Naruto: Countless versions of myself superimposed at the same time!

Hinata murmured, a hint of confusion appearing on her small face.

"Hinata is still too young. You'll understand as you grow older."

Kiyohara withdrew his hand and changed the subject.

"By the way, how's your 'Clone Technique' training going?"

Hinata jumped down from Kiyohara's side and stood on the open ground in front of him, her two small hands forming a mudra in front of her chest.

Her hand seal speed was much faster than a few months ago. Although her movements were still a bit clumsy, she could now use them completely.

Then she took a deep breath, and chakra surged from her meridians.

Boom! A plume of white smoke exploded beside Hinata.

After the smoke cleared, a clone that looked exactly like Hinata appeared.

The clone stood beside Hinata, and their postures and expressions were exactly the same.

"Well done, Hinata. Your hand seals are smooth, and your chakra distribution is very even."

Kiyohara raised his hand and vigorously rubbed Hinata's head.

"Great progress."

Hinata tilted her head back, two bright red blushes appearing on her cheeks.

Seeing this, Kiyohara smiled.

Hinata is truly a steampunk princess.

She blushes easily and seems to get hot.

After taking Hinata back to her residence, Kiyohara walked along the streets of Konoha back to the Hokage Building.

When I pushed open the office door, the principal of the Ninja Academy had been waiting outside for almost half an hour.

He was an elderly man over fifty years old, with gray hair, wearing reading glasses, and holding an open notebook in his hands.

Upon seeing Qingyuan's figure appear at the end of the corridor, he quickly closed his notebook, hurried forward, and bowed in greeting.

"Lord Hokage, what is the purpose of summoning me here?"

Kiyohara walked to the office door and opened it without pausing, speaking as he went inside.

"Prepare an announcement that Konoha will be holding a Jonin selection conference starting next month."

The headmaster of the Ninja Academy paused for a moment, and his cloudy old eyes suddenly widened.

He followed Kiyohara into the office and stood in front of the desk, momentarily unsure if he had misheard.

"Jonin...selection meeting?"

"That's right."

Kiyohara sat down in the Hokage chair.

“Referring to the Chunin Exams model, we will design a corresponding Jonin assessment system with more rigorous content. It will not only test combat ability, but also include tactical skills, command ability, and special mission response.”

"The standards and level should be aligned with the Chunin Exams, but the assessment criteria and difficulty must be comprehensively improved."

Qingyuan said slowly.

In the past, the promotion of Jonin was based on seniority and required approval from higher-ups.

This efficiency is far too slow, and Kiyohara plans to implement reforms.

The headmaster of the Ninja Academy opened his mouth, but it took him a long time to process what he had just said.

The Jonin selection exam was unprecedented in Konoha's history.

In the past, the promotion of Jonin was based on nomination by the Hokage and a vote by the Jonin team.

Ninjas who can become Jonin are all elites who have made outstanding contributions in war.

However, Kiyohara has now proposed to hold a special Jonin selection, which means that the threshold for becoming a Jonin will no longer be based on qualifications and background, but on open and transparent assessment results.

More ordinary ninjas and young geniuses will have the opportunity to cross that gate that only a select few could enter in the past.

"Lord Hokage, this...this is a very important matter."

The principal of the Ninja School looked troubled.

"I'm just the headmaster of a ninja academy. The content and standards of the Jonin exam are far too complex, involving various types of ninjutsu and tactical assessments, which I'm afraid..."

"If you feel you can't design it yourself, you can ask a Nara clan ninja for help."

Kiyohara interrupted him.

"The Nara clan has always been known for its intelligence, so having them participate in designing assessment plans, tactical simulations, and strategic deployments is a perfect fit for their abilities."

The headmaster of the Ninja Academy was taken aback at first, then nodded repeatedly.

Shikaku of the Nara clan is the class leader of the Konoha Jonin team. He is calm, meticulous, and indeed the best candidate to design the assessment plan.

The Hokage had already planned all of this; he summoned him here simply to make him the executor.

"I understand, I'll get on it."

The headmaster of the Ninja Academy turned and quickly left the office.

Kiyohara leaned back in his chair.

The population of Konoha today far exceeds that of the original story, and he has relaxed the restrictions on becoming a ninja.

Many talented commoner children were able to enter the Ninja Academy to study, and the number of Chunin accumulated over the years is far greater than in the past.

Many of these Chunin already possess the strength of a near-Jonin; all they lack is a recognized path.

The Jonin Selection Conference was paved for them.

More importantly, Konoha needs more elite combat power.

A deeper reason lies in the Thousand Hands bloodline scattered among the common people.

The Senju clan has long since disbanded, and its members have integrated into the common people. Those commoner children who inherited the Senju bloodline but were unaware of it may be among this group of Chunin who are about to participate in the Junin Selection.

Once Kiyohara makes it onto the list of Jonin candidates, he can have Tsunade help him investigate their lineage and select those who are suitable for training in Sage Mode or even awakening Wood Release.

If even one person can awaken Wood Release, this selection will be worthwhile.

…………

The night is deep.

When Kiyohara returned to his lodgings, one of the sake bottles was lying limply in the dish, while the other had rolled to the edge of the table, with half a drop of sake still hanging from the spout.

A faint aroma of rice wine wafted in the air, mixed with Tsunade's unique scent.

Kiyohara took off his outer robe and hung it on the clothes rack. After a quick wash, he lay down in the bedding in his bedroom.

He rarely gets to sleep alone tonight, so he plans to give Xiaoqingyuan a day off.

After all, discussing Yin-Yang Escape techniques every day can get boring, and sometimes you need a free day.

After some time, the sound of the door being pushed open came from the entrance hall.

The door frame slammed against the wall with a dull thud, followed by two sharp thuds as wooden clogs were kicked off haphazardly. One clog fell to the floor, while the other probably hit the shoe cabinet.

The force of the foot landing varied, sometimes light, sometimes heavy. Kiyohara was all too familiar with this. With a thought, he knew it was Tsunade without even needing to sense it.

The bedroom door was yanked open, revealing a swaying figure.

Tsunade stood at the doorway, her long golden hair cascading loosely over her shoulders, a few strands clinging to her slightly flushed cheeks.

She was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, and one of the neckline ties was loose, revealing a small patch of skin below her collarbone that was flushed pink from the smell of alcohol.

Tsunade's brown-gold eyes were watery, and a drunken smile hung at the corner of her mouth.

He was still holding a small sake cup in his left hand, with only a thin layer of sake left at the bottom.

"Qingyuan."

Gang stumbled over the threshold, his knees bumped against the edge of the bed, and he fell forward.

As soon as Kiyohara opened his eyes, before he could even sit up, Tsunade slapped his thigh with one hand, using it to steady him.

"Teacher, how much did you drink?"

"Not many... just two pots."

Tsunade shook the small wine glass in her left hand, causing the remaining wine inside to slosh around and almost spill onto the pillow.

She slammed her wine glass on the low table, then nudged Qingyuan's thigh and mumbled indistinctly, "Move in a little, move in a little."

Kiyohara moved to the side of the bed to make room for her.

Tsunade gave a satisfied hum, then slunk into the blankets, turning her back to him.

The scent of sake emanating from her, mingled with her body heat, rose from the bedding, warmly comforting Su Qianhan.

Then Kiyohara felt a familiar sense of oppression.

Tsunade's ample buttocks were firmly pressing against his position.

She was already taller and fuller than the average woman, and when she lay down, she took up half the bed.

Kiyohara moved a little further in, and Tsunade's back rubbed back a little as well, her buttocks pressed tightly against Kiyohara's front.

If it gets any more crowded, Kiyohara will roll off the bed.

"Teacher, if you keep squeezing me, I'll sleep on the floor."

Tsunade did not answer.

She turned over, from back to front, her amber eyes, veiled with the smell of alcohol, looked at Kiyohara's face, and then a smug smile appeared on her lips.

"Hmph, this is... a test for you."

"What are you testing?"

"Testing whether you've been cheating."

Tsunade's index finger poked at Kiyohara's chest with a soft, gentle touch, more like a gentle press.

“If you sneak some food, you’ll definitely smell like someone else… Let me smell you.”

As she spoke, she actually brought her face close, her nose almost touching Kiyohara's neck, like a cat sniffing its prey.

The hot breath he exhaled swept across Kiyohara's Adam's apple.

Kiyohara let her sniff him, thinking that even if he really did steal some, with his recovery ability and chakra control, Tsunade would definitely not be able to smell any trace of it.

Tsunade sniffed at his neck for several seconds, her brows furrowing slightly, as if she was really trying to identify something.

Then she suddenly laughed and buried her face in Kiyohara's shoulder.

"It seems not."

Tsunade's voice grew softer and softer, until the last word was uttered as a steady breath.

She fell asleep.

One second she was sniffing around like a puppy, the next she completely shut down and buried her face in Kiyohara's shoulder.

Golden eyelashes rested quietly on her still-flushed cheeks, her lips were slightly parted, and the smile she hadn't had time to hide lingered at the corners of her mouth.

Kiyohara looked down at Tsunade's sleeping face.

Tsunade looked less slender and more gentle than usual when she was asleep.

He sighed and reached out to pull the blanket up to above his shoulders.

The bedding was warm and cozy, and Tsunade unconsciously moved closer to the heat source, rubbing her cheek against Kiyohara's shoulder.

Just as Kiyohara was about to close his eyes, he suddenly sensed a subtle movement.

Silence was outside the door.

Kiyohara raised an eyebrow.

Kiyohara removed Tsuna's arm from his chest, silently sat up from the quilt, and stepped onto the tatami mat.

Jingyin crouched in the corner, clutching an empty tray, her whole body huddled into a tiny ball.

She was wearing a plain-colored nightgown, and her short black hair was a little messy, sticking up on her head, probably from tossing and turning in bed unable to sleep.

Her face was buried in the edge of the tray, with only her wide, black eyes showing.