Chapter 97:- Shinkiro Island

There was nothing really to see in this village. The whole village was so small that there weren't any restaurants. The villagers survived by fishing, hunting wild animals, and practicing agriculture on a small piece of land located just outside the village. 

The next morning, after having breakfast, team 7 left the village.

There were hundreds of such small villages scattered across the Land of Fire. As long as the Villagers paid yearly taxes to the Daimyō, they were allowed to live in the Land of Fire. Compared to other places, the taxes and the atmosphere of the Land of Fire are very favorable for common people. Not to mention, Konoha, the Land of Fire, has always been very peaceful for most of its time, making it an ideal place for common folks to settle down and live. 

The vast interior of the Land of Fire hasn't seen any major conflicts or battles. All the Great Wars were fought outside or in the borders of the Land of Fire. So, the common folks knew that as long as they stayed away from the border, they were safe from any Shinobi invasion. 

"Mom!!" As they were traveling, Naruto suddenly approached Kushina. 

"What is it?" 

Others also stared at Naruto. 

"Do you think our team is ready to be promoted to Chunin during this upcoming Chunin exam?" Surely, a Jonin like Kushina would be able to tell if her students were ready to become Chunin. 

Winning the Chunin exam wasn't the only way to obtain the rank of a Chunin. Sometimes, if a talented Genin displays strong skills and expertise in numerous Jutsu and performs a big feat in their mission, then it is possible for that Genin to be promoted to the ranks of a Chunin. 

Another way of getting promoted to the ranks of Chunin is through recommendations from numerous Jonins. At least 7 Jonin must recommend a Genin's name to the Hokage to be promoted to the rank of a Chunin. But that can only be recommended after every Chunin exam. Sometimes, if the rank of a Jonin is high enough, for example, Special Jonin, then a recommendation from one Jonin is enough for the Hokage to seriously consider. 

The current Kakashi and Kushina were the only Special Jonin in the whole village. If they are recommended, then team 7 members can easily be promoted to the ranks of Chunin without even needing to take the Chunin exam. 

Sometimes, even the Hokage can directly promote a Genin. The power of the Hokage was unquestionable. The Hokage can promote whoever he pleases. But that did not mean that the Hokage promoted incapable Shinobi to high ranks. Doing this can seriously harm the village in the long and short run. 

However, a Chunin exam represented more than just an exam to be promoted. Ultimately, a Chunin exam can have one true winner. If winning the Chunin exam was the only way to be promoted to the rank of a Chunin, then every village would have very few Chunin or above-tier Shinobi. 

To each and every Genin, the Chunin exam is a stage for them to prove to their village just how good they are. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance for them to truly shine. Not to mention, for the rest of the village, the Chunin exam is like a massive festival. Everyone enjoys all the blood-boiling matches. 

Not to mention the fact that the Chunin exam was a great way for villages to earn a ton of money; it was a great group of income. 

Hearing this, Kushina stopped. She landed on a tree branch and then looked at her students. 

"I don't want to give you false hope, so I will be brutally honest." 

"Among you four, the one with the highest probability of becoming a Chunin is Naruto."

"I am sure you all have seen just how strong he is. Yes, Chunin is not all about being strong. Experience, expertise in various kinds of Jutsu, and other factors do matter. But overall, your own strength is the most important thing." 

"The second one that has a very high chance of being promoted is Sarada." Sarada's expression remained the same. From the corner of her eyes, she looked at Naruto. Her current goal was to follow Naruto and get as strong as possible so that one day she could kill that man. 

"Hanabi, I am sorry to say this, but the current you isn't good enough. I am not trying to discourage you or anything." Kushina knew that Hanabi was very mature for her age, so she hoped that she would take her words positively and not negatively.

"You have enough strength, but you lack the experience. You and Sarada are the same in this regard, but Sarada has more experience due to how much she has trained since growing up. Also, her eyes give her a big advantage." 

Hanabi nodded her head. 

Kushina then turned to Sakura. "Sakura, if you continue training with this hunger and passion until the Chunin exam, I don't have any doubt that you will be promoted to the ranks of a Jonin." Sakura took Kushina's words positively. She knew that she could not win the Chunin exam with Naruto. She least hoped to reach the 3rd round of the Chunin exam, which was the most important part. 

"Alright! Let's continue." 

"Don't worry too much about the Chunin exam. Just do your best, and that will be enough for me."

"Once you become a Chunin, you all will realize that it's nothing but a title. There are a few benefits, but it's not worth it." 

"Let me tell you one thing. In the 3rd Great Ninja War, the most number of Shinobi that Konoha lost was Genin, followed by Chunin." 

"Chunin is just a rank with almost no value, but if you want to train seriously, then I would suggest you all train hard to achieve the rank of a Jonin or special Jonin." 

"But that is on you. The world is peaceful right now. Despite the aggressiveness shown by the Hidden Cloud village, I don't think a war will break out anytime in the next few decades." Hearing Kushina's words, everyone felt amused. They knew Kushina was just joking. 

There was a trace of truth in her words. From Naruto's words, Kushina basically knew all the major events that would shake this world. Kushina planned to help her son with everything she had. Besides, as a mother, she is very proud to say that even without the nine-tails power, her son is very strong right now. She could only imagine the strength that he would acquire once he got the other half of the nine tails. 

Everyone on this team had dreams that they wanted to achieve. To achieve their dreams and goals, they needed to increase their powers. Power was everything in this world. 

Other than Sakura, all of them had the pressure on their shoulders. 

Hanabi was the non-official heir to become the next Patriarch, and even as the Hyuga Princess, she had a lot of pressure to prove herself. Everyone from the Hyuga clan and the rest of the world will be watching her. Hanabi had the pressure to uphold the expectations and the reputation that came with being the Hyuga Princess.

Sarada was the last living Uchiha clan member. She is the sole survivor of the Uchiha Massacre. To Sarada, it wasn't just pressure to become stronger; rather, it was a necessity so that she could fulfill her destiny of killing her brother. That night, her brother left her alive. Sarada was determined to make her brother regret his decision and also avenge her entire clan. 

Naruto was pressured to save this world from the hands of the Black Zetsu and its mother, the Rabbit Princess. 

Most importantly, with Naruto in their team, how can they stay lazy and not train? Just having him on their team gave them the motivation to train. He is someone that all 3 of them wanted to catch up and stand with. 

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Scene Change______

In the afternoon, using a wooden boat, Team 7 finally managed to reach their destination. Shinkiro Island had a population of about 11,000 people. All the inhabitants of the island were common people.

Shinkiro Island wasn't too big, about 25 square miles (64.7497 square kilometers) in size. It was shaped like a crescent moon, curving gently around a calm bay. The island was mostly covered in thick forests, with tall trees and plenty of green plants. The air was fresh, and one could hear the sounds of birds and other small animals moving through the trees.

The people of Shinkiro Island mainly worked as fishermen. Every morning, many boats head out to the sea and return in the evening with their catch. Others farmed small plots of land, growing vegetables and fruits that thrived in the island's rich soil.

Life on Shinkiro Island was simple and peaceful, with everyone depending on the sea and the land for their livelihood.

Since Shinkiro Island was part of the Land of Fire, the Daimyo requested that some ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village be stationed there to keep watch. A group of Chunin from Konoha were always on the island to make sure no enemy ninjas from other villages sneaked in. Their job was also to protect the island's people if any rogue or foreign ninja tried to attack.

Because this island was one of the last borders of the Land of Fire, the Hidden Leaf Village took its defense very seriously. That's why about 20 ninjas from Konoha stayed on the island at all times.

To keep them fresh and ready, a new group of ninja would arrive every three months to replace the ones already there so those who had been stationed on the island could go back home and rest before their next mission. This rotation made sure that the island was always well-protected, no matter what.

However, when team 7 entered the island, they disguised themselves as commoners. They disguised themselves as merchants who had come to this island to do business. 

"Finally, we have reached Shinkiro Island." After landing, Naruto stretched his hands. 

"Alright!! Let's find an inn to stay." Kushina led her students toward the small town built on the harbor. 

While walking, everyone curiously looked around.

"Sensei, I have a question." It was Hanabi. 

"What is it, Hanabi?"

"Earlier, you said that Konoha's Shinobi was on this island." Kushina nodded her head. 

"I want to ask why are we even here then?" 

"What do you mean, Hanabi?" Sakura asked with a confused look. 

But Sarada and Kushina understood what Hanabi wanted to ask. 

"I mean to ask, since Konoha's shinobi is stationed here, why are we even here? I mean, those Shinobi can catch Mist Rogue Ninja themselves and hand him to the Hidden Mist." 

Everyone looked at Kushina and waited for her answer. 

But Kushina mysteriously smiled and replied with a wink. "You all will soon understand everything. For now, follow me." 

Hearing this, Naruto felt that his mom did not tell him everything. The letter that the Hokage sent her must have included other things. 

'Whatever!! I will eventually find out everything.' 

Soon they found a small wooden inn to stay. The islanders were used to having foreigners around. So there were plenty of inns, restaurants, and other things for foreigners. 

Kushina took them to one of their rooms. "Now, it's time for you all to begin your mission."

"I won't help you in this mission. I don't think you all will need my help in this mission."

"As your teacher, I believe that my students have it in them to complete this mission on their own."

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