Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

He knew that Mada's son and his son were definitely already decided. For the past few days, Mada had been coming to the house every day to monitor whether his older brother would change his mind. If he did, he would die here. So now there was only one spot left, and his older brother hadn't mentioned it during this time.

"What? You also received quite a bit of bribery?"

Zhendou looked at Handsome Scorpion's father with surprise. This kid didn't usually care about such trivial matters. He was busy enough with the puppeteer's army. He would come back and fall asleep as soon as he got home. Now he was actually concerned about this.

"Haha, just a little bit..."

Handsome Scorpion's father wasn't embarrassed. He already knew that Feng Ying and his uncle had accepted, so he had no reason not to, right? They were so sincere; refusing would be a blow to them...

"...I haven't decided yet. Let's see who gets the best score. I'd prefer it to be an ordinary kid."

Shinto glanced at him speechlessly, shook his head, and said, "This year's kids are really not very talented. At first glance, they're all quite ordinary. Apart from Sasori, Mada's son, Maki, is the most outstanding. But Maki is just an ordinary talent. Elite Jonin is already the highest he can achieve. So Shinto has no hope for this year's kids at all. He plans to wait until Sasori and the others finish their exams and then tell Ebizo to just pick whoever he wants. He can just throw any kid at him. It doesn't matter who he takes. His main task when he returns to the village is to make money, not to be Sasori's babysitter. Besides, Sasori doesn't need him to be his babysitter. With Sasori's current combat power, even a Special Jonin might not be able to beat him. Puppet masters are too invincible in the early stages, especially someone like Sasori who is very skilled at using the White Secret Technique. He can use the Chikamatsu Ten Puppet Masters with every move. No matter how you fight, it's always a 10v1. He can always find a way to outmaneuver anyone. He's even more powerful than the Inuzuka clan of Konoha."

Mada's son, Maki, doesn't need his guidance, nor can he teach him anything. In this world, all he knows is the "Magnetic Release" disguised by the Float-Float Fruit, and even that's been overused as a support skill—just summoning lion heads. Even Rasa has more variations than him. Besides, Maki doesn't have a bloodline limit. At most, he can help Mada teach his son some ninja world experience. Mada's brain isn't naturally quick-witted; he'd probably just teach his son to charge at any enemy with steel...

As for the other kid from Sunagawa, let him play with "Conan's dad" and see how many doors he can open. Konoha can't produce talent every year, let alone Sunagawa, who has been relegated to a supporting role. Sunagawa's golden generation ended from the year of "Conan's dad" to the year of Sasori. The next one will have to wait until Rasa's son. The only one they produced was Gaara, who was somewhat useful in actual combat.

So his plan was to spend six months frantically grinding missions with Sasori and his team, aiming to max out the D-rank daily quests within a month, and then spend the remaining five months grinding C-rank missions. The timing would coincide perfectly with the annual Chunin Exams. Their Sand Village's Chunin Exams were ridiculously easy—just simple 3v3 small-scale team battles. For a team with a "daddy" like Sasori, they could carry even two weaklings. They started with the Chikamatsu Ten Ninja, and even Jonin would be trembling at the sight of them...

Once they're promoted to Chunin, his salary from the Jonin class, plus the allowance Chiyo gives him... if all else fails, he can get some gold dust himself. As long as he's restrained, it'll be enough to squander for several years.

Let's work hard for this spirited horse with a power level of 38H! ヾ(^Д^*)/

"...If no one has good talent, then let Anri or Rasa not play..."

Chiyo expressed a different opinion. Although she thought all her children were excellent, she felt that if she were to just randomly assign a child to Mato, it would be better to send Anri or Rasa directly.

619. The difference between the two abdominal muscles

Her nephew's identity is very special. Putting aside his contributions to the village over the years, the title of Sunagakure's top disciple means that becoming his disciple will inevitably change one's status in the village. It's better to just randomly assign someone than to him. It would be better to let her favor Rasa or Anri take the job. Originally, she planned to let Rasa take the job, since Anri's status as a Jinchuriki was not suitable for her to run around. However, Rasa is already a Chunin and a disciple of Sunagakure. He is currently gaining experience at the Kazekage Tower and it's not appropriate for him to interfere. If there really is no one else, it would be better to let Anri take the job. Her nephew's strength is enough to take on a Jinchuriki.

Although she considered all her own children to be excellent, she was also aware that this year's graduates were truly mediocre, even some of the clan children were just so-so... Making them her nephew's students might not be a good thing; it could even harm them. She knew her nephew well; he had offended countless people in the ninja world over the years. A single kill order from Konoha was enough to prove it. If they lacked talent and strength, having this status would only make them targets to be killed...

"I don't care, as long as you're happy, beautiful lady..."

Masato shrugged indifferently. He figured it would be easier for him if it were Rasa or Anri. Rasa was already a Chunin, so it would be fine as long as Sasori and Maki were promoted to Chunin. Anri would also be fine; the Uzumaki clan's vitality and chakra were no joke, plus she had the Seven-Tails beetle inside her. Anri and the Seven-Tails beetle had gotten along quite well over the years, and when it unleashed its power, even young Purple would be pinned to the ground and forced to sing "Conquer." The Uzumaki clan's physique was originally designed to match the Nine-Tails, so using it to seal the Seven-Tails would be a waste of its talent. It already lacked three tails, and the Uzumaki clan's ability to bear the power of a tailed beast was far greater than young Purple's.

Anri Uzumaki is now cloaked in chakra; even the handsome Sasori would be moved to tears...

......

Graduation exams are too easy for geniuses, but quite difficult for ordinary kids who aren't geniuses. Moreover, the exam questions are different every year. This year it might be throwing shuriken and kunai, while next year it might be a martial arts competition. This way, many kids who aren't good enough can't cheat.

This year's graduation exam involved sparring with real genin (low-ranking ninja). The outcome wasn't important; the key was to convince the proctors of your genin-level skill. Compared to previous years, this year's exam was the most difficult, especially for the commoner students. They said their exposure to ninjutsu was limited to the basic Three Body Techniques. While genin also only learn the Three Body Techniques and primarily rely on taijutsu, their age and physical limitations severely hampered their progress. However, since the village implemented its elite system, graduating students are not allowed to be mediocre. Those who are deemed unqualified must be eliminated. After all, being a ninja is a dangerous profession; faking it would ultimately harm both themselves and others. The village also needs money for a monthly hero's funeral, so minimizing casualties is crucial...

Half of the kids taking the graduation exam this year were eliminated instantly. It's certain that children in peacetime can't be as hardworking and ambitious as children in wartime. Even if others say so, they can't understand the cruelty of war without experiencing it firsthand. So most kids in this period are relatively lazy, and there are almost no kids who work hard to improve themselves. Naturally, their overall quality is not as good as that of kids in wartime.

This situation wasn't unique to Sunagakure; it was the same in every village throughout the entire ninja world. Just look at how, decades later, the skill level of the Konoha 12 was significantly lower. With improved living conditions and no pressure from war, almost everyone had a happy childhood. At most, they might shout slogans, but they figured it wouldn't be too late to work hard later when faced with setbacks...

This year's Sunagakure graduates are in the same situation. When they were born or were still babies, the war had just ended. Although the village was riddled with holes and still had the smell of war, they couldn't feel it at all. By the time they grew up and were ready to experience the core values, the village had already emerged from the shadow of the war. Without that pressure, even if they had some awesome dream in their hearts, very few people actually worked hard. This was the case for many children born into noble families, let alone commoners.

After the graduation exams, this year's elimination rate was as high as 40%, with only 60 out of 100 people graduating. This terrifying graduation elimination rate may not seem like much compared to the future "Crimson Mist Village," but it is already the highest in the entire ninja world.

Of course, we can't rule out the possibility that Sunagawa and Ebizo are two cunning individuals who are willing to betray each other after receiving benefits. After all, they have already taken the benefits, but they can't control who Mato chooses for the last spot. In order to avoid being criticized for taking the benefits and not doing their job, and thus ruining their reputation, they have increased the difficulty of this year's exam.

Then they'll have something to say: It's not that we don't want to help, but your sons can't even pass their graduation exams, and you still want to go to Harvard??

They really are two cunning old foxes!

However, for Sasori, who would dare to challenge a giant beetle to a duel if given ten iron lumps, this kind of exam against a genin was as easy as eating and sleeping. His ten-pack abs weren't developed for nothing. Although a puppeteer's combat power lies in the puppets, he wasn't a novice in taijutsu. Sasori's ten-pack abs that captivated Anri back then weren't developed for nothing either. In addition, after years of re-education from his bastard uncle, his stamina was as high as 95. He didn't even bother to use his puppets when fighting against a genin. After a few rounds, the genin with only eight abs finally realized how big the difference was, even though it seemed like only two abs were different. He obediently raised his swollen hands and admitted defeat.

This was also the only time this year's graduating class achieved a one-hit kill against a genin. Besides Sasori, the only other notable graduate was Maki, the son of Mada. Although he lacked a bloodline limit and his talent wasn't particularly outstanding, he had sacrificed a happy childhood and was raised under the strict discipline of the simple-minded Mada. Seeing his father's missing arm always spurred him to train even harder. So, despite his less-than-stellar talent, his strength was considerable due to this upbringing. While he couldn't defeat his opponent in a few rounds like Sasori, he could still fight a genin for three hundred rounds, ultimately relying on the sheer willpower granted by his ten-pack abs to drag the eight-pack-abs genin to the point of vomiting milk, finally securing a hard-fought victory...

620. Sand Hidden Pseudo-Giant Little Motor

"We're all familiar faces here, so let's skip the introductions. Eat up! After we finish, we'll go get some missions. I imagine you're not really interested in low-level missions anymore, so last night I stayed up all night planning a comprehensive six-month strategy for our Golden Lion Team. The first step is to try and complete 100 D-rank missions within a month, and then 50 C-rank missions in the following five months. This timing will coincide perfectly with the next Chunin Exams, allowing you to register for the exams without having to wait a year like Kudo and the others. What do you think? Isn't this plan brilliant! ヾ(^Д^*)/"

In Sunagakure, inside a ramen shop, Masato brought the handsome Sasori, Maki, and Karin's future mother there. While watching them enjoy their ramen, he explained the "battle plan" for the next six months to them. In the end, he even admired himself for being able to come up with such a meticulous plan in just one night. He was truly a genius!

As for why he only watched them eat and didn't eat himself... he suspected that Ichiraku Ramen in Konoha had put something in it. Ever since he ate ramen with Kakashi in Konoha, he always felt that ramen was tasteless and unpalatable when he returned to Sunagakure. So, after eating a bowl of instant noodles that old lady Chiyo had made for him for breakfast, he took Karin's mother to school and ignored Sasori's murderous gaze as he brought him and Maki out.

"Hmph! Boring... I don't have time to play these ninja games."

Having gotten used to this jerk's temper, Handsome Scorpion arrogantly tossed his head aside and continued eating his ramen. This jerk had made him wait all morning. He hadn't eaten breakfast because his grandma dragged him to school early in the morning, and now he had to wait for this jerk all morning... He was going to eat this jerk out of house and home.

"Scorpions are so cute..."

Looking at Sasori's smug little face, Karin's mother's eyes lit up with love again. She stared at Sasori, who was diligently working away, oblivious to everyone else...

"...That's enough... Little Motor, what's wrong with you? I remember your dad became a Jonin at fifteen, and you're almost twelve, and you need a long battle to become a Genin?"

After eating a ton of dog food, Masato ignored the two adulterers and said to Maki, who was seriously, attentively, and slowly chewing his food.

I don't know why, but this generation of kids, apart from "Conan's dad" who might be more outgoing because he's a commoner, all the other kids have such deadpan faces, always so lifeless and lacking any energy. While that might be popular with girls, looks matter too! Rasa and Sasori are one thing; Rasa, while not as strikingly handsome as Sasori, is still quite good-looking. But as for Maki... his family's looks for three generations are nowhere near "handsome," "pretty," or "beautiful." What's the point of being so cool?!

Especially that talent of a nearly twelve-year-old who could fight a genin and wear him down through a protracted battle... If it weren't for his connection with Mada, he really wouldn't want to take the kid with him. Being the disciple of Golden Lion is prestigious but also dangerous. Everyone knows that there are just as many people who love him as there are who hate him in the ninja world. He would easily be targeted when he goes out to make a living, especially by the Iwa ninja.

Last month, Yekura was almost killed, but fortunately, Ebizo had been sending extra people to protect her and risked his life to save her.

This Maki's talent is so awkward, even inferior to his father's. Back when his father was with him, he was already a Jonin at fifteen, considered a remarkable genius in Sunagakure. But this kid is almost twelve and still barely passable. He doesn't know if taking him under his wing was the right thing to do. If, because of him, this kid doesn't become Gaara's teacher, a supporting character with a high screen time, and instead dies young, he doesn't know how to explain it to Maki. After losing his arm, Maki placed all his hopes on this son. Perhaps letting him develop like in the original story is the best course of action...

"I'm so sorry, I was too nervous yesterday because it was my first time fighting a genin-senpai..."

Ma Ji put down his chopsticks with a serious yet ashamed expression and said...

In fact, yesterday was his first time fighting a genin. His father had been nagging him these past few days to perform well in the exams, since he was going to be Shinto's underling. If he performed poorly and Shinto rejected him, not only would he lose face, but his father and grandfather, both former Kazekage's bodyguards, would also lose face. Under this immense pressure, his performance yesterday was indeed subpar. His opponent was just a commoner genin; with a normal performance, he wouldn't have been able to easily defeat him like Sasori, but he was confident he could finish the fight within fifty rounds. However, because he was too nervous, he dragged the fight out until his opponent was exhausted to the point of vomiting milk before barely managing a victory. Hearing his father's former captain say this today, he was filled with shame... He even considered committing seppuku tonight to atone to his father and grandfather who had placed so much hope in him...

"No, no, no, everyone makes mistakes. It's understandable to be nervous the first time. You'll get used to it... Let's eat noodles first, and we'll talk after we finish."

Shinto was startled when he read through Maki's Observation Haki that Maki was planning to commit seppuku tonight. He quickly came out to comfort him.

Good grief, this guy's mental fortitude is way too fragile! He's always threatening to commit seppuku. Looks like I need to talk to Mada and get him to have a second or third child as a backup...

I didn't expect this future pseudo-leader of Sunagakure to have such a weak mentality. Or is it because of him that this kid has been subjected to too much pressure from his father and grandfather since childhood?

Without him, according to the original work, this kid's father should have died in World War II, so a child who had no parents and was only raised by his grandfather lived in hatred like Sasori, which made his personality very strong. However, because he did not have Sasori's monstrous talent, his thoughts did not go to extremes like Sasori. Instead, he became a backbone of Sunagakure step by step, becoming Rasa's right-hand man. After Rasa died, he became the pseudo-leader of the village.

Now, because of this little butterfly, Mada didn't actually receive the early retirement benefits of a cadre who only lost an arm in World War II. Therefore, the patriotic Mada placed his hopes for protecting the country on his son, constantly reminding him not to forget his original aspirations and mission. This resulted in the young boy being very fragile and sensitive, living a very tiring life, and frequently having suicidal thoughts...

621. This grandmother's love is very deep.

trouble!

It's so troublesome!

That's incredibly troublesome!

Originally, he thought that this kid, Maki, was only a little weak, but with the two kings, Sasori and Karin's mother, he could easily become a Chunin after half a year. But now that he has discovered Maki's changes, he is having some trouble.

A kid who didn't have a happy childhood and is burdened with the expectations of his father and grandfather, making him extremely sensitive, is not easy to raise. He's also a bit of a blabbermouth. What if he accidentally says something that hurts his pride and makes the kid do something reckless, like committing seppuku? Where would he go to compensate Mada with such a grown son? Mada has called him captain for decades. He can't just watch Mada's son die, can he?

This family is truly full of oddballs. Maki's grandfather is very serious. Because of Shamon's death, he exiled himself to guard the border for more than ten years. Maki's father, Mada, is also not very bright. In the later stages of World War II, when everyone was busy boosting their stats, this guy actually went to fight Konoha in a real battle.

When it came to that brat Maki, he kept saying he could see through life and death and wanted to commit seppuku to atone for his sins...

Looking at Karin's mother next door, who only has eyes for the cute Sasori, and Sasori calmly eating ramen without showing any reaction to being stared at by the girl, and a little motor who is always ready to commit seppuku.

"....."

Looking up at the sky, he realized this was far more troublesome than he had imagined!

......

“The kid is growing, his appetite is almost as big as mine. Go to the sand, put it on Hai Laozang’s tab.”

After Sasori finished his fifteenth bowl of ramen, Shinto stared in disbelief at the kid and said to the ramen shop owner.

Not to brag, but he lived in Sunagakure for decades, getting everything he needed for free. When he was a child, he kept track of his uncle Retsuto's debts, but after Retsuto died, the debts were settled, and then transferred to Ebizo's account. Grand Councilor Ebizo had plenty of money...

"Okay...okay, Master Zhendou, but is it really alright for Young Master Sasori to eat so much?"

The ramen shop owner stared in disbelief at the handsome young man, Scorpion, who had devoured 150,000 extra-large bowls of ramen in his shop and now needed help to walk. He asked him with concern.

Good heavens, this weight is almost comparable to that of Master Shindou. No wonder he is a renowned super genius.

Lord Shinto used to be able to finish twenty bowls of rice for breakfast here, and young master Sasori isn't much different...

"puff....!"

"That bastard..."

Upon hearing Masato's words, Sasori, who had been forcing himself to finish a huge bowl of ramen at 150,000 yen and vowing to eat the middle-aged bastard out of house and home, almost vomited. However, with his incredible endurance, he managed to swallow the ramen that was stuck in his throat.

This bastard even puts a ramen bill on his plate, he's shameless...(▼へ▼メ)

"It's alright, the child is probably growing, I'll be going now."

Masato waved his hand dismissively, saying that when he was growing up, he could eat two elephants, so this was nothing...

.......

"Gong Qi, this kid has eaten too much. Give him four or five more physically demanding tasks to help him digest."

The four arrived at the mission room, and Masato spoke to the officer on duty.

"Lord Shindou is teaching students again. I really envy your disciples! Is... Young Master Sasori alright?"

The duty officer named Gong Qi looked enviously behind Zhen Dou, but was a little stunned when he saw the belly and the handsome Sasori who was three months pregnant.

The whole village was buzzing with the news that Master Masato was preparing to return to his old ways of teaching students. He, who spent his days in the duty room listening to the boasts of those who came to collect their assignments, knew all too well. He lamented that he hadn't been born a few years later, perhaps he could have caught Master Masato's eye...

"It's alright. You know how extravagant the lives of these rich kids are. He's still his grandma's darling. Every day he brushes his teeth with bird's nest and rinses his mouth with abalone. Maybe it's the first time he's tried something as inexpensive as ramen, so he's eating a lot because it's new and exciting..."

"..."

The people around were speechless, as if you weren't from a wealthy family...-_-||

Masato glanced sideways at the handsome Sasori, who was currently in the "fetal movement" stage. "Trying to eat me out of house and home? Doesn't he know I'm a freeloader in this village?" (;￢＿￢)

"Holy crap! Go to the Miyari clan to help Chiyo weed. Go to the Miyari clan to help Chiyo clean her room. Go to the Miyari clan to clean the ancestral hall. Go to the Miyari clan... What's going on? Did this beautiful girl make you do this? Σ(⊙▽⊙a)"

When I saw the few D-rank daily routines that Miyagi had carefully selected, I was truly blown away. The sheer aura of Chiyo was overwhelming; all that was missing was someone going to the Miyagi family to help Chiyo with her meals...

This favoritism doesn't have to be so obvious, does it? -_-||

"Ha...ha...Lady Chiyo just doesn't want young master Sasori to be too tired, huh...-_-||"

Gong Qi awkwardly scratched the back of his head, a wave of sadness washing over him. "You really can't compare people," he thought. "Back when we graduated, we cleaned public toilets, swept sand off the streets—all sorts of disgusting, grotesque daily routines. I was sick of seeing them. And look at Scorpion's daily life now... Will he even have a chance to be reincarnated?" (?^?)

.....

"Beautiful lady, you're abusing your power for personal gain. Aren't you afraid your precious grandson will have trouble making a living in the future?"