"Where have you been these past few days?"

  Anko Mitarashi asked casually, brushing off being pushed away yet again with her usual nonce.

  "Training," Link replied curtly.

  With nothing else to do, of course, he was training. What else could he spend his time on? The Third Hokage had approved a bunch of jutsus for him to learn, but aside from Earth Release, mastering the nature transformations of other elements was a slow and tedious process for him. Uaijutsu, where he had certain advantages, nature transformations required time and effort, just like any other shinobi.

  After all, he had only been a shinobi for a few years. Others took until their tweo master two elements. Sihe Konoha Crush had ended and the vilge was quiet, he focused on developing Wind Release as his nature transformation.

  It made seh Release could be tered by Lightning Release, as the manga had made abundantly clear. To avoid being taken down by elemental disadvantage, he was determio ter Lightning with Wind.

  Besides, training in various releases also improved his chakra trol, a skill that beed everything.

  "Let’s go to Tea Street ter; my treat," Anko offered warmly, her enthusiasm uerred by his bluntness.

  Before Link could respond, Asuma’s voice chimed in teasingly from the doorway. "A girl being this proactive is bound to get taken advantage of, Anko."

  "Yo," Asuma greeted casually as he entered.

  "Where’s Kurenai?" Anko asked, rolling her eyes.

  "Called away by Kakashi. Apparently, one of his subordinates has talent isu—probably that Sakura Haruno girl," Asuma replied as he plopped onto a couch.

  "Oh~" Anko recalled. "She’s the one who faced off against the Yamanaka girl in the in Exams. Not as strong, fast, or skilled in taijutsu, but her superior chakra trol evehe pying field."

  "So she has a knack fenjutsu, too, huh?"

  Anko sighed in admiration. Even among Jonin, young shinobi who showed promise like that were memorable.

  That was one of the purposes of the in Exams—to showcase talent. Even if a partit didn’t get promoted, they could still catch the attention of the higher-ups.

  Sakura had only shone in the preliminary rounds. If she made a mark in the finals, she might even gain the favor of nobles or daimyō.

  "Speaking of which, Link, you just got promoted to Special Jonin. How’s it feel? Getting used to it yet?" Asuma asked, stroking his thoughtfully.

  The subtext was clear—if there was anything he found difficult or strange, he could share it.

  Anko cpped her hands as if she’d just realized something. "Link’s a mediinja, right? Isn’t he the first oo hang out with us Jonin like this?"

  Are Jonin always this chatty?

  Link listeo their versations. Some talked about gossip, others about what to eat or drink, and a few discussed their favorite books, movies, or merdise.

  A couple of Jonin were even grinning slyly while discussing their visit to Fun Fun Street.

  I thought Jonin were supposed to be more serious and mysterious...

  The reality was far from what he had imagined.

  "Nothing to pin about," Link replied with a small sigh, feeling disillusioned about the "mysterious" Jonin life.

  "Rare ce—Kakashi’s hosting at the Sake House tonight. Want to join us?" Asuma asked.

  Before Link could respond, Anko interjected, "Hold it! Link’s way too young to drink. Don’t corrupt him!"

  Her protective instincts were surprisingly quick.

  Funny how the drinking age is twenty in a world where shinobi rarely live past thirty.

  At that moment, an Anbu opehe door and announced, "Special Jonin Link, the Third Hokage has summoned you."

  "Uood."

  Link stood ahe room.

  …

  Hokage's Office

  "Lord Hokage," Link greeted with a slight nod as he entered.

  He quickly noticed the room wasy. His mentor, Shikaku Nara, resent, along with Inoichi Yamanaka, Chōza Akimichi—the former Ino-Shika-Chō trio—as well as Hiashi Hyūga, representatives from the Inuzuka and Aburame s, and more.

  These were the heads of the vilge’s promi s.

  Standing among them was a shadowy old man with bandages around his head, smiling faintly at him.

  That has to be Danzo... Link thought uneasily as he moved to stand behind Shikaku, who gestured for him to join him.

  This is what a high-level circle looks like.

  Most Jonin wouldn’t even qualify to be here. A newly promoted Special Jonin like him? Definitely out of pce.

  "Regarding who will represent us in weling the Land of Wind delegation," Shikaku began, "I nominate my student, Link, to repce me."

  "Obje."

  "Approved."

  "Approved."

  After a round of votes, the Third Hokage cluded, "Hiashi will lead, with Kakashi and Link as members of the delegation."

  Kakashi gave Link a helpless look.

  Hiashi Hyūga, head of Konoha’s rgest , was a fitting choice to lead. Kakashi, groomed as a Hokage didate, also made sense. Despite his past struggles, Kakashi had retly started rehabilitating and training again, showing promisis.

  As for Link, his role urely due to the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi s' influence, along with the Hokage’s approval and the tacit agreement of the pro-military fa. Otherwise, it would have been the Jonin aepping in.

  The meeting proceeded swiftly with cise voting and decisions.

  Half an hour ter, as the meeting cluded and the leaders began leaving, Shikaku turo Link. "e by the house for dionight."

  "Yes, Sensei," Link replied with a slight bow.

  "He’s a good kid," Inoichi said with a smile. "My daughter speaks highly of you. Stop by sometime."

  "Same with my son, Chōji," Chōza added with a grin. "e hang out with him when you’re free."

  To the eion, "hanging out" was just a way to foster deeper es.

  Having transitioned from being a promising youo someone who demonstrated real value, Link was now a figure worth iing in. It ragmatic—without mutual be, why would the three great s align themselves with him?

  Bleam