"This is truly the pinnacle of youth!"
Inside the Chunin Ninja Exams arena, Might Guy, tears streaming down his face, looked at the boys and girls before him and gave them a thumbs up.
"Well."
Kakashi, standing to the side, closed his eyes, no longer looking at the hot-blooded idiot in front of him.
Beside the two stood Konoha Chunin of varying ages, all of whom had been carefully selected to serve as examiners for this exam, responsible for monitoring whether the candidates were cheating.
Kakashi, a Jonin, was the chief examiner of the first examination hall for the Chunin Ninja Exams.
This is also the first time that Chunin Ninja Exams.
However, although it was called a collaboration, apart from Konoha and Sunagakure, the rest of the participants were weaker villages like Kusagakure and Waterfall Village.
Especially Kusagakure, who had just been attacked, had cobbled together a group of examinees just to show goodwill to Konoha.
"Actually, I think that a hot-blooded guy like Kai should be put on the competitive field as an examiner."
Yawning, Kazashiro, who was squatting in a secluded corner in charge of the safety of the entire exam, pouted in dissatisfaction.
I'm really being treated like a beast of burden by the Konoha High Command; they've already planned out my schedule for next month and the month after that.
His own father didn't say a word, and every day he came back from the Anbu Training Department reeking of cigarette smoke.
Teacher Sarutobi is the same; he could have had his own office, but he insisted on sharing a room with his father.
Well, after three years of smoking, my father has become completely smoky, leaving a pungent smell wherever he goes.
"I need to rest for a while. Call me if you need anything."
He patted the unnamed Hinata ninja beside him, gave Kazashiro some instructions, found a relatively clean corner, leaned against the wall, and closed his eyes.
Although he was a Jonin like Kazashiro, and even older than him, the Hyuga clansman didn't say much. Instead, he obediently followed Feng Bai's instructions, activating his Byakugan to prepare for any unexpected situations.
"Why does the village have to hold these joint Chunin Ninja Exams? It was so much easier back then, just 3v3, performance speaks for itself."
"How could you or I possibly understand the Fourth Generation's thoughts? Let's not even talk about anything else, just take the Military Police Force for example. Could you have imagined back then that anyone could apply to join the Military Police Force now?"
"That's true."
The two Chunin who were responsible for assisting Chunin each other while exchanging whispers.
"Actually, this is already quite good. A friend of mine who works at the Hokage Building told me that, according to the original plan, this exam was originally intended to invite daimyo from various countries to come and observe."
"Really? If we really do this, we won't have enough manpower!"
The Chunin heard this looked shocked.
"What's there to be afraid of? We still have Jonin Kazashiro here, he'll definitely be able to—"
I can't.
Kazashiro, who wasn't quite asleep yet, Teuchi the other person, saying that he was already busy enough and begged them not to add to his workload.
"Uh..." The Chunin embarrassed to speak.
"Speaking of which, the peace delegation from Kumogakure should arrive in Konoha next month. If everything goes smoothly, the Shinobi World will soon enjoy complete peace, and we won't have to worry about being conscripted by the village and sent to fight on the border one day."
Noticing his companion's embarrassment, another Chunin quickly changed the subject.
I hope so.
The Chunin Ninja Exams ended without any major incidents.
Upon receiving the report, the lords of various countries were all very satisfied with the format of the examination.
Moreover, the final one-on-one match is also very exciting, allowing them to see the strength of the new generation from each village.
Some casinos have also sensed a business opportunity and are looking forward to the next test.
It was a happy ending for everyone.
Inside the Hokage Building, seeing the Daimyo's delight in casually adding a considerable amount of funding, Sakumo's expression relaxed.
The planning over this period of time has not been in vain.
However, this ease did not last long.
Soon, the heads of various departments, drawn by the scent of money, found their way to the Hokage's Office.
Everyone said their department had made new progress and urgently needed Konoha to provide them with a budget.
This gave Sakumo a huge headache.
I could only say that I needed to think about it first before sending them away.
"Haha, how's it going, Fourth Generation? The job of Hokage must be tough."
After seeing everyone out of the office, Sakumo was about to have a drink of water and rest when he heard Hiruzen's familiar voice.
"I've heard that the delegation will arrive soon. How are the preparations for the specific details of the negotiations going?"
"I've entrusted the specific details to Shikaku. I'm confident that with his abilities, he won't allow Kumogakure to take any further advantage."
Sakumo was very confident in Shikaku's abilities.
"If, and I mean if, they impose some harsh conditions, what would you do?"
Hiruzen asked a crucial question.
"Third Hokage, the current Konoha, if it's just dealing with Kumogakure, could easily launch a large-scale operation." Sakumo composed himself, his tone firm.
The delegation from Kumogakure arrived as scheduled, amidst a welcoming ceremony specially prepared by Konoha.
Kazashiro, who was crouching on a high building, saw the leader of the Cloud Ninja.
He was a middle-aged man with a thick beard, and he looked all smiles, seemingly genuinely there for peace.
"That guy isn't that strong."
At Kazashiro's instruction, Chakra and quickly came to a conclusion.
The negotiations went more smoothly than anyone had imagined.
Not only did the Kumogakure not impose any harsh conditions, but they didn't even demand compensation. Even the Cloud Ninja responsible for the negotiations exuded an aura of peace, making one seriously doubt whether these guys were truly just muscle-bound brutes.
In just half a day, the two sides finalized the main framework of the peace agreement.
"Please follow me to my lodgings."
Watching the Military Police Force lead the delegation to the hotel, Shikaku couldn't help but sit down and fall into deep thought.
Shikaku one with doubts.
Upon receiving their report, Sakumo and Hiruzen also sensed that something was amiss.
"To be on the safe side, we should send a capable Jonin to the border, just in case something goes wrong."
Years of battlefield experience have given Sakumo an exceptionally sharp sixth sense.
"Wow!"
Hiruzen volunteered.
My old bones haven't had a proper workout in a while.
"No, let's wait for news from the Dark Division first."
Sending out a powerful force rashly could have negative consequences.
After politely declining Hiruzen's request to join the battle, Sakumo decided to first send his ANBU (Anbu) to gather intelligence.