Chapter Sixteen: Promoted to Jonin!

These matters had nothing to do with Akira Sarutobi and the others participating in the Jonin Exam.

Two days later, Akira Sarutobi returned to Konoha. After twelve days, the Jonin Exam had come to an end.

Utatane Koharu entered the Hokage's Office to report on the situation, while Akira Sarutobi and the others rested in the open space before the Hokage Building.

"Young Master, that old woman was clearly favoring Minato Namikaze..."

With nothing else to do, Ino Yamanaka began whispering.

When she had learned that their team had found Dan Katō's remains first, Utatane Koharu had clearly been somewhat surprised.

"She obviously thought Minato Namikaze should have been the one to accomplish this..."

Ino Yamanaka's judgment was not wrong.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura were indeed openly and secretly supporting Minato Namikaze.

The two advisors, who represented the interests of multiple clans and the upper ranks, wanted to support Minato Namikaze as the Fourth Hokage. Naturally, they had been sending him monsters to defeat, experience to gain, and missions to complete all along the way.

They just had not expected Akira Sarutobi's side to find him first and take away that credit.

But Akira Sarutobi had not thought much of it. He had only wanted Dan Katō to return home. That was all.

Yet Ino Yamanaka remained deeply displeased. "At this rate, Minato Namikaze will probably soar through the ranks and ascend straight to the heavens..."

They had stolen the credit the higher-ups had arranged for him this time. What about next time?

"So...?" Akira Sarutobi withdrew his gaze from the windows of the Hokage Building and looked at the girl beside him.

A little devilish smile immediately appeared on Ino Yamanaka's pretty face. "So... Young Master, I think we should strike first and find a way to kill Minato Namikaze! As long as he dies, the position of Hokage will definitely be yours!"

Last time, she had merely wanted to cause Minato Namikaze trouble and teach him a lesson. This time, she had escalated directly to wanting him dead.

The leap was... rather large.

In truth, Akira Sarutobi had no intention of condemning his childhood sweetheart's wicked nature.

After all, deep within his own heart, he also harbored profound malice.

Humans... were complicated creatures.

He stared at the girl's lovely face and curvaceous figure. Her skin was as smooth and flawless as white jade, paired with those fiery red lips...

"Young Master?" Ino Yamanaka blinked.

"Don't cause trouble." Akira Sarutobi stopped her again.

There had been many similar scenes from childhood until now.

Ino Yamanaka had never been stingy about indulging the evil thoughts in her heart, and every time, Akira Sarutobi had stopped her.

Because it did not accord with the Will of Fire.

The essence of the Will of Fire was protecting the people or things one cherished.

By extension... even if someone was not an enemy's companion and they were unfamiliar with each other, they were still both Konoha Ninja.

Unless one day he became enemies with Minato Namikaze.

Otherwise, Akira Sarutobi would not plot against Minato Namikaze.

Ino Yamanaka was different. Unlike Danzo, who did evil to seize power.

She simply acted as she pleased, with a reckless and lawless personality.

"Hui, Miss Hui..."

Just then, a Konoha Ninja walked over. He had also participated in this Jonin Exam.

"Excuse me... do you have any free time later?"

The redness in his cheeks and his darting eyes made his intentions perfectly clear.

Ino Yamanaka, who had been approached, widened her eyes in disbelief.

Couldn't he see her standing together with her Young Master?

But in the next instant, the surprise on Ino Yamanaka's face melted away and became a radiant smile.

"Look at me..."

"Ah..."

"Look into my eyes. Aren't they beautiful?"

"B-beautiful..."

At Ino Yamanaka's command, he gathered his courage and met her gaze.

"From now on... you are no longer a person... you are a dog, a dog that goes woof woof..."

Ino Yamanaka's words seemed to carry a certain magic.

Under her words, his gaze slowly, gradually became unfocused.

Akira Sarutobi immediately realized that Ino Yamanaka had used Genjutsu.

No... it was more complicated than that.

It should have been a combination of "Genjutsu + Mind Transfer Jutsu."

Genjutsu was fundamentally Yin Release ninjutsu.

The Yamanaka Clan's Mind Transfer Jutsu was the same.

Yet the effects caused by the two were entirely different.

Genjutsu was classified by the five senses through which it took effect. For example, eye contact, hearing a sound, or smelling a scent.

Most Genjutsu in the ninja world was visual Genjutsu, while sound-based Genjutsu was extremely rare.

At this moment, Ino Yamanaka had simultaneously used eye-to-eye visual Genjutsu and sound-based Genjutsu through her words.

On top of that, she had layered the Yamanaka Clan's secret technique over them.

The latter could invade another person's mind, even control their actions, switch bodies... and perform other wondrous functions.

Because it was passed down orally, had no scroll records, and was not shared outside the clan, it was called a "secret technique."

"Go on~."

After completing her technique, Ino Yamanaka waved her hand.

The next second, the Konoha Ninja who had just been flirting with her dropped onto all fours, barked, and ran away.

"Huh?! What's going on?!"

"Why is someone barking like a dog?!"

His actions immediately drew everyone's attention.

Everyone standing in the open space before the Hokage Building looked over in unison.

"What dog barking? That's an Inuzuka Clan ninjutsu... the Four Legs Technique!"

Someone knowledgeable began explaining. He was an Inuzuka Clan ninja; they usually fought using Beast Mimicry Ninjutsu.

"Hehehe..."

Ino Yamanaka laughed with tremendous delight as she watched the scene.

"..."

Akira Sarutobi frowned slightly.

Then he turned his gaze.

His eyes sharp as blades, Akira Sarutobi shot Ino Yamanaka a fierce glare.

She merely stuck out her little tongue, showing no remorse whatsoever.

Akira Sarutobi could not help shaking his head.

If no one kept her in check, sooner or later, she would either fall into someone else's hands or become a rogue ninja of Konoha.

At worst, she would ruin important matters and drag down those around her.

So... it was time to strike with a heavy fist and properly correct that temperament of hers.

Just as Akira Sarutobi thought this, his right retina flashed, and a brand-new prompt appeared.

[Will of Fire System!]

[New... "Will of Fire Weapon": Ino Yamanaka!]

[Side Quest Objective: Instill the Will of Fire into Ino Yamanaka!]

[Side Quest Reward: Yamanaka Clan Mind Transfer Jutsu]

Promotion to Jonin!

The prompt that popped up before his retina made Akira Sarutobi's eyes light up.

Although he had already seen such Side Quest prompts from Ruri Hyuga and Ringo Ameyuri before, he still needed to slowly study how to carry them out in practice.

Now, he had excellent experimental material.

He could take this opportunity to discipline Ino Yamanaka and study this Side Quest system at the same time...

The system prompt was to instill the Will of Fire into Ino Yamanaka.

So the question was, how was he supposed to instill it?

"Young Master Ryo, please come with me..."

As Akira Sarutobi pondered, a ninja approached from the entrance of the Hokage Building and invited Akira Sarutobi's group inside.

At the same time, Minato Namikaze, Kushina, and the others walked out. Judging from their expressions, they had likely already passed the higher-ups' Jonin Exam evaluation.

Hokage's Office.

"Young Master Akira Sarutobi, thank you for saving me before..."

Shirakumo Hayama, who had mostly recovered, looked full of vigor, fully demonstrating the excellence of Konoha's Medical Ninjutsu.

Having been sent back by Konoha Anbu a week ago, his injuries had healed well.

After exchanging pleasantries with everyone present for a moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke with a smile. "Akira, you all did very well."

"..."

Akira Sarutobi nodded slightly.

Clearly, his old father was very satisfied with what he had done.

Dan Katō's remains had already been relocated by the higher-ups and buried in Konoha Cemetery.

But burying him beside his younger sister's grave was somewhat of a grim joke.

When Dan Katō's sister died, she had only been a little over ten years old, yet she had been thrown onto the battlefield during the Second Shinobi World War.

Their coffins were placed side by side. It seemed like a considerate act toward the dead, yet every aspect of it carried a darkly humorous undertone.

This sense of division—or rather, absurdity—had seeped into the bones of the political entity known as Konoha.

Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "I heard from Koharu about your performance this time..."

The dispatched team had included the Hokage's son, and in the end they had formally reclaimed the Land of Whirlpools... This series of events had successfully silenced all conspiracy theories.

What Post-War needed most was stability, and the higher-ups were working to develop in that direction.

Before participating in this mission, they had already been deemed qualified to become Jonin.

Shirakumo Hayama was no exception.

He had indeed been instantly defeated by Ringo Ameyuri.