048 Prove Konoha's Dominance 

Simu touched his lips, still feeling the warmth from the kiss.

A slight smile appeared on his face as he glanced back at the door before reluctantly leaving.

It wasn't that Simu didn't want to take things further; he just realized that Kushina was only 13 years old. 

It would be inappropriate to rush things now. 

So, he decided to wait a bit longer.

After a good night's sleep, he was awakened early the next morning by Minato.

With messy hair, Simu looked at Minato in confusion. "What do you want from me?"

Minato glanced at the time and realized it was already afternoon. 

He wondered how Simu could still be sleeping. 

It made him question if Simu was even training at home since he seemed so laid-back, yet his strength was still increasing rapidly.

"Hokage-sama is looking for us," Minato said. Simu yawned, still feeling groggy.

"Why does that old man keep asking for us again? Why does he work overtime every day?" Minato shrugged helplessly. 

In the past, he would remind Simu to show respect for Hokage's title, but he had given up on that now. 

Whenever Simu got into trouble, Minato just accepted it as normal.

The two of them didn't waste any time and headed straight to the Hokage's office. 

The Third Hokage looked up in surprise and said to Simu, "Not bad! This time you didn't come in through the window."

Simu smiled and sat down in the chair. 

"I didn't want to come in through the window this time since I'm with Minato. It feels embarrassing to act on my own."

The Third Hokage glared at him. "So you do realize that you're a bit of a maverick when you come in through the window?" 

After preaching to Simu, Third Hokage brought the topic back.

"Alright, the reason I called you two here is that there's something for you to do." 

Third Hokage got serious and dropped a file on the desktop.

"In order to strengthen friendships between big countries, express mutual sincerity, establish a harmonious order in the ninja world, and promote its development," 

The Third Hokage explained, "Konohagakure, Kumogakure, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure have decided to hold a joint Jōnin exam."

"A Jōnin exam?" Simu frowned, sensing that this could mean more work for him.

The Third Hokage smiled kindly. "That's right. After passing this exam, you will be recognized as a Jōnin certified by the four major nations."

"Us?" Simu asked, surprised.

"Yes, it's you," the Third Hokage replied, leaning back in his chair with a kind expression. 

"For the glory of Konoha, I'm going to let your team take this exam."

"It's an exam, but it's more like a secret competition between the major powers," 

"You remember that last time Kumo Shinobi and we almost had a serious fight?"

"We lost several Jōnin from Konoha, and their infiltration caused great damage here. It was a huge humiliation for us!" 

As he spoke, the Third Hokage's expression grew serious.

"So, this time, you all have to pass this exam for me beautifully!"

"I want the other four major nations to know that Konoha is not easy to mess with!" Minato looked serious, after all this is not just an ordinary exam.

It's a mission related to the entire Glorious Konoha!

He looked ready to dedicate his life for the village if necessary.

Simu, on the other hand, remained indifferent. It felt like his grandma was going on another big business trip!

The Third Hokage wanted to prove Konoha's strength, but other ninja villages had the same goal. 

They would surely showcase their talents during the exam, and Simu couldn't help but wonder what kind of challenges he might face.

Simu raised his hand and asked in a low voice, "Hokage-sama, is there a Chūnin exam?"

"Go away!" 

The Third Hokage shouted, his face turning red with frustration. 

He almost sent Simu flying with a punch. 

After all, just the other day, Simu had defeated three Jōnin by himself.

As a result, now Simu wanted to take the Chūnin exam. 

There has to be a limit to shamelessness, right? 

The Third Hokage had considered pretending to be a pig to catch a tiger, but he couldn't bring himself to ask Simu to take the Chūnin exam. 

While Simu might be shameless, Konoha still needed to maintain some dignity.

Although the Second Ninja World War had ended less than ten years ago, the atmosphere in the ninja world was starting to feel tense again.

Big countries are ready to move, and small countries have constant friction.

As a result, the four big countries, excluding the Land of Water, have decided to hold the Jōnin exam to showcase their strength. 

Some smaller nations hope to use this opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities and prove they are not easy to bully. 

Meanwhile, the great powers aim to establish greater deterrence.

Tell small countries and other big countries that their strength is very strong, don't mess with them.

Konoha is of course no exception.

That's why Third Hokage let Simu and Minato play.

Konoha must tell the entire ninja world in this joint exam.

We, Konoha, are still the overlords of the ninja world!

.

.

TO BE CONTINUED

_________________

Noted : if you guys want read advance chapter +15 ch ahead of everyone, you can check at my P@treon : patreon.com/MoonEater18