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Chapter 133 Chunin Exams
Chapter 133 Chunin Exams
The Hokage's office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, a pipe dangling from his lips.
The window was open, and you could see the portraits of the Hokage from different generations on Yan Rock.
"Takaya Jonin, sit."
Hiruzen's attitude was very kind, like a friendly old man next door.
But Sosuke dared not relax.
This is Shinobu. He is a politician who controlled Konoha for decades and remained unshaken during two major wars.
"Lord Hokage."
Sosuke sat down properly.
"I heard you've been doing some... very interesting business lately?"
Hiruzen exhaled a smoke ring, his eyes scrutinizing Sousuke through the smoke.
"Ceramic knives, clean water, ninja tools, food—you sold these to other countries as well."
"That was for the village."
Sosuke's answer was perfectly flawless.
"That's to keep the chamber of commerce running—after all, we have to provide cheap supplies to the village, which puts a lot of pressure on our costs."
"Hehe, don't be nervous."
Hinata smiled.
"I'm not here to hold anyone accountable."
"As long as it benefits Konoha, I can understand being flexible in my methods."
He picked up a document from the table.
"I called you here today for something else."
"About the Chunin Exams."
"The Chunin Exams?" Sousuke was taken aback.
We're at wartime now, who has time for the Chunin Exams?
"It wasn't a regular exam."
Hiruzen explained.
"It's a special promotion selection during wartime."
"The frontline suffered heavy losses, and there is a serious shortage of mid-level combat capabilities."
"We need to promote a group of capable genin to supplement the chunin teams and lead them."
"For example, the 37th team you sponsored, those three kids performed exceptionally well on the battlefield and have already acquired the qualities of Chunin."
"However, according to the rules, we still have to go through a procedure."
Hiruzen looked at Sousuke.
"I hope you will be one of the examiners for this selection."
""
"Me? I'm just a special Jonin, and my qualifications are—"
"Qualifications are not an issue."
Hiruzen waved his hand.
"You will be responsible for—the assessment of combat supplies."
"We're not looking for brutes who can only use ninjutsu."
"Instead, they are modern ninjas who know how to utilize resources, how to survive, and how to calculate costs."
No one understands this better than you.
Sosuke understood.
This is to vindicate the "Ninja Tool Style".
Or perhaps the Konoha leadership finally realized that the traditional ninja training model was too slow and couldn't keep up with the demands of war.
They need a new type of ninja who can quickly build up combat power and win by relying on equipment and tactics.
Sosuke was the representative of this school of thought.
"I see."
Sousuke nodded.
"I will design a unique exam."
"very good."
Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction.
"in addition----"
He mentioned it casually.
"Orochimaru has been visiting you quite often lately?"
Zongsuke's heart tightened.
Here it comes. That's the important part.
As a teacher, Hiruzen had been paying close attention to Orochimaru's movements. He may have sensed that Orochimaru was straying from the right path.
"Lord Orochimaru is very interested in my water purification formula."
Sosuke said, half-jokingly.
"He's helping me improve the formula and increase production."
"Yeah----"
Hiruzen didn't delve into it further, but simply took a deep drag on his cigarette.
"Orochimaru is a genius. But sometimes—he goes too fast, too far."
"Sousuke, you're a smart man."
"When dealing with geniuses, you must learn to keep your distance."
"Don't let his shadow consume you."
99
This is a warning. It's also a wake-up call.
"I will keep in mind the Hokage's teachings." Sousuke lowered his head.
As Sousuke walked out of the Hokage Building, his back was soaked with sweat.
Communicating with these old foxes is more tiring than practicing ninjutsu.
"Keep your distance, okay? —"
Sosuke looked at the sky.
late.
He and Orochimaru are already in the same boat.
Or rather, he is another venomous snake parasitizing Orochimaru, this giant snake.
Back to the Kikyo Pavilion.
Sousuke immediately began preparations for the Chunin Exams.
-
"Live-fire supplies assessment —"
Sosuke sat at his desk, a wicked smile playing on his lips.
"Since you've asked me to set the questions, don't blame me for being impolite."
He picked up a pen and wrote down a plan on the paper.
Survival Exercise: Resource War
[Rules: No restrictions on the use of ninja tools or methods.]
[Objective: Within a confined area filled with traps and puppets, use limited initial funds to purchase equipment, survive for three days, and steal the opponent's scroll.]
This is no exam.
This is a miniature version of a war game.
Konoha's 44th Training Ground. The Forest of Death.
This is the classic location for the Chunin Exams. Towering trees and teeming with poisonous insects and ferocious beasts.
But today, this place has been transformed.
At the entrance to the forest, rows of temporary tents were set up, bearing the flag of the Takaya Trading Company.
Listen carefully!
Matt Day stood on the platform, his voice booming. He was one of the examiners, responsible for physical fitness and discipline.
Below the stage stood fifty genin who were about to participate in the assessment.
Among them were three commoner boys from Class 37, as well as Tetsuya Sarutobi and others from Class 1.
"The rules for this exam are very simple."
Dai pointed to the tent next to him.
Phase 1: Procurement of Supplies
"Each person will be given a virtual voucher with a face value of 10,000 taels."
"You should use this ten thousand taels to buy the most useful equipment you can find in these tents."
"Warning! Once you enter the forest, there will be no supplies. What you buy will be your entire fortune for the next three days!"
The genin began to stir.
"Buying equipment? Isn't that just a matter of having good judgment?"
"What can you buy with ten thousand taels? Two explosive tags and it's gone!"
"quiet!"
Sosuke came out. He was wearing a green vest and an eyepatch over his left eye.
"This is not just about having good judgment, but also about strategic thinking."
"The supplies in these tents are limited. There are only one hundred explosive tags, fifty bottles of ration pills, and thirty kunai."
"First come, first served. Or — the highest bidder wins."
Sosuke smiled slightly.
"You can bid. Or you can—cooperate."
"You can even use your own real money to make up the difference, as long as you have it."
These words caused an uproar in the room.
Allowing the use of real money? Isn't that just blatant nepotism?
Sarutobi Tetsuya and Shimura Kuroba exchanged a glance and revealed confident smiles.
The children of wealthy families have no shortage of money.
The faces of the civilian ninjas instantly turned grim.
"This is unfair! This is cheating!" someone protested.
There is no fairness on the battlefield.
Sosuke said coldly.
"The enemy won't throw one less explosive tag just because you're poor."
"This is also part of the assessment: resource mobilization capabilities."
"Even if you borrow or cheat, as long as you can get the money, that's your skill."
"The exam begins now!"
With a command given.
Fifty genin rushed toward the supply tent.
"I want explosive tags! All of them!" Sarutobi Tetsuya shouted, waving the banknotes in his hand.
"Give me soldier rations!"
"I want a kunai!"
The situation briefly spiraled out of control.
Sosuke stood on the high platform, looking down at the chaos below.
This is the effect he wanted.
Break the rules. Let these hothouse flowers experience the power of money ahead of time.
"Jōnin Takaya, is this really a good idea?"
Ryoma stood to one side.
"That Sarutobi boy has almost bought up all the good stuff."
"It's okay."
Sosuke turned the iron gall bladder.
"Buying more doesn't guarantee a win."
Sosuke pointed in the direction of Class 37.
The three Iwai did not attempt to steal the popular offensive ninja tools.
They bought a bunch of unremarkable things: wire, tripwires, super glue, and a few bags of flour.
"A smart person knows what to buy."
Sousuke nodded approvingly.
In jungle warfare with complex terrain, traps are often more effective than straightforward ninjutsu.
The exam has begun.
In the Forest of Death, a battle is about to break out.
Sarutobi Tetsuya's squad is well-equipped.
Each of them carried dozens of explosive tags on their backs and held a finely crafted longsword in their hands.
They swept through the enemy ranks, exploding in their path and eliminating numerous civilian squads. Moreover, they barely used any of their own chakra.
But soon, they ran into trouble.
-
"What's going on? Why won't my explosive tags light?"
Deep in the damp rainforest, Shimura Kuroba discovers that the expensive explosive tags have become damp due to improper storage.
"Damn it! I definitely bought waterproof bags!"
"You bought the regular bags; the waterproof bags were bought by that Iwai guy!"
Just as they were arguing.
call out!
A large net descended from the sky. It was a wire mesh covered in glue.
"ambush!"
The three tried to struggle, but the more they struggled, the tighter the grip became.
"Cough cough cough!"
Immediately afterwards, a bag of flour was spilled down. Visibility was obscured.
"Fire Release!"
Sarutobi Tetsuya instinctively wanted to set it on fire.
"Don't set it on fire! That's flour! It'll cause a dust explosion!"
Unfortunately, it's too late.
Boom! A burst of fire exploded in the net.
Although not very powerful, it still left the three young masters of wealthy families covered in soot and their eyebrows singed.
The three members of Class 37, Iwai, jumped out from behind the tree.
They held kunai in their hands and pressed them against Sarutobi Tetsuya's neck.
"Hand over the scroll."
Iwai chuckled.
"Also, hand over the rest of your money."
"This is robbery!"
"This is an exam."
Iwai quoted Sousuke's words with righteous indignation.
"Resource mobilization capabilities, you know."
In the monitoring room.
The Third Hokage's lips twitched as he looked at the scene in the crystal ball.
"That Takaya Sousuke—he's corrupting all the children."
"But I must say—"
Mitokado watched intently from the side.
"The tactics used by the 37th squad were very effective."
"Use cheap flour to create explosions and use the environment to disable the enemy's equipment."
"This is the true ninja mindset."
three days later.
The exam is over.
The result was unexpected, yet also quite reasonable.
The 37th class, this civilian team, actually won first place.
-
Not only did they all survive, but they also seized the most reels.
The first squad, despite having the most luxurious equipment, passed the test, but in a very sorry state. Their supplies were exhausted by the second day, and they survived only by eating wild fruits.
On the high platform.
Sousuke presented the three Iwais with Chunin vests.
Congratulations!
Sosuke patted Iwai on the shoulder.
"You've proven one thing."
Money is important. But how you spend it is even more important.
The genin below the stage looked at that green vest and their expressions changed.
It's no longer the contempt of before, but rather envy and reflection.
The "Ninja Tool Style" has become incredibly popular.
Tenten's Ninja Tool Shop is always packed. Thanks to the blacksmith shop and ninja tool factory that Sosuke had previously acquired from Kazuto, Tenten's Ninja Tool Shop has a very good supply of goods.
Not only students, but also many senior Chunin began to frequent the place to study how to match equipment and how to make better use of ninja tools.
Sosuke achieved his goal.
He not only made money, but also changed Konoha's fighting style.
Subtly, he is transforming Konoha's lower and middle-ranking ninja forces into a modern army that relies on logistics and equipment.
And as long as they rely on equipment—
They couldn't do without Takaya Trading Company. They couldn't do without him, Takaya Sousuke.
"Sousuke, you've made a fortune!"
That evening, Takaya Jiro looked at the account book and couldn't stop smiling.
"This week's sales of supplies exceeded a typical month's total!"
"It's just a small amount of money."
Sosuke looked out the window at the night scene.
"The real business is outside."
He received a secret letter.
From the land of rain.
That was sent back by the saw.