In early September, Konoha High Command promoted a batch of Chunin as planned. They were around thirteen years old.
Once the news was officially announced, the village buzzed with excitement. To most villagers, the constant emergence of genius ninja was the best proof of the village's strength!
Obito Uchiha, who had been eliminated in the second round after only passing the written exam, was still bitter about it. On the morning's mission, he kept complaining:
"At this rate, by the time I make Chunin, Kakashi will be a Jonin!"
"If I end up under him, I'll have to give him half my salary..."
As Rin Nohara kept an eye on pedestrians in the street and scanned the houses on either side, she reminded herself that even a cat-finding mission wasn't easy. Not every time did they get help from a granny:
"Kakashi doesn't seem to want us to become Chunin too soon."
"Shu from the Medical Corps said the same thing. They probably know more about it, so there's no need to rush into the exams."
"Obito, if you're short on money, I can lend you some. I don't need to replace my ninja tools very often, and Kakashi even gave me a medical kit..."
The earlier words went in one ear and out the other. Obito only heard that Kakashi had given her a present. He jumped up in anger and immediately blurted out:
"That perverted, brooding creep! So he really did make a move behind my back!"
"Rin, I'll protect you! Damn it, I had a present ready too. What a sly guy!"
"..."
After babbling on for a while, Tobitake Tonbo, who had a bandage wrapped around his head, quietly put a little more distance between himself and the others. Everyone around them was staring, and it was pretty embarrassing.
Rin hadn't expected Obito to react so strongly. She hurriedly grabbed him, then bowed slightly to the people around them in apology:
"Tobitake, let's get out of here!"
"Obito, how many times have I told you not to bother everyone?"
Looking at the hand the girl had taken, Obito's face flushed. He immediately forgot what he'd been saying and sighed to himself, delighted:
"Rin really does care about me more!"
The three finished their mission just before noon, and their Jonin leader hurried off.
"Are there really that many high-rank missions? The new team leader's just like the last one."
Obito muttered under his breath as he left the mission office. In his mind, a team leader shouldn't act like that. They should care more about their team.
"I heard the village took over the missions from the surrounding areas, so the Jonin have gotten busier!"
Tobitake shared what he'd heard from a senior in the Intelligence Division. Obito didn't pay him any attention and continued complaining without a second thought:
"They promised us a Jonin instructor, but we still haven't seen one. How are we supposed to learn more advanced ninjutsu like this?"
"Does the Uchiha Clan have the same problem?"
At Tobitake's question, Obito could only give an awkward smile. He was a nobody in his clan, and the only ninjutsu he had were a few basic techniques his parents had left behind.
Rin still had an internship at the Medical Corps. Knowing how badly Obito wanted friends, she smiled and said:
"Tobitake has to go to the Intelligence Department this afternoon. Obito, would you like to come with me to the Medical Corps?"
"Shu will teach us combat skills. He's already completed lots of high-rank missions, so we could learn a lot from his experience."
Obito had almost agreed, but then he thought he might "embarrass himself" in front of the girl. He let out a couple of dry laughs and bragged on purpose:
"Rin, don't worry about me. There are people in my clan who can teach me too. I'll awaken my Sharingan soon!"
Rin didn't call Obito out on his lie. Instead, she kept encouraging him with her usual energy:
"Don't push yourself, Obito. Let's keep working hard together!"
Once the two had left, Obito's cheerful expression vanished, and his energy drained away. A lonely look quickly appeared on his face. Thinking of the girl's smile, he murmured without realizing it:
"Rin..."
Kakashi liked to use "talent" to discourage Genin. The High Command didn't stop him, and simply assigned him graduating teams with poor scores. Their missions were mostly D-rank, too.
Things were different for Shu Furukawa. In the Medical Corps, he was practically Tsunade's representative, and talented young medical ninja gathered around him.
Even some Chunin from civilian backgrounds, who were working their way up through seniority, liked to spend time around Shu Furukawa. If Tsunade became Hokage, she would surely pour resources into the Medical Corps.
Promotions were difficult, but raises were still possible, and everyone looked forward to them.
That evening, at the training ground in the back hills, Shu Furukawa leaped into the air and swiftly chopped downward. A huge crater appeared in the ground. Without looking at the others, he continued his reminder:
"Keep your eyes on your opponent. When your teammates protect you, you'll have more time to think."
"Gathering intelligence in battle and exploiting your opponent's openings are also part of a medical ninja's job."
Rubble flew everywhere. Shizune, Rin, and the other members of the Medical Corps dodged, only to fall to the ground. They struggled to their feet, but Shu Furukawa disappeared again. A muffled grunt soon came from behind them.
Kanpo and the others clutched their necks and fell to the ground one after another. Rin turned around and drew a kunai, but as soon as she swung it, pain shot through her wrist.
"Clang..."
The kunai hit the ground. By the time Rin realized what had happened, Shu Furukawa had already flicked her forehead. The girl couldn't resist. She flew back and rolled twice across the ground.
With a cry of pain, Rin sat up, only for Shizune to tumble into her. They both screamed instinctively, then fell over again.
Recently, the "Bloody Nightmare" had become less frequent. Shu Furukawa had already turned the energy from [Collection] into instinct. Not only had his swordsmanship grown faster and sharper, but his control over chakra had improved once again.
"That's enough, Shu. Don't push everyone so hard."
Tsunade stepped in to call a halt, wearing a green Jonin vest. Rin struggled to her feet, unwilling to give up just yet. After hesitating for a moment, she said:
"Lady Tsunade, we can keep going."
"Reflexes, perception, and making decisions in battle often depend on natural talent. You all know the three basic principles of medical ninja."
"My suggestion had its flaws. There's no need to force yourselves. You can make better use of your talents in the Medical Corps."
Tsunade gently reassured them. Shizune noticed that Shu Furukawa hadn't even broken a sweat, and her dejection gradually turned into admiration:
"Yes, Lady Tsunade."
Treating their injuries would give them practice with the Healing Technique. After everyone left, Shu Furukawa finally sighed:
"Lady Tsunade, we always run into people on missions who want to attack the medical ninja first. If the team lacks a sensor, we have no choice but to rely on ourselves."
"If you can't even face an attack head-on, then when you're ambushed, there's only one possible outcome."
Experienced ninja never fought head-on. Influenced by the experience from [Collection], Shu Furukawa was best at killing with a single strike on missions, aside from putting everyone else in front of him.
"I understand that better than you do. Even when they're captured, medical ninja usually aren't killed."
"Some talents can't be acquired through training."
Tsunade snapped back in irritation. The Jonin Division had just finished a meeting, and the thoughtful looks from those smiling "investors" and advisers had put her in a terrible mood.
Shu Furukawa moved closer. Before Tsunade could lecture him, he looked at her earnestly and suggested:
"Lady Tsunade, if everyone believes in you so much, why not become Hokage? You'd do a great job."
Tsunade suddenly fell silent. As if remembering something, her eyes went distant. At last, she lowered her head and looked at Shu Furukawa for a long moment, then turned away and muttered:
"Jiraiya wants you to join next month's mission. You'll be part of the support team."
"It involves a Jinchuriki. You've read the books at home, so you should know how dangerous it is."
Tsunade had clearly changed the subject because she was wavering about the Hokage Position. Shu Furukawa didn't press her further and smiled as he replied:
"This is a great chance to gain experience. I trust Lord Jiraiya."
"..."