The Chunin Exams!

"The ninja world has truly been restless lately! Ever since the last Great Ninja War, every nation has spent years recuperating, but those hungry wolves licking their wounds in the shadows have finally bared their sharp fangs! Sunagakure, in particular, has repeatedly provoked friction along the borders of the Land of Fire!"

The Third Hokage stood up and gazed out at the distant Hokage Rock, his heart filled with deep emotion. He knew that his own teacher had sacrificed his life heroically during the Great Ninja War, and now, it was his turn to face a new round of global conflict.

"Then, what does this have to do with Liuxia and Nawaki applying for early graduation?" Tsunade asked, puzzled.

"It has everything to do with it," the Third Hokage said slowly. "I intend to unite the five great ninja villages and the smaller surrounding villages to hold a joint Chunin Exam. This serves two purposes: first, it can showcase Konoha's formidable military strength, thereby forming a deterrent against other great nations that are itching for action. It serves as a powerful warning, especially to Sunagakure, which has been frequently acting out. Second, it can intimidate the smaller surrounding villages, preventing them from easily defecting to other nations. At the very least..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a few deep puffs from his pipe before continuing in a heavy, cold tone: "At the very least, it will make them consider the consequences before they act. We must plan ahead and be fully prepared to deal with the potential crisis. Furthermore, this ensures that other great nations won't have the opportunity to immediately invade the Land of Fire, allowing us to keep the flames of war outside our borders, minimize the losses to the Land of Fire, and buy sufficient time for us to mobilize our ninja forces and transport logistics! Therefore, this joint Chunin Exam is a crucial opportunity for us to display our strength and consolidate our status to the outside world."

"But if we do this, won't the future pillars of our village, like Nawaki and Liuxia, be immediately targeted by the other villages? Once war truly breaks out, those other villages will surely strangle them in the cradle! I disagree; this does not align with Grandfather's Will of Fire!" Tsunade looked at the elders before her with a stern expression.

"Tsunade! Everything is for the sake of the village! We need this Chunin Exam to buy time! The village needs time to allocate supplies and prepare for battle!" one of the elders responded with equal severity.

"Tsunade, you must understand our predicament. While there are many genin in these recent classes, very few can truly be called geniuses. If it weren't for Liuxia, I would never have had such an idea. After all, without sufficient strength to suppress the geniuses of other villages, we cannot achieve a deterrent effect. Judging by Liuxia's performance when he sparred with you, he possesses at least the strength of a Special Jonin! Even if it isn't perfect, considering his age, it is already enough to achieve quite a significant effect!"

Just as Tsunade was about to retort, Liuxia pulled her back and whispered, "Sister Tsunade."

Liuxia knew very well that applying for early graduation was something he had been hoping for recently. Although the Chunin Exam might bring some risks, it wasn't entirely disadvantageous for him.

It is true that a tree standing out in the forest is easily destroyed by the wind, but he was no ordinary tree; with his system and Wood Release, even if he were wood, he would be the God Tree. Moreover, after his efforts during this period, he had begun to gradually master the power of Wood Release. Even if a gale blew, he could extinguish it himself. Currently, what he lacked most was practical combat experience. As long as he could bridge this gap in the Chunin Exam, he could achieve the transformation of a carp leaping over the dragon gate, a hidden dragon emerging from the abyss!

Furthermore, the nature of a Chunin is vastly different from that of a genin! Once promoted to the rank of Chunin, the freedom to choose missions increases significantly. In contrast, the missions faced by genin are often low-level, relatively safe, and trivial tasks, such as disposing of trash or finding lost cats and dogs. For other genin, this is undoubtedly beneficial, as it is the village's care and guidance for them. During this time, they can not only earn some income but also receive basic instruction from their mentors and even practice chakra control techniques like walking on water or climbing trees.

However, for him, these things were meaningless. After all, he did not lack guidance from mentors. Not to mention Mito and Tsunade, even if he went to the Third Hokage to ask about difficulties in his cultivation, he would surely teach him everything he knew, given his relationship with Mito Uzumaki and Tsunade. Not to mention Jiraiya; if he were to ask him for advice, how could he dare not teach him seriously?

As for the opportunity to exchange missions for ninjutsu, he didn't lack that either. Mito had already opened the Senju clan's treasury to him; any ninjutsu or sealing jutsu was his for the taking.

This time was not just about applying for early graduation; it was about skipping the genin stage entirely—a phase that wasted a lot of precious time on trivial tasks.

If this joint Chunin Exam could be held successfully, then besides the Daimyo of the Land of Fire coming in person as in previous years, even if the Daimyos of the other four great nations could not lead their teams personally, they would at least send their trusted aides to lead their teams to participate. For Liuxia, who was determined to become Hokage, this was absolutely a golden opportunity!

After all, Liuxia was a descendant of the Senju clan, and the relationship between the Senju clan and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire had always been excellent. Tsunade and Nawaki were even the Daimyo's own grandchildren.

Although the Senju clan no longer existed in its former glory, as long as Mito Uzumaki and Tsunade were still around, the bond between them remained. Therefore, as long as Liuxia could put on an outstanding performance in this exam, he would earn a very high impression score. When his own strength and war contributions were sufficient in the future, he wouldn't have to worry about the position of Hokage slipping through his fingers!

"Uncle Third, and elders, I am willing to accept the early graduation application and participate in this Chunin Exam. As a ninja of Konoha, I have been nurtured and raised by the village, and now is the time for me to step forward and take on the risks for the village!"

"Good! Truly worthy of being a descendant of the Senju family; such courage and determination are gratifying. I will fully support your application and personally handle the procedures for your early graduation. However, the necessary protocols are still indispensable. Once I determine the specific assessment time, I will send someone to notify you. Remember, be sure to prepare thoroughly and meet the challenge in your best state!" the Third Hokage responded with an appreciative smile.

Just as Liuxia wanted to express some gratitude and politeness, Tsunade, unable to suppress the anger in her heart, grabbed him without ceremony and turned to leave, leaving everyone else on the scene staring at each other in bewilderment.