My Techniques are a bit off

"Where have you been these past few days?"

Anko Mitarashi asked casually, brushing off being pushed away yet again with her usual nonchalance.

"Training," Link replied curtly.

With nothing else to do, of course, he was training. What else could he spend his time on? The Third Hokage had approved a bunch of jutsus for him to learn, but aside from Earth Release, mastering the nature transformations of other elements was a slow and tedious process for him. Unlike taijutsu, where he had certain advantages, nature transformations required time and effort, just like any other shinobi.

After all, he had only been a shinobi for a few years. Others took until their twenties to master two elements. Since the Konoha Crush had ended and the village was quiet, he focused on developing Wind Release as his next nature transformation.

It made sense—Earth Release could be countered by Lightning Release, as the manga had made abundantly clear. To avoid being taken down by elemental disadvantage, he was determined to counter Lightning with Wind.

Besides, training in various releases also improved his chakra control, a skill that benefitted everything.

"Let's go to Tea Street later; my treat," Anko offered warmly, her enthusiasm undeterred by his bluntness.

Before Link could respond, Asuma's voice chimed in teasingly from the doorway. "A girl being this proactive is bound to get taken advantage of, Anko."

"Yo," Asuma greeted casually as he entered.

"Where's Kurenai?" Anko asked, rolling her eyes.

"Called away by Kakashi. Apparently, one of his subordinates has talent in genjutsu—probably that Sakura Haruno girl," Asuma replied as he plopped onto a couch.

"Oh~" Anko recalled. "She's the one who faced off against the Yamanaka girl in the Chūnin Exams. Not as strong, fast, or skilled in taijutsu, but her superior chakra control evened the playing field."

"So she has a knack for genjutsu, too, huh?"

Anko sighed in admiration. Even among Jonin, young shinobi who showed promise like that were memorable.

That was one of the purposes of the Chūnin Exams—to showcase talent. Even if a participant didn't get promoted, they could still catch the attention of the higher-ups.

Sakura had only shone in the preliminary rounds. If she made a mark in the finals, she might even gain the favor of nobles or daimyō.

"Speaking of which, Link, you just got promoted to Special Jonin. How's it feel? Getting used to it yet?" Asuma asked, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

The subtext was clear—if there was anything he found difficult or strange, he could share it.

Anko clapped her hands as if she'd just realized something. "Link's a medical ninja, right? Isn't he the first one to hang out with us Jonin like this?"

Are Jonin always this chatty?

Link listened to their conversations. Some talked about gossip, others about what to eat or drink, and a few discussed their favorite books, movies, or merchandise.

A couple of Jonin were even grinning slyly while discussing their next visit to Fun Fun Street.

I thought Jonin were supposed to be more serious and mysterious...

The reality was far from what he had imagined.

"Nothing to complain about," Link replied with a small sigh, feeling disillusioned about the "mysterious" Jonin life.

"Rare chance—Kakashi's hosting at the Sake House tonight. Want to join us?" Asuma asked.

Before Link could respond, Anko interjected, "Hold it! Link's way too young to drink. Don't corrupt him!"

Her protective instincts were surprisingly quick.

Funny how the drinking age is twenty in a world where shinobi rarely live past thirty.

At that moment, an Anbu opened the door and announced, "Special Jonin Link, the Third Hokage has summoned you."

"Understood."

Link stood and left the room.

…

Hokage's Office

"Lord Hokage," Link greeted with a slight nod as he entered.

He quickly noticed the room wasn't empty. His mentor, Shikaku Nara, was present, along with Inoichi Yamanaka, Chōza Akimichi—the former Ino-Shika-Chō trio—as well as Hiashi Hyūga, representatives from the Inuzuka and Aburame clans, and more.

These were the heads of the village's prominent clans.

Standing among them was a shadowy old man with bandages around his head, smiling faintly at him.

That has to be Danzo... Link thought uneasily as he moved to stand behind Shikaku, who gestured for him to join him.

This is what a high-level circle looks like.

Most Jonin wouldn't even qualify to be here. A newly promoted Special Jonin like him? Definitely out of place.

"Regarding who will represent us in welcoming the Land of Wind delegation," Shikaku began, "I nominate my student, Link, to replace me."

"Objection."

"Approved."

"Approved."

After a round of votes, the Third Hokage concluded, "Hiashi will lead, with Kakashi and Link as members of the delegation."

Kakashi gave Link a helpless look.

Hiashi Hyūga, head of Konoha's largest clan, was a fitting choice to lead. Kakashi, groomed as a Hokage candidate, also made sense. Despite his past struggles, Kakashi had recently started rehabilitating and training again, showing promising results.

As for Link, his role was purely due to the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans' influence, along with the Hokage's approval and the tacit agreement of the pro-military faction. Otherwise, it would have been the Jonin Commander stepping in.

The meeting proceeded swiftly with concise voting and decisions.

Half an hour later, as the meeting concluded and the clan leaders began leaving, Shikaku turned to Link. "Come by the house for dinner tonight."

"Yes, Sensei," Link replied with a slight bow.

"He's a good kid," Inoichi said with a smile. "My daughter speaks highly of you. Stop by sometime."

"Same with my son, Chōji," Chōza added with a grin. "Come hang out with him when you're free."

To the older generation, "hanging out" was just a way to foster deeper connections.

Having transitioned from being a promising youngster to someone who demonstrated real value, Link was now a figure worth investing in. It was pragmatic—without mutual benefit, why would the three great clans align themselves with him?

~~~

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