. Kamoi also narrowed his eyes and smirked.

"So it's not a Mist ninja, turns out you're from Konoha."

The moment the words left his mouth, Kamoi formed a hand seal and slammed his palm to the ground. A surge of lightning instantly traveled through the earth toward Kaede.

Whoosh!

Kaede leapt backward to dodge.

The other two Cloud Genin attacked from both sides. Kaede, caught in the middle, displayed uncanny speed and weaved between their attacks with sharp, precise movements.

"Didn't think a Konoha Genin would have such speed… but speed alone won't be enough to escape us."

Kamoi's gaze turned cold as he charged toward Kaede.

The other two followed, eyes sharp and predatory, attempting to pincer him once more.

…

Inside the Central Watchtower.

Watching the screen, Kurenai Yūhi furrowed her brows and couldn't help but speak:

"He's pushing it."

Taking down two Mist Genin and seriously injuring Hoshigaki Kisame should've been enough for Kaede. There was no need to go after the Cloud team.

From the screen, Kaede's speed was clearly slower than when he fought the Hidden Mist ninja, his condition had dropped; he wasn't at his peak.

one of the Hidden Cloud Genin matched his speed, and the other two were close behind.

under these conditions, it wasn't just a matter of not defeating the Hidden Cloud team, he might not even escape.

"……"

The other Konoha examiners also looked tense.

Although Kisame hadn't been killed, his scrolls were destroyed, he was effectively eliminated. If Kaede were to fall here, then the third round of the Chūnin Exams would be irrelevant. The Hidden Cloud team could just advance uncontested.

"That was too reckless."

"If he had just advanced to the third round normally, in a one-on-one match, he wouldn't lose to any of the Hidden Cloud ninjas."

Kurenai watched the screen and spoke in a low voice.

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned.

He had just praised Kaede's composure and judgment, noting that he didn't seem like an inexperienced nine-year-old. Yet now, after killing two Hidden Mist Genin and injuring Kisame, Kaede seemed overconfident and abandoned the safest path.

No matter how mature his thinking seems, he's still just nine. With some early success, he's already starting to get cocky… Hiruzen shook his head internally.

"…Judging from the distance, he might still have a chance to reach the finish line,"

Yamanaka Inoichi studied the screen and offered his assessment.

If Kaede could reach the goal, it'd be fine. The third round was one-on-one matches. In single combat, he'd have a high chance of winning against anyone.

Hiruzen gave a slight nod.

Even if this was a misstep, it was still recoverable. And Kaede's performance so far,taking out the Hidden Mist team and wounding Kisame, was already impressive. He had completed his task.

But just then, a dissenting voice cut in.

"No."

"It won't be as simple as just reaching the finish line, Sarutobi-sensei."

Orochimaru stood with arms crossed, his serpent-like eyes gleaming as he stared at the screen.

"I think you're underestimating that child."

Even though he was watching through a monitor and not observing in person, Orochimaru could tell, Kaede hadn't gone after the Hidden Cloud ninjas recklessly or without confidence.

Especially since, up until now, even while surrounded by three Hidden Cloud Genin, Kaede hadn't shown a trace of panic.

In Orochimaru's eyes—

It looked more like… he was analyzing his opponents.

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Note: This is a backlog. If you want to read up to 150+ chapters ahead of the current story, you can support me on Patreon and read up to Chapter 171 there! Patreon.com/Veltoria

 

[Veltoria]

"Fast reactions too, huh..."

Kamoi grunted after several failed attacks, then slid his hand across the blade of his sword. Lightning crackled down the edge.

"In that case, try this!"

"Ninjutsu: Cloud Flow Slash!"

With a shout, Kamoi lunged forward, his sword arcing through the air with a trail of lightning. under the lightning's boost, his slash was noticeably faster than before!

The sudden increase in speed sent the blade straight for Kaede's head. His reaction time clearly wasn't enough to raise his White Fang dagger in time.

But—

At that moment, a strange light flickered in Kaede's eyes.

As if a phantom clock ticked forward by one beat.

Clang!!

Kaede's already fast arm moved even faster, ghost-like, as he brought his blade up just in time to block Kamoi's attack with a sharp metallic ring.

"Wha—?!"

Kamoi's pupils shrink in disbelief.

using Cloud Flow Slash, his speed should have been too fast for Kaede to react, let alone block!

Whoosh! Whoosh!!

After deflecting Kamoi's strike, Kaede vanished in a blur, stepping backward twice and escaping their encirclement.

Now at a distance, Kaede tightened his grip on White Fang and looked at the three Cloud ninja.

It's not the Lightning Armor Technique used by the Fourth Raikage, he thought silently, probably a weaker variant. If I had a Byakugan or Sharingan, I could've seen the chakra flow clearly.

Kaede had always been interested in Cloud's lightning ninjutsu. Seeing Kamoi use one had prompted him to fight while observing.

But without a chakra-vision dojutsu, deciphering the internal mechanics was hard.

He'd only gleaned fragments so far.

"Forget it."

"No point continuing like this."

He exhaled softly and looked at the Cloud trio again. This time, his eyes gleamed with cold resolve.

Chakra surged through his body.

"Eight Gates Release Technique—First Gate: Gate of opening... oPEN!"

Boom!!

Though nothing changed outwardly, Kaede felt his body grow lighter. Every muscle, every bone, was now capable of exerting its full power.

Activating the first gate took only an instant.

While Kamoi and his teammates were still stunned by Kaede's incredible speed, they attacked again, each bringing out their strongest techniques.

Whoosh!

Kaede flickered.

With the first gate open and his full speed unleashed, the Cloud ninja couldn't even see his afterimage. In a flash, Kaede passed by one of them.

"...What?!"

The ninja froze in place, his eyes wide with horror. He tried to look back at Kaede, but a sharp pain bloomed across his torso, a bloodline stretched from shoulder to waist.

Thud!

A corpse hit the ground, blood spraying everywhere.

Kamoi's eyes widened in disbelief.

No way, this speed...

Even if he advanced his Lightning Release to the second stage, he might barely reach this level. But that was Jōnin-level speed!

Whoosh!!

As Kamoi stood frozen, Kaede struck again.

The second Cloud Genin panicked, slashing wildly with his kunai. But it wasn't enough. In a flash, Kaede passed him too.

only two nearly overlapping metallic clangs could be heard.

Thud!

Blood burst in the air. Another corpse fell.

Seeing both of his comrades slain by Kaede's terrifying speed, Kamoi's eyes filled with horror and disbelief.

No! This isn't Genin level!

He must be a disguised Jōnin!

"Ninjutsu: Cloud Flow Slash!!"

Gritting his teeth, Kamoi activated his technique again, lightning crackling down his sword.

But across from him, Kaede also formed a seal and ran his fingers across White Fang's blade, lightning crackled across it too.

"Lightning Release: Thunder Slash!"

Whoosh!!

The two crossed paths in a flash.

Kamoi froze, the lightning on his blade fading. His sword had snapped in half, the tip clattered to the ground.

He turned slowly toward Kaede, disbelief in his eyes.

"You..."

Blood bubbled from his lips. He tried to speak again, but instead vomited a mouthful of blood and collapsed onto the barren earth.

…

Inside the Death Cavern control room…

Dead silence.

The Hidden Cloud Jōnin, who had previously worn a proud smirk, now stood frozen with disbelief.

"How could this be..."

On the other side—

Konoha's Yūhi Kurenai, Yamanaka Inoichi, and the Chūnin proctors all stared in shock.

Due to the projection quality, they couldn't see the full details, but it was clear Kaede had used a technique to increase his speed even more than when fighting the Mist ninja.

That terrifying speed had reversed the situation in an instant.

In a series of rapid strikes, Kaede had taken out two Cloud Genin and then defeated the last with a lightning-enhanced White Fang strike!

"As I thought..."

Orochimaru's eyes shimmered as he stared at the screen.

"But that kind of speed isn't natural. I don't recall the White Fang having such techniques... must be a forbidden jutsu."

Hiruzen took a deep breath, suppressing his own shock.

"He did say his motor reflexes are... 'unusual'."

Unusual was an understatement.

Even through the screen, Kaede's speed was beyond what most Jōnin could achieve!

No wonder he defeated an elite Mist scout.

No wonder even the prodigy Kakashi couldn't surpass his older brother!

"'Unusual'..."

Orochimaru let out a twisted smile and repeated Hiruzen's words.

"Sometimes, unusual just means gifted. If this continues... that boy might surpass the White Fang."

Hiruzen nodded slowly.

Not only did Kaede inherit Sakumo Hatake's bloodline, he also had an innate talent for speed.

If he could continue to grow—

He might very well surpass even the legendary White Fang.

 

[Veltoria]

After a brief silence—

Hiruzen Sarutobi took out his pipe, took a puff, glanced at the Jōnin from Kumogakure and the Jōnin from Kirigakure, Hoshigaki Kushozan, and exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"No matter what, the Chūnin Exams end here."

Kurenai Yūhi, standing nearby, suppressed the shock in her heart. She glanced sideways at Hoshigaki Kushozan and said, "Yes. There's only one person left, so the third round won't be held."

Kirigakure's shinobi likely intended to eliminate all other teams in the second round, ending the exams before the third round to demonstrate the terror of the Blood Mist Village. That goal was achieved, but they themselves were completely wiped out.

No one had expected that outcome.

Kurenai looked at the screen, where Kaede was putting away all the scrolls and heading toward the central lookout tower. A faint smile appeared on her face.

No matter what...

Well done, son of the White Fang. A true shinobi of Konoha!

…

outside the Central Watchtower

Kaede made his way to the entrance, carrying two scrolls. Waiting for him at the gate was Kurenai Yūhi, the proctor for the second round of the exams.

"Congratulations on passing the second round of the Chūnin Exams—"

"This should also be the final round, right?"

Kaede looked at Kurenai and said, "Seems like the Hidden Mist and Hidden Cloud shinobi eliminated all the other teams. I've got all the scrolls right here."

Kurenai had already been informed of this, so she wasn't surprised. But when Kaede casually tossed out the rest of the scrolls, a glimmer of amazement flickered in her eyes.

only one person had passed the second round of the Chūnin Exams.

This was the first time that had ever happened since the exams were established!

Who would've thought that Kaede, always hidden in the shadow of Kakashi's brilliance, would possess such genius-level talent? In strength, mentality, and patience, he even surpassed Kakashi.

"You're right. There won't be a third round."

Kurenai gave a slight nod after briefly marveling at his achievement. "Come with me. The Hokage is waiting for you."

So, Hiruzen Sarutobi is already here...

Kaede wasn't surprised. He nodded and followed Kurenai to the central hall on the second floor of the tower, where Hiruzen Sarutobi was standing in the middle of the room.

What caught Kaede off guard was the presence of Orochimaru standing beside him.

"Orochimaru is a proctor for the next round? No... that's unlikely."

Kaede quickly dismissed the thought. With elite Jōnin already supervising this exam, there was no reason to assign someone of Orochimaru's status as proctor.

Pushing aside the speculation, Kaede respectfully greeted Hiruzen, "Lord Hokage."

At the same time…

He could feel two hostile gazes aimed at him.

Those cold, unfriendly stares came from Hoshigaki Kushozan of Kirigakure and an unidentified Jōnin from Kumogakure.

"……"

Kaede briefly met their eyes before calmly shifting his attention back to Hiruzen. He wasn't intimidated by the high-ranking enemy Jōnin.

Indeed, he currently wasn't a match for them, especially someone like Kushozan, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, whose strength was near Kage-level.

But this was Konoha.

Not only were several Konoha Jōnin present, but Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi were also here. The enemy Jōnin could do nothing more than glare at him, they didn't even dare release a trace of killing intent.

As for the future...

If they met on the battlefield, with his current growth rate, he might not be weaker than them at all, he could even surpass the Jōnin level and reach true Kage-level power.

"Congratulations on passing the Chūnin Exams."

Hiruzen smiled kindly at Kaede. "You performed exceptionally well. As of today, you are officially a Chūnin of Konoha. Always remember the duty of a shinobi."

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

Kaede bowed respectfully.

Orochimaru, standing to the side, watched Kaede with a faint smile on his lips. "I received a favor from your father while he was still alive… Do you know who I am, Hatake Kaede?"

Seeing Orochimaru's interest, Kaede's mind raced. He bowed and replied, "You must be one of the legendary Sannin, Lord Orochimaru."

Orochimaru chuckled and spread his arms. "Good, then we can talk. With your level of strength, even most Jōnin wouldn't be suitable as your instructor… How about becoming my student?"

Hiruzen was slightly surprised by Orochimaru's words. He frowned slightly, paused for a moment, and then made a sudden decision:

"In that case, Kaede, you shall study under Orochimaru."

Kaede: "???"

What the hell?!

I didn't even get a chance to respond!

His mouth twitched slightly in disbelief. Internally, he was already ranting.

Becoming Orochimaru's student was undoubtedly risky. Looking at Orochimaru's past students, nearly all of them had cursed seals placed on them, it was a red flag.

But on second thought, maybe this wasn't such a bad idea. on one hand, it would help him get away from the trouble caused by Danzo. on the other hand, he might gain access to many powerful jutsu through Orochimaru.

Dealing with a tiger is dangerous… but with a snake?

Kaede sighed inwardly.

Since Hiruzen had already made the decision, he had no choice but to comply. He could even faintly guess why Hiruzen had made this move.

At this point, Hiruzen hadn't yet chosen the Fourth Hokage. Though Orochimaru was known to have a dangerous personality, Namikaze Minato was still young, his achievements and experience couldn't compare.

While Hiruzen personally leaned toward Minato, he couldn't show open favoritism just yet.

If he refused to give Kaede to Orochimaru and instead had Kakashi apprenticed to Minato, it would not only cause dissent within the village but would definitely offend Orochimaru.

And right now, the shinobi world was in turmoil.

The village needed internal stability above all else.

"……"

Orochimaru smiled faintly at Hiruzen's decision. At this time, he still held ambitions for the Hokage position. His offer to take Kaede as a student was not only because of Kaede's talent but also a test of Hiruzen's attitude.

To become Hokage, one needed a successor, a capable follower to manage the many responsibilities and help maintain the village's stability.

Hiruzen had handed Kakashi to Minato, subtly indicating that he was considering Minato as the next Hokage.

Now, Orochimaru's attempt to take Kaede as a student was a calculated test.

If Hiruzen refused, that would mean he had already rejected Orochimaru as the Fourth Hokage.

But since Hiruzen agreed…

That meant his stance was still ambiguous.

"I wonder who you'll choose in the end… Sensei."

Orochimaru looked at Hiruzen and murmured to himself.

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Note: This is a backlog. If you want to read up to 140+ chapters ahead of the current story, you can support me on Patreon and read up to Chapter 171 there! Patreon.com/Veltoria

 

[Veltoria]

Does he age faster when he used time acceleration? Or does he have the "Required Secondary Powers" and is immune to aging from his time manipulation?

Either way, watched.

Click to shrink...

Yes, because time was accelerating for him, he experienced everything including aging faster. That's why he became a teenager more quickly than normal.

 

[Veltoria]

"Greetings, Lord Orochimaru."

Kaede respectfully bowed to Orochimaru.

The matter had already been settled, there was no other choice. All he could do now was move forward on this path and think of how to deal with it.

"Mhmhmhm..."

Orochimaru looked at Kaede with a sly, almost eerie chuckle. "Things here are done. Come with me."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Orochimaru's figure flickered and disappeared from the hall.

Kaede turned to glance at Hiruzen Sarutobi. Seeing him nod, he bowed and also vanished, flashing forward to follow Orochimaru.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The two swiftly left the central observation tower.

Kaede followed behind Orochimaru, his mind racing to formulate how to handle this new "sensei." Orochimaru eventually stopped at a location within the Forest of Death.

"Here..."

Kaede looked around. This was the spot where he had fought Hoshigaki Kisame. The water had mostly receded, but the ground remained muddy and damp.

Orochimaru's gaze swept across the area. Soon, he found an arm in the mud, the one Kaede had severed from Kisame during the battle.

"ugh!"

With a slight smirk, Orochimaru suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a sticky scroll. Grabbing it, he opened it and, in a sudden motion, extended his tongue. It wrapped around Kisame's severed arm, pulling it back and placing it onto the scroll.

Poof!

With a puff of white smoke, the arm disappeared, sealed into the scroll.

Having finished the process, Orochimaru turned to Kaede, holding the scroll. "That unique physique... It's the first time I've seen something like it. Quite valuable for research. In the future, if you encounter other special types of ninja… try to bring me some samples."

Kaede's mouth twitched slightly as he nodded. "understood."

"Let's go."

Orochimaru rolled up the scroll with his tongue and swallowed it again, then continued walking.

Seriously… Can we not do that? That's just… gross…

Kaede couldn't help but complain inwardly. Somehow, he felt even more drained than after his battle with Kisame. Still, he followed Orochimaru helplessly as the two soon left the Forest of Death.

After reaching an area closer to Konoha, Orochimaru formed a hand seal, and a hidden underground passage suddenly opened beneath the ground.

This must be Orochimaru's secret base, Kaede surmised as he followed him inside.

Sure enough, the base was dark and somber in tone. After passing through a long and silent tunnel, they entered a large hall filled with bizarre and disturbing sights, grotesque insects floating in fluid, organs like hearts and livers on display.

Fortunately, Kaede had studied medicine in his previous life. He had a strong tolerance for such things and wasn't fazed at all. In fact, he mentally criticized the rough preservation work on some of the specimens.

"As expected of Sakumo's son. You seem unusually comfortable in my lab," Orochimaru commented as he observed Kaede's calm demeanor. "Seems you're quite suited to being my student."

"Is this Lord Orochimaru's research facility?"

Kaede asked, playing along, even though he already knew.

Orochimaru nodded. He walked to an empty glass container, regurgitated the scroll containing Kisame's arm, retrieved the severed limb, and dropped it into the jar.

once done, he swallowed the scroll again and turned to Kaede. A flicker of amusement shone in his snake-like eyes. "You've likely inherited many taijutsu and ninjutsu techniques from Sakumo. You probably don't need most of my methods. But given your level, I'm sure you know what you're lacking."

Kaede thought for a moment and raised a key concern. "My chakra reserves aren't very large. I wonder if Lord Orochimaru has a method to increase them."

"Chakra, huh?"

Orochimaru smiled. "With your physique, in a few more years, your chakra should rival that of a Jōnin. But… I assume you want more, sooner. Hm… there is a way."

Kaede's eyes lit up. He waited in silence for more details.

Orochimaru looked away and glanced around the room at the various preserved samples. "Chakra is extracted from the body's 130 billion cells, in combination with mental energy. Boosting mental strength is hard, I've got nothing particularly effective in that department. But as for increasing the energy of your cells… I do have something."

With that, Orochimaru spat out another scroll and extended his tongue to pass it to Kaede.

Kaede accepted it, mentally sighing, Well, guess I'll never touch food with this hand again…

Still, his desire for knowledge outweighed the disgust. He opened the scroll and immediately saw the title written at the top:

Cell Activation Technique!

"This technique increases the vitality of your body's cells. It doesn't just boost chakra; it also enhances your healing ability."

Orochimaru folded his arms and added, "It's the foundation of many of my techniques. But with your Sakumo sword style and affinity for Lightning Release, you won't need those follow-up jutsus of mine anyway… and it looks like you wouldn't want to learn them even if I offered. Hehe…"

After hearing Orochimaru's explanation and skimming part of the scroll, Kaede had a solid grasp of the technique, it enhanced a person's regenerative and cellular energy.

If I'm not mistaken…

This was probably the basis for Orochimaru's more advanced techniques like "Shedding Skin" and "Cellular Regeneration." Without high cell vitality, achieving near-immortality would be impossible.

"Thank you, Lord Orochimaru."

Kaede respectfully bowed again.

This technique was a perfect fit for him, no, more than perfect.

ordinary methods of enhancing the body couldn't completely negate the side effects of the Eight Gates. But this… this technique could counteract some of the backlash. Because rather than just strengthening the body, it revitalized it,boosted its healing and cellular regeneration.

"Go ahead and begin your training," Orochimaru said. "If you're curious about my experiments, feel free to observe."

With a slight smile, he walked off into his lab, eager to begin studying Kisame's arm.

Kaede was mildly curious about Orochimaru's research, but his desire to master the Cell Activation Technique was far stronger. After bowing once more, he quietly left the research base.

 

[Veltoria]

After leaving Orochimaru's base, Kaede let out a breath.

Although Orochimaru wasn't likely to use him as a test subject on the very first day of becoming his student, getting close to someone as dangerous as Orochimaru without sufficient strength was always a risky move.

But for now, it seemed things hadn't suddenly taken a turn for the worse. Everything was still proceeding steadily, and most importantly, he had obtained the Cell Activation Technique.

Whoosh! Whoosh!!

Kaede darted through the forest and arrived at a stream. He thoroughly cleaned the scroll he had just received and then carefully studied the instructions on the Cell Activation Technique.

After a round of examination, Kaede didn't find anything suspicious. In fact, Orochimaru hadn't hidden anything, he had clearly outlined both the advantages and drawbacks of the technique within the scroll.

Among the annotations was the following:

The human body is a balance.
Spiritual energy and cellular energy together form equilibrium.
A minor imbalance isn't significant, but if the two diverge too greatly, it can lead to serious consequences.​

The Cell Activation Technique forcibly enhances cellular vitality but provides no increase to spiritual strength. Therefore, overtraining with it could result in a situation where the mind can no longer control the body. The body might grow out of control, eventually collapsing into a monstrous form.

Hence, it was crucial not to overdo the training.

There were several similar annotations throughout the scroll.

These notes didn't contradict any of the knowledge Kaede had acquired himself. For instance, he was well aware of the concept of mental imbalance, though this was his first time hearing of a bodily imbalance.

A basic example was that a regular person couldn't handle the immense spiritual pressure of the Rinnegan. Even someone like Nagato, with the powerful uzumaki physique, struggled to endure its burden.

only someone with the true Sage Body could bear the power of the Rinnegan, maintaining perfect equilibrium between mind and body.

The same logic applied to Orochimaru's Cell Activation Technique.

Without sufficient mental strength to balance the body, excessive cellular enhancement would lead to loss of control. And once the body went out of control, bursting apart was the most likely outcome.

"The Cell Activation Technique… I suppose it's like a pseudo-Sage Body training method. No, far from it. At most, it's just a fraction of that."

Kaede pondered silently.

Hashirama Senju's Sage Body didn't just enhance the physical; it also elevated the spiritual. But the Cell Activation Technique only tackled half the equation, and not even at full potency. It also didn't involve training in natural energy.

However, if one were to combine this technique with Sage Mode, then it might truly qualify as a pseudo-Sage Body. That was probably the state Kabuto Yakushi reached during the Fourth Great Ninja War.

And beyond that... would be the real Sage Body!

"If we divide body and mind into three tiers, the physical side would be: Cell Activation, Pseudo-Sage Body, and True Sage Body."

"While the mental side would be: Sharingan, Mangekyo Sharingan, and Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan."

Kaede felt confident in this classification.

The fusion of the Eternal Mangekyo with the Sage Body gave rise to the Rinnegan. Add an immense amount of natural energy or become a Jinchuriki of the Ten Tails, and you would gain the Six Paths Sage Body and enter the Sage of Six Paths Mode.

In short—

With the Cell Activation Technique as a foundation, the fog ahead had nearly cleared!

After making his way through the forest, Kaede returned to the village. He ate dinner and went home, entering his bedroom. Sitting cross-legged, he placed the scroll in front of him.

"Alright, let's begin."

…

Konoha underground.

Root Division Base.

Danzo stood in a room, leaning on his cane while listening to his subordinate's report. His expression remained calm, but his grip on the cane tightened, leaving faint impressions on the sturdy wood.

"Orochimaru…"

Orochimaru suddenly taking Kaede as his student was something he hadn't anticipated.

In his plan, Kaede's future path would have gone one of two ways: either appointed to the Anbu under Hiruzen, or absorbed into Root. With some subtle maneuvering, it should've been easy to bring Kaede into Root for cultivation.

But Orochimaru's move completely disrupted his plan.

And Hiruzen's stance was ambiguous too, as if he still hadn't entirely given up on passing the Hokage seat to Orochimaru. overall, the situation's development was infuriating.

"What about the negotiations?"

"Lord Hokage has signed a treaty with Kirigakure… but negotiations with Kumogakure failed. Their Jōnin should be leaving soon."

Danzo's grip on the cane tightened further.

Given Konoha's current strength, it could battle two or even three of the other villages simultaneously and still hold its own. Wiping out one of them wouldn't be difficult. And yet Hiruzen was still reluctant to initiate war.

Now was clearly the best time for Konoha to unify the ninja world!

Still, the truce with Kirigakure was useful.

Danzo narrowed his eyes. Since Kirigakure wouldn't break the treaty without a substantial incentive, if he could incite a conflict between Iwagakure and Kumogakure, then Konoha would have the perfect opportunity.

Taking a slow breath, he stared at the ceiling with a deep gaze.

"If Hiruzen Sarutobi won't take the step… then I will. I'll be the one to push this war forward."

Compared to war and unification of the ninja world, Kaede, and even Orochimaru, were minor details. Everything else could wait until after the war.

In the midst of war, everything could be controlled.

…

Home.

Bedroom.

Kaede had been training for four continuous hours. With triple time acceleration, that was equivalent to twelve actual hours.

It took about four hours just to familiarize himself with the Cell Activation Technique. The remaining eight were spent on basic cultivation.

"So this is the Cell Activation Technique…"

Kaede opened his eyes.

After what was essentially a full day of training, he could feel faint changes in his body. ordinary people wouldn't notice it, but as a shinobi, he could clearly sense the difference: his cells felt more active.

The most direct feeling was that his body now felt lighter. The chakra extraction process, which consumed cellular energy, also required less effort.

under normal circumstances, such long training, even without taijutsu, would leave the body exhausted from overusing chakra. But this time, the fatigue was noticeably reduced.

"The results are obvious… but I do feel hungrier than usual. I'll need to eat more."

Kaede rubbed his stomach.

until he fully mastered the Cell Activation Technique, he'd probably have to become a food-devouring machine. Even nine meals a day might not be enough.

"Come to think of it… when Orochimaru trained with this, did he just swallow several days' worth of food at once and then lock himself in for days of training?"

Kaede muttered to himself.

Honestly… that sounded pretty likely.

------------
Note: This is a backlog. If you want to read up to 140+ chapters ahead of the current story, you can support me on Patreon and read up to Chapter 171 there! Patreon.com/Veltoria

 

[Spearow]

Yūhi Kurenai stood with her hands behind her back and addressed the Genin in a serious tone.

Click to shrink...

????????

 

[Spearow]

edit: Why was kurenai watching the exams? she is an academy student, and you added her so many times in the reactions, its like this is a translated story, very suspicious

hmmm, looks up chapter 15 from webnovel from other story

Spoiler: Naruto Time control - Chapter 15 - Webnovel - by Godly_Translator

Chapter 15: **Chapter 15: The Doubtful Kakashi**

Ryo had clearly only wanted to quietly train to the level of a jōnin, but he was forced to kill, disrupting his training rhythm. For a moment, he was speechless.
Should he destroy the body and erase all traces?
It was probably too late for that now.
Whoosh!
Without checking the body of Lin Qin Yu, Ryo leaped up, grabbed his belongings, and quickly fled into the distance.
He could guess that the Konoha Anbu would likely be arriving soon, and he didn't want to run into them.
Almost immediately after Ryo left...
Whoosh! Whoosh!!
Several ninja figures appeared at the site of the battle, all wearing various animal masks—these were none other than Anbu ninjas directly under the command of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Over there!"
One of the sensory ninjas blinked and spotted Lin Qin Yu's body. Instead of approaching directly, he swiftly threw a shuriken that pinned the body to the ground, confirming that the opponent was indeed dead.
The other two Anbu ninjas closed in from the sides.
"He's dead."
One of them crouched down. After confirming Lin Qin Yu's death, he turned the body over, revealing the forehead protector with the symbol of the Hidden Mist Village.
The three Anbu ninjas exchanged glances, surprise flashing in their eyes. They had initially thought that a Konoha ninja had been attacked and killed, but it turned out to be a ninja from the enemy village—probably a scout. They just didn't know who had killed him.
"This guy must be an elite chunin from the Mist."
The crouching ninja quickly examined the body. A hint of uncertainty crossed his eyes, and he turned to his companions, saying, "You sensed the battle here less than a minute ago, right?"
"Yeah..."
The sensory ninja frowned. "To be able to eliminate an elite scout from the Mist in such a short time, it must have been a jōnin from our village. But I have no recollection of that chakra, and after killing the Mist ninja, they just left? It seems like they didn't want to meet us."
The one examining the body was also deep in thought, but then he suddenly froze, staring closely at the wound on the back of Lin Qin Yu's head, a look of astonishment in his eyes. "This wound..."
"What's wrong?"
The two others looked over.
The Anbu ninja who had been examining the body hesitated for a few seconds before speaking, "I've seen this kind of wound before... It should be a mark left by Lord Sakumo's sword technique."
"Impossible!"
"Lord Sakumo died two years ago..."
The other two Anbu ninjas reacted almost in unison.
The examining ninja also couldn't believe it. After confirming the wound several more times, he said, "This wound was definitely caused by Lord Sakumo's sword technique, but it couldn't have been Lord Sakumo himself—otherwise, the forehead protector would have been cut through as well."
Upon hearing this, the three Anbu ninjas exchanged looks.
The Mist ninja had been killed by the Hatake sword technique, but only a select few would still be capable of using it. After Sakumo's death, there were hardly any left.
"...Let's clean up and report this to the Hokage."
"Understood."
After making their judgment, the Anbu ninjas quickly returned to the village.
The death of an enemy scout wasn't a big deal, especially in such tense times. It wasn't serious enough to wake Sarutobi Hiruzen in the middle of the night. So, it wasn't until the next morning that Hiruzen learned about the previous night's events when he arrived at the Hokage's office.
"A Mist elite scout... killed by the Hatake sword technique, and the entire battle took less than a minute?"
Upon hearing the Anbu's report, Hiruzen was surprised.
To have a Mist elite scout infiltrating near Konoha, at the very least, he must have been an elite chunin. And to eliminate such a ninja in under a minute would require a jōnin, but there should be no jōnin in Konoha capable of using Hatake sword technique.
"Could it be him?"
Hiruzen's mind flashed to Kakashi's image.
He was shaken.
To kill a Mist scout in under a minute... When did Kakashi grow this much? He's still not even eight years old!
Though it was hard to believe, upon further reflection, no other candidate fit the description. Hiruzen sighed, "Where's Kakashi? Find him, I have something to ask him."
"Yes."
The Anbu ninja responded and quickly disappeared.
A moment later, Kakashi appeared outside the Hokage's office. After walking in, he saluted Hiruzen, saying, "Hokage-sama, you called for me?"
Hiruzen stood up and walked over to Kakashi, smiling kindly. His eyes filled with admiration, "You've made a lot of progress in your training lately. I didn't expect that at your age, you'd have mastered Sakumo's sword technique to this extent."
"?"
Kakashi froze.
Hiruzen patted Kakashi's shoulder and smiled, "Seeing you is like seeing Sakumo when he was young... Don't you have something to report to me?"
Kakashi looked at Hiruzen in confusion, unsure of what he meant. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Hokage-sama, what do you mean?"
Hiruzen looked slightly surprised, then smiled again.
He hadn't expected that young and impetuous Kakashi would learn to hide things. It seemed like Kakashi had truly grown up. Perhaps it wouldn't be long before he could take on the responsibilities of a jōnin. Had he known this, he wouldn't have asked Minato to guide Kakashi in the first place.
*Thud!*
Hiruzen raised his hand and tossed something toward Kakashi.
Kakashi reached out to catch it, and found that it was a Mist village forehead protector, with bloodstains on the top and a white line in the middle, as though it had been slashed by a sharp blade.
Confused by the sudden toss of the forehead protector, Kakashi became even more puzzled, his mind sinking into confusion as he looked at Hiruzen.
"...You still haven't remembered?"
Hiruzen took a sip of tea.
It's good to know how to hide things, but since he already knew, Kakashi should now report everything clearly.
Upon hearing Hiruzen's words, Kakashi's mind raced, but he couldn't remember anything related to the forehead protector. After a long pause, he finally couldn't help but ask, "Hokage-sama, what exactly is this forehead protector..."
Hiruzen's brows furrowed slightly, surprised that Kakashi was still concealing something, and he said lightly, "The battle last night—you should report the details to me now."
"Last night?"
Kakashi was stunned for a moment, then his expression became serious, "Hokage-sama, I was at home last night, I didn't participate in any battle..."
(End of Chapter)
---
An: You can read 30+ advanced chapters on patre-on
pat reon.com/Godly_translator (remove the space
Tn: plus extra 2 chapters if we reach 500 power stone mark

now lets look at the chapter 15 of this story:

Spoiler: Chapter 15: Kakashi's Confusion

He had only wanted to quietly train until he reached the level of Jōnin, but now he had been forced to kill someone, disrupting the rhythm of his training. For a moment, Kaede was at a loss for words.

Should he destroy the body to cover it up...?

There probably wasn't enough time.

Whoosh!

Without even checking Rin Kinyuuya's corpse, Kaede leapt up, grabbed his belongings, and quickly fled into the distance.

He could easily guess that Konoha's Anbu were likely rushing to the scene. Kaede had no intention of running into them.

Almost immediately after Kaede left—

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several shinobi appeared at the location where the fight had taken place. They all wore animal masks, clearly members of the Anbu directly under the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"over there!"

one of them, a sensory-type ninja, caught a flash of something and saw Lin Qingyu Yuuya's corpse. He didn't approach directly, instead hurling a shuriken that struck the body, confirming that the target was dead.

The other two Anbu quickly approached from both sides.

"He's dead."

one of them crouched down to confirm the death, then flipped the corpse over so the face was up, revealing the forehead protector of Kirigakure.

The three Anbu looked at each other, a flicker of surprise passing through their eyes. They had expected to find a fallen Konoha shinobi, only to discover it was an enemy ninja instead. Judging by his gear, he was likely a scout, though it was unclear who had taken him out.

"This guy should be a Kirigakure elite Chūnin."

The crouching ninja swiftly inspected the body. A flicker of doubt appeared in his eyes as he turned to his companion.

"It's been less than a minute since you sensed the battle here, right?"

"Yeah..."

The sensory ninja furrowed his brow. "To take out an elite scout from Kirigakure that quickly, it'd have to be one of our Jōnin. But I don't recognize that chakra signature at all. And after killing the enemy, they just left? Seems they didn't want to encounter us."

The ninja inspecting the body looked thoughtful for a moment, then suddenly froze. He stared closely at the wound on Rin Kinyuuya's head, his expression turning to surprise.

"This wound…"

"What about it?"

The other two turned their attention to him.

After hesitating for several seconds, the inspecting Anbu spoke, sounding unsure.

"This kind of wound... I've seen it before. It looks like something caused by Lord Sakumo's sword technique."

"No way!"

"Lord Sakumo died two years ago…"

The two were almost in sync with their reaction.

The inspecting ninja also looked uncertain, but after double-checking, he finally said:

"This kind of cut is definitely the result of Lord Sakumo's blade technique. But it likely wasn't him. If it were, this forehead protector would've been cleaved right through too."

Hearing this, the three Anbu exchanged glances.

The Hatake Sword Technique was a secret art passed down only within the Hatake clan, just like the Nara Clan's Shadow Jutsu or the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Techniques. Ever since Sakumo's death, very few people could use it.

"…Compile a report for the Hokage."

"understood."

After coming to a decision, the Anbu returned to the village.

The death of a scout from an enemy village wasn't exactly a major incident given the current tension between the villages, so there was no need to wake Hiruzen Sarutobi in the middle of the night. It wasn't until the next morning, when Hiruzen entered his office, that he was informed of what had happened.

"A Kirigakure elite scout, killed by the Hatake Sword Technique? And the fight lasted no more than a minute?"

Hearing the Anbu's report, Hiruzen was a little taken aback.

An elite Kirigakure scout capable of sneaking near Konoha would at the very least be a high-level Chūnin. To take such a person out in under a minute would require a Jōnin-level shinobi. But there shouldn't be any Jōnin in the village currently proficient in the Hatake Sword Technique.

"Could it be… him?"

A figure flashed through Hiruzen's mind—Kakashi.

His heart trembled slightly.

Killing a Kirigakure scout in under a minute… Had Kakashi already grown that powerful? He wasn't even eight years old yet!

Though it was hard to believe, no one else seemed to fit the profile. Hiruzen took a deep breath.

"Kakashi... Bring him here. I have questions."

"Yes, sir."

The nearby Anbu vanished instantly.

A short while later—

Kakashi arrived outside the Hokage's office and walked in. He bowed respectfully.

"You summoned me, Lord Hokage?"

Hiruzen stood up, approached Kakashi, and gave him a warm smile, his eyes full of admiration.

"Your training has progressed quite a bit recently, hasn't it? I didn't expect you to already master Sakumo's blade techniques at your age."

"...?"

Kakashi froze.

Hiruzen patted Kakashi's shoulder and said with a smile, "Seeing you now reminds me of Sakumo in his youth... Don't you have something you want to report to me?"

Kakashi looked at Hiruzen, utterly puzzled. After hesitating, he asked,

"Lord Hokage, what exactly are you referring to?"

Hiruzen was slightly surprised, but then smiled again.

He hadn't expected the proud and impulsive Kakashi to have learned how to hide things. It seemed the boy had truly grown up. Maybe it wouldn't be long before Kakashi could truly take on the duties of a Jōnin. If he'd known this earlier, there might have been no need to have Minato guide him.

Clack.

Hiruzen raised his hand and tossed something toward Kakashi.

Kakashi caught it and saw that it was a Kirigakure forehead protector, stained with dried blood and marked by a clean cut across the middle—as though it had been sliced by a sharp blade.

utterly baffled by the Hokage's gesture, Kakashi looked even more confused, lost in thought as he turned to Hiruzen.

"...Still not remembering?"

Hiruzen took a sip of tea, his expression calm.

Knowing how to hide was a good quality, but once the Hokage knew, it was time to report the full situation.

Kakashi's mind raced, but he truly couldn't recall anything involving the forehead protector. After a long silence, he finally asked,

"Lord Hokage… this forehead protector... what exactly—?"

Hiruzen frowned slightly, surprised that Kakashi was still denying it. His tone turned colder.

"The battle last night. I want you to explain it."

"Last night?"

Kakashi was stunned, and his expression turned serious.

"Lord Hokage, I was home all night. I wasn't involved in any battle…"

Yep, you changed the name of the characters, and the stolen story was a translation of someone else, found the source in webnovel

Spoiler: Source from webnovel

Ryo's soul, having traveled to the world of Naruto as Kakashi elder brother, merged with a clock that could control time. He traversed through endless worlds just to master time!

Fellow him on his journey to master time

[Worlds Traveled Through] Naruto - One Piece - One Punch Man - Bleach - Fairy Tail - Demon Slayer


An: This is a translation

Original work: 从火影开始掌控时间

You can read 30+ advanced chapters on my patreon

www.pat reon.com/Godly_translator (Remove the space)

And this is the original Chinese chapter 15 you both copy from.

https://www.qidian.com/chapter/1017621987/512988258/

Rule 3 Addendum - Translations of Others' Works

As of today, Questionable Questing will not allow translations of works hosted on other sites, such as translating foreign-language web-novels into English, unless you have been given explicit consent by the work's author to translate into English. Said consent must be verifiable - that is, publicly visible for others to see. This should also be posted at the start of any thread posting translations of others' works.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, you not only failed to inform us this is a translation, a bunch of other guys with different patreons are already milking this one, pretty forbidden on the site as you can see above.