Time passed bit by bit, and the exam finally came to an end.
[You subdued the stray Kunai in a flash, preventing others from being injured. You have received Favor.]
[You have gained Bagua Palm: Return to Heaven Experience *1.]
[Bagua Palm: Return to Heaven has been promoted to Practiced level.]
[energy crystal *20.]
Hyuga Aokawa also picked up some energy crystals.
Everyone headed back to their respective homes.
Before leaving, Hinata Ayane unexpectedly didn't leave school exactly on time.
Blushing and acting shy, she told him that she would be getting her allowance tomorrow and wanted to treat him to barbecue.
Hyuga Aokawa naturally agreed readily.
Upon returning home.
His grandmother and Hyuga Fu had already prepared dinner and were waiting for him.
"When school is out after the exams, accompany me to carry out another mission," Hyuga Fu said, his speech muffled as he chewed his food.
Hyuga Aokawa frowned. "Dad, didn't you say you'd stay at home from now on? I haven't even finished spending the hundreds of thousands the Hospital gave me."
"You don't understand. I'm just one C-Rank Mission away from meeting the minimum standard for Special Jonin."
"Meeting the standard doesn't guarantee you'll get the rank. There's a long line of people every year."
"Better to be prepared, just in case. Once I finish this mission, I'll stay home and stop taking them."
Hyuga Aokawa raised an eyebrow at those words. "If you're not going to do missions, why do you need the Special Jonin rank?"
"It's cool! 'I am Chunin Hyuga Fu' versus 'I am Special Jonin Hyuga Fu'—which one sounds cooler?"
"Fine!" Hyuga Aokawa felt somewhat helpless and could only agree... Meanwhile, in the Root basement.
Danzo Shimura sat upright on a stone chair, his expression solemn.
"Is there still no news regarding Kawada Nao?"
"Lord Danzo, too much time has passed. We haven't found anything yet," the Root subordinate below responded.
"He used Root's experimental drugs; his Physique was different from ordinary people. To kill him would require at least a Jonin. Investigate in that direction."
"Yes." The Root Ninja bowed and withdrew.
Just then, Aburame Ryōma rushed in from outside and handed a scroll to Danzo.
"Lord Danzo, this morning near the Hospital riverside, Hyuga Aokawa displayed a bow-and-arrow type Bloodline Limit, as well as at least two types of elemental Ninjutsu."
Danzo was stunned for a moment. He quickly unfurled the scroll, his gaze sweeping over the contents like a bolt of lightning.
A moment later.
He narrowed his eyes at Aburame Ryōma. "A Bloodline Limit with a range of 600 meters, and at least two types of elemental Ninjutsu?"
"Yes." Aburame Ryōma lowered his head.
"Hyuga Aokawa? The one Hiruzen has tried to push onto me repeatedly?"
"Yes." Aburame Ryōma lowered his head even further, beginning to feel uneasy.
"Before this, Root hadn't collected even a shred of intelligence?"
Danzo Shimura's voice was low, as if he were suppressing something.
Aburame Ryōma's heart tightened. Having been by Danzo's side for so long, he knew this was the calm before the storm.
He hurriedly explained, "This kid hid it very well. Even the Hokage-sama only found out today."
"Hokage-sama?"
Danzo Shimura stood up abruptly, slammed the scroll in his hand violently toward Aburame Ryōma, and roared, "When it comes to intelligence, when have I not been the first to know and then tell him?"
"I support so many of you; what are you all good for?"
"Reporting back about talent and intelligence, and all you bring me are mediocrities. You're all useless."
He was beyond furious. "Useless!"
The roar echoed endlessly in the empty basement.
Aburame Ryōma lowered his head and held his breath, breaking into a cold sweat, not daring to utter a single word of defense.
After a long time, Danzo spoke coldly. "Has Hiruzen's approval arrived yet?"
"Yes, it arrived yesterday. I have it with me."
As he spoke, Aburame Ryōma untied another scroll from his person and handed it to Danzo.
Danzo took the scroll. "Come. We're going to the Hokage Building to claim him."
"Lord Danzo, this time's approval... Hokage-sama has already crossed out Hyuga Aokawa's name." Aburame Ryōma's voice trembled.
Surprisingly, Danzo Shimura did not lose his temper again this time.
His tone was flat. "Then we will use the previous approval that still has his name on it."
After saying that, he leaned on his cane and walked straight out... Meanwhile, in the Hokage Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the report Kakashi had handed in and sighed repeatedly.
The practical skills of the students in the Ninja Academy were very poor; even for the graduating class, the results were abysmal.
Although on average it was enough to graduate, it was far from enough to go to the Battlefield.
"You brats, you need to show some spirit. There isn't much time left for you to grow."
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head, muttering to himself.
He flipped through page by page until he finally saw a score that satisfied him.
Uchiha Shinichi!
100 points.
The reason Kakashi gave the score was that, in an emergency situation, he used a Kunai to accurately strike a flying Kunai.
"Hmm!" Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded.
"When it comes to combat talent, it really is the Uchiha."
"If only this clan's emotions could be as stable as Kagami's, that would be even better."
Hiruzen Sarutobi flipped to the next page.
Hyuga Aokawa?
100 points!
"Oh? This kid really is an all-rounder."
The reason Kakashi gave the score was that in an instant, he used a Kunai to precisely guide a Kunai—one that had been deflected by Return to Heaven—onto the bullseye.
He was given 100 points only because the maximum score was 100.
"Haha, it's not easy for this kid to get such a high evaluation from the aloof Kakashi."
"Good thing I didn't let Danzo take him away last time."
BAM!
The office door was roughly thrown open.
Danzo Shimura, with a grim expression, walked in quickly leaning on his cane.
"Hiruzen, I've come to take Hyuga Aokawa."
"He got here pretty fast," Hiruzen Sarutobi thought to himself.
He sat up and leaned back comfortably against his chair, looking at Danzo Shimura with his hands crossed.
"Danzo, I never agreed to give Hyuga Aokawa to you."
Upon hearing this, Danzo Shimura threw a scroll onto the desk.
"This is your approval."
Hiruzen Sarutobi raised an eyebrow and smiled. "It is my approval, that's true."
"But didn't you refuse him on the grounds that Root doesn't take garbage?"
"Now I believe he is very suitable for Root," Danzo said firmly.
Hiruzen Sarutobi gave a light chuckle. "Suitable for Root? Not necessarily!"
The Hyuga Clan had absolute control over the branch house through the Bird in a Cage. Therefore, the members of this clan always put the Family first and the Village second.
This was also the reason why the Village had never been able to place the Hyuga Clan in important positions.
He had previously been certain that Danzo wouldn't want a branch house member with the Bird in a Cage, which was why he had been using Hyuga Aokawa to stall him.
He hadn't expected Hyuga Aokawa to quietly awaken a new Bloodline Limit.
To be extreme, he even wished Hyuga Aokawa's talent had appeared in the Uchiha Clan; at least there would be a chance to cultivate someone like Kagami.
He was unwilling to see such a talent emerge from the Hyuga Clan.
Currently, his feelings toward Hyuga Aokawa were very conflicted. He wanted to cultivate him, yet feared cultivating a branch house member who wouldn't follow the Village's orders.
If even he felt so conflicted about Hyuga Aokawa, there was no way Danzo could cultivate him with peace of mind. Danzo's purpose in wanting to take Hyuga Aokawa was self-evident.
He shook his head. "The branch house's Bird in a Cage is always a hidden danger; he is not suitable for Root."
"That doesn't matter. I have my ways," Danzo still insisted.
"But I have already made other arrangements for him," Hiruzen Sarutobi refused flatly.
"Hiruzen, let's be blunt."
Danzo Shimura took a step forward, leaning over the desk, his eyes fixed intently on Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"A range of 600 meters—even Onigumo is only at that level. No place is more suitable for him than Root."
"Hmph!" Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a cold snort.
The fox's tail had finally shown itself.
Hyuga Aokawa had only displayed his Bloodline Limit this morning, and Danzo was already at his door this afternoon.
"Those three rats this morning—they were your people, weren't they?" Hiruzen Sarutobi looked directly at Danzo, raising his voice to question him. "Spying all the way to the Hokage's head?"
He slammed the desk several times. "Root is becoming more and more lawless!"
Danzo Shimura felt a bit guilty. "A powerful Chakra erupted by the riverside this morning. They weren't at ease and went to take a look."
"They still investigate even when the Hokage is present?"
"Sometimes the Hokage also needs support!" Danzo argued stubbornly.
"Support? From start to finish, those three rats just stayed in the corner. How can you call that support?"
Pressed step by step, Danzo Shimura's expression changed repeatedly before he finally played his trump card:
"Everything Root does is for Konoha!"
After saying that, he struck a pose of absolute refusal to back down.
As expected, this move was incredibly effective.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone softened slightly. "If it weren't for that, those three rats would have been dead long ago."
Seeing the other's attitude soften, Danzo brought up the matter again.
"Hiruzen, back to the point. Hand over Hy
uga Aokawa to me."