15 An Offer for Promotion

10 advanced chapters on my Patreon: Fiction Haven

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Kakashi gave us two free days upon our return to Konoha. I immediately went to the Ichiraku Ramen as I didn't plan on coming there on my free days. I wanted to disappear from the radar, enjoying my free time. Ayame asked me about how the mission had gone and I gave her the undetailed version of it. I couldn't just reveal another land's information to a civilian.

Ino spotted me on my way back and I got away with Shunshin before she could call me. I had had enough of people. I needed my alone time. Thankfully, Ino didn't follow me to my apartment. I undressed, cleaned up, and then cooked a meal. After finishing my meal, I slept until midnight.

I spent the rest of the night training my Taijutsu at the Third Training Ground. Hitting trees until my hands went numb was therapeutic to me. My shadow clones were also busy studying seals to finish the Chakra Control Seal. I was already close to completing it. As soon as I got it, I would be able to use Rasengan.

I honestly didn't need the seal to learn Rasengan. I was sure I could master Rasengan in two days, the longest. However, I needed Rasengan as soon as possible. Jiraiya hadn't shown any indications to appear, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. I only knew how Rasengan worked and not the intricate details it had. Learning it without a teacher was close to impossible.

Therefore, what I was going to do with the seal was use it to recreate Rasengan. I had grasped the theory behind Rasengan, but I still couldn't figure out a way to maintain that Chakra mess. The solution I could think of to that problem was to improve my Chakra control to a ridiculous level, which was why the Chakra Control Seal became crucial. As such, I utilized my two days well.

As expected, I was more productive when I had no one pestering me. The training made me use less Chakra for my C-Rank Jutsu. In other words, I wasted less Chakra thus increasing its power. Other than that, my Kenjutsu had also improved. My movements flowed more smoothly. However, I needed a sturdier tantō. I had tried putting more Chakra into my tantō and I was sure I could break it.

Knock! Knock!

Someone was visiting me while I was cooking breakfast. I knew who it was since he didn't even bother hiding his presence. I just didn't know why he needed to visit me. I walked to the door and then opened it. The man behind me raised his hand in greeting but didn't say anything.

"What is it, Sensei?"

"Why are you suddenly polite to me?"

"Do you want me to be rude?" I quirked an eyebrow.

Kakashi waved his hand in denial. "Eh. No way. I like this polite Naruto better." His gaze abruptly steeled. "Hokage summons you."

Narrowing my eyes, I replied, "Can I eat first?"

"Only if you also invite me," he replied shamelessly.

I cooked quite a lot, so I invited him inside. He waited patiently on the couch while I was finishing my cooking. His eyes wandered around curiously. They stayed on my studying clones long enough to irritate them.

"Are you learning Iryō Jutsu now?" he asked as I came with our dish.

"I have learned everything I need to know about Chakra theory. I can't find better books about Fūinjutsu, so I am improving my skills intuitively now. I like to learn new things, so Iryō Jutsu naturally caught my attention. There is a lot to learn about Iryō Jutsu and Konoha has everything about it. It is exciting."

Kakashi hummed contemplatively and said nothing. We soon finished breakfast and then left for the Hokage office. He had sounded like it was an emergency call, but we were leisurely walking to the office. Some villagers shot me distasteful looks, but I noted that there weren't as many as usual. A lot of them looked at me neutrally nowadays.

I guess not pranking people has finally paid off.

Well, I didn't particularly care about the way they viewed me, so I quickly shrugged it off. Before long, we arrived at the Hokage Tower. It had been over two weeks since the last time I had visited the place. The last time I did I was picking up the new batch of books Sarutobi provided for me. I decided then I would take another badge.

Our feet quickly brought us to the Hokage's office. Kakashi knocked on the door and a rough voice told us to enter. When Kakashi opened the door, I found two unsightly people standing behind the old man: Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura. If I had to guess, they must be not amused by my monstrous improvement.

I am going to beat them verbally so hard that they are going to contemplate committing suicide.

I was ready to make enemies with these fossils. Unlike Sarutobi, they no longer possessed any combat abilities. If push came to shove, I was going to kill them and make myself a traitor to Konoha. I was fine with leaving the village this early.

"Hello, Naruto-kun."

"Good Morning, Hokage-sama."

A sour look flashed across Sarutobi's face, but he quickly hid it with a smile.

"How are you doing, Naruto-kun?"

"It has been better since Mizuki's incident."

"I am… glad to hear it."

Guilt-tripping people is always fun. At least, that is the case for me.

"Is there any specific reason for you to summon a Genin, Hokage-sama? Do you happen to expect me already finish the books you provided me with?" I asked professionally.

"Ah, you have?" Sarutobi asked, surprised.

"Yes. They have served their purpose."

"I am glad to hear that." He smiled and then abruptly got serious. "I am here to offer you a chance for promotion. Listening to Kakashi's report, I found myself agreeing with him that you are ready to be a Chūnin. However," he glanced at the two fossils on his sides, "the council representatives don't agree with our assessment."

They just wasted my time by summoning me to talk about that.

"I am fine with remaining a Genin, Hokage-sama. My rank doesn't reflect my capabilities and the extent of my capabilities has never been supported by my rank."

"Are you discrediting Konoha for what it has done for you, boy?" Homura snarled.

"What exactly has it done for me?" I challenged with a sneer. "If any, I am the one doing this village a favor. Do you know that I only need a little tweak to release the Demon inside who is the reason why everyone in this village hates me?"

"Naruto-kun, calm down," Sarutobi placated.

"Do I look not calm to you, Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi remained silent. I rarely got angry. Everyone should be able to tell from my tone that I was just being humorous. Homura didn't look happy if his scowl was any indication. Oh, I wanted to cave that face so bad.

"Do you realize that you just threatened Konoha and its entirety, child?" Koharu asked neutrally.

"I was stating a fact, Utatane-san. The fact that I haven't done such a thing proves that I mean no harm to my birth country." I shook my head with a disappointed face. "It is so silly that you are questioning my loyalty to the village. However, I do admit I am disappointed by the way the village is treating me. I have been on my own since I was a kid. I wonder if this is the correct way to treat the powerful, yet unpredictable weapon of the village—a Jinchūriki."

"You are not a weapon, Naruto-kun," Sarutobi denied indignantly. "Minato sealed Kyūbi into you so that you are hailed as a hero. It's just… not many people understand the difference between a scroll and a kunai."

Sarutobi might be a neglectful old man, but he truly saw me as a human. His former teammates, unsurprisingly, didn't share his view. They wisely didn't say anything, though. It was unfortunate. I would have had much fun if they had admitted that.

"We will make up for the support we have neglected if you take our promotion offer," Koharu said, causing me to quirk an eyebrow. "However, you have to prove your worth before getting it."

"Nah, I will pass," I waved my hand dismissively.

"We will relinquish your parents' inheritance to you if you succeed."

Homura's statement caused me to turn to Sarutobi. The old man smiled upon meeting my inquiring gaze. A disbelieving chuckle came out of my mouth. It sounded mocking, so I didn't blame them for furrowing their eyebrows.

"What is the test?"

Sarutobi smiled and showed me a picture of a Konoha Ninja. "Help Kakashi locate and capture a Nukenin from Konoha. This is Rokushō Aoi. He stole something important from Konoha. He is rumored to be seen in the Land of Tea."

I didn't remember the guy, but the mention of the Land of Tea told me what the precious thing he had stolen from Konoha. I was tasked to retrieve the famous Raijin no Ken that used to belong to the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.

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Honorary Mention:

Daoist Mufasa

Faisal Salih

Florin Durbaca

Friday

Jamaul Pryor

Luck George