A hastily erupted war had ended just like that.
It might seem a bit like a game, but this was actually very consistent with the reality of ninja life in this world. Ninja battles rarely lasted long, especially large-scale chaotic battles like this one. Every ninja would try their best to kill the enemy or be killed in the shortest time possible.
The result of unleashing their full strength without holding back was that most ninjas simply didn't have the chakra to sustain prolonged combat.
Therefore, if Konoha's forces weren't completely wiped out or routed within a certain period, the outcome of the war was already decided.
The Sound and Sand ninja had already broken through and retreated. Currently, only a few enemies who had gone too deep or were trapped had yet to be completely eliminated. The remaining Konoha ninjas pursued them for a while, then turned to support other squads.
As the battle situation became clearer, the Jonin no longer needed to rush around the frontlines and instead gathered around the Hokage.
However, this scene was quite different from what they had originally expected. They had thought they'd need to gather most of the elites, break through the barrier, and assist the Hokage in defeating Orochimaru.
Unexpectedly, by the time most of them arrived, the battle between the Third Hokage and Orochimaru had already ended. Orochimaru had fled, injured, and the Hokage was completely unharmed.
"As expected of the Third Hokage!"
The newcomers, unaware of the full story, believed that the Hokage was still as sharp as ever and that no matter how powerful Orochimaru had become, he still couldn't defeat his old teacher.
But the Jonin who had arrived earlier, and the ANBU stationed around the area, already knew the truth—Orochimaru hadn't been repelled by the Third Hokage at all. In fact, the Hokage had played more of a supporting role throughout the battle, serving as an in-arena spectator.
Aside from casting two jutsu at the start, the Third Hokage had occupied the best viewing seat the whole time, watching as Orochimaru was forced into retreat.
"He's still just a Genin!"
Almost all the Jonin had this same thought. At the same time, they unanimously gave Ethan the same evaluation.
"What a monster!"
This wasn't a negative assessment but a high-level compliment. They all felt that Ethan definitely had a place in Konoha's future.
And the facts seemed to support that. As the village entered the post-war phase, the first thing addressed was Ethan's promotion.
"Promotion?"
The promotion came so suddenly that Ethan himself was stunned. Though he had saved the Hokage's life, wasn't this reward a little too straightforward? Shouldn't they have at least held a discussion about how to reward him properly? After all, he was still a newcomer who had just graduated not long ago.
"The Chunin Exams are meant to select outstanding Genin. Once you advanced to the main tournament, you were already considered a Chunin candidate. And after the war broke out, your performance was extraordinary. Promoting you is only natural."
The person explaining this was Aoba Yamashiro, who had come to deliver the message personally. Before the Chunin Exams, Aoba had been Ethan's instructor, but that role would likely end today.
Given the strength Ethan had shown, Aoba felt he could no longer teach him anything.
In his view, the Hokage's decision to promote Ethan directly was a clear sign that the higher-ups intended to specially cultivate him.
"Besides me, was anyone else promoted?"
"If you're asking about standard promotions, there were a few. If you're asking about others from your generation... or those who participated in this Chunin Exam, then yes. One more person was promoted to Chunin."
"Who?"
"The one from the Nara clan."
"Oh, Shikamaru!"
Ethan had thought he'd taken Shikamaru's chance at promotion. Unexpectedly, even though Shikamaru hadn't gotten the opportunity to compete in the matches, he fully demonstrated his exceptional intellect in the follow-up battle, making a group of Sound ninja miserable.
Without having to fight Temari, Shikamaru's chakra was still full, allowing him to calmly set up his strategies.
Thanks to his outstanding performance, he still earned a promotion. In terms of intelligence, leadership, and field ability, Shikamaru had already met the standard of a Chunin. This time, he had wiped out the Sound ninja pursuit unit, which was also a notable contribution, so the promotion was fully justified.
However, while both of them were promoted, their circumstances were slightly different.
Ethan's promotion had already been finalized, while Shikamaru's still needed to wait a bit. His would likely be announced after the village had finished its reconstruction work.
Before that, Konoha still had a lot of post-war tasks to handle, such as confirming casualties, holding funerals for fallen ninja, and repairing buildings and infrastructure damaged in the battle.
After that, Ethan went to the registration office to update his personal data. By the time he came out, he was already a Chunin qualified to wear the vest. Of course, Konoha didn't have strict rules about daily clothing. Unless on special duty, ninja were free to wear what they liked, as long as their forehead protector was worn visibly to identify them as Konoha ninja.
Although Ethan had received the vest, he usually left it at home. He still wore his usual jacket—the one everyone was familiar with. Moreover, since Ethan's promotion hadn't been publicly announced, most of his classmates didn't even know he had already become a Chunin.
Although he had been promoted, the upper management hadn't yet decided how to assign Ethan. Should they let him lead a team of Genin, add him to an existing combat unit, or simply use him as an independent operative? No decision had been made yet, so Ethan remained idle and couldn't take missions on his own.
Currently, Konoha's focus was entirely on negotiations with the Sand Village. The Sand Village had discovered the Kazekage's body and confirmed that he had died days before the Chunin Exams. They claimed their involvement in the war was entirely due to Orochimaru's plot.
Orochimaru had impersonated the Kazekage and dragged them into war. So the Sand Village insisted that the fault lay not with them, but with Orochimaru.
In the original storyline, Konoha didn't pursue the matter too far due to the Hokage's death and shifted focus toward selecting a new Hokage.
But this time was different. The Third Hokage hadn't died. In fact, he hadn't even been injured. He was still alive and well, seated in the Hokage's office. The Sand Village's excuse didn't earn Konoha's approval, so negotiations fell into a deadlock.
Of course, considering Hiruzen's usual attitude, he wouldn't dwell on it forever. A reconciliation between Konoha and the Sand Village was inevitable. It would just take a few more days.
As for the selection of the new Hokage, Hiruzen had already made arrangements.
While the two advisors recommended Jiraiya to succeed him, the Third, who understood his student better, didn't agree immediately. Instead, he spoke with Jiraiya personally, after which Jiraiya left the village with Naruto to find Tsunade.
Only after that did Hiruzen, as Hokage, summon Ethan to his office.
"So many things have happened lately, but finally, I can breathe a little easier."
Ethan looked around. In addition to the Third Hokage, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were also present.
"So, Third Hokage, did you summon me for a mission?"
"I just wanted to chat with you." Hiruzen lit his pipe and casually took off his Hokage hat, placing it aside. "Thanks to you, I survived this time. I truly regret not being able to personally thank you sooner."
"It's the duty of a Konoha ninja."
Ethan was a little confused. He wasn't sure what the old man was trying to do. Was he really just making small talk?
Before coming here, he had thought of several possibilities. The worst one was being ambushed by a group of elite ninja and ANBU the moment he entered.
After seeing others present, he briefly wondered whether that old ghost Danzo was causing trouble from behind the scenes. Should he kill him? Or kill him? Or wipe out his entire family?
When Hiruzen casually started chatting, Ethan wondered if this was just a way to lower his guard before giving the signal to strike. He didn't see any cup on the desk, but maybe the pipe could be used instead?
While his mind wandered, outwardly he responded calmly to Hiruzen's casual remarks. In the end, the old man didn't smash his pipe. In fact, he treasured it carefully, not even willing to let it bump against anything.
Finally, Hiruzen brought up Ethan's recent status.
"Post-war reconstruction is still ongoing. Due to heavy casualties, many teams need to be reorganized. That's one reason why you haven't been assigned yet."
"One reason?"
"Yes." Hiruzen's words were clear enough that Ethan naturally realized there was more to it. "There's another reason, and it involves your own opinion."
"My assignment?"
Ethan thought for a moment. A Chunin was qualified to lead a team, but teams led by Chunin were often cannon fodder in wartime. In peacetime, they served as the main force taking on missions, but their status wasn't high, and they mostly handled low to mid-level tasks.
Given Ethan's current position, it was impossible for Hiruzen to assign him like that. And if he needed Ethan's personal opinion, the answer was obvious.
"Are you interested in joining the ANBU?"
"The ANBU, huh…"
Just as expected. The reason Hiruzen hadn't arranged anything for him was because he wanted Ethan to join the ANBU.
Many of Konoha's elites—including Kakashi and Itachi—had trained in ANBU. Joining meant becoming a direct subordinate and confidant of the Hokage, and this was clearly a sign that Hiruzen valued him highly.
Unfortunately, Ethan had no interest in the ANBU.
"No interest!"
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)