Letter of Recommendation

This blizzard was truly rare; the blizzard, which had not seen the sun for three consecutive days, showed no signs of stopping and instead seemed to be getting even more intense.

Everything withered under the blizzard; the once lush forest was now just bare branches. Inside a cave, amidst the snowstorm.

"Damn it, are you out of your mind? You're contacting me during such a blizzard? Let me tell you, once my secrets are exposed, you won't get away with it either."

The Suikazan Fuguki, who had sneaked in through the wind and snow, spoke angrily in a low voice, as if afraid of being overheard.

Uchiha Yoru, who had been waiting for a long time, simply smiled and shook his head, saying, "Don't be so formal, okay? We've been partners for so many times, after all."

Companions? To hell with them! At this moment, Suikazan Fuguki was filled with rage at Uchiha Yoru's insatiable greed and lack of any moral compass.

"Dude, are you kidding me? I live in fear every day in the Camp. Can you please stop asking me out? Do you know that if I'm discovered, my only option is to defect?"

Suikazan Fuguki concealed himself very well, appearing to be a ninja on the verge of collapse, caught in a compromising situation, worried about being discovered while simultaneously trying to avoid being threatened.

The other party was acting, and so was Uchiha Yoru. He smiled and patted the other's shoulder, reassuring him like a superior. "Don't worry, I trust your methods. No one will find out. Besides, your Great Sword: Samehada is at a crucial stage of research, so just wait patiently. Once the research makes progress, I'll return the sword immediately."

Upon hearing news of his ninja sword Suikazan Fuguki's narrow eyes flashed with murderous intent. "Damn it! My precious ninja sword has been studied by you master and disciple! Just wait! I'll get my ninja sword back!"

"Don't look at me like that, as if I'm some terrible person. But you also need to think about your own problems. How long has it been? You keep making excuses and brushing me off with some trivial things. What am I supposed to do?"

After much back and forth, Suikazan Fuguki finally backed down. It wasn't that he was cowardly, but rather that the other party had leverage over him, and the Great Sword: Samehada made it impossible for him to act impulsively.

"I already told you, you make the arrangements properly, find a way to force Kisame and Mei Terumi to betray us. Then I'll take those two, you take back your ninja sword, and we'll each get what we want."

Uchiha Yoru's shameless words immediately enraged Suikazan Fuguki shouted, "Damn it, Mei Terumi is one of our Mist Ninja's Genji!"

"Genji, the elder of Kirigakure, although he's an old codger, he possesses power and status equal to the Mizukage, and oversees all affairs of Kirigakure. The most important matters in the village must be discussed with this elder. You have to give me some time."

At this moment, Suikazan Fuguki was truly at his wit's end. He said with frustration, "Although the other party is now under my command, I only have the authority to command operations. I can't let anything happen to them. Everything must be foolproof. Also, Kisame Hoshigaki, I promised to give him to you, but right now I really need men under my command. If you need him urgently, fine, at most two months. I will definitely find an opportunity."

"However, without Kisame Hoshigaki as an ally, my influence on the front lines will likely be affected." Suikazan Fuguki, the ninja who betrayed his village, felt no remorse whatsoever; instead, he was only concerned with his own interests.

Uchiha Yoru smiled and nodded after hearing this, saying, "I'm not forcing you. It's best if you take it slow. After all, being absolutely sure will prevent you from leaving any leverage, making it easier for us to cooperate in the future."

"I've come to meet you today to inform you of something important." Uchiha Yoru shrugged casually and said, "I have intelligence sources, and it seems someone will replace me as the commander on the front lines after spring. So, let's join forces for something big. I'll give you a great reward, which will be good for you too."

"What! Someone's coming to replace you?" The shock in Suikazan Fuguki's eyes was no joke. His Great Sword: Samehada was still in the other party's hands. If the other party were to transfer it, he would have made a mistake.

"Don't worry, they won't transfer me away easily."

Uchiha Yoru appeared relaxed, but Suikazan Fuguki's eyes darted around as he feigned anxiety and asked, "Who will replace you?"

Anyone who didn't know better would think that Suikazan Fuguki cared a lot about him, but actually he wanted to gather information about Konoha so he could perhaps do something about it.

"Shin'nosuke Sarutobi"

Upon hearing the name, Suikazan Fuguki immediately realized, "So it was him. He's quite skilled in Fire Style and Earth Release. If I didn't have Great Sword: Samehada, I might not have been able to hold out. He's a formidable opponent."

"Damn it, if that bastard comes, I can't just cower like a coward once the battle begins on the front lines, can I? But once we engage in combat, my Great Sword: Samehada will be fake when it's exposed. What am I supposed to do then?"

Previously, the two of them had at least made secret deals and had fought several times, all of which were essentially fake fights. However, the other party would not fake a fight with him.

Suikazan Fuguki looked anxious and gritted his teeth angrily, saying, "Either you give me the Great Sword: Samehada first, or this can't be done."

It was obvious that Suikazan Fuguki had seized the opportunity to try and reclaim his Samehada, but Uchiha Yoru narrowed his eyes and sneered.

"Fat pig, stop your damn act. You've been putting on an act since you came in. I've already been lenient by not exposing you, and now you're pushing your luck. Don't try to pull this on me. Take it or leave it. Anyway, I have Great Sword: Samehada. At worst, I'll just report to the village that I defeated you and took Great Sword: Samehada. That'll be a great achievement."

Seeing the murderous glare from Suikazan Fuguki, Uchiha Yoru sneered, "Don't glare at me. I have all your weaknesses, but I haven't left a single one."

As Uchiha Yoru's Suikazan Fuguki's feigned anger vanished, revealing a sinister gaze fixed intently on his opponent.

"Kid, even a rabbit will bite when cornered. Don't go too far!"

"I'm going too far? Fine, go back now, and we'll fight like nothing happened, you dare? You're all old foxes, stop pretending."

People like Suikazan Fuguki are too cunning. There's only one way to deal with them: ruthlessly crush them.

"Since you're not leaving, let's get down to business." Seeing the silent Suikazan Fuguki, Uchiha Yoru, after giving him a warning, realized he should offer a sweet treat, and his tone softened from its previous arrogance.

"Shin'nosuke Sarutobi is coming to replace me. I'll keep it a secret at first, since he needs to stabilize the situation when he first arrives. I don't think you'll miss this opportunity, will you?"

With a teasing expression, Uchiha Yoru shook his head and said, "Don't worry, with my track record, Shin'nosuke Sarutobi will definitely not easily go to the battlefield to fight you unless he makes a major breakthrough."

Nobody's a fool, and Shin'nosuke Sarutobi understands the principle of having seen the best before him.

"Some people in the village want to end this pointless war. I'm afraid that after Shin'nosuke Sarutobi to the front lines this time, they will adopt a defensive posture to wear down the morale of your Kirigakure. Once your Kirigakure realizes there's no benefit to be gained, they'll end this meaningless friction. Or perhaps your Mist Ninja is confident in taking over the Land of Whirlpools."

Seeing Uchiha Yoru's confident demeanor, Suikazan Fuguki, unusually, revealed his true thoughts, sighing with frustration, "Perhaps you're overthinking it."

"Let me be frank with you about the battlefield in the Land of Land of Whirlpools. There aren't many people in our Kirigakure who agree to open up this battlefield, especially now that things are at a stalemate. There are even more people who oppose it. It's just that our Fourth Mizukage is thinking something, like a stubborn turtle determined to wear down your Konoha."

"Many people in the village are secretly speculating about the Mizukage's intentions. I personally believe that the Fourth Mizukage wants to use this opportunity to weaken the major clans, thereby consolidating his supreme power."

Suikazan Fuguki looked like a wise man, as if he had just made his own deductions. However, this scene only elicited a hint of mockery from Uchiha Yoru.

You're probably overthinking it. What do you mean by "your Fourth Mizukage"? It was clearly Obito who wanted to Obito to the death, purely for revenge out of love. There's no need for all the ulterior motives.

Konoha failed to protect Rin, Mist Ninja participated in the operation to kill Rin. It's safe to say that the Mist Ninja and Konoha fought tooth and nail, and even your Fourth Mizukage would applaud.

"Alright, what I'm telling you now is that we're planning something big soon. Once Shin'nosuke Sarutobi arrives, just use whatever methods you have."

Uchiha Yoru met with Suikazan Fuguki today to discuss taking action before his replacement arrives.

To put it bluntly, it was Suikazan Fuguki who revealed the information about their mines to him, and Uchiha Yoru secretly led a group to attack them. After a great victory, he could pocket 50-60% of the spoils.

Similarly, Suikazan Fuguki attacked Konoha's escort route, intercepted Konoha's Chakra Metal and Fine Iron, and also pocketed a large kickback.

The difference was that each time, there was a hint of resentment under the greedy gaze of the Suikazan Fuguki. This greedy brat always made him spit out more than 50% of his spoils. Damn it, this brat is trying to eat both sides.

This blizzard lasted for a full two weeks before the sun finally peeked through the clouds. The snow in the forest was a terrifying two to three meters thick, demonstrating just how extreme the weather can be in this world.

Not only are the trees extremely tall, each one a towering giant, but the weather itself is also extremely harsh.

Inside the camp at Konoha Base.

With a solemn expression, Uchiha Yoru gripped the brush and wrote on the scroll, saying to the person who came to report from inside the tent, "This is the recent merit record; I will report everything truthfully to the village."

"You're all here, perfect timing. This is the letter of recommendation I wrote for you, along with your contributions. I personally believe that Yūhi Kurenai, Uzuki Yugao, Mitarashi Anko, Might Guy, and others have made enough contributions and have the strength to be promoted to Special Jonin. Also, Tatami Iwashi, as one of the three members of Genma Squad, has improved her strength quite rapidly recently and has made many contributions. I'm prepared to vouch for them and petition the village to promote them to Special Jonin."

"And then there's the future of our village. Umino Iruka, Mizuki... they've been working diligently since arriving at the front lines, and they've barely Chunin. I think we should give some encouragement to these young people."

Uchiha Yoru seemed to be promoting one of his own, and the ninjas inside the tent all showed gratitude upon seeing this. In contrast, Hatake Kakashi to the side, frowned somewhat.

"Yoru, what you're doing might cause resentment among some people." Hatake Kakashi's meaning was clear: promoting your own people like this is obviously an attempt to build a faction; isn't that a bit too direct?

Uchiha Yoru, however, smiled and shook his head, personally writing the report scroll. The ninjas who had been summoned below all showed expressions of gratitude.

The promotion of Special Jonin and Jōnin requires a selection process, and Letter of Recommendation from fellow Jōnin are especially important, as they are practically guarantees of success.

During wartime, some steps might be omitted, but regardless, promotion to Jōnin rank always requires the Hokage's personal signature.

Chunin generally follow two paths: one is selection and recruitment, which is based on a combination of strength and mission workload, and the Chunin selected through this method are usually of average strength. The other path is selection through the Chunin Ninja Exams, which are almost all selected based on talent recognized by everyone, and can be considered the elite chosen by the top teams.

Outstanding performance under special circumstances, special consideration, meeting the required standards, or skipping a level for promotion.

Another situation is during wartime. Although it's not the Shinobi World War right now, it's still a battlefield, and he's qualified to submit an application to the village. However, such an application needs a year to be reviewed to see if it's qualified.

After finishing the letter, Uchiha Yoru smiled and said to Kakashi beside him, "I'll leave this Chunin Selection Scroll to you, Kakashi. Go down and have these Genin sign it themselves, then we'll see how well they've done this past year."

"Alright." Since Uchiha Yoru had already made his decision, Hatake Kakashi wouldn't refuse. He put the scrolls that required the Genin's personal signatures into his Tool Pouch, and then it was the turn of the Chunin were to be promoted.

The promotion from Chunin to Special Jonin represents a significant difference.

The Soldiers' Book details that Genin are the village's main fighting force and the most numerous. Chunin are highly skilled ninjas of captain rank. Jōnin are the most elite ninjas, possessing strength beyond that of ordinary people. Special Jonin are those between Chunin and Jōnin.

You could say that Genin are like soldiers, Chunin are like squad leaders, Special Jonin are like centurions, and Jōnin the junior officer level.

Yūhi Kurenai, Uzuki Yugao Mitarashi Anko, Anko Mitarashi, Might Guy, and Tatami Iwashi all showed excited smiles. The difference Chunin and Special Jonin is extremely large. Although they are not yet true Jōnin, they have at least taken a step closer.

"The night is amazing! I'm sure I'll be the first Jōnin to become one!" Mitarashi Anko exclaimed excitedly as she stepped forward, picked up the scroll, and prepared to sign her name.

Just as Mitarashi Anko was excitedly preparing to sign her name, the commendation on the scroll instantly froze her smile, and the smiles of the people around her were now filled with suspicion as they looked at each other.

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