My Techniques are a bit off

Unfortunately, there was no reward money.

Not all missions come with monetary compensation. For example, during the Konoha Crush arc, when Kakashi assigned tasks to the Konoha 11, those missions counted toward their total number of completed missions but didn't come with any pay.

After all, working for the village is seen as a duty, and discussing money in such situations could be considered insensitive. Thankfully, these missions still contribute to a shinobi's record, which is used to assess eligibility for promotion and—let's be honest—a bit of bragging rights.

Perhaps it's a form of military merit reward?

Link's recent mission was similar. Assisting his jonin instructor in extracting a comrade was essentially unpaid labor.

But he had expected that. Money didn't matter as long as the mission helped him climb the ladder toward promotion.

In the days that followed, life got busier—very busy.

With the Chunin Exams underway, many genin qualified to perform C-rank missions were now fully focused on the tournament, leaving a surplus of missions that needed to be taken care of.

To help Link hone his skills—and at his own request—Nara Ensui kept him occupied. For the next month and a half, Link was either heading out for a mission or on his way back to the village.

The Team Five left their mark in numerous towns around Konoha, completing three C-rank missions and two D-rank missions during the Chunin Exams period. However, there were no B-rank missions, as Ensui couldn't always take him along on high-level assignments, nor would it be appropriate to issue too many exceptions for such tasks.

Link eventually realized that Ensui wasn't their full-time babysitter. On the contrary, he had his own missions. The squad's assignments were often scheduled to coincide with Ensui's higher-level missions, essentially making the Team Five mere tagalongs.

Thanks to a jonin's speed, the time the team spent traveling or resting after missions was often enough for Ensui to complete his tasks.

Despite completing multiple missions, the squad rarely ventured far beyond Konoha's vicinity during this period. Even the C-rank missions felt mundane compared to their first trip to Tanzaku Town.

One mission involved capturing wild animals near the village to replenish the training grounds.

In another, they clashed with a group of ronin hired by a company. Link hardly needed to intervene, directing Iris and Ami to swiftly isolate, kill, or disperse the opponents. He only stepped in when Iris was injured after overextending himself.

Trained shinobi already hold a crushing advantage over ronin, and for someone as skilled as Link, defeating a ronin was no more difficult than hunting a wild animal.

When the Chunin Exams concluded, C-rank missions became scarce and highly sought after. As a result, the Team Five's hectic mission schedule came to an end.

Time passed quickly in a cycle of training, missions, and more training. By late August, the squad returned to the village for a break, and an unexpected piece of good news arrived.

"I finally got it—Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique…"

Link had initially thought he'd have to wait until becoming a chunin, then apply to access the jutsu archives to find this obscure, outdated Earth Release technique.

To his surprise, someone happened to have it. After paying a considerable portion of his savings, he managed to acquire the scroll.

As he celebrated at Ichiraku Ramen, the scroll still warm in his hands, Nara Ensui approached him with another announcement:

"You're getting promoted to chunin."

…

Hokage's Office

"Clack."

The Third Hokage pressed his seal onto a document and added it to the growing stack on his desk. Looking up at the genin standing across from him, he realized he had to lean forward slightly to meet the boy's gaze.

"Perhaps I should ask the Anbu to replace this desk with a shorter one…" As a seasoned leader, the Third Hokage could multitask, planning for the future while speaking warmly.

"Genin Link, congratulations."

"On the recommendation of Jonin Nara Ensui, and with unanimous approval from the village leadership, you have met all the qualifications to become a chunin. As of today, you are officially a chunin of Konoha."

"Becoming a chunin isn't just about combat ability. A chunin must possess skills in intelligence gathering, teamwork, battlefield analysis, and tactical application…"

It's all from the Chunin Guidebook…

Link stood at attention, listening as the Hokage spoke for a full ten minutes. By now, he was certain that the Konoha Chunin Guidebook had been written by the man before him.

He also understood why Ensui had smiled knowingly and excused himself to the restroom before sending him into the office alone.

It was supposed to be a double celebration—finally obtaining the jutsu he'd been seeking and being promoted to chunin. Yet standing here, enduring a speech that felt more like a corporate meeting from his previous life, made it hard to feel genuinely happy.

Still, it felt strangely familiar.

He instinctively nodded in agreement at the right moments, his face serious, while his mind wandered to what he should do as a chunin.

The Hokage, meanwhile, transitioned seamlessly from chunin qualifications to the village's development and finally concluded with an inspiring note on the Will of Fire.

Looking at the upright and composed young boy before him, the Hokage nodded in satisfaction.

"What a promising child," he thought, reminiscing about his former students.

Link snapped out of his thoughts. Years of zoning out during lengthy speeches in his past life had equipped him with the ability to respond appropriately on autopilot. Most of the Hokage's words had gone in one ear and out the other.

"Finally over. Can I go get my chunin vest now?" he wondered.

"Chunin Link," the Hokage said, his tone more solemn. "Remember, a shinobi's strength does not come from the individual but from the entire village."

"Yes, Lord Third," Link replied, bowing slightly.

The Hokage glanced out the window, his expression softening as he looked at the bustling village. Pushing the freshly stamped Chunin Certification to the edge of the desk, he said, "Once again, congratulations."

Stepping forward to retrieve his certificate, Link gave a respectful bow. "Thank you, Lord Hokage. If there's nothing else, I'll excuse myself."

With that, he turned and left.

As the door closed, the Third Hokage tapped his desk and instructed the Anbu nearby, "Increase the protection level for Chunin Link."

From observation to protection, this was the most he could do.

A shadow crossed his face as he considered the sacrifices made by past Hokage—those who bore immense burdens in darkness to safeguard the light of the village.

"Perhaps I am the most naive and inadequate Hokage of them all," he muttered, lighting his pipe.

~~~

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