"Lord Hokage, you have to give us an explanation today!"
"Right! We're ninjas. We need missions!"
"Even the Hokage can't take away my youth and passion!" Even Bowl Cut had had enough. Training in the Eight Inner Gates put high demands on his food and medicine, and he'd recently gotten a girlfriend, too. Both things cost money.
Faced with the Genin's outcry, the Third Hokage looked to their Jōnin or Special Jōnin instructors for help, but not one of them responded. As if! This concerned the power of the entire shinobi class. They couldn't help the Hokage break the rules.
The Third Hokage rapped his pipe firmly. "Quiet! Nawaki, you should understand that we're keeping you from taking C-rank missions for your own safety. You're the village's future, and you can't take risks before you've grown stronger."
Nawaki countered, "But fledglings have to leave the nest and learn to fly before they can truly grow. I think overprotecting us will only hold us back and hinder our development. As ninjas, we have to learn to face danger head-on. We accepted that the moment we became Genin! I don't think Lord Third, the Shinobi Hero, could fail to understand that!"
Moved by Nawaki's words, the Third Hokage said, "Overprotecting them will hold them back... You want to spread your wings and soar? Nawaki always has such a way with words. You've convinced me again! Fine! Starting today, your squad can take C-rank missions. But the latest caravan to leave the village hasn't returned yet, so you'll have to wait a while longer... Until then, take a break. The village's D-rank missions will go to the other squads!"
"Yeah! The stubborn old man finally gets it!" No one else would dare speak to the Third Hokage like that. Besides Shinnosuke, that was.
"Now we finally have something to do!"
"I can't believe I'm this excited over a D-rank mission..."
"It's about time things got back to normal!"
"That's youth for you! We can overcome any difficulty!"
"Wait!" When Nawaki spoke up, everyone grew tense again. This unpredictable genius wasn't about to change his mind, was he?
Everyone fell silent and listened.
"Nawaki, is there something else?" Sarutobi was a little wary of this unconventional student. He'd actually used a loophole in the mission rules to force him to compromise. On top of that, the string of strategic plans Nawaki had proposed earlier had all unfolded exactly as intended. His intelligence frightened the Third Hokage. Fortunately, he was a genius of the Senju Clan and had inherited the Will of Fire. Otherwise, Sarutobi didn't know how he would have dealt with him. Maybe he would've had Anbu keep him under close surveillance—or even confined him? But thankfully, none of that would happen. Everything was going in the best possible direction.
Nawaki nodded. "Lord Third, our squad has completed more than five hundred D-rank missions over the past year. With our experience, shouldn't we be able to apply for the Chunin exams?"
The Third Hokage frowned. "That's true. With your experience, you're qualified to apply for the Chunin exams, but when it comes to your strength..."
"As I recall, the teacher I defeated in my graduation test, Matsushita, was a Chunin, wasn't he? So I shouldn't need another test to prove my strength!"
Nawaki pressed his advantage. The Third Hokage had nothing to say, and could only nod. "Nawaki can indeed be promoted to Chunin. Torifu, as his Jōnin instructor, do you have any objections?"
If Torifu Akimichi opposed it, the Third Hokage could delay Nawaki's promotion. But Torifu didn't want to offend the promising Senju clan heir, so he said with an approving smile, "Nawaki's talent and strength make him entirely qualified for the position of Chunin."
The Third Hokage could only accept Nawaki's request. "Very well. I hereby announce that Nawaki is promoted to Chunin, effective today. I hope you'll keep working hard." He knew the Konoha High Command wouldn't object, given Nawaki's current standing, so he announced the promotion outright. They could record it in Nawaki's ninja file later. That meant Nawaki could now be considered a Chunin.
"Don't worry, Lord Hokage. You know my way of the ninja."
"Although you're now a Chunin, your squad won't be disbanded. You'll still only be able to take C-rank missions until the squad's average strength exceeds that of a Chunin," the Third Hokage emphasized.
Only then did Shinnosuke come back to his senses. "What? Nawaki's only five, right? And he's already a Chunin? Damn it, old man! I want to apply for the Chunin exams too!"
Before the Third Hokage could scold him, Torifu Akimichi stepped in. "Shinnosuke! Becoming a Chunin requires more than experience and strength. A ninja also needs good judgment, analytical skills, and the ability to make decisions. You're nowhere near ready, so I won't recommend you to the Hokage!"
"Huh? That's too big a gap!" After complaining, Shinnosuke could only give up. He knew he wasn't as strong as Nawaki.
The Genin squads around them had witnessed the whole thing and began buzzing with excitement again.
"That's amazing! He became a Chunin at five!"
"Chunin are real ninjas! They're the backbone of the village, able to stand on their own! I've never heard of a five-year-old Chunin before!"
"A five-year-old Chunin! What a rare genius!"
"He's so cool!"
Nawaki gained another burst of Wish Power. He knew his reputation would grow as the news spread, but he still wasn't satisfied! He already had the strength of a Jōnin. Since he'd decided to reveal it, why not go all the way and make an even bigger impression? That way, he could earn even more Wish Power and renown.
"Lord Hokage, there's one more important matter!" Nawaki spoke up again.
"It looks like Nawaki has quite a surprise for me today. Go on, tell us what else is on your mind!" Hiruzen Sarutobi had a feeling his young student had come prepared today and was about to make another big move.
"As far as I know, advancing from Chunin to Jōnin requires not only strength, but also experience with high-level missions. But becoming a Special Jōnin is different from becoming a Jōnin with well-rounded abilities. You only need to have unique talent and potential in a particular field. For example, education, research and development, or intelligence work. Outstanding ability in one of those areas is enough to qualify for direct promotion to Special Jōnin, without requiring extensive mission experience."
The Third Hokage quickly replied, "That's right. Do you have some special talent, Nawaki? Just don't make it too special and scare us!" He said it as if joking, but gave Nawaki a meaningful look, signaling that he mustn't reveal the two top secrets in front of everyone: Wood Release and the economic strategy.
Nawaki nodded knowingly. "Don't worry, Lord Hokage. I've just made a little progress in developing ninjutsu. It's nothing that'll scare everyone!"
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