The recent contact between Konohagakure and Kumogakure had caused quite a stir in the shinobi world.
However, the ones truly burdened by this were the intelligence personnel in the Anbu. For Kitagawa Minamoto and his peers, the situation was far less troublesome.
After all, Minamoto wasn't part of the Anbu, and for now, he didn't have any missions assigned to him.
Perhaps Hiruzen Sarutobi believed he needed a proper rest, or perhaps it was because every time Minamoto went on a mission, something outrageous would happen.
As a result, Minamoto found himself temporarily without tasks. His days were spent either diligently training or wandering the streets of Konohagakure, idly passing the time.
Time flowed by, day after day, and soon, the shinobi world welcomed the New Year.
"Finally, a holiday! Yay!"
Naruto Uzumaki bounced down the streets of Konohagakure, his excitement palpable. Kitagawa Minamoto, walking alongside him, could only shake his head.
"Hey, can't you calm down a bit? Don't you feel embarrassed acting like this?"
"Tch, you don't know how much we've suffered these past few months!"
Naruto pouted and began counting on his fingers as he explained to Minamoto.
"Iruka-sensei has always been strict, but for some reason, he became even scarier in the second half of the year!"
"Oh? What do you mean?"
"Well, he used to catch us if we skipped class or dozed off, but as long as we were careful, we'd get away with it. Now, it's like he's standing behind us all the time, watching our every move!"
"..."
"I've been caught so many times! It's so unlucky. Those lessons about calculating shuriken flight distances are so boring, I can't help but fall asleep—and then I get caught every single time!"
"..."
"And that's not all. Every day, we have to memorize the 'Ninja Code,' and we're forced to study that 'Will of Fire' textbook. We have to recite everything!"
"..."
"Ugh, just seeing those books makes my head feel like it's going to explode. Ahhhhh!"
Watching Naruto's frustrated outburst, Minamoto couldn't help but feel a bit surprised.
What's going on?
Since when did Konohagakure start taking education so seriously?
Scratching his chin, Minamoto voiced his confusion.
"Back when I was in school, no one cared if I skipped class. I used to sneak out to train all the time. Did you guys mess up somehow?"
"It's probably still because of you..."
Naruto's eyes filled with envy as he listened to Minamoto. Then, his expression turned into one of resentment.
"Why didn't you stop me from delivering that mushroom soup last time?"
"Don't blame me for that nonsense. That was ages ago, and the academy has already tightened its rules since then."
Minamoto rolled his eyes, speaking with a tone of mild disdain.
"They probably revised the curriculum again because the Hokage wasn't satisfied with your performance."
"Hmph!"
Naruto snorted in annoyance.
"If that's the case, then he's so annoying."
"Yeah, really annoying."
Minamoto nodded in agreement. He found such rigid rules equally frustrating.
At this rate, Konohagakure's education system might run into problems.
"By the way, what have you been up to lately?"
Despite his complaints, Naruto couldn't help but be curious about Minamoto's recent activities.
"I've noticed you've been staying in the village a lot. Did you get into trouble and can't leave?"
"What nonsense."
Minamoto laughed, giving Naruto a playful punch on the head before shaking his own.
"If all goes as planned, I'll be taking the Jōnin exam this September."
The Jōnin exam—just thinking about it made Minamoto excited.
Ever since he became a Genin, the System had given him a new Main Quest: to become a Jōnin.
Apparently, the System didn't care much about the rank of Chūnin.
Minamoto had worked hard to advance, but the rules were the rules. Unless Hiruzen Sarutobi decided to make an exception, there wasn't much he could do.
Fortunately, after all this time, it seemed even Hiruzen realized it was no longer appropriate for someone of Minamoto's caliber to remain a Chūnin.
"Come on, with the strength I've shown, I'm practically a concept-level shinobi. Flying Thunder God Technique, Purple Lightning, Sage Mode—keeping me as a Chūnin is just disrespectful."
Still, the Jōnin exam was a few months away.
Even though Kakashi had hinted that it would be more of a formality for Minamoto, he still had to wait.
"Luckily, I'm not in a hurry. Besides, I've made some decent progress lately."
Although he had been "idling" around, Minamoto hadn't slacked off when it came to developing his abilities.
Gravity and repulsion—he didn't want to use them like Nagato, simply unleashing maximum output.
Instead, he was experimenting with more precise applications.
"For example, at the moment you're about to hit me, I could suddenly use gravity or repulsion to alter the trajectory and counterattack. That's the right way to use it."
He also considered manipulating an enemy's gravitational and repulsive forces to create disorienting spatial illusions. This was far more effective than just relying on brute force.
Of course, in critical moments, Minamoto wouldn't hesitate to use brute force. After all, it was a fundamental skill!
As for Chakra control, which could be considered a form of "puppetry," he had experimented with it but found the results mediocre.
"Maybe I'll need to meet Sasori before I can really test it out..."
Other developments were going smoothly, but one thing continued to puzzle him: the technique "Rasengan: Uzuhiko" and the concept of "Planetary Chakra."
Despite his efforts to sense this so-called "Planetary Chakra," he had made little progress.
After much thought, he suspected it might be related to his "bloodline awakening." After all, the System hadn't even given him a proper name change.
"Meanwhile, that Boruto kid—he's already been renamed Ōtsutsuki Boruto by the Ōtsutsuki clan."
Still, Minamoto's steady development and growing strength left him in good spirits.
With time, Naruto and his classmates would soon graduate, bringing even more opportunities his way.
He couldn't wait to experience the thrill of a "max-level account" dominating the battlefield.
"Minamoto-senpai."
As he was lost in thought, a voice called out to him. Looking up, he saw a group of familiar faces approaching.
It wasn't just Team Guy—other members of the Konoha 11 were there as well.
Even Sasuke was present, standing to the side, while Hinata lingered shyly at the back. The sight left Minamoto momentarily stunned.
"Oh, it's you guys. What's up?"
"Hehe, I told them to come along."
Naruto grinned mischievously, pulling out a neatly wrapped gift box and handing it to Minamoto.
"Here, Minamoto. You can be a jerk sometimes, but... happy birthday!"
"Happy birthday, Minamoto-senpai."
The group echoed Naruto's words, each presenting a gift. Minamoto, caught off guard, felt a bit flustered.
He hadn't expected Naruto to organize something like this, but soon, a genuine smile spread across his face.
"Thank you, everyone."
"So today's my birthday, huh..."
Meanwhile, in the Land of Sound, Orochimaru frowned as he listened to the sound of coughing.
"Is it getting worse?"
The coughing came from Kimimaro, and it left Orochimaru feeling irritated.
He had once considered seeking Tsunade's help to treat Kimimaro, but a chance encounter with Jiraiya had thwarted his plans.
The memory of that unlucky event still annoyed him.
"Kimimaro's condition... it's becoming increasingly troublesome."
Orochimaru muttered to himself as he examined Kimimaro's body.
The rampant Yang Release Chakra within Kimimaro was both powerful and lethal.
"If this continues, he won't last more than a year or two..."
Orochimaru sighed, frustrated by the prospect of losing such a carefully cultivated vessel.
Still, an idea began to form in his mind.
"Perhaps I've been approaching this the wrong way. Instead of suppressing the Chakra, why not let it consume everything and see what happens?"
A risky gamble, no doubt, but with Kimimaro's time already running out, Orochimaru decided it was worth the risk.
"After all, powerful yet ownerless Chakra isn't impossible to find..."
As Orochimaru pondered his next move, deep within Amegakure, Pain stood before a gathering of ethereal projections.
"Since everyone is here, let's begin."
(End of Chapter)
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
Explore More Amazing Fanfiction on My Patreon!
Unlock 30+ Advance Chapters and Enjoy Exclusive Stories Early!
��patreon.com/GoldenLong