Chapter 147: Becoming Hokage's Guard

In a hidden room.

This is where the Jonin of Konoha gather.

The Jonin of Konoha hold great power, as they represent the true upper echelons of the village's strength. Even the appointment of a new Hokage requires the trust and votes of the Jonin.

The leader of the Jonin, named Nara Shikaku, is a ninja of high intelligence, celebrated as Konoha's genius strategist. He always manages to come up with the best plans.

As the leader sat at his desk, he revealed a wry smile upon seeing Hatake Kakashi walking in with Akihara Kagura.

Nara Shikaku is a clever ninja, fully aware of Konoha's current situation and understanding why Sarutobi Hiruzen would promote Akihara Kagura to Jonin.

"Is there nowhere to sit?"

Akihara Kagura frowned as he entered.

There was only one set of desk and chair in the room, where Nara Shikaku sat, seemingly prepared for an interrogation. It appeared that those coming for investigation had no choice but to stand.

"This is quite the troublesome situation!"

Nara Shikaku sighed inwardly, not wanting to press others with his status and the rules, to avoid causing displeasure.

Compared to other clan ninjas, the Nara clan is seen as a symbol of wisdom, always leaving room for their rivals even in normal times, let alone for a true Wood Release genius.

"Hey, hey..."

Hatake Kakashi felt anew the trouble Akihara Kagura could cause, sighing softly: "You're here for the examination..."

"You can sit here."

Nara Shikaku surprisingly picked up a folder from the desk, stood up with a pen in hand, intending to offer his seat to Akihara Kagura.

"Forget it."

Akihara Kagura shook his head, feeling it was still somewhat awkward: "Sitting there makes it seem like I'm being interrogated for something wrong..."

"It's just a simple conversation."

Nara Shikaku's attitude was extremely polite, seemingly already familiar with Akihara Kagura's character, and explained with a smile: "This is a necessary discussion before a ninja in the village is promoted to Jonin. I might need to ask some questions to decide if you can be promoted to Jonin..."

"A quiz, huh..."

Akihara Kagura, sensing some malice, waved his hand and was about to leave directly: "This is too much trouble, I'd rather not be promoted."

"I could choose not to ask."

Nara Shikaku immediately added, his flexibility evident as he quickly wrote his own comments on the paper in front of him, without allowing Akihara Kagura any room to argue, and congratulated Akihara Kagura on his promotion with a very sincere smile.

"Congratulations on your promotion to Jonin."

"Now you can go re-register your ninja information."

Throughout this, Hatake Kakashi watched, recalling his own promotion to Jonin at the age of twelve during the war era, which was not as outrageous as today.

"Thank you."

Akihara Kagura glanced at Nara Shikaku.

[System Prompt]: [You have a new superior (Nara Shikaku), rewarded with a newcomer's welcome package, unlocking new traits!]

[Light and Shadow (When light appears, someone covers the light, and a shadow appears, like a reflection of another world. The host can freely travel through the shadow world, and control the enemy's shadow in battle.)]

This trait is quite useful.

For Akihara Kagura, he can initiate stealth attacks through shadows, controlling the enemy's shadow to puppeteer the enemy itself.

Unabashedly speaking…

This technique is even more practical under the sunlight than the Flying Thunder God Technique!

Akihara Kagura, looking at Nara Shikaku, also showed rare courtesy: "If there's anything you need help with in the future, please let me know."

"It's truly an honor…"

Nara Shikaku smiled and nodded in agreement.

After Hatake Kakashi and Akihara Kagura left, Nara Shikaku still smiled, watching their departing figures, never showing any disrespect from beginning to end.

Swish.

A hidden door slowly opened.

An elderly-looking man came in, frowning and asking, "Shikaku, isn't this too hasty?"

Nara Shikaku, sitting back in his chair, hand behind his head in a lazy posture, seemed not the least bit worried about his manner of doing things: "It's just a formality, why make it complicated?"

"You, this guy…"

The man could only shake his head helplessly: "A Jonin has many responsibilities to bear, must have sufficient responsibility…"

Compared to a Chunin, a Jonin is absolutely a leader, typically leading a group of ninjas, and must be responsible for his subordinates.

"That's true…"

Nara Shikaku, while speaking, slightly turned his head to look at his old friend, a meaningful smile on his lips: "The most important thing is still strength, right?"

Nara Shikaku looked up at the dim ceiling, revealing his truth: "The future, or perhaps now, that kid is already very strong…"

Besides,

In Konoha, another truth exists, the Hokage may not be the strongest person in the village, but the strongest person in the village will definitely become the Hokage.

"Let's go."

Nara Shikaku called to his friend: "Sorry for making you come for nothing today, let's call up Choza and have a drink tonight!"

On the other side.

Hatake Kakashi, like a dutiful senior, took Akihara Kagura to re-register his ninja information, as well as to inform him about matters related to Jonin.

A Konoha Jonin belongs to the upper echelon of the village, not necessarily required to wear the ugly green vests, enjoying a certain degree of freedom in dress, and from then on, being recognized and allowed by the village to undertake some S-rank missions.

If the promotion from Genin to Chunin is a rank advancement, then from Chunin to Jonin is a leap in rank, even having the authority to offer suggestions to the Hokage.

Besides, the most important...

A Jonin can learn some of the top techniques within Konoha.

Although Sarutobi Hiruzen can also reward some ninjutsu teachings to ninjas he deems excellent, like an award, Jonin has the complete authority to request to study the top techniques in the village, including some forbidden jutsu.

"Very good."

When Hatake Kakashi took Akihara Kagura back to the Hokage office, he also complimented him: "Although your promotion was quite hasty, becoming a Jonin at this age is also quite excellent, only a year later than me…"

"That's because I've been training with Teacher Jiraiya."

Akihara Kagura and Hatake Kakashi are very familiar with each other and don't mind having a casual chat: "I should have been promoted to Jounin at the age of eleven…"

"That's true…"

Hatake Kakashi agrees with this statement. He just looks at the peaceful village and sighs softly, "After all, we are living in a time of peace…"

A time of peace.

The promotion of ninjas in the village is naturally more troublesome.

Of course, even in times of peace, Akihara Kagura's contributions would have been more than enough for a promotion.

When Hatake Kakashi brought Akihara Kagura back to the Hokage's office, Jiraiya and Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed to have had some disagreements.

"You should have killed Orochimaru…"

Hearing about Jiraiya's encounter with Orochimaru, Sarutobi Hiruzen solemnly advised his pupil, "Orochimaru is more troublesome than you imagine. He has been conducting forbidden jutsu research and illegal experiments, which will sooner or later threaten the safety of Konoha…"

"In that case, you should deal with Danzo even more!"

Jiraiya couldn't help but chuckle, bringing up Danzo Shimura: "If it weren't for Danzo, Orochimaru wouldn't have gone this far. Compared to the trouble Danzo has caused for Konoha, Orochimaru is nothing!"

"Danzo…"

Sarutobi Hiruzen falls silent, sighing, "Jiraiya, when you sit in this position, you'll understand my difficulties."

"I don't want to understand such difficulties."

Jiraiya has no interest in dealing with these intrigues.

Jiraiya prefers to be free rather than being tied here by his teacher to learn politics.

When Jiraiya mentions Danzo, he can't avoid talking about his pupil, "Speaking of which, Kagura has been deeply influenced by Danzo. Even knowing the mistakes Danzo has made, he still wants to return to the Root, always clamoring to change the Root in his own way. Old man, this matter is now up to you to handle…"

"…"

Sarutobi Hiruzen also feels a headache.

Just then, Hatake Kakashi brought Akihara Kagura back to the Hokage's office, causing both of them to look sideways. How did the promotion examination end so quickly?

After hearing the assessment method from Nara Shikaku, Hiruzen could only marvel at the intelligence of the Konoha military advisor, and announced Akihara Kagura's new position: "Akihara Kagura, you are now a Jonin. Starting today, you will be reassigned from the Anbu to serve as my assistant and guard."

"…"

Akihara Kagura tilts his head.

What exactly is going on?

[System Prompt[: Superior (Hatake Kakashi) removed, Superior (Nara Shikaku) removed.

Now, Akihara Kagura has so few superiors. Nagato, Pain, and Uchiha Itachi belong to the super villain camp, while the small villain Orochimaru, that supervisor, is about to turn hostile;

Within the Konoha camp, the relationship with his supervisor, Shimura Danzo, is just for show, ready to turn hostile at any moment. Jiraiya, his teacher, is wary of his extreme personality and hardly dares to instruct him;

When Sarutobi Hiruzen assigns missions, they are always very vague and difficult to conclude, often resulting in copper coins rather than gold;

Rarely, today Akihara Kagura just got a new Jonin team leader, Nara Shikaku, but that supervisor hasn't provided a mission yet, and the superior-subordinate relationship is already gone;

At this time, removing two supervisors for Akihara Kagura, an employee, is like losing two sheep…

Although Akihara Kagura had already obtained Hatake Kakashi's Chidori during the incident in the Rock Village, stripping Hatake Kakashi bare, but he hasn't skinned Nara Shikaku's deer yet!

Perhaps…

This is the trouble with working within the organization.

Your superiors could be replaced at any moment due to position changes. If I really become the Hokage in the future, how am I supposed to work?

However...

As of now...

This kind of change is somewhat too unpleasant!

Akihara Kagura was a bit unhappy about losing a superior but soon realized how amazing a position as the Hokage's assistant and guard is!

Because...

The Hokage's guards can receive guidance from the Hokage!

The Konoha Village's Hokage guards need to follow the Hokage closely for a long time. Naturally, being a guard for the Hokage requires certain strength, which inevitably requires the Hokage's assessment.

Among the daily tasks of Sarutobi Hiruzen, there is one task which is to train and teach the Hokage's guards, definitely guiding them in their training!

Besides...

There's the most important point.

The candidates for the Hokage's guards and assistants are mostly Hokage candidates themselves.

A Hokage keeping an excellent ninja by their side, especially someone who could potentially succeed as Hokage, is a signal in itself.

The Kage of other ninja villages usually keep their favored successors close, to facilitate guidance.

Besides facilitating guidance for these successors, the village Kage also hope they learn how to become the Kage of a village, learning to handle the village's internal and foreign affairs, so that these successors understand how to work when they take over, at least having a path to follow.

"..."

After hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's orders, everyone present didn't find it strange because they all knew Akihara Kagura was very likely to become a Hokage candidate.

"I have taught everything I could."

Jiraiya glanced at his teacher, then at Akihara Kagura, before turning to walk towards the door, softly saying, "If you've really considered it, the rest is up to you, old man."

"I know."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, could his teaching of the young Akihara Kagura not surpass that of Shimura Danzo?

First day at work.

Akihara Kagura met his new colleagues.

In fact, there aren't many members of the Hokage's guards, usually just a Genin team, which is a team made up of special Jonin.

At other times, for the Hokage's safety, other teams or the Anbu are called upon as backup for the guard team.

Akihara Kagura looked around.

This team was actually all acquaintances.

Shiranui Genma, Raido Namiashi, Yamashiro Aoba, these three were all examiners during his Chunin exams, including Iwashi Tatami, whom he hadn't seen much.

"Am I not under Captain Genma's command?"

Akihara Kagura frowned, he didn't receive a system prompt, doesn't belong to this team?

"No."

Shiranui Genma, holding a senbon in his mouth, oddly shook his head, explaining to Akihara Kagura, "Actually, you should be our superior now, right?"

"..."

Akihara Kagura's gaze flickered.

"Genma, you guys go out first."

Sarutobi Hiruzen called for Genma's team to leave but asked Akihara Kagura to stay, and kindly inquired about a diplomatic matter.

"Kagura, you had contact with the Mizukage before."

"Now the Mist Village has requested the Mizukage to visit their village for a while, hoping the Mizukage will return to Mist. I plan to let the Mizukage leave Konoha Village, what do you think?"

"..."

Akihara Kagura frowned, then suddenly relaxed, and responded in an organized manner, "Actually, letting Yagura live to return, he would probably commit suicide. Killing Yagura and then sending his body back to the Mist Village would be the utmost kindness, helping him out to avoid him having to do it himself in the future."

"..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen silently clenched his pipe, slowly lit it, took a deep inhale, and exhaled a smoke ring, assessing the successor's answer, "The intention behind this idea is good, it's just that its execution might seem a bit extreme to others…"

~~~

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