Anbu and Shadow Guard Squad

After several rounds of assessments, the final spots were practically set.

They stood at the end of their respective platforms!

Hyuga Yei, Shisui Uchiha, Asuma Sarutobi, and three others, all members of other ninja clans.

These six becoming Special Jonin was a certainty!

Of course, there were others who performed well in combat. Although they were eliminated, they were promoted due to their excellent performance or outstanding abilities in certain areas.

Some were Yei's classmates, while others were Chunin from the year above or even several years prior...

His classmates included Genma Shiranui, Raidō Namiashi, and Iwashi Tatami, who originally became the Fourth Hokage's Shadow Guard Squad. This time, their performances were also commendable.

Kurenai Yuhi was a bit of a pity. Her performance in the first match was good, but she encountered Shisui Uchiha and lost too quickly, so she wasn't selected. Asuma was filled with regret, wishing he could give her his spot...

Other classmates like Daisei, Nami, Hayate Gekko, and Yugao Uzuki paled in comparison, not standing out and being eliminated.

Gai was also a bit of a shame. If he had opened the Eight Gates Formation during the battle, his taijutsu would have likely gotten him selected. However, perhaps driven by some kind of conviction, he didn't use that move against his comrades...

In general, twelve Special Jonin emerged from this assessment, becoming one of Konoha's backbones!

Of course, they were still some distance from being true Jonin, only excelling in certain areas and not yet considered true Jonin.

But for these young people, Special Jonin was already a good position...

The other eliminated candidates had been dismissed, leaving only these twelve in the field...

In the training ground, the twelve stood in place, awaiting further instructions.

One of the Anbu Jonin looked at the twelve and nodded slightly, saying, "From today onwards, you are the village's Special Jonin. The Fourth Hokage will explain your benefits and what you need to do next."

Just as he finished speaking, a figure wearing the Hokage Vestments and the Hokage Cloak appeared in the field with a 'whoosh.'

His appearance was sudden. Except for Yei and Shisui Uchiha, who noticed something in advance and looked towards a certain spot, no one else realized how he had appeared.

Yei only sensed a slight spatial fluctuation, and then this person appeared before them without a trace, as if out of thin air.

Flying Thunder God Technique... Yei murmured inwardly, sparking the idea of exploring space-time ninjutsu...

Any space-time ninjutsu was a great tool with immense utility. Even if it was just used for travel, it would be excellent!

Seeing this person appear, everyone present respectfully bowed, "Hokage-sama."

That's right, the person who appeared out of nowhere was none other than the current Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze!

"Yes, no need to be so formal." The Fourth Hokage smiled warmly, his face radiant, giving people a feeling of warmth.

He looked at the twelve who had stood out in the field and said with a smile, "You are all excellent ninjas in the village. You have all earned your promotion to Special Jonin through your own strength."

"Congratulations. From now on, you are all Special Jonin of the village. I hope you will not forget your original intentions and strive for the sake of this village." After congratulating everyone present, the Fourth Hokage spoke of his intentions, "Now that you have become Special Jonin, I have some arrangements for you to consider..."

The twelve listened attentively.

"First, due to the war, the number of Anbu personnel in the village is severely insufficient, and we need to replenish them with excellent ninjas. Now that you are Special Jonin, you are qualified to join Anbu..."

"Second, as the Fourth Hokage, I am required to have my own Shadow Guard Squad. I want to select some talented ninjas from among you to become my Shadow Guard Squad..." The Fourth Hokage said simply.

First, to have them join Anbu!

Because during the war, Konoha had hardly added any new Anbu members. This group of the most outstanding Chunin was qualified to join Anbu and become Anbu ninjas!

Second, to become members of his Shadow Guard Squad!

As Asuma had said, a Shadow Guard Squad was essential for the Hokage. However, the Fourth Hokage didn't want to select from the Jonin, but instead planned to cultivate his own. This Special Jonin assessment was also partly for this reason.

However, the Fourth Hokage only gave them an opportunity. Only by meeting his requirements would they be qualified to become the Fourth Hokage's Shadow Guard Squad.

That requirement was—to have talent in space-time ninjutsu!

The Fourth Hokage wanted to cultivate his own team. His Shadow Guard Squad should ideally learn the Flying Thunder God Technique like him, so they could keep up with his pace!

As the Shadow Guard Squad, they were his personal bodyguards. If they couldn't keep up with his pace, then the Shadow Guard Squad wouldn't be of much use...

Therefore, the condition for becoming his Shadow Guard Squad was that they must have talent in space-time ninjutsu!

Hearing the Fourth Hokage's words, everyone present looked at each other.

They didn't expect the Fourth Hokage to say such a thing.

The Flying Thunder God Technique, the Fourth Hokage's ninjutsu that dominated the ninja world!

For Konoha ninjas, there was no one who didn't yearn for it!

Now that they had the opportunity to come into contact with space-time ninjutsu, they were naturally overjoyed and quickly nodded in agreement!

However, there were also those who weren't interested...

Shisui Uchiha's purpose was very clear. Whether it was from the clan's orders or his own will, he wasn't interested in becoming the Fourth Hokage's Shadow Guard Squad and only became an Anbu member.

Although Yei was a little interested in the Flying Thunder God Technique, he also wasn't keen on becoming the Fourth Hokage's Shadow Guard Squad. That would mean losing some freedom, which wasn't a good thing for him, and he only joined Anbu.

Asuma, as the son of the Third Hokage, although he seemed to not care about this identity on the surface, he still had some pride and wouldn't become the Fourth Hokage's Shadow Guard Squad. Moreover, becoming a Shadow Guard Squad member was very restrictive. Asuma was well aware of the duties of the Shadow Guard Squad and also only joined Anbu.

The three of them didn't want to test whether they had talent in space-time ninjutsu, and the Fourth Hokage didn't mind.

The identities and backgrounds of these three were more special than the others.

Two members of prestigious ninja clans. The rules of prestigious ninja clans were strict, which the Fourth Hokage was aware of. Perhaps becoming a Shadow Guard Squad member would conflict with their duties in their clans.

Asuma is the Third Hokage's son, so having him become the Fourth's Shadow Guard Squad might be a bit inappropriate...

Besides, this isn't mandatory. You can even refuse to join Anbu if you want; it's up to the individual.

Although, probably no one would refuse to join Anbu. It's one of the necessary paths to becoming a Jonin!

Hyuga Yei, Shisui Uchiha, and Asuma Sarutobi left first at the Fourth Hokage's signal.

As for the others, they were very interested in the Fourth Hokage's Shadow Guard Squad. Not to mention the Fourth would teach the Flying Thunder God Technique, just being able to become the Fourth's Shadow Guard Squad was a big draw for them!

After some testing, in the end, the only ones with the talent for space-time ninjutsu were still Genma Shiranui, Raidō Namiashi, and Iwashi Tatami, just like in the original story...

The three of them became the Fourth's Shadow Guard Squad, but they haven't officially taken office yet, nor do they have enough strength to take office. The Fourth will personally train them for a while.

The others didn't have this talent, which was a shame, but they didn't dwell on it too much. Being able to be promoted to Special Jonin and join Anbu was already something to be happy about.

At this point, the selection of Special Jonin could be considered over!

Afterward, several familiar classmates gathered together to celebrate before returning to their respective homes...

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