Chapter 182: A New Chapter
A light rain fell, and the entire village was draped in mourning. The Yamanaka Flower Shop was doing a roaring trade, selling every bloom they had.
Ino, ever the resourceful one, quietly introduced "family sets," "couples' sets," and "children's sets," among other discounted offers – or so she claimed.
With the Third Hokage's funeral concluded, life in the village carried on as it always did.
There wasn't an overwhelming sense of grief. Even Jiraiya and Tsunade, his two disciples, and Asuma, his own son, weren't visibly heartbroken.
Ninjas had witnessed too much death in their lives.
Passing away at the age of seventy could hardly be considered a tragedy. Compared to the countless children who were sent to the battlefield in their early teens, never to return, this felt like a natural end.
The older generation of ninjas reacted with a quiet resignation. They had seen too much, and they understood the Third Hokage – his merits and his flaws. They had all, in their own way, prepared for this eventuality.
It was the younger generation who felt the loss more keenly. Ino, in particular, made a show of deep sorrow in public. For three full days after the funeral, she remained dressed in somber attire, constantly reminding everyone of the Third Hokage's achievements and urging them to buy a bouquet or two from her shop to honor the departed elder.
Naruto was genuinely sad, though his grief had its limits. For him, it was the loss of an old man who had acknowledged his existence. Konohamaru, however, was the most affected.
Children are often more sensitive to subtle changes. The adults, at times, weren't particularly mindful of their words and actions. Before, Konohamaru had been known as "Lord Konohamaru," the Hokage's grandson. Now that his grandfather was gone, he was simply Konohamaru.
It was a situation best left for him to navigate on his own.
Jiraiya, despite his seemingly carefree attitude, possessed a sharp political mind and a vast network of connections.
Following Shikaku's advice, he sent a confidential letter in his own name to the Land of Fire's Lord. The message conveyed that the Third Hokage's passing had been sudden, and with the acting Hokage absent from the village, the enthusiastic support of the villagers and ninjas had compelled him to assume the mantle of the Fifth Hokage. He expressed his hope for continued harmonious relations between the ninja village and the Land of Fire, working together to build a brighter future.
The wording was deliberately perfunctory, reflecting the ninja village's standard approach to the Daimyo. Maintaining appearances was sufficient. Did the Daimyo truly believe he could dictate the appointment or removal of a village's Kage? It was a laughable notion.
Jiraiya maintained the political framework established by the Third Hokage, securing the support of the two advisors.
Subsequently, Shikaku gradually began the process of handing over his duties as the Jonin Commander. His focus would now shift entirely to serving as the Hokage's strategist, positioning himself to potentially fill an advisor role should one become vacant in the future.
The position of Jonin Commander was slated to be filled by Kakashi, the clear successor in line.
Jiraiya's ascension to the Fifth Hokage mirrored Tsunade's choices in the original timeline, or perhaps more accurately, there were limited alternatives for the position.
He used the pretext of promoting Chunin to gauge the sentiments and allegiances of the major ninja clans.
Jiraiya held a higher level of prestige than Tsunade, and coupled with the lingering influence of the Third Hokage, he possessed greater flexibility and room to maneuver in addressing village matters.
Teams like Team 7 and Team 10 typically didn't remain together for extended periods. Jonin missions were incredibly demanding, and it was an inefficient use of resources to have them babysit Genin for three to five years.
It was akin to a new employee joining a company. A senior colleague would guide them for a while, and once they were familiar with the workflow, they were expected to work independently.
Promotion to Chunin signified that they had developed the ability to work independently, at which point the Jonin could step back.
Gaara was from Sunagakure, so he wasn't part of this discussion.
In Konoha, Ino and Sasuke were the obvious candidates for Chunin promotion. Naruto, Shikamaru, and Shino, however, required further evaluation from the village's leadership.
With the immediate chaos following his appointment as Fifth Hokage somewhat settled, Jiraiya turned his attention to the unresolved matters of the Chunin Exams.
After careful consideration, Ino, Sasuke, Naruto, Shino, Neji, and Shikamaru were all included in the promotion list.
This decision generally encompassed one or two members from each of the four Jonin-led teams, ensuring representation from the major ninja clans.
Jiraiya particularly wanted to compensate Naruto, and the Chunin promotion was just the first step.
However, upon reviewing Naruto's completely blank exam paper from the Chunin Exams, a sense of unease washed over him. He immediately summoned Naruto to his office to administer a personalized, on-the-spot evaluation.
"What in the world is this you've written?!" Jiraiya exclaimed, his patience snapping. He had casually posed ten of the simplest questions imaginable, yet Naruto hadn't answered a single one correctly.
How could he possibly make someone like that a Chunin? Wouldn't that be detrimental to everyone?
"I'm so sorry, Lord Hokage! It's entirely my fault. I sincerely apologize!" Iruka declared, taking full responsibility with a deep ninety-degree bow, believing he had failed in his duty to properly educate Naruto.
Jiraiya was at his wit's end. Naruto's theoretical knowledge was practically nonexistent. Approving this Chunin promotion felt impossible; his conscience wouldn't allow it.
It wasn't that he didn't want to honor Minato's memory, but Naruto simply wasn't ready. He would have to remain a Genin for now.
Ino's situation presented a different kind of challenge. Based on her abilities and referencing Kakashi's precedent, she was more than qualified to be a Jonin. In fact, Kakashi's skills weren't as refined as hers when he received his promotion.
Ino's only drawback was her relatively low number of completed missions. Jiraiya tasked Tsunade with appeasing her, proposing that she be promoted to Chunin first, with a Jonin promotion to follow once she had accumulated more mission experience.
Tsunade responded by punching the newly instated Fifth Hokage straight into a wall. Her disciple was good enough to be Hokage directly, so what was this talk of Chunin? Who was he trying to fool? Nevertheless, she eventually agreed to relay the message.
Ino, however, couldn't have cared less about the promotion itself. Her only desire was for Tsunade to leave the village quickly so she could follow and embark on her own schemes.
Cracking the Fourth Kazekage's mind had been a delicate process. She had intentionally avoided delving into the sensitive secrets of numerous brain sealing jutsu. However, she had uncovered a crucial piece of information: the location where the Fourth Kazekage had buried a significant amount of gold dust!
The global economic climate wasn't favorable, and selling such a large quantity of gold at once would drastically lower its value. The Fourth Kazekage had made a habit of panning for gold in the desert in his spare time, and over the years, he had amassed a considerable fortune.
This secret storage location remained unknown to everyone.
Now, a substantial amount of gold was waiting for her deep within the desert. Ino was practically bursting with impatience. What did she care about being a Jonin or Chunin? It was mere pocket change compared to what awaited her.
On the third day of Jiraiya's reign as the Fifth Hokage, Ino, Shikamaru, Sasuke, Neji, and Shino were all promoted to Chunin.
Their ninja registration cards were updated, and they received their Chunin vests.
Ino took a quick photo with her Chunin vest and promotion certificate before promptly relegating the bright green garment to the bottom of her storage chest.
Wearing the vest was optional; the village didn't enforce it.
Someone with Orochimaru's personality had worn the Chunin vest constantly before his defection, hoping to cultivate a positive image. But upon hearing the news, "What? Minato Namikaze became the Fourth Hokage? What the f***?! I'm not wearing this anymore!"
Ino continued to sport her signature midriff-baring top, Neji stuck to his Chinese-inspired attire, and the Aburame clan, due to their symbiotic relationship with insects, were restricted to their clan's specialized clothing. Sasuke remained indifferent to the green vest. In the end, only Shikamaru donned the Chunin vest.