Chapter 136: Come On, Let's Stir Some Trouble!

Even if it was an easy pass, they had to accept it. What else could they do? The exam's content was set, and they didn't restrict the use of summoning creatures. If someone happened to have a summon that specialized in tracking and had a keen sense of smell, well, tough luck.

The second part of the exam ended in less than ten minutes, which left the ANBU responsible for setting up the test feeling rather bitter. They had spent over three hours preparing the fake battle scenes, hiding scrolls, and setting up traps, only for Takuya to breeze through it in ten minutes.

It was almost insulting.

Where was the effort they'd put in supposed to be acknowledged?

The final part of the exam, the combat test, was held at the training grounds. The proctor was a jonin from the ANBU, who was well aware of Takuya's abilities. From the moment the fight started, the jonin kept his head down, avoiding eye contact. Unfortunately for him, it didn't help.

Takuya snapped his fingers, and the ANBU jonin froze on the spot.

Then, right in front of his comrades, the guy started dancing like there was no tomorrow.

It was absolutely absurd.

Takuya stood off to the side, arms crossed, watching the spectacle with an amused smirk on his face. The other ANBU members, on the other hand, were mortified. If they weren't wearing masks, you could bet their faces would've been bright red with embarrassment.

To make matters worse, the jonin's moves, decked out in full ANBU gear, were oddly graceful—better than the Third Kazekage's infamous dance routine, if you asked anyone watching.

"..."

The Third Hokage, who had sworn he'd stop using his Crystal Ball Technique to spy, couldn't help but sneak a peek. Watching his skilled subordinate twirl around at Takuya's command, his mouth twitched in frustration.

"This is ridiculous!" the Third Hokage thought, barely resisting the urge to facepalm.

Who would dare question Takuya's qualifications for jonin now? If you thought his skills weren't enough, you'd be the one needing a reality check. That jonin was trapped in a genjutsu, a powerful one that would take some time to break. The poor guy would be bedridden for a while.

They were already short-staffed, and now it would get worse. At least Takuya had passed the exam—that was the silver lining in this whole mess.

The Hokage almost regretted not skipping the combat test entirely. The whole thing was a formality at this point, a complete waste of time.

"Can I go now?" Takuya asked, clearly done with the whole ordeal.

He was the type to cast a spell and walk away, leaving the cleanup for others to deal with. Whether the guy stayed in the hospital for a few weeks or recovered at home wasn't his problem.

"Yeah, you can go," the remaining ANBU members responded, defeated.

Takuya waved dismissively and vanished from sight.

"Uh… wait!" One of the ANBU members called after him, a little panicked. "Is there no safe way to release the genjutsu?"

Takuya shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, no can do."

The other ANBU members could only sigh and haul their dancing comrade off to the hospital, hoping the genjutsu would wear off before he caused too much of a scene.

With the exam over, Takuya returned home, only to find his house full of people. Kushina, Mikoto Uchiha, Minato, and Nawaki were all there. Nawaki's swollen, bruised face had healed nicely, though it probably cost him a small fortune. His teeth were back in place too, so that was good.

"Takuya, where have you been? We've been waiting for ages!" Minato exclaimed. He had come over early that morning to discuss sealing techniques with Takuya, but found the house empty. Thinking maybe Takuya had gone grocery shopping, he stuck around, hoping to catch a free meal. Hours passed, and Takuya was still nowhere to be found.

"Don't even ask," Takuya grumbled as he opened the fridge, grabbed a bottle of orange juice, and flopped down on the couch. "There was an ANBU guy outside my door this morning. I thought it was some new mission, but no—it was to tell me I had a jonin exam."

"Jonin exam?!" Kushina and Mikoto's eyes went wide. Minato and Nawaki looked equally shocked.

"Wait, when did you apply for the exam?" Minato asked, now looking a little annoyed. "And why didn't you tell us?"

Both Minato and Nawaki started to berate him for not mentioning such an important event. Meanwhile, Kushina and Mikoto were more concerned with whether or not he passed.

"Did you pass?" they asked, eyes full of anticipation.

Takuya tossed the empty juice bottle onto the table, rolling his eyes. "I didn't apply for anything. The Hokage signed me up for it. It was a personal exam, just me. I barely had time to wake up, wash my face, or even brush my teeth before running off to the exam."

He sighed, clearly still irritated. "I did the theory exam, but I couldn't leave after that. I had to wait for the results, then they threw me into a combat assessment. Oh, and I haven't eaten anything all day."

That explained a lot. Still, why was the Hokage so free these days, signing people up for random ninja exams?

Minato and Nawaki exchanged confused glances. Why had the Hokage been so keen to get Takuya tested? Was this a thing now?

Kushina, however, was focused on the more important part. "So, did you pass?"

Takuya snorted. "Please. It's a jonin exam. You think that could stop me? The guy overseeing the combat test is on his way to the hospital right now. He'll probably be out for a week or two."

Mikoto couldn't help but chuckle at that. "If they try to mess with you, might as well mess with them back, right?"

Takuya shrugged. "I feel bad for the ANBU guy, but hey, someone had to be the proctor, and it wasn't like I was going to hold back. If I don't take these things seriously, people will just keep saying I'm too young to be a jonin."

He didn't even need to mention them by name—Koharu and Homura were bound to complain to the Hokage. That's what they always did.

Better to pass with flying colors and avoid giving them any ammo to use against him later.

"That's awesome!" Kushina cheered, grabbing Takuya's arm and shaking it enthusiastically. "Let's go out for yakiniku to celebrate! My treat, to mark the occasion!"

In a fantastic mood, the small fortune she'd spent shopping the previous day seemed like nothing. After all, what's a little spending spree compared to eating yakiniku with friends?

"I could definitely go for some barbecue right now," Takuya agreed. "But I'm paying this time. I'm the one who passed the exam, and I can't let you keep covering everything."

Kushina looked like she wanted to argue, but Takuya gave her a serious look. "I insist."

"Fine, but I'm treating next time!" she huffed, pouting a little but agreeing nonetheless.

With that, the group got ready to head out for yakiniku. As they left, Takuya pulled Kushina aside.

"You guys go on ahead. I need to talk to Kushina for a minute," he said to the others.

"Alright, don't take too long!" Mikoto called back, grinning as she dragged a clueless Nawaki away, with Minato following close behind.

Kushina, feeling a bit self-conscious, stared at the ground. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked quietly.

Takuya sighed, watching her kick at a small rock on the ground. He reached out, ruffling her hair gently. "Kushina, I know you mean well, and I know you could probably buy an entire street if you wanted to. But you shouldn't always be the one giving, you know?"

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