Every movement was incomparably fluid.
In less than two minutes, Akira Sarutobi had performed all the taijutsu he had learned at D-rank and C-rank.
After finishing a set of taijutsu, Akira Sarutobi felt pleasantly warm all over, streams of heat continuously coursing through his body.
Generally speaking, whenever he had no missions, Akira Sarutobi spent at least four hours every day practicing taijutsu, as well as the swordsmanship Hatake Sakumo had taught him.
Then he would spend several more hours practicing ninjutsu and Genjutsu.
He also read and studied, constantly supplementing his knowledge.
This was because he had inherited the Ninjutsu Doctor talent of his cheap father, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Akira Sarutobi possessed an exceptionally frightening memory and learning ability.
Strictly speaking, Akira Sarutobi's own talent was not inferior in the slightest to Orochimaru, one of the Three Sannin.
It was merely because Akira Sarutobi kept such a low profile and never deliberately showed off that even Hiruzen Sarutobi himself had failed to see his eldest son's true talent.
"Young Master, tomorrow is the exam. Aren't you going to get some proper rest tonight?"
Off to the side, Ino Yamanaka rested her chin in both hands, her elbows on the stone table in the courtyard, simply watching Akira Sarutobi train.
"A-Hui, I've told you many times. The shinobi world is filled with too many dangers. Only by possessing great strength can one control one's own fate... Or could it be..."
Akira Sarutobi turned his head, his eyes shining like starlight.
"You want to spar with me?"
Hearing Akira Sarutobi's suggestion, Ino Yamanaka shuddered, clearly recalling some terrible memories.
Spar with Young Master in taijutsu? She would have to be insane to do that!
People really could die!
After all, Young Master could kill a bull with a single punch!
"I-I'm going to train right now..." The girl immediately rose and obediently went to practice the Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques.
Konoha Whirlwind!
Akira Sarutobi turned back and continued his taijutsu training.
Beneath a sky full of stars, his sweat-drenched figure stood out starkly in the darkness...
Ruins of the Land of Whirlpools
Early the next morning.
Akira Sarutobi tied on the Forehead Protector that marked his identity as a Konoha Ninja, put on his vest, and headed for Konoha's entrance with Ino Yamanaka.
Early in the morning, people were already streaming back and forth before the village gates.
As the center of the Land of Fire, a prosperous city no less flourishing than a capital, Konoha far surpassed other towns in prosperity.
"Good morning, Young Master Ryo."
"Good morning, Young Master Akira Sarutobi."
One familiar or unfamiliar face after another appeared, all greeting Akira Sarutobi.
Akira Sarutobi responded to each of them.
More than ten minutes later, everyone had arrived.
As Utatane Koharu stepped before the crowd, the murmurs immediately died down. "Next, I will explain the specific details of the exam..."
The person responsible for the Jonin Exam naturally could not be a Jonin.
Just as the Chunin Ninja Exams for Genin were usually overseen by Special Jonin and Jonin serving as examiners, this exam was led by Utatane Koharu.
In addition to overseeing the examination process, she would ensure that all enemies were truly eliminated.
Utatane Koharu's role was to serve as both examiner and the powerful force backing them up.
If the candidates present failed to accomplish their objective, then... Utatane Koharu would act personally.
The official databook, the Book of Soldiers, described Mitokado Homura's strength as being on par with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Utatane Koharu's strength was only slightly below Mitokado Homura's. With such a powerful expert protecting them, everyone naturally felt extremely confident about the exam and thoroughly relaxed.
As Utatane Koharu explained, the specifics of the exam gradually took shape in everyone's minds.
The destination was the Ruins of the Land of Whirlpools. The journey there would take two days, and the return trip another two days.
Including the carpet search, combat, and expulsion involved in the exam mission, the entire process would likely last around ten to fifteen days.
"Young Master, that means we need to prepare not to go home for half a month..."
Ino Yamanaka quietly whispered into Akira Sarutobi's ear.
"Don't worry. I've packed all the seasonings and everything..."
Seeing Ino Yamanaka's excitement, Akira Sarutobi shook his head slightly.
During the Second Shinobi World War, Konoha's main opponents were Ninja Villages such as Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Amegakure... Most of the fighting took place on land.
The Ruins of the Land of Whirlpools, however, lay at sea.
Clearly, Ino Yamanaka was eager to see the ocean, and perhaps cook some seafood, take a seawater bath, sunbathe on the beach... things like that.
"This isn't a vacation."
Akira Sarutobi reminded her.
The enemies occupying the Land of Whirlpools were most likely Kirigakure shinobi.
"Why not Kumogakure?" Ino Yamanaka asked like a curious child.
"Kumogakure's style is like lightning, like a gust of wind. Once they've taken nearly everything, they'll leave the plundered place like a sweeping storm... Kirigakure, on the other hand, is like bloodthirsty sharks, constantly circling nearby and waiting for more prey to step into their trap..."
Akira Sarutobi explained.
"I see... As expected of Young Master. You're truly knowledgeable." Ino Yamanaka sincerely praised him.
Having read all kinds of books since childhood, Akira Sarutobi could understand the affairs of the shinobi world without ever leaving home. Even without relying on the memories of a transmigrator and Naruto scholar, he could still analyze most matters with remarkable accuracy.
Knowledge was power.
And intelligence... could often determine the life or death of an individual, a team, or even a village and a country.
"All right, that's the situation."
After Utatane Koharu finished explaining, she began assigning groups.
Ino Yamanaka, Ruri Hyuga, Shirakumo Hayama, and Akira Sarutobi were assigned to the same group.
Minato Namikaze, Kushina, and the others formed another group.
Just like that, four-person team numbers were continuously assigned.
"..."
When Utatane Koharu called Kushina's name, Akira Sarutobi could not help but glance at her again.
The beautiful red-haired girl was unlike her outgoing, cheerful self from yesterday.
Today, an indelible sorrow stained her face.
Kushina's homeland was the Land of Whirlpools.
The destruction of her country had left her depressed for a long time. Later, with Minato Namikaze's companionship, she gradually emerged from that psychological shadow.
Last year, Minato Namikaze had saved Kushina, and the two had pledged their feelings beneath the moon. From then on, whenever Kushina carried out missions, Minato Namikaze was always by her side.
Such an arrangement meant Minato Namikaze was her protector, protecting the surviving Uzumaki orphan, and more importantly... protecting the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!
Generally speaking, a Jinchuriki was usually chosen from someone close to the Kage.
For example, the previous Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Mito, had been the wife of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
Therefore, anyone who wished to marry Kushina, the Jinchuriki, needed to have close ties to the Hokage.
In other words.
Minato Namikaze... was being groomed by Utatane Koharu and the other higher-ups as the next Hokage.
As he considered these matters, Akira Sarutobi realized that bringing Kushina along on this mission was likely also because they valued her origins in the Land of Whirlpools.
The official databook stated: the Uzumaki Clan were the founders of Konoha's Fuinjutsu.
Enemies had occupied the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools and refused to leave even after several years. They were surely searching for something.
And the only person who could truly uncover the Uzumaki Clan's legacy was Kushina, an Uzumaki orphan.
Therefore, Kushina probably also carried an additional secret mission.
"One exam contains multiple political considerations. It's meant both to quell conspiracy theories among the people and to uncover the Land of Whirlpools' legacy..."
Akira Sarutobi secretly shook his head, becoming even more certain that this journey could turn exceedingly dangerous.
Not long afterward, everyone set off.
The four-person teams traveled together.
An Anbu squad followed Utatane Koharu as well, making Akira Sarutobi even more certain of his earlier guess.
After leaving Konoha, the group raced onward. The sun rose high into the sky, then set, and day turned into night.
Two days later, the group arrived near the waters surrounding the Land of Whirlpools.
Splash...
The waves churned.
Everyone released Chakra beneath their feet and stepped onto the sea's surface.
No boats were needed. Crossing the sea with their own bodies—this was what shinobi could do.
Seeing the coastline ahead, Utatane Koharu nodded. "We're here... the Ruins of the Land of Whirlpools."
As relatives of the Senju Clan and allies of Konoha.
The destruction of the Land of Whirlpools had been a great loss for Konoha.
Racing onto the beach, Utatane Koharu's gaze turned sharp as blades. She swung her right arm and gave the order. "The exam... begins! Drive out every enemy... leave none behind!"
Swish!
The next moment, each team ran in a different direction, beginning a carpet search of the ruins of the island nation known as the Land of Whirlpools...
As the sound of the waves gradually faded behind them, everyone crossed the beach and entered the forest.
Since it had become ruins, the Land of Whirlpools was now covered in lush green vegetation.
"Though the Land of Whirlpools is small, its terrain is complex. At full speed, it takes roughly three hours to cross the entire country. In terms of area, it's still considerably larger than countries like the Land of Waves..."
Along the way, Akira Sarutobi introduced the situation at the Ruins of the Land of Whirlpools.
Shirakumo Hayama, who had joined their team, was a peer who rarely smiled.
He had also once been Akira Sarutobi's classmate.
A long sword hung at his waist. He excelled at fierce Wind Release swordsmanship and ninjutsu.
Crack.
Shirakumo Hayama stepped on something. Looking down, he found a human skeleton!
As the group advanced, more and more skeletons appeared before them in all kinds of poses.
"These bones..." Shirakumo Hayama's eyes narrowed, his expression becoming even graver.
"They are the remains of the people of the Land of Whirlpools." Ino Yamanaka's tone softened considerably, and her cheerful manner vanished.
At the back of the team, Ruri Hyuga looked at the skeletons, seemingly lost in thought. The gloomy aura emanating from her grew ever thicker.
"The Land of Whirlpools was our allied nation. Even if it has become ruins, it was once the land of its people..."
Akira Sarutobi glanced at Kushina's nearby team.
Before you continue