On the main viewing platform, the Third Hokage showed no outward reaction to Asuma's defeat, but his eyes, hidden beneath the shadow of his Hokage hat, gleamed with a calculating light.
The village had already gathered detailed intelligence on Tatsuya Akimichi, but the strength he'd displayed still exceeded the Third's expectations. What had happened to this once unremarkable member of the Akimichi clan? To think that in just over two years, his power had undergone such a radical transformation.
He can't be left idle any longer, the Third Hokage thought to himself.
On the testing grounds, after Tatsuya's match concluded, the matches of Kurenai Yuhi, Might Guy, and Anko Mitarashi followed in quick succession. Tatsuya watched their matches from the sidelines. Of the group, only Kurenai, Guy, and Anko advanced to the third round. Hayate Gekko and Genma Shiranui were eliminated.
Among the three who advanced, Guy's strength was undeniable. He possessed the power of a Special Jonin, without a doubt. Opening the Fifth Gate, he perfectly demonstrated to his opponent what a storm-like barrage of attacks looked like.
As Orochimaru's disciple, Anko's strength was also considerable. Her victory wasn't as smooth as Guy's, but she still managed to advance.
Of the three, the most surprising to Tatsuya was actually Kurenai. Her victory seemed far too easy; a single genjutsu followed by a basic attack took down her opponent. This completely contradicted the ingrained image Tatsuya had of Kurenai being weak.
This, in fact, was a common misunderstanding many Naruto fans had about her. As the heiress of the Yuhi clan, Konoha's premier genjutsu family, Kurenai's talent and strength were definitely not weak, and she possessed a wealth of combat experience. In battle, Kurenai's genjutsu could even control a powerful opponent like Kisame Hoshigaki; her true strength was absolutely nothing to scoff at.
The reason most Naruto fans considered Kurenai weak was because she lost so quickly and easily to Itachi Uchiha, a stark contrast to her status as one of Konoha's Four Great Jonin. Furthermore, compared to Kakashi Hatake and Might Guy, who were constantly in the thick of things, Kurenai's battle record was, frankly, unimpressive.
But this was being too harsh on her! Whether it was Itachi, Guy, or Kakashi, each of those individuals was a complete monster in their own right. Compared to them, it was natural for Kurenai to seem weaker.
Moreover, a Dojutsu bloodline limit like the Sharingan was a natural enemy of genjutsu users. And Kurenai just happened to encounter Itachi, who possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan and Tsukuyomi. It was only natural that she'd appear weak when competing in the realm of genjutsu.
Besides, how many people could truly stand against Itachi and exchange more than a few blows? Considering the inhuman torment Kakashi suffered, Kurenai was comparatively lucky.
After observing the matches, Tatsuya couldn't help but become more interested in Kurenai. Beautiful, strong – who wouldn't like such a woman? It was truly a waste for her to end up with Asuma! Tatsuya thought, with a touch of maliciousness.
The second round of matches ended, and after a half-hour break, the third round quickly began. This time, Tatsuya was drawn against Fu Yamanaka of the Yamanaka clan.
Tatsuya had no particular impression of this guy, only a vague recollection that he was a member of Root. Having absolutely no goodwill towards Root, Tatsuya naturally showed Fu no mercy. He created a shadow clone and unleashed a relentless barrage of taijutsu attacks, swiftly ending the match.
Fu, already exhausted from the previous two rounds, had little chance against Tatsuya, who could quickly recover using the Fujinhoin and his body revitalization secret technique.
The matches continued until around 3 PM, when the Special Jonin selection exam finally concluded. In the end, Tatsuya, Kurenai, Guy, and Anko successfully advanced to the rank of Special Jonin.
After the examination, the Third Hokage, as usual, delivered a motivational speech about the Will of Fire to everyone. As everyone was dispersing, Tatsuya and Might Guy were asked to stay behind.
"Tatsuya Akimichi, Might Guy, you are both outstanding shinobi, and the future of Konoha. I hope you will join my direct Anbu unit and become the cornerstones of the village's protection," the Third Hokage said, puffing on his pipe and scrutinizing the two of them.
During the Nine-Tails attack, all departments, including the Hokage's direct Anbu, had lost a significant number of elite shinobi. Now, with the village on the verge of conflict with Kumogakure, there was an urgent need to recruit fresh personnel. This was also the reason why the number of slots for this Special Jonin selection was as high as twenty. In the past, Konoha's annual Special Jonin selection often had fewer than ten successful candidates.
During today's selection exam, the Third Hokage had placed the most importance on Might Guy and Tatsuya. Judging by strength alone, Asuma was also qualified to enter the Anbu, but the kid was going through a rebellious phase and often clashed with the Third Hokage. The Third didn't dare recruit him into the Anbu, which often carried out secret missions.
"We are willing to join the Anbu," Both men answered without hesitation.
Hearing Tatsuya and Guy's responses, a smile spread across the Third Hokage's face. "Good! Go home and rest for today. I will arrange for someone to contact you soon."
After taking their leave of the Third Hokage and exiting the testing grounds, Tatsuya and Guy quickly caught up with the departing Asuma, Kurenai, and the others. After a brief discussion, the group decided to go to an izakaya to celebrate.
Back in the village, they headed to the izakaya owned by Hayate Gekko's family and indulged in a feast. The life of a shinobi was a constant dance on the edge of life and death. The immense psychological pressure and burden often needed to be released through eating and drinking. Therefore, most shinobi were accustomed to drinking since their Academy days, and due to their extraordinary physical constitutions, most of them had a high tolerance for alcohol.
The group started drinking around 4 PM and didn't finish until 10 PM. Through this celebratory drinking session, Tatsuya became a little more familiar with the others. Asuma and Anko, who had initially been somewhat disapproving of him, became friendly and treated him like a brother after they'd had a few drinks. After all, they were all classmates from the same graduating year, and Tatsuya's strength was undeniable, earning him their respect.
During the drinking, Tatsuya also took the opportunity to chat a bit more with Kurenai. It wasn't that Tatsuya was eager to get close to Kurenai in that way, but rather that he planned to ask her for guidance on genjutsu in the future.
Currently, Tatsuya's taijutsu and ninjutsu had improved tremendously, and his overall strength had reached the Jonin level. However, genjutsu remained his weak point. He was still at a beginner level in both defending against and casting genjutsu. If he encountered genjutsu masters like Shisui Uchiha or Itachi, he'd likely be in trouble.
Therefore, Tatsuya planned to strengthen his genjutsu training in the future, at least to the point where he could protect himself.
After the celebration, the group dispersed and headed home. Reaching his doorstep, Tatsuya immediately saw Uncle Rou and Kyoko Akimichi waiting there.
Seeing Tatsuya, Rou Akimichi asked, "How did it go?"
Tatsuya grinned. "I passed!"
"Tatsuya-san, that's wonderful!" Rou Akimichi's face lit up with a smile, while Kyoko, beside him, whispered a delighted exclamation.
"Kyoko, I'm a Special Jonin now. You have to work hard too!" Seeing her reaction, Tatsuya stepped forward and gently patted Kyoko's head, encouraging her.
With the help of the Fujinhoin, this girl's strength was no longer at the bottom among the Chunin. Although her improvement wasn't as exaggerated as Tatsuya's, it was still considered quite good among the younger generation of the clan.
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