"Special jōnin?"
Obito was the first to ask. "Lord Third, what's that? A super-powerful jōnin?"
"Close enough."
Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled.
Beside him, Namikaze Minato coughed lightly and helped explain for his student. "A 'special jōnin' refers to a ninja who possesses abilities far beyond chūnin level in certain specialized fields, but is still lacking somewhat in overall ability or experience. You can think of them as jōnin reserves. They have jōnin status and partial jōnin authority.
"With Yuu's current ninjutsu level, he is already comparable to some jōnin. However, Yuu is still young, and his experience and chakra reserves still have room to grow. He can first temper himself for a while before taking on more important duties."
"Eh?!"
Obito's eyes widened. He turned to look at Yuu, his mouth opening wide enough to fit an egg. "Doesn't that mean Yuu will basically count as half a jōnin from now on?!"
"That's right."
Hiruzen nodded, confirming Obito's statement, then looked at Yuu again.
"Yuu, what do you think?"
"…"
Everyone's eyes focused on Yuu.
There was a trace of envy in Asuma's eyes.
Kurenai and Rin looked happy and proud, as if sharing in the honor.
Might Guy clenched his fist tightly, the flames of youth burning in his eyes.
As for the others like Genma Shiranui, they didn't even feel envy anymore. They could only look up and sigh.
After all, Asuma and the others were almost certainly going to become jōnin if nothing unexpected happened, while for most of the rest, their upper limit was probably special jōnin. Yet that upper limit was Yuu's starting point. The gap between people was already so large it was enough to make one despair. Other than looking up, there was nothing else they could do.
Yuu himself hesitated a little.
Hiruzen's proposal surprised him somewhat, but not too much.
After all, wartime rules were different from peacetime rules. Otherwise, there would never have been something like Kakashi being promoted to jōnin at twelve. With the strength Yuu had shown in this exam, he was at least on par with twelve-year-old Kakashi, if not above him. He had enough ability to become a jōnin, let alone a special jōnin.
And that was without Yuu using Cell Activation Technique or Flash Bomb. Both of those were first-encounter-kill abilities, so he planned to keep them hidden as trump cards. He couldn't expose them lightly and let others find ways to counter them.
In theory, special jōnin counted as part of the jōnin system and could enjoy more resources and benefits.
But at the same time, it also meant more responsibilities and obligations. There was a chance that in the future, he would often be leading Obito and Rin on missions alongside Minato. That was not exactly an easy job.
However…
Weighing pros and cons was one thing.
How to answer was another.
Hiruzen had publicly made the invitation. Could Yuu refuse? That would be too disrespectful.
So,
after only a moment of thought, Yuu met Hiruzen's gaze and said in a deep voice, "Thank you for your recognition and cultivation, Lord Hokage. I am willing to accept this nomination."
"Very good."
Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction, and the smile on his face deepened.
"In that case, I will submit this nomination to the jōnin council for review as soon as possible. Once there is a result, you will be notified immediately.
"In addition, regarding that ninjutsu, you may think it over carefully. Discuss it with Minato or Tsunade. Once you've decided, come find me."
He was referring to the promise of an advanced ninjutsu that Yuu had received from Hiruzen when he had previously gone to the Hokage building.
Yuu was indeed still somewhat hesitant about which technique to choose. It wouldn't be too late to think it over first before going to Hiruzen.
Given Hiruzen's current position as Hokage, he surely wouldn't go back on his word.
After that,
Hiruzen said a few words of encouragement or praise to Asuma, Kurenai, and the others.
In the hearts of these young people, the current Hokage's status was still lofty. Even a few casual words from him could make their blood boil, making them want to immediately burn with the Will of Fire for Konoha. Ironically, Asuma, as Hiruzen's own son, looked the calmest.
A moment later,
under everyone's excited gazes, Hiruzen waved his hand and said with a smile, "Today is a day worth celebrating for you all. This old man won't stay here and disturb the young people's celebration.
"Enjoy the joy you have earned. Konoha's future belongs to you."
"Take care, Lord Hokage!"
Amid the voices calling out, Minato and the others left together with Hiruzen.
Yuu watched them leave, then glanced back and noticed Tsunade standing not far away with her arms folded across her chest. She looked toward him from a distance a few times, then, seemingly unwilling to come over and mingle with them, left in another direction with Shizune.
Only then
did Rin look at Yuu with a bright smile and sincerely congratulate him.
"Congratulations, Yuu. From now on, I'm afraid we'll have to call you Jōnin Mikami!"
"…Yeah, yeah! I didn't expect the first jōnin in our team to be you, Yuu. I thought it'd be that smug Kakashi! Now you definitely have to treat us to a good meal!"
Obito had originally been a little down, but he forced himself into high spirits and shouted excitedly.
"It's only special jōnin. It doesn't really count as jōnin."
"That's almost the same thing. Didn't Minato-sensei say it's equivalent to a jōnin position?"
"Exactly, exactly! Yuu, you've got to treat us properly!"
"Ah, what an enviable man. If only I could become a special jōnin one day."
Facing the crowd of Asuma and the others surrounding him,
Yuu, as today's absolute protagonist, coughed lightly and said somewhat helplessly, "Since everyone is here today, and it's also the day we're promoted to chūnin, why don't our teams find a place and have a picnic to celebrate? I'll buy the ingredients."
This suggestion immediately received an enthusiastic response from everyone.
Obito immediately recommended a grove near the Naka River. He often trained around that area and knew several quiet and beautiful spots there.
The others didn't mind. In any case, this was just about having fun. It didn't matter where they went. In theory, they could even sit directly on the martial arena floor.
That afternoon,
the boys and girls each carried the ingredients they had bought and came to a riverside grove near the Naka River. They spread out picnic cloths, which were quickly filled with all kinds of food: fragrant grilled meat skewers, golden and crispy tempura, rice balls of various flavors, fresh fruit salad…
Of course, the "designated victory drink," chilled Raw Cola, was indispensable.
During the meal, Obito and Might Guy were still arguing about the exam.
The two of them could be considered a pair of unfortunate lovebirds. Since the Ninja Academy, they had been openly and secretly competing with each other. In a sense, they even saw each other as substitutes for Kakashi, though neither of them agreed with that.
Rin occasionally got up to distribute food to everyone.
Asuma and Namashi Raidō shuffled over and asked Yuu for advice on training methods and the shuriken throwing technique he had used in the match.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves and sprinkled mottled spots of light across the picnic cloth. Everyone temporarily forgot the looming clouds of war and enjoyed this rare moment of ease.
The gathering lasted about two hours.
Only when the sun was about to set
did everyone reluctantly say goodbye and return home.
Naturally, Yuu and Rin went home together. Just as they arrived near their homes, Shiro barked and rushed over, wagging its tail hard in front of them, looking adorably silly. Rin crouched down and lovingly rubbed the little thing's head.
Beside them,
Mikami Tajima and Nohara Hiroshi each carried two large bags of ingredients and watched this scene with smiles.
"Huh, Yuu, Rin, you're back? Your performance today was wonderful, especially Yuu's. You were truly amazing. The spectators at the arena were all astonished."
"Uncle Hiroshi, you flatter me… By the way, what were you two doing just now?"
"Oh, your Uncle Hiroshi and I discussed it and decided to hold a family dinner to celebrate for you. Originally, we wanted to go out to eat, but there have been too many guests in Konoha these past few days. The seats and private rooms at Yakiniku Q are all fully booked, so we decided not to join the crowd."
"I see…"
Yuu nodded.
When he and Rin first returned two weeks ago, Nohara Hiroshi had invited both families to Yakiniku Q for a meal. Now the Mikami family holding a family dinner could be considered returning the favor.
As they were talking,
Yuu suddenly raised his head, keenly catching sight of a figure. It was an Anbu ninja wearing a mask, appearing not far away. The ninja glanced over and said in a flat tone, "Mikami Yuu, remember to gather with Jōnin Minato at the village gate at seven tomorrow morning to carry out a secret mission."
"Eh?"
Rin froze slightly. "What mission? With Minato-sensei… Then are Obito and I going too?"
The Anbu ninja said nothing and left directly with Body Flicker.
Yuu smiled and said softly, "This time, it's a secret mission. You and Obito don't need to go… Well, actually, the mission objective is very simple. I should be back soon. Rin, you and Obito should rest properly in the village. If there's nothing else, you can go find Lady Tsunade for guidance."
"…Alright."
Rin clearly didn't believe the "simple mission" explanation, but she understood her own strength level even more clearly. She nodded and said softly, "Then, Yuu, be careful on the road. Please give my regards to Minato-sensei."
"I will."
Yuu smiled in response.
…
There was no need to elaborate on the family dinner that night.
The two families ate and drank to their fill. Mikami Tajima and Nohara Hiroshi even opened a bottle of alcohol and drank several extra cups together. However, their alcohol tolerance seemed rather poor, and afterward, their respective wives sent them back to bed to sleep soundly.
After sending Rin back next door, Yuu returned and packed his things, preparing for tomorrow's mission.
Nothing happened overnight.
Time turned to the next morning.
As seven o'clock approached,
Yuu arrived at Konoha's village gate on time.
He was dressed in dark, easy-to-move civilian clothes. His ninja pouch and short sword were both prepared. Minato's figure arrived almost at the same time, his blond hair especially bright in the morning light.
"Is it just the two of us, Minato-sensei?"
Yuu looked around and didn't see anyone else.
He had originally thought Kakashi might be there too. After all, he hadn't seen much of him these past few days.
"Strictly speaking, there are four of us."
Minato said. "Inuzuka Agō and Aburame Shiguro left the village two days in advance. They will infiltrate Kusagakure first, find out the exact location of the detention site and the guard situation, and wait for us to meet up with them."
"I see…"
Yuu nodded.
He had heard both of those names. Among them, Aburame Shiguro was a standout of the current Aburame clan and kept nano-level poisonous insects inside his body. This ability would later be inherited by Aburame Torune in the original story.
Given that Konoha's goal this time was secret infiltration and rescue, having Inuzuka and Aburame ninja, who excelled in sensing and concealment, assist Minato was a suitable use of talent.
"Are you ready, Yuu?"
Minato extended one hand and gently placed it on Yuu's shoulder.
"Kusagakure is very far from Konoha. Walking there would take too much time, so I'll use Flying Thunder God to take you there directly. You may feel some discomfort during the process, but it's all normal.
"If you have no other questions, we'll set off."
"Alright."
Yuu originally hadn't thought much of it, but seeing how seriously Minato spoke, he took a deep breath and nodded.
The next moment,
Minato activated his ninjutsu.
A strange sense of weightlessness and spatial distortion instantly wrapped around him. The village gate archway, the morning mist, the trees… every image rippled violently, blurred, stretched, and then suddenly shattered and reassembled like the surface of water struck by a stone.
Flying Thunder God!
This was not Yuu's first time experiencing Flying Thunder God. The last time had been when Team Minato was first established. He, Obito, and Rin had been directly brought by Minato from the classroom to a training ground outside the village. But that time, the movement distance had only been a few kilometers.
This time, however, it was over a hundred kilometers.
Inuzuka Agō and Aburame Shiguro, who had headed to Kusagakure earlier, had left Flying Thunder God kunai every few dozen li along the route. Now, Minato used those kunai as movement coordinates and brought Yuu continuously jumping through different spaces.
From Yuu's perspective, the scenery before his eyes changed in an instant—from the familiar Konoha village gate, to dense forests, to somewhat barren hills, to a riverside with harsh wind…
A sense of weightlessness dozens, even hundreds of times stronger than his first experience surged into him within an extremely short time. It made him dizzy, and his stomach churned.
After the fourth jump,
when Minato stopped,
Yuu felt as if the scenery around him were a rapidly spinning kaleidoscope. Only after several seconds did his vision refocus. Then he heard Minato's gentle voice beside him.
"How do you feel?"
~~~
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