Naruto: Starting with Creating a Genius Persona

Chapter 208 Am I also going to participate in the Chunin Exams?

The battle between Iwagakure and Kumogakure has begun.

Having just left the Hokage Building, Shinichi walked slowly along the slightly bustling streets of Konoha in the evening, heading towards his home, thinking to himself.

He just presented a summary report of all the current technologies, material consumption, and preliminary production capacity assessments for the "medical reel" project.

He also submitted suggestions on the next phase of personnel training and production line construction to the Third Hokage.

When the report was submitted, I also learned from the Third Hokage that Iwagakure had started a war against Kumogakure.

This means a new great war will break out in the north, and Kumogakure will be firmly tied down by Iwagakure, probably no longer able to pose any threat to Konoha's northeast.

For Konoha, this greatly relieved the pressure from the northeast, but it also meant that the flames of war throughout the ninja world would burn even more fiercely, and the situation would become increasingly chaotic and unpredictable.

How will the situation develop from here...?

""

Shinichi turned his gaze northward, silently calculating in his mind.

The Cloud Hidden Sect's tactical style has always favored offense, and they excel at launching devastating lightning offensives to defeat the enemy in one strike.

However, times have changed. Due to the logistical devastation he and his Shinichi Battalion suffered in the heart of the Land of Lightning, the Hidden Cloud Village's logistics and medical systems were nearly destroyed, leaving it severely weakened and its material reserves and sustained combat capabilities no longer what they once were.

Facing Iwagakure, a formidable old adversary who has only now entered the fray, Kumogakure may have no choice but to change its strategy, shrink its defenses, and adopt a more passive defensive posture.

Their renowned "lightning offensive" is unlikely to be able to be used again, given the compromised logistical and medical systems and the need to remain vigilant against Konoha.

Their most realistic option is to take advantage of fighting on home soil and drag the war into a protracted stalemate and attrition.

"In other words, in this timeline, the Third Raikage probably won't have the chance to stage that legendary battle where he fought against ten thousand men single-handedly for three days and three nights..."

The specific process and details of the Third Shinobi World War in his past life memories were already vague, and the various setting books and main texts contradicted each other, with countless characters and events in a chaotic timeline.

However, based on his own calculations, Shinichi believed that the Third Raikage had been caught off guard and overextended, falling into the encirclement of the Iwagakure army. In order to buy time for his subordinates to retreat, he faced tens of thousands of Iwagakure soldiers alone, fighting for three days and three nights before dying, thus creating a tragic legend of fighting against ten thousand men single-handedly.

The battlefield of that legendary battle could never have been the Land of Lightning's homeland or nearby.

Otherwise, given the Hidden Cloud Village's style of doing things and its mobilization capabilities, three days would have been enough time for them to gather a large force to support them. There would be no way they would sit idly by and watch their own Kage fall into such a desperate situation.

The most likely explanation is that the Third Raikage, after underestimating the enemy or misjudging intelligence abroad, had to take this extreme measure to save his subordinates.

In this timeline, due to his intervention, Yunyin's logistics and medical services suffered heavy losses and were forced to switch to strategic defense.

One is the Hidden Cloud Village, which adopts a defensive posture; the other is the Third Raikage, who needs to stay in the homeland and coordinate recovery and defense.

Perhaps then there won't be another chance like in the original timeline, where someone underestimated the enemy and acted rashly, ultimately ending up alone to cover the retreat.

Thinking of this, Shinichi felt even more at ease, because his existence had greatly altered the course of the Third Shinobi World War from the very beginning.

The unintentional flapping of a butterfly's wings can trigger a chain reaction that could create a storm, let alone the storm that Shinichi started from the very beginning.

If the course of the war were to unfold exactly as it did in the original timeline from his past life, that would be truly unbelievable, rendering all his efforts and changes meaningless.

The tide of the times has changed because of him, and a brand new storm is forming. This is the true ninja world that belongs to him, Shinichi Higashino.

"Alright."

"Then, I'll spare your life for now, Third Raikage."

"I'll save it for the future, as the strongest ninja I become in this era..."

""

"The most suitable and dazzling stepping stone!"

Shinichi calmly withdrew his gaze from the northeast and continued walking slowly towards home, but after only two steps, a new worry appeared in his mind.

The Hokage position!

After the Third Shinobi World War in the original timeline, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, chose to abdicate and initiate the selection process for the Fourth Hokage. One of the most crucial reasons for this was...

Konoha suffered heavy losses and made enormous sacrifices during the war, fighting against powerful enemies such as Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure.

Someone needs to be held accountable after the war, and a new look is needed to unite people and heal the wounds.

But what about in this time and space?

Thanks to its early warnings and intervention, Konoha was well prepared before the war broke out.

The Southwest Front against Sunagakure initially kept the war firmly outside the country's borders, even dragging it into a war of attrition that was advantageous to their side.

The Northeast achieved a resounding victory against the Hidden Cloud Front, not only repelling a powerful enemy head-on but also penetrating deep into their territory and severely damaging their war potential.

Now, with Iwagakure declaring war on Kumogakure, it could even be said that Kumogakure has withdrawn from the war against Konoha.

The wars on both fronts were fought exceptionally well, even to the point of being overwhelmingly victorious, and the wars to come will likely be fought in the same manner, or perhaps even more impressively.

So, what about after the war?

In a desperate situation where Konoha was engulfed in flames on four fronts, not only did it manage to hold its ground but also achieved multiple strategic victories. The prestige of its leader, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, will not only not decline but will instead rise to an unprecedented peak!

He will become the hero Hokage who leads Konoha through its most difficult time.

At that time, he will not only have no reason to resign, but will also continue to lead Konoha as expected.

After all, the Third Hokage was only fifty-five or fifty-six years old at that time, which is the prime of life for a political leader.

He has every reason and the ability to continue leading Konoha for another ten years, or even longer.

Even if he appreciates Shinichi's achievements and abilities, and truly favors him in his heart, and is willing to pass the throne to him in the future.

You have to wait until you turn twenty, which is considered an adult in this world.

It might even take until he's twenty-five or older, when he's considered mature enough.

After all, throughout the history of the ninja world, there has never been a "Kage" under the age of twenty-five.

The fact that Gaara of the Sand Village in the original timeline could become a minor Kage was a product of extremely special circumstances.

Minato Namikaze's ability to succeed as the Fourth Hokage at the age of twenty-four was also the result of multiple special conditions.

The Third Hokage was to resign in disgrace, and the three Sannin either left the village or were unwilling to take over. Meanwhile, he himself made unparalleled contributions in the war, and his reputation was unmatched. He gained the strong support of Jiraiya and the recognition of the higher-ups.

The most crucial prerequisite is that "the third generation needs to resign to take responsibility," thus creating a vacancy.

In my own time and space, this most crucial premise may very well cease to exist in the future.

In particular, when the Third Hokage sees Onoki, who is a few years older than him but still vigorous and firmly seated as the Tsuchikage, will he think:

That old geezer Onoki hasn't retired yet, so why should I, Hiruzen Sarutobi, retire? I'm still in my prime, and I can fight for Konoha for another ten years or so!

Shinichi is still young. He can train for a few more years before taking over the reins...

This is an outcome that Zhenyi absolutely cannot accept.

For him, the sooner he ascends to the position of Hokage and gains supreme power and resources, the sooner and more efficiently he can mobilize the power of the entire village and the Land of Fire, providing him with an unparalleled platform and acceleration for acquiring knowledge and upgrading his vocabulary.

He cannot accept wasting several, or even more than a decade, of his life because of so-called "age".

Each year earlier he arrives, the greater his advantage becomes, potentially creating a snowball effect.

"Ten thousand years is too long, seize the day."

Shinichi silently recited in his heart.

We'll see then, if...

If I can't become Hokage for now!

Then I'll become the Kazekage!

Thinking of this, Zhenyi's eyes narrowed, but then she shook her head slightly.

This is ultimately the worst possible choice, a last resort when all other options are unavoidable.

No rush. Let's see how the war unfolds, observe the attitude of the third generation after the war, and also see if there are any other smoother paths.

Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was naturally unaware of the successor to the Will of Fire on whom he placed such high hopes.

At this moment, he had already begun to calmly plan how to hasten his resignation after the war, and even prepared a backup plan for him to switch sides and become the Kazekage.

He had just put down with satisfaction the comprehensive summary and planning report on the medical roll project that Shinichi had just submitted.

"Truly, God has blessed Konoha."

The Third Hokage sighed and smiled with satisfaction. With Shinichi, the village's future seemed to be filled with unprecedented light and possibilities.

He is now incredibly excited to see what surprises this young miracle creator will bring in the future.

As for abdication?

Although Shinichi is now one of his future successors, or even the top successor.

But what he was thinking about at that moment was how to better nurture, protect and support Shinichi's growth so that he could smoothly take over the heavier responsibilities in the future.

As for how many years into the "future," he didn't think too much about it. He just felt that Shinichi was still very young and had plenty of time to take things slowly.

Now, the Third Hokage is much more relaxed, especially after hearing the news that Iwagakure has started a war against Kumogakure.

"Um""

The Third Hokage took out another document, pondered for a moment, wrote a few words, and said, "Notify the mission department to officially assign this mission to Team 10, with Tsunade leading the team."

"Yes!" The ANBU member took the document and vanished in an instant.

The Third Hokage initially arranged for Shinichi to join Team 10 with the hope that he would build deep bonds with his peers.

But after the outbreak of war, Shinichi immediately threw himself into the front line with astonishing speed and made great contributions, falling further and further behind his peers, which was not what the Third Hokage wanted.

Now that the war situation has eased slightly and the 10th squad has regrouped, it's time to let them carry out some simple missions as a complete squad, continue to hone their skills, and build the bonds that belong to their squad.

Meanwhile, in the village of Craftsmen, the Land of Craftsmen.

This is a small country that, like the former Whirlpool Country's Whirlpool Village, implements a "country-village integration" system.

The nation is the village of ninja, and the village of ninja is the nation.

Takumi Village is renowned in the ninja world for its exquisite ninja tool manufacturing skills. It is an important supplier of ninja tools and a custom workshop for the five great nations and even many smaller ninja villages, and it receives orders for weapons, armor and even large machinery from all sides year-round.

At this moment, in a simple dwelling in the center of the village, stands Seimei, the village's currently recognized chief craftsman and genius Jonin (Note:).

He was sitting alone on the tatami mat in the quiet room.

He looked to be around thirty years old, with a handsome face. In front of him was a latest ninja world situation report, which clearly stated that Iwagakure had declared war on Kumogakure.

But his gaze did not seem to be focused on the words.

As a once-in-a-century genius of Takumi-nin Village, he not only reached the pinnacle of the village's traditional forging techniques, but also achieved breakthroughs in functional innovation that were difficult for even his predecessors to match.

He is the pride of the village and a future leader on whom great hopes are placed.

However, this glory and expectation gradually fermented into a sense of humiliation and resentment in Qingming's heart.

What is Takumi Ninja Village?

It's nothing more than a slightly useful tool in the great power game!

They are forever dependent on others, surviving by taking orders from others and sharpening weapons for others' wars.

The five great nations stand high above, readily declaring war and stirring up trouble, while the Ninja Village of Craftsmen can only cautiously maneuver among them, fearing that choosing the wrong side will bring about its annihilation.

He'd had enough of this fate!

He longed for change, for the Craftsman Village and the Craftsman Country to be freed from their pathetic, subservient, and instrumental status.

He yearns for true power, power that would command the attention of the five great nations and compel them to engage in equal dialogue.

"It's time!"

Qingming murmured softly that he planned to launch a purge and coup within the next two days to sweep those complacent, outdated, and corrupt leaders in the village into the dustbin of history!

He brought the highest power of Takumi Village completely into the control of Seimei alone!

Originally, I wanted to accumulate more resources during the Qingming Festival and wait for a more perfect opportunity.

But today, a strange tremor surged in his heart, especially just now. This strange tremor became clearer and stronger, as if something in the dark was frantically hitting his soul, urging him to take immediate action.

This made Qingming realize that this was some kind of revelation beyond common sense, a whisper from fate itself to him: the opportunity was right now! To hesitate was to betray this divinely granted opportunity!

The next day, Konoha Village, the assembly point for Class 10.

"Hmm, there's a mission today." Tsunade crossed her arms, her gaze sweeping over the three disciples as she spoke.

But after saying that, she didn't immediately explain the mission details. Instead, she looked Shinichi up and down several times, raising an eyebrow as if she had suddenly remembered something, and continued, "By the way, next month is this year's Chunin Exams. Shinichi, are you going to participate?"

"what?"

Upon hearing this, not only Shinichi was stunned, but Shizune and Kurenai next to him also showed expressions of astonishment.

A moment later, Shinichi pointed to himself, somewhat amused and exasperated, and said, "Tsunade-sensei, am I also going to participate in the Chunin Exams?"

""

Tsunade herself was momentarily speechless, then realized what a stupid question she had asked.

The young man before me is the youngest Jonin in Konoha's history, the legendary captain who broke through the strongest shield and led his team to fight their way in and out of the heart of the Land of Lightning.

Should we send him to participate in the Chunin Exams?

The scene was absurd just to imagine.

Not to mention, some of the examiners were probably his former subordinates.

This awkward question stemmed from a casual conversation Tsunade had with Minato Namikaze yesterday when they happened to run into each other.

Minato mentioned that he planned to have Kakashi participate in this year's Chunin Exams as a member of Team 7, along with Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara. This would be a chance for Kakashi to make up for lost time and give their team a formal experience of joint promotion.

At the time, Tsunade thought Minato was quite thoughtful, but today, upon seeing Shinichi, she impulsively blurted out the question.

Looking back now, Kakashi was at least a Chunin and didn't have any major achievements, so everyone just turned a blind eye and let it go.

Shinichi is a genuine Jonin with an impressive track record. It would be too much of a rip-off to have him take Shizune and Kurenai, those two little girls, to the Chunin Exams.

"Ahem!" Tsunade coughed lightly, abruptly changing the subject: "We'll talk about the Chunin Exams later! Now, let's get down to business, our mission today."