My Techniques are a bit off

The Next Day, Hokage's Office

"This year's Chūnin Exams—"

The Jonin had gathered in the Hokage's office, where the Third Hokage and his two advisors sat behind the desk, discussing the aftermath of the recent events and all matters related to the village.

This was a private meeting among Konoha's higher-ups.

As a Chūnin, Link sat in the back, feeling slightly awkward. Everyone else in the room was either a Special Jonin or a full Jonin, and the difference in rank and seniority was evident in the curious looks he received.

"Regarding the transfer of the Fourth Kazekage—"

"Border defenses—"

"Compensation for injured or fallen ninja—"

"Reconstruction of collapsed buildings—"

"The concerns of the daimyo and nobles—"

The meeting proceeded methodically, tackling numerous issues. Despite the conflict being a small-scale war, the aftermath brought no shortage of headaches.

While the Sunagakure might face condemnation for the deaths of certain nobles, Konoha wasn't off the hook either. Hosting an event where such chaos erupted was bound to harm its reputation.

For Konoha, this was a financial strain. Rebuilding destroyed infrastructure and compensating casualties required substantial resources. Though the Konoha Crush didn't result in many casualties, the material and economic losses were significant.

Normally, the victor could demand reparations from the defeated party to recover losses. However, the Sunagakure was utterly impoverished. It survived on gold mining, thanks to the Fourth Kazekage, but even that wasn't a reliable source of income, as it depended on market demand.

Konoha's leadership hadn't realized just how destitute the Sunagakure was until they processed the prisoners. From the Hokage to the advisors and the Jonin, the situation gave everyone a headache.

No money, no resources, no missions, terrible geography, and a severe lack of talent.

This was the third meeting of the day. The first involved only the Hokage and his advisors, the second a smaller group of senior Jonin, and now a larger meeting to brainstorm solutions.

They couldn't simply kill the prisoners, after all.

The current plan was to accept gold as war reparations and use Sunagakure ninja labor for Konoha's abundant missions. Officially, this would be framed as fostering friendship, but it was also an opportunity to subtly influence the Sunagakure ninja while leveraging their manpower.

Furthermore, Konoha could negotiate access to unique Sunagakure jutsu under the guise of cultural exchange.

The Sunagakure had no other choice. Their gamble had failed, leaving them at Konoha's mercy. The only reason they weren't annexed outright was the potential reaction from the other great nations.

After more than two hours, the meeting finally ended before lunchtime, but no one left their seats.

"There's one last matter," the Third Hokage said with a smile, removing his hat and reverting to his kindly old-man persona. He looked to the back of the room, where Link sat.

"Congratulations, Link. You are now a Special Jonin."

Seated in the front, Shikaku Nara gave Link an encouraging smile. Kakashi Hatake, Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi, and Might Guy looked on with approval.

And then there was Anko Mitarashi, who suddenly leapt forward, hugging Link and loudly shouting, "Congratulations!"

Exhaling a deep breath, Link looked around at the smiles, gestures, and words of encouragement from everyone. Slowly, he began to smile himself.

Ten and a half years after arriving in this world, after endless effort and growth, he had finally stepped into the ranks of Konoha's higher-ups.

Even as a Special Jonin, he now had a voice and a measure of authority, no longer just a Chūnin or Genin who could be ordered around.

Gently pushing away the overly enthusiastic Anko, Link stood and thanked the Third Hokage.

This feels... pretty good.

…

Afternoon, Training Ground Seven

"Awesome!" Iris cheered loudly, thrilled about their leader's promotion to Special Jonin.

Ami grinned. "We should celebrate with barbecue tonight. My treat!"

Link chuckled and glanced at Sasuke Uchiha, who looked away awkwardly and muttered, "I'll go."

Still as stubborn as ever.

Link's smile widened but didn't press Sasuke for an overly enthusiastic congratulations. After all, that wouldn't be like him.

"Oh, boss, we've got an out-of-village mission tomorrow," Iris said.

Post-war, Konoha had to ramp up its mission completion rate to demonstrate strength to the outside world. Many rebuilding tasks were also being converted into missions for Genin.

Hearing this, Sasuke added, "I'm heading out with Team Seven soon as well."

"Then today is our last group training session for a while," Link said, looking at their faces.

Once the missions began, it would be hard to find time for daily training together. Even occasional sessions would likely be missed due to conflicting schedules.

The next Chūnin Exams were a year away, so it would be some time before they reunited.

Link himself would be buried in missions as a newly promoted Special Jonin. Unlike a full Jonin, who usually completed over a hundred high-rank missions, Special Jonin had a slightly lighter workload—but not by much.

Iris and Ami fell silent, but Sasuke spoke up. "I'll make Chūnin as soon as possible."

He wasn't particularly concerned about ranks like Genin or Chūnin; his focus was solely on gaining strength. However, he knew that becoming a Chūnin would grant him more freedom. As a Genin, he was still obligated to follow his team leader on missions.

"I will too!" Iris and Ami said in unison. "We'll definitely pass next year's Chūnin Exams, boss."

"Don't overthink it," Link said, patting Iris on the back and resting a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Let's call it a day and go eat some barbecue."

After the meeting, Link had been dragged to lunch by the Jonin and then spent the afternoon with Shikaku Nara. By the time he reached the training ground, it was nearly evening.

Even Sasuke didn't argue and followed them out of the training ground, walking along the empty streets.

"Isn't it a bit too quiet?" Ami asked, sensing something amiss.

Link stopped in his tracks, looking ahead at two figures in black cloaks adorned with red clouds.

With a soft sigh, he muttered, "This just got troublesome."

~~~

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