Hokage Office —
The next morning, Renjiro met with Hiruzen and reported on the mission. After their discussion, Hiruzen asked Renjiro,
“The next Chunin Exams are about to begin. Do you plan to recommend your Genin to participate?”
Renjiro nodded and said, “Yes, they are already very strong. Becoming Chunin shouldn’t be a problem for them. Their team coordination is also excellent. In this mission, they easily killed an Elite Chunin, though he was limited by the terrain.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and said, “Good, that’s a very good improvement.”
He then suddenly sighed and continued, “I selected many Genin and entrusted them to capable Jonin, hoping they would be trained quickly. I intended to track their progress, but unfortunately, I haven’t had the time to follow up on their situations.”
Renjiro didn’t respond. After all, he was well aware of the Hokage’s busy schedule.
Hiruzen asked, “Can you tell me the current strength of your Genin and their future prospects?”
Renjiro nodded and said, “Of course, old man. As I just said, all three of them are very strong. Hodaka is still immersed in the Hyuga Clan’s Gentle Fist, but he has already learned many mid-range Ninjutsu. He has also learned some Earth Release Ninjutsu and Water Release Ninjutsu. Once the Hyuga Clan begins to train him seriously, he could become a Special Jonin in a few years. As for Elite Jonin, it’s too early to comment now.”
“As for weaknesses, Hodaka still prefers Taijutsu, which creates some vulnerabilities for him. He needs some Rank B Ninjutsu to eliminate this flaw. His Chakra reserves are quite substantial, so learning some Rank B Ninjutsu should be a great help to him.”
Hiruzen nodded and said, “Not bad. As for that weakness, almost all members of the Hyuga Clan have it.”
He sighed and continued, “They are too obsessed with Gentle Fist.”
Renjiro nodded. Few Hyuga Ninja chose to learn non-Hyuga Ninjutsu. Hiruzen continued, “Once he becomes a Chunin, I will have him participate in multiple Rank B missions. What about the other two?”
Renjiro began to talk about Mieko, saying, “Mieko is very balanced. She excels in Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu. And like all Uchiha, she is also skilled with Shuriken and wire. Her Sharingan alone makes her very powerful. Like all Uchiha, she has a strong affinity for Fire Release and can also use Earth Release Ninjutsu for defense.”
“Once her Chakra reserves increase, she should have no problem becoming a Jonin. As for Elite Jonin, that might also be achievable for her, but I cannot conclude that now.”
“As for her weaknesses, technically, she has none. But she is impulsive, and she is very arrogant. Her arrogance has significantly decreased over the past eight months, but it still exists.”
Hiruzen nodded and said, “Yes, the Sharingan does indeed boost their confidence quite a bit.”
As he spoke, he sighed inwardly, “The conflict between the Uchiha Clan and the Village is growing daily. I hope they can calm down and let this old man enjoy his later years.”
Renjiro continued, “Finally, there’s Feng Zheng. Surprisingly, his growth has been the fastest in the squad. He has become a very capable Sensor Ninja. If considered only from this aspect, he is already as good as a Jonin-level Sensor Ninja.”
“His Chakra reserves have already reached Jonin level. He has learned samurai swordsmanship and is proficient in Wind Release. He has also learned the Senju Taijutsu Style and possesses excellent Chakra control. He can also easily enhance Wind Release Ninjutsu. He has also learned Earth Release Ninjutsu for defense.”
Hiruzen’s eyebrows raised when he heard that Feng Zheng had learned the Senju Taijutsu Style. This was unexpected. He thought to himself, “Does Feng Zheng have Senju or Uzumaki bloodline?”
Renjiro continued, “Moreover, he is incredibly fast and can use Body Flicker Technique and Wind Body Flicker Technique without any Hand Seals. In fact, his fighting style is very similar to our Anbu. I recommend you recruit him into the Anbu. Also, I suggest you break tradition and not wait until he is 13 to recruit him.”
“As for his future prospects, I am confident he will become at least a Jonin. It’s even possible for him to become an Elite Jonin. I recommend you teach him Wind Vacuum Technique when he is ready. This will make him even more lethal.”
“As for his weakness, it’s that he is too cautious. Even during sparring. So he has no actual combat experience in emergencies. Although his behavior doesn’t show any arrogance, Feng Zheng is actually very arrogant. Possibly more arrogant than Mieko and Hodaka. And he might not even be aware of his own arrogance. However, this does not affect his performance in combat.”
Hiruzen chuckled at this, saying, “They are all geniuses, and they are all very young. Even you were very arrogant when you were young.”
Seeing Hiruzen teasing him, Renjiro merely sighed.
Hiruzen’s tone became slightly more serious as he said, “I’m surprised you have such high expectations for him. And his Chakra reserves have grown so quickly, and he has also learned the Senju Taijutsu Style.”
Hiruzen thought for a moment before continuing, “Once he becomes a Chunin, I will keep an eye on him. I will also consider your suggestion to recruit him into the Anbu.”
Renjiro nodded.
Hiruzen continued, “In any case, you’ve done an excellent job raising these children. Now, make sure they catch the attention of the Daimyo during the exams.”
Renjiro replied, “Understood.”
Before leaving, he discussed a few more things with Hiruzen.
Feng Zheng, Hodaka, and Mieko rested for a week, relaxing and reflecting on their performance during that time.
Feng Zheng analyzed his performance and concluded, “I didn’t do anything different. To be honest, the mission went too smoothly. The only issue I can consider now is that I didn’t fight any Chunin-level Ninja one-on-one. But again, that’s because there was no opportunity to do so.”
“That being said, I have some good ideas to further improve my Wind Release Ninjutsu and make my fighting style more lethal… But, I might need to learn Mystical Palm Technique first. Or bring a Medical Ninja with me… Hmm, even then it might not be safe enough. I might also need to create some protective gear. Oh well, I’ll try it later.”
Feng Zheng didn’t find any areas for improvement and simply trained himself for 7 days. For the next week, Renjiro once again put his students through terrible training.
Finally, on a clear day, Renjiro gathered the team after training. He handed them three forms.
The children took them and looked. They were immediately excited. Renjiro said, “I have nominated you to participate in this Chunin Exams. If you wish to participate, fill out the forms and return them to me tomorrow.”
Everyone immediately said, “Thank you, Sensei.”
A gentle expression appeared on Renjiro’s face. He smiled and dismissed the team. After everyone had left, he smiled and sighed.
“I’m growing more and more attached to these children. I can’t even tell them that this is their last training with me as a squad.”
Then he looked up at the sky, his smile gradually fading, replaced by a serious and somewhat grim expression.
“May their fate be different from their predecessors.”
The next day, all three submitted their applications for the Chunin Exams.
The first exam would be a written test, to be held in one week. Renjiro gave the Genin a full week off.
Therefore, the Genin trained independently, while also meeting every afternoon to discuss more ideas about combination Ninjutsu and teamwork.