Chapter 115: The Hokage's Intent
The C-rank title 'Prodigy Genin' had only one upgrade path, and the conditions for synthesis were very specific.
The first condition was to win first place in the Chūnin Exams. In the original story, Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yūhi took the Chūnin Exams in their third year after graduation. Unlike the one during Naruto's generation, this was not a joint exam, so the difficulty wasn't high, but it would still require time.
The second condition was to become a Sensory Chūnin. In Konoha, ninjas were categorized into different types: medical-ninja, sensory ninja, taijutsu specialists, genjutsu specialists, and so on. Of course, there was no strict rule that a person could only be one type of ninja. A true prodigy could become an all-around master. But since geniuses were a minority and most ninjas were average, classifying them was a necessary practice.
A sensory ninja, in simple terms, was in charge of reconnaissance and tracking and was indispensable to any ninja team. Examples included the Aburame clan and the Inuzuka clan. The Aburame had all sorts of bugs, which were perfect for reconnaissance. The Inuzuka clan specialized in ninjutsu involving ninja dogs, giving them a sense of smell far beyond that of a normal person.
The third condition was to become a Five-Elements Chūnin. The Five Elements referred to Wind, Fire, Lightning, Earth, and Water. He had already gathered all of them, which automatically granted him a new title.
[C-rank Talent Title: Five-Elements Chūnin.]
[Trigger Condition: Acquired the five elemental ninjutsu titles (Wind, Fire, Lightning, Earth, and Water).]
[Effect: Increases mastery of all five elemental chakra natures by 100% of its base amount.]
On the surface, it didn't seem to give a direct boost, but the effect was powerful. For Hoshikawa , it would save him a massive amount of time on elemental ninjutsu training.
"Let's go, Hoshikawa !" Kurenai held out a hand and waved it in front of him.
"Right." Hoshikawa snapped back to reality and got up from his seat.
"Does anyone know where the Ninja Archives are?" Might Guy was the first to charge out of the classroom, only to stop and turn back.
"Go left," Kakashi Hatake replied.
"Just as I'd expect from my eternal rival!" Guy said, his teeth gleaming as he gave a thumbs-up.
Kakashi was at a loss for words. Is that really something to be proud of?
"I wonder if we'll be on the same team," Guy said, bumping his elbow against Kakashi's.
"We'll find out tomorrow," Kakashi said flatly. Although he thought Guy's skill and personality were decent, he didn't want to be on the same team. Personality issues aside, he wouldn't be able to handle Guy constantly challenging him.
"We won't have as much time to hang out after graduation," Asuma Sarutobi said with a sigh. In the original story, he was quite rebellious as a teenager, but now, after being thrashed by Hoshikawa so many times, his personality had changed. Having a group of close friends had made all the difference.
"It's okay," Rin Nohara said gently. "We can still train together like before when we're not on missions."
"Rin's right!" Obito Uchiha immediately chimed in. If they weren't on the same team, at least this would give him an excuse to hang out with Rin.
"We're here. Let's get our ninja files," Hoshikawa said, walking up and knocking on the door.
"Come in," a deep male voice replied.
Hoshikawa pushed the door open to see a middle-aged man sitting at a desk. He didn't recognize him.
"Are you the new graduates?" the man asked.
"Yes, we are," Hoshikawa nodded.
"I'll call out your names. Come get your files." The man picked up a file. "After you get them, put on a photo and hand them over to your team leader."
A ninja file was like a student record in their previous life; it documented a ninja's history. Every mission they completed and their cumulative total would be recorded. The main purpose was for the evaluation of potential Chūnin and Jōnin.
Five minutes later, everyone had their ninja files.
"My treat. We're getting yakiniku," Hoshikawa said with a smile, putting away his file.
"Yay!" Kurenai cheered immediately.
"Then let the barbecue challenge begin!" Guy said, his spirits soaring.
"No, that's really not necessary," Kakashi quickly said.
"Shizune, you should come too," Hoshikawa said, turning to Shizune, who was standing a short distance away. In the original story, Shizune was taken by Tsunade and had been traveling the world, or rather, running from debt collectors, for a long time. Because of Hoshikawa 's butterfly effect, she was a normal student. Although she hadn't learned any medical ninjutsu, she had a good talent for it and had always been in the top ten of their class.
"Me?" Shizune paused for a moment but didn't refuse. "Thank you."
"Let's go!" Kurenai said, grabbing Hoshikawa and pulling him toward the exit.
Obito watched the two of them with a hint of envy. He instinctively glanced at Rin, but she had already walked ahead.
"Wait for me!" Obito quickly rushed to catch up.
The group soon arrived at a yakiniku restaurant.
"Cheers!" Everyone raised their drinks, clinked their cups, and drank in one gulp.
"Now that we've graduated, you'd better be careful, Hoshikawa !" Asuma said with a laugh, putting down his cup. "You might have been number one in the academy, but that's in the past." In the history of Konoha, there were many stories of geniuses who faded into obscurity after graduation. After all, missions were dangerous, and dying halfway through was common. Of course, Asuma wasn't cursing Hoshikawa . He was simply saying that once they were out of school, he would have more opportunities to beat him.
"Asuma, have you forgotten something?" Kurenai asked, watching Hoshikawa grill the meat.
"What?" Asuma asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Hoshikawa 's been going on missions with Tsunade-sama for a long time," Kurenai said smugly, tilting her chin up.
Asuma felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He had completely forgotten about that. In a sense, Hoshikawa was already a battle-hardened ninja compared to him. What chances did he have left?
"Don't give up, Asuma! Your life is still long!" Guy said, trying to cheer him up.
Asuma wanted to say something, but couldn't.
"Kurenai, what do you want to eat?" Hoshikawa asked, flipping a sizzling, greasy slice of meat.
"Beef!" Kurenai leaned closer to him. "That one looks perfect. It looks so good."
"Okay," Hoshikawa said, putting a slice of beef in her bowl.
"I want that one!" Asuma said, not holding back.
"Cook it yourself," Hoshikawa said, putting the piece of meat in his own bowl. Asuma could only reluctantly pick up the tongs.
"Rin, I'll cook for you!" Obito said excitedly, looking at Rin.
"That's okay," Rin said, shaking her head. "I can do it myself."
Kakashi remained silent, quietly grilling his own meat. His personality made it so he couldn't be as loud as the others, but he didn't mind the boisterous atmosphere at all.
The Hokage's Office
"Do you have any other objections?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, holding a list in his hand.
"No," Homura and Koharu said in unison.
"Very well," Hiruzen nodded. "You may go."
"Right." Homura and Koharu turned and left. The team assignments were set, and the rest was no longer their concern.
"Haru," Hiruzen called out.
"Lord Hokage," a masked figure named Haru walked in.
"Go and notify the jōnin on this list." Hiruzen handed her the list. "Tell them to be at my office within the next thirty minutes."
"Yes, sir." Haru took the list and left.
A moment later, a knock came from the door.
"Lord Hokage," Sakumo Hatake said, getting straight to the point. "Why am I being assigned as a team leader?" He had been confused when Haru notified him, as he hadn't applied for the role.
"Sakumo," Hiruzen said with a smile. "Just take a look at the members of Team 2 you'll be responsible for." He said, handing him a file.
Sakumo hesitated for a few seconds before taking it. He opened the file and flinched. More than Shisui Uchiha, he was surprised by Asuma Sarutobi. This was, after all, Hiruzen Sarutobi's own son. What does this mean?
"Sakumo," Hiruzen said, meeting his eyes. "Asuma is my son. I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving him with anyone else, so I chose you."
So that's why? Sakumo felt Hiruzen's trust and his emotions became a bit complicated. He nodded earnestly. "I'll make sure to guide him well!"
"Thank you," Hiruzen said, smiling. Sakumo was indeed a man who valued his friends and comrades. It was a good thing he had stopped Danzō from spreading rumors about him earlier.
After Sakumo left, the other team leaders came in one by one. They had no objections and simply took their student files and left.
Night fell. Hiruzen still hadn't gone home because one person had yet to arrive. After what felt like an eternity, the Flying Thunder God kunai on his desk trembled. The air in the office shimmered, and a figure appeared.
"I'm late, my apologies, Lord Hokage," Minato Namikaze said, bowing slightly. He had received the notification yesterday, but there had been a disturbance from the Cloud Village this morning, which had delayed him.
"You're the one who should be praised for your hard work," Hiruzen said with a smile. "It's a wonder you made it back from the Land of Lightning."
"It's nothing," Minato said, shaking his head.
"This is the file for the Team 3 you'll be responsible for," Hiruzen said, handing him the file.
"This looks great," Minato said with a smile after reading through it. Kakashi Hatake was a given, and while Obito Uchiha and Might Guy's test scores might be a little low, they were strong in combat.
"Do you know why I chose Obito Uchiha?" Hiruzen asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"I understand," Minato said as a thought crossed his mind. "It's because his last name is Uchiha."
"Exactly," Hiruzen nodded, his voice grave. "I hope that through Obito Uchiha, we can ease tensions with the Uchiha clan."
"I'm sure they'll understand your intentions," Minato replied.
......
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