You Must Remember to Repay Me Well

Inside the tent, Orochimaru, Tsunade, Minato Namikaze, Aburame Shibi, and others were seated.

Gen'ichi looked calmly at these important figures.

"Your abilities are even better than I imagined, Gen'ichi. You've truly grown."

Shibi adjusted his sunglasses and spoke calmly.

"I'm just doing my part for the village and I'm happy I can be of value... But I assume you Lords didn't just call me here to praise me?"

Gen'ichi rubbed his throbbing head and said with a smile.

Tsunade snorted coldly, looking displeased.

In Orochimaru's eyes, a terrifying glint appeared; he was already impatient to get his hands on it.

At this moment, Minato Namikaze smiled, "We've all seen your outstanding performance, especially the immense contributions you made during this great battle on the Western Front. Gen'ichi, you can make a request that isn't unreasonable."

"I see... I want to learn powerful Ninjutsu, but I'm not sure what would be suitable for me yet..." Gen'ichi mused before speaking.

"Powerful Ninjutsu... Given your talent and performance, it's not impossible to apply for that."

"If you want to look at the Seal Book, the old man needs to agree."

Several high-ranking officials from the Western Front discussed in low voices.

The Seal Book.

It recorded a large number of Forbidden Jutsu, each far surpassing ordinary Ninjutsu in terms of training difficulty and danger.

And this was exactly what Gen'ichi yearned for. From what he remembered, one Jutsu in the Seal Book was something he urgently needed.

If he could learn that Jutsu, he might be able to truly begin to grasp Godzilla's power.

After a while, the high-ranking officials from the Western Front still didn't give a definite answer. It required the Hokage's approval.

However, Gen'ichi received a new "mission."

"Chunin Exam?! Can I finally become a Chunin?!"

Obito was overjoyed, howling excitedly!

"Ah, they said we're all Genin right now, which is a bit pathetic. By rights, we've long been qualified to be Chunin, but we still need to go through the process."

Gen'ichi called the other five people over, spread his hands, and announced the news.

"That's great! Once I become a Chunin, becoming a Jonin won't be far off..." Obito's breathing quickened.

Kakashi sneered, "Whether you can even pass the Chunin Exam with your skills is another matter entirely. What are you getting so excited about?"

"Argh! You arrogant Kakashi! Even if you can't pass, I can!"

Obito was triggered again.

Kakashi's expression was indifferent, "I'm sorry for being born a genius, but I was already a Chunin when I was six."

Say that again!

Obito was filled with shock and anger.

Only then did he remember that this arrogant Kakashi graduated at five and became a Chunin at six...

"No, Kakashi, you have to participate too. You'll take part as a team with Obito and Rin."

Gen'ichi shook his head, "This is an order from the village. Every single person from our graduating class who is still alive must participate in this Chunin Exam."

Genin at five, Chunin at six, participating in the Chunin Exam with Obito and Rin at twelve, then being appointed Special Jonin... This is just ridiculous. Those people in the village clearly had Kakashi's path all planned out.

Kakashi was startled, his expression strange, but he eventually just nodded, "If it's a mission, I understand."

As for why everyone was required to participate... The reason was actually easy to guess. Just like how their entire class graduated early, the village urgently needed a new batch of Chunin to enter the battlefield.

They were running out of cannon fodder.

Throughout the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha had been in a difficult situation, fighting against three villages at once. In the early stages of the war, they were fighting against Iwa, Suna, and Kumo. After Kumogakure was repelled by Minato Namikaze, they were now fighting against Iwa, Suna, and Kiri. Having fought continuously for several years, their troop numbers were severely insufficient.

Gen'ichi now began to recall the contents of the Chunin Exam that Obito and Kakashi took in the original story.

"The first stage is the written exam... I remember the sixth question asked about Kekkei Tōta. For others, this was quite beyond the scope."

"That guy Obito was the only one who 'provisionally passed' the written exam. He only barely made it to the second test because Rin helped him cheat. He was even mocked by Kakashi in the hallway back then."

"The second stage is the practical test. That guy Obito fought against both Might Guy and Kakashi, and lost both times."

Gen'ichi rubbed his chin. No matter how he looked at it, there was no way it could go wrong.

This Chunin Exam was clearly just a formality. The important thing was the need for this legitimate review process.

Otherwise, it would be difficult to be promoted to Special Jonin.

If all went as expected, once he was promoted to Chunin, he would likely secure a spot for promotion to Special Jonin.

"Let's get ready; we're heading back to the village for the exam," Gen'ichi said.

The others immediately began preparing themselves, filled with anticipation about becoming Chunin. Naturally, the process was also filled with Obito and Kakashi's arguments and taunts.

"Ichie, once we get back, I'll figure out a way to conduct human experiments on you. Be prepared. If you can't handle it, you're dead."

Gen'ichi said in a sudden low voice while sitting cross-legged.

Ichie stiffened slightly and tucked back her much thinner hair. "Is that so? You're really going to a lot of trouble, Gen'ichi-san... I've already come to terms with it."

"Don't get your hopes up too high. The success rate is minuscule. I'm just gambling on this too."

Gen'ichi calmly glanced at Ichie's eyes.

Over the past year, although he'd primarily been busy on the battlefield and research progress had been incredibly slow, he at least had some theories.

But... could Ichie hold on?

Even if it succeeded, it would only barely extend Ichie's lifespan by a few years. If it failed... well, that would be the end of it, and he could simply focus on burying Ichie.

Gen'ichi's gaze held a certain depth.

... The next day. ...

All the new generation performing missions outside the village had received orders to return in batches for the Chunin Exam.

Gen'ichi and the others were ready to depart.

A person landed before them, their face grim.

"By Orochimaru's command, I am serving as your temporary Leading Jonin. My task is simply to escort you back to the village."

Konoha Jonin Hiruko lowered his head, sizing up the few brats before him. Then, his gaze settled on Gen'ichi, and a stiff smile appeared on his sinister face.

"We'll definitely get along just fine."

Gen'ichi nodded calmly. "Then we'll be relying on you, Lord Hiruko. It's truly troublesome for you to have to come out like this; we're incredibly grateful... I'll treat you to a drink when we get back."

"Oh? No need for a drink. Just remember to find a chance to repay me properly."

Hiruko let out a cold snort.