That was right. Time waited for no one!
Konoha was rife with undercurrents and dangers.
Compared with the carefree days Naruto and Sasuke would enjoy after the story began, there wasn't much time for a new generation of ninja to grow in Konoha now.
In fact, this was why Gong Yi had chosen to graduate early.
The Third Shinobi World War could break out at any time, but it would certainly happen within the next year or two.
It might be tomorrow, or next month. At the latest, it would be within two years.
War was far more brutal than ordinary missions.
Graduating early and taking missions was dangerous, but the danger could be managed, and it gave Gong Yi more chances to gain valuable combat experience.
Two months after Gong Yi began his break, an Anbu ninja suddenly came to find him.
When Gong Yi left the Hokage Building, he was still a little surprised.
Just moments ago, the Third Hokage had personally promoted him.
He was now a Special Jonin!
Special Jonin occupied a rank between Chunin and regular Jonin. Ninja with special abilities who couldn't quite meet the standards for Jonin were often given this rank.
Although Gong Yi had killed Shaquan's squad, he was still very young. After weighing the matter, the Third Hokage had granted him the rank of Special Jonin.
Even so, Gong Yi was still incredibly surprised.
What kind of joke was this? He'd only turned nine a couple of days ago.
And now he was a Special Jonin.
Even a genius like Kakashi hadn't become a Jonin until he was twelve.
Uchiha Itachi, for instance, had only become a Chunin at ten.
When Gong Yi heard the Third Hokage's decision, he could barely react.
But when the Third Hokage appointed him as the leader of the former Iga Squad, he suddenly understood.
In an ordinary squad, the leader was usually a veteran Chunin who handled low-level missions.
Better-funded squads were led by Jonin.
If a squad had a genius or a ninja from a prestigious clan, it was usually led by a powerful Jonin.
The Iga Squad was now little more than a name, and the village couldn't find anyone new to fill its ranks. So they had no choice but to let Gong Yi lead it.
Besides, Gong Yi was fairly capable. They might as well make him a Special Jonin, giving him the rank to match his position!
Gong Yi left the Hokage Building with a wry smile, then went around to the mission center to accept a mission.
The main reason they'd been in such a hurry to appoint him squad leader was that a new mission had come in!
Poor him—his three-month vacation had now been cut down to two.
Those Konoha High Command types were just like capitalists, exploiting ninja!
When Gong Yi went to accept the mission, the staff saw how young he was and all froze.
"Kid, only your squad leader can accept missions for the team. Don't you know that?"
Gong Yi pointed to the Special Jonin uniform he'd just received. "I am the leader!"
Genin only wore Forehead Protectors.
Chunin and Jonin had their own distinctive vests, shirts, and trousers.
When the staff saw the vest that marked him as a Jonin, their jaws dropped.
"A Jonin! How old are you?"
"Nine."
Gong Yi didn't want to say more. He accepted the mission and turned to leave.
The staff watched him go, then looked at the name he'd signed on the mission form and began gossiping excitedly.
As the days passed, more and more people heard about it.
Gong Yi's title of Special Jonin had been personally approved by Lord Hokage, and everyone in the village was shocked.
But that was all still to come.
After accepting the mission, Gong Yi began gathering the team to head out.
Before setting off, he had to give the team a brief rundown of the mission, so they wouldn't make any mistakes along the way.
Ogawara and Hyuga Senso arrived at the Konoha Gate early and started chatting while they waited.
"Wow, Senso, that Chunin uniform looks so cool on you!"
Hyuga Senso smiled faintly. He really liked the uniform, too.
Over the past two months, he had taken Iga Kawaji's advice, gone through the Chunin exam, and passed.
"Yuan, I'm sure you can become a Chunin, too."
Ogawara scratched his head and smiled. "I know my own limits. I'll probably need a few more years of training before I can become a Chunin! But Gong Yi—you said he was strong, so I bet he'll become a Chunin, too."
Hyuga Senso nodded. "He definitely has Chunin-level strength, but he hasn't taken many missions. He may have to wait a while before he's eligible to apply for the Chunin exam."
"Yeah, but that kid's still not here. He's making us wait again."
As Ogawara complained, Gong Yi came into view.
But when Ogawara and Hyuga Senso saw his uniform, their mouths fell open.
"Th-this is...!"
"Gong Yi, you—you became a Jonin?"
Gong Yi shrugged. "Captain Iga recommended me, and Lord Hokage approved it. I'm wearing a Jonin uniform, but technically, I'm only a Special Jonin."
Ogawara's eyes widened in disbelief.
After his initial shock, Hyuga Senso seemed thoughtful.
He figured it might have something to do with the crucial intelligence Gong Yi had obtained on his last mission.
Hyuga Senso patted Ogawara on the shoulder. "Yuan, shouldn't we congratulate Gong Yi?"
Ogawara's expression turned a little gloomy. One teammate had become a Chunin, another a Special Jonin, and he was the one holding them back.
"Congratulations, Gong Yi."
Hyuga Senso added, "Congratulations, Gong Yi. But you should've told us sooner. We didn't have time to prepare a gift."
Gong Yi waved it off. "I'm not a regular Jonin yet. What would you give me a gift for? Wait until I become a Jonin, then you can get me something!"
Ogawara quickly got over it and stopped feeling so down.
Instead, he began to feel a little happy.
"Now our squad has a Chunin and a Special Jonin. If we get a Jonin captain, our squad will be incredibly strong!"
Gong Yi chuckled.
"Our captain's already here. Didn't you notice?"
"Huh?"
"Ah!"
The two looked around in confusion.
Gong Yi grinned. "Don't bother looking. It's me. Come on, I'll explain the mission on the way. If we waste any more time, we won't catch up with the target."
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