Chapter 59: Promotion to Special Jonin 

As the sun descended in the west, the time quickly approached dusk. The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the entire Death Forest, occasionally interrupted by the eerie calls of birds, making the atmosphere even more desolate.

In the Death Forest, where the second round of the Chunin exams was taking place, the situation was unusually quiet and unsettling at this moment. Time passed unnoticed, and finally, two Chunin on duty slowly entered the endpoint tower of the Death Forest.

"Hey, I mean..."

One of the Chunin complained incessantly as he opened the door, "Do we really need to come so early? It's only been half a day! Those Genin are probably still inside the Death Forest fighting over the scrolls!"

"That's not necessarily true..."

"In every Chunin exam, there are always some formidable Genin. They might have already reached the endpoint by this time."

After unsealing the seal on the door, the other Chunin said, pushing open the door to the tower in front of them.

"This... What is this?!"

However, after the door was pushed open, the two Chunin were directly stunned by the scene before them.

"Finally, someone came..."

"Your efficiency in handling things is really not commendable..."

A calm and indifferent voice sounded, and a young man with white hair and a handsome face was leisurely sitting on a pile of Ninja. His profound gaze looked at the two of them, and at his feet was a pile of 'Heaven' and 'Earth' scrolls.

"How... How could this be?!"

The two Konoha Chunin were so frightened that they couldn't speak. One of them even sat directly on the ground.

"Twenty-one scrolls, not a single one missing, all here."

"I guess... I have already passed this exam, haven't I?"

Ignoring the two Chunin who were already shocked beside him, Yu casually spoke and stepped into the tower's door.

"But for the next third round of the exam..."

Having entered the tower, Yu's lips curved into a playful smile. "I think, except for me, there's probably no one else eligible to participate..."

...

"Trouble! Lord Hokage!!"

In Lord Third Hokage's office, a Ninja suddenly pushed open the door and rushed in.

"Why such a flustered appearance! Maintain some decorum!!"

Seeing his subordinate Ninja barging in without knocking, Lord Third, who was reviewing frontline reports, frowned slightly.

"Ah... I apologize, Lord Hokage..."

After entering, the Ninja spoke breathlessly, "But... but the results of the Chunin exam are out!!"

"The results are out? How could it be so fast..."

Lord Third, still immersed in reading documents, obviously hadn't grasped the situation yet. However, soon, he froze, "No, the second round of the Chunin exam just started this afternoon..."

Staring sharply at the Ninja in front of him, Lord Third's face was filled with skepticism, "The third round of the exam is scheduled to begin three days later. How could the results be available now?"

Is

"It's... it's Yakushi Yu."

"That guy defeated all the Ninjas in this Chunin exam and single-handedly took all the scrolls from them."

Feeling the unintentional release of Kage aura from Lord Third, the reporting Ninja immediately broke into a cold sweat, speaking with some trepidation.

"What did you say?!"

Upon hearing the report from his subordinate, Lord Third was so surprised that even the pipe in his mouth dropped onto the table.

"Hiss..."

After recovering from the shock, Lord Third couldn't help but take a deep breath. After pondering for a moment, he finally calmed down.

"You go to the Death Forest right now and bring him to me!"

"Yes! Lord Hokage!!"

The Ninja in front of him activated the Body Flicker Jutsu and disappeared directly from Lord Third's office.

"Is that brat out of his mind?"

Lord Third picked up the pipe again, exhaling a heavy puff of smoke, "Causing such a big commotion..."

...

After coming out of the Death Forest, Yu heard that Lord Hokage was summoning him. Following the Ninja leading the way, he walked towards Lord Hokage's office with a myriad of thoughts.

Rising above the crowd attracts attention, pretending to be weak to deceive the strong—these principles he understood, but he couldn't completely agree with them. "A tree that doesn't dare to grow taller than the others, how can it become a towering giant? If a person doesn't even show their courage, how can they become a true powerhouse?"

"To stand at the peak, overlooking the vastness below," that was Yu's life motto. For example, take Yakushi Kabuto, a character who appeared in the early stages of the Ninja world and was no less powerful than Kakashi. Not only did he possess an exceptionally flexible mind and insightful cunning, surpassing ordinary people, but his Medical Ninjutsu talent was also praised by Tsunade as exceeding her peak period.

However, by playing the role of a minor character for a long time, he gradually lost himself. Even in the later stages, despite mastering the Edo Tensei and Sage Mode, he could only engage in small manipulations from the shadows.

But if it were Uchiha Madara's personality, would he pretend to be weak to deceive the strong? Would he play the role of a pig to eat a tiger? Of course not. Uchiha Madara would undoubtedly use his own strength to show everyone that he is the stronger one!

That's why Uchiha Madara became the legendary figure in the shinobi world, towering over all, regarded alongside Senju Hashirama as a myth of the ninja world. People feared him more than they feared even Senju Hashirama!

Although Yu is only six years old now and cannot be compared to legends like Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, with his exquisite Ninjutsu, the abilities of the Thread Fruit, and other hidden cards, he already possesses the strength to face Jonin head-on. He is no longer a weakling that anyone can easily handle.

...

"Lord Hokage, Yakushi Yu has arrived."

A few minutes later, the two arrived at the entrance of Lord Hokage's office. The Ninja in front knocked on the office door.

"Alright, you can go down for now."

Behind the office desk, Lord Third set aside the documents in his hand, his gaze falling on Yu who had just entered, "No need to be so formal, feel free to sit anywhere."

"Thanks, Lord Hokage."

Yu, not being formal either, directly sat on the nearby sofa.

"I asked you to 'perform well' in this Chunin exam, but your 'performance' seems a bit over the top, doesn't it?"

Lord Third stared disapprovingly at Yu on the sofa, looking quite helpless. "I really don't know what to say to you..."

"No problem, right? Isn't this exactly the task you entrusted to me, Lord Hokage?" Yu also flashed a brilliant smile at Lord Third. "You asked me to perform well in this Chunin exam, to let the Ninjas from other villages and forces see the strength of our Konoha."

"Now... I think they won't dare to question Konoha's strength anymore, right?"

"You..." Lord Third was momentarily speechless, a hint of helplessness on his face. "Dealing with you, this little devil, is really a challenge."

"But with the way you stirred things up today, it can indeed deter those who are eyeing Konoha..."

After a moment of contemplation, Lord Third continued, "How did the Konoha Genin fare in today's Chunin exam?"

"Uh... I spared the Konoha Ninjas; at most, they're just injured..."

Yu spoke the truth. Compared to the tragic fate of the Rain Ninjas, Grass Ninjas, and Waterfall Ninjas in the Death Forest today, he had indeed shown mercy to the Konoha Genin.

"Well... let's leave it at that. Based on your outstanding performance in this Chunin exam..."

Lord Third paused and continued, "I, in my capacity as Hokage, hereby promote you to the rank of Special Jonin."

Special Jonin?!

Yu was stunned. He thought Lord Third would at most assign him as a Chunin; he didn't expect to be directly promoted to Special Jonin. Unlike the all-around development of Jonin, a Special Jonin is a Ninja with unique talents and development in certain areas. They are slightly inferior to Jonin but much stronger than regular Chunin, occupying a position and strength level between Chunin and Jonin.

"Regarding the other matter... how have you been considering it?"

After saying this, Lord Third took a deep drag of his pipe and looked at Yu in front of him.

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