Young Master, Please Become Hokage

And these matters were unrelated to Akira Sarutobi and the others participating in the Jonin Exam.

Two days later, Akira Sarutobi returned to Konoha. After 12 days, the Jonin Exam finally concluded.

Utatane Koharu entered the Hokage's Office to report the situation, while Akira Sarutobi and the others were resting in the open space in front of the Hokage Building.

"Young Master, that old woman is clearly biased towards Minato Namikaze..."

With nothing else to do, Ino Yamanaka began to whisper.

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

"She obviously felt that Minato Namikaze should have been the one to complete this mission..."

Ino Yamanaka's judgment was not wrong.

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

The two advisors, representing the interests of multiple clans and the upper echelons, wanted to support Minato Namikaze to become the Fourth Hokage. It was only natural for him to gain experience and complete missions along the way.

It was just that they hadn't expected their side to find him first and claim the credit.

But in reality, Akira Sarutobi hadn't thought much about it; he just wanted Dan Katō to go home, nothing more.

Ino Yamanaka, however, remained very displeased. "If things continue at this rate, Minato Namikaze will probably soar to great heights and ascend to the heavens from now on..."

This time they had snatched the credit that was arranged for him by the higher-ups. What about next time?

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

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

Last time, she had only intended to cause trouble for Minato Namikaze and teach him a lesson. This time, it had escalated to wanting to kill him.

The leap... was quite large.

Actually, Akira Sarutobi felt no condemnation towards the evil nature of his childhood friend.

After all, he himself harbored deep malice within his heart.

Humans... are complex creatures.

He gazed at the girl's beautiful face and her curvaceous figure. Her skin, as delicate as porcelain, was as smooth as white jade, coupled with her fiery red lips...

"Young Master?" Ino Yamanaka blinked her eyes.

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

Growing up, there had been many similar scenes.

Ino Yamanaka never hesitated to unleash the malice in her heart, and each time, she was stopped by Akira Sarutobi.

Because this did not align with the Will of Fire.

The essence of the Will of Fire was to protect those one cherishes.

The extended meaning... was not to harm the companions of one's enemies, even if they were not familiar with each other, they were still fellow Konoha Ninja.

Unless one day he became an enemy of Minato Namikaze.

Otherwise, Akira Sarutobi would not plot against Minato Namikaze.

Ino Yamanaka was different. She wasn't like Danzō, who did bad things to seize power.

She acted purely on impulse, her personality unrestrained and lawless.

"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?"

Seeing his slightly flushed cheeks and his nervously shifting eyes, his intentions were quite clear.

Ino Yamanaka, being hit on, widened her eyes in disbelief.

Can't you see I'm standing with my Young Master?

However, the next second, Ino Yamanaka's surprised expression melted away, replaced by a brilliant smile.

"Look at me..."

"Ah..."

"Look into my eyes, are they beautiful?"

"V-very beautiful..."

Under Ino Yamanaka's command, the other party mustered the courage to meet her gaze.

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

Ino Yamanaka's words seemed to carry a certain magical power.

Under her words, the other party's eyes slowly, slowly became distant and unfocused.

Akira Sarutobi immediately realized that Ino Yamanaka had used Genjutsu.

No... it's more complicated.

It should be a combination of "Genjutsu + Mental Secret Technique."

Genjutsu is essentially Yin Release Ninjutsu.

The mental secret techniques of the Yamanaka Clan are the same.

But the effects produced by the two are completely different.

Genjutsu is classified by affecting the five senses. For example, eye-to-eye contact, hearing sounds, or smelling odors.

Most Genjutsu in the Shinobi World are visual Genjutsu; auditory ones are extremely rare.

At this moment, Ino Yamanaka simultaneously cast an eye-to-eye visual Genjutsu and an auditory Genjutsu through speech.

On top of this, she layered the Yamanaka Clan's secret technique.

The latter can invade others' minds, even control their actions, swap bodies... and other miraculous functions.

Because it's passed down orally, without scrolls, and not taught to outsiders, it's called a "secret technique."

"Let's go~."

Ino Yamanaka finished casting the jutsu and waved her hand.

The next second, the Konoha Ninja who had been hitting on her just moments before was now crawling on all fours, barking and running away.

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

"Why is someone barking like a dog?!"

His actions immediately drew everyone's attention.

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

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

Some know-it-all started explaining that he was a ninja from the Inuzuka Clan, who usually fought using Beast Mimicry Ninjutsu.

"Hehehe..."

Ino Yamanaka, watching this scene, giggled with extreme delight.

"..."

Akira Sarutobi frowned slightly.

Then he shifted his gaze.

His eyes like knives, Akira Sarutobi glared at Ino Yamanaka.

She merely stuck out her small tongue, showing no intention of regretting her actions.

Akira Sarutobi couldn't help but shake his head.

If he didn't manage her, sooner or later, she would either fall into someone else's hands or become a rogue ninja of Konoha.

At worst, she would cause trouble and implicate those around her.

So... it was time to deliver a heavy blow and properly correct her personality.

Just as Akira Sarutobi was thinking this, his right retina flashed, and a brand new notification appeared.

[Will of Fire System!]

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

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

[Side Quest Reward: Yamanaka Clan Mental Secret Technique]

Chapter Sixteen: Promotion to Jonin!

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

Although he had seen similar side quest prompts from Ruri Hyuga and Ringo Ameyuri before, how to implement them still required careful study.

Now, he had excellent experimental material.

He could use the opportunity of disciplining Ino Yamanaka to study this side quest system...

The system's prompt was to inject the Will of Fire into Ino Yamanaka.

So the question was, how to inject it?

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

As Akira Sarutobi was thinking, a ninja walked out of the entrance of the Hokage Building and invited Akira Sarutobi and his group inside.

At the same time, Minato Namikaze and Kushina also emerged from within. Judging by the expressions on their faces, they should have passed the high-level Jonin Exam assessment.

Hokage's Office.

"Young Master Akira Sarutobi, thank you for your help before..."

Hayama Shirakumo, already mostly healed, looked spirited, fully demonstrating the excellence of Konoha's medical ninjutsu.

He had been sent back to Konoha by the Konoha Anbu a week ago, and his injuries had healed well.

After exchanging pleasantries with everyone present for a moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and said, "Ryo, you and the others did very well."

"..."

Akira Sarutobi nodded slightly.

It was clear that his old father was very satisfied with his actions.

Dan Katō's remains had been re-interred by the higher-ups and buried in the Konoha public cemetery.

However, burying him next to his sister's tombstone was quite the dark joke.

This was because Dan Katō's sister had died when she was just over 10 years old, thrown onto the battlefield during the Second Shinobi World War.

With their coffins placed side-by-side, the act, which seemed like a gesture of care for the deceased, was filled with a sense of dark humor.

This disconnect, or absurdity, permeated the very core of the political entity known as Konoha.

Hiruzen Sarutobi: "Regarding your performance this time, I heard from Koharu..."

Dispatching a team, which included the Hokage's son, and ultimately formally recovering the Land of Whirlpools... this series of events successfully quelled all conspiracy theories.

Stability was what was most needed in the post-war era, and the higher-ups were working hard in that direction.

Before participating in this mission, several of them had already been assessed as having Jonin potential.

Shirakumo Hayama was no exception.

He had indeed been instantly killed by Ringo Ameyuri.