Naruto : Blazing Legend

Chapter 32: Chapter 32 : Elevation



Chapter 32: Elevation

The morning after the assessment dawned gray and overcast, matching the hollow exhaustion that still clung to the survivors. The indoor dojo felt suffocating despite its size, filled with the quiet tension of young shinobi who had seen too much blood the day before. Bandages and healing salves were common accessories among the gathered Genin, silent testimony to Orochimaru's brutal lesson.

The Third Hokage's voice carried across the hushed assembly as he read from his prepared list, "Uchiha Izumiyama's team... the Ino-Shika-Cho formation... Wada Yu and Hanazuki..." The litany continued, encompassing the five water-style specialists who had shown tactical coordination and three others whose performances had been decidedly unremarkable.

Those three barely did anything noteworthy, Rei thought, his eyes narrowing as he studied the newly minted Chunin. And Izumiyama's lackeys spent most of the fight hiding behind others. How did they—The realization hit him like a physical blow. Of course. The Will of Fire.

It wasn't skill or strength that had earned their promotions—it was sacrifice. Those three had thrown themselves into harm's way to shield their comrades, embodying the selfless ideology that Sarutobi Hiruzen held above all else. Technical competence was secondary to proper indoctrination.

The Third Hokage's weathered eyes settled on the final two candidates, and something that might have been grandfatherly pride flickered in their depths. "Uchiha Rei, Shirakumo Hayama—in recognition of your exceptional performance, you will be granted special consideration. Effective immediately, you are promoted to the rank of Special Jounin."

The words hit Rei like a death sentence wrapped in silk. His face remained carefully neutral, but inside, dread coiled around his heart. Special Jounin at thirteen. Every enemy village will have my name in their bingo books within the month. I might as well paint a target on my back.

Beside him, Hayama's face lit up with unrestrained joy. "Thank you, Hokage-sama! I swear on my life that I won't disappoint the village!" His voice cracked slightly with emotion, the weight of sudden recognition overwhelming his usual composure.

The congratulations that followed felt hollow to Rei's ears. Handshakes from newly promoted Chunin, envious glances from those who hadn't advanced, warm words that tasted like ash in his mouth. He knew what this meant—he was no longer just another promising student. He was an asset, a weapon to be wielded by those who commanded from the shadows.

The Third Hokage's speech about the Will of Fire that followed was masterfully delivered, each word calculated to stir the blood and cloud the mind. Even Rei found himself swept up in the rhetoric, his face flushing as he declared his readiness to brave fire and flood for the village. The words felt like poison on his tongue, but the alternative was suspicion, and suspicion led to very unpleasant conversations in very dark rooms.

By the time the ceremony concluded, the sun hung directly overhead, casting harsh shadows through the dojo's windows.

"We need to celebrate this properly," Hanazuki declared, her bruised face managing a genuine smile. "Let's call Inouchi sensei and paint the town red."

"Just so we're clear, I'm not cooking," Rei said flatly, the morning's ideological bombardment having drained what little enthusiasm he'd managed to muster. "My brain feels like someone took a kunai to it."

"Barbecue it is!" Wada Yu's excitement was infectious, his recent promotion to Chunin having inflated his usual cheerfulness to near-manic levels. "Gods, I can't believe we actually made it this far. Shame we won't be working together much anymore though."

"My treat," Rei said, already forming the hand signs for a shadow clone. "Let's at least pretend we're normal kids celebrating normal achievements."

Yamanaka Inoichi arrived at the barbecue restaurant in record time, his usually composed demeanor cracking to reveal genuine pride. "Special Jounin?" he repeated, shaking his head in amazement. "At your age? That's... that's incredible, Rei. I'm so proud of all of you."

The private room they'd secured was warm and welcoming, filled with the sizzle of cooking meat and the easy laughter of people who'd survived something terrible together. For a brief moment, Rei allowed himself to forget about bingo books and assassination attempts, losing himself in the simple pleasure of shared food and friendship.

That peace shattered when the door slid open without ceremony.

Danzo entered like a shadow given form, his presence immediately sucking the warmth from the room. The bandages covering half his face seemed to writhe in the flickering light, and his visible eye swept across the assembled group with calculating precision.

"Danzo-sama," Yamanaka Inoichi said, rising so quickly he nearly knocked over his chair. The respectful greeting couldn't quite hide the tremor in his voice.

"Hehe, Inoichi," Danzo replied, his tone carrying the false warmth of a predator trying to appear harmless. "I need to speak with young Rei here. Privately, if you don't mind."

The request wasn't really a request, and everyone in the room knew it. Inoichi's mouth opened as if to protest, but Rei cut him off with a weary gesture.

"It's fine, sensei. Take the others and go. I'm sure Danzo-sama has important village business to discuss." The words tasted like bile, but refusing would only make things worse.

As his teammates filed out, their faces tight with worry, Rei caught sight of the Root operatives taking positions by the door. How many more were hidden in the shadows? How many kunai were already aimed at his heart?

Once they were alone, Danzo's mask of civility became even more grotesque. "Your talent is exceptional, even by Uchiha standards," he began, settling into a chair with the casual grace of a man who held life and death in his hands. "Join Root, and I guarantee you'll be a full Jounin within two years. The village needs shinobi of your caliber."

The same village that just tried to have me killed yesterday, Rei thought, but his expression remained appropriately eager. "Really? You'd want someone like me in your organization? But... well, Hatake Sakumo already approached me about ANBU, and the Hokage approved my application. I already gave my word."

The lie rolled off his tongue smoothly, years of surviving his clan's politics having taught him the art of misdirection. Better to let these two power-hungry fossils fight over him than to commit to either openly.

Danzo's visible eye gleamed with something that might have been satisfaction. "Leave that to me. I'll speak with Hiruzen tomorrow. A talent like yours belongs in Root, where it can truly serve the village's interests."

"But what if he refuses?" Rei pressed, allowing uncertainty to creep into his voice. "And the clan elders want me in the Police Force. They say it's the best path to becoming Fourth Hokage someday."

The bait was taken immediately. "The Fourth Hokage?" Danzo leaned forward, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Then Root is definitely where you belong. The village remembers those who serve in its darkest hours. Your sacrifices won't go unnoticed."

Your sacrifices, Rei noted. Not the village's sacrifices or necessary sacrifices—your sacrifices. As if his pain and blood were currencies to be spent in pursuit of Danzo's ambitions.

"Then I'm decided," Rei said, injecting his voice with the kind of naive determination that men like Danzo fed on. "I'll join Root. Please speak with the Hokage on my behalf tomorrow."

As they exchanged pleasantries and false promises, Rei's mind was already racing ahead to his next move. He'd visit the Hokage tonight, plead his case for ANBU membership, and let these two ancient vultures tear each other apart over his corpse.

When Danzo finally rose to leave, Rei made his own exit, but not before stopping by the front counter. "The gentleman in the private room will be handling our bill," he told the pretty waitress with his most charming smile. "Please make sure he gets the full treatment—he's very important to the village."

The scene that followed was almost worth the risk of antagonizing one of Konoha's most dangerous men. Danzo's shocked expression when presented with the check, the waitress's increasingly suspicious demeanor, the whispered conversations that followed him out of the restaurant—it was a small victory, but in a world where small victories were all you could manage, it felt like a triumph.

"Didn't expect Danzo-sama to be that type of person," someone whispered as the War Hawk of Konoha beat a hasty retreat.

"You'd think someone in his position would at least carry pocket money," another voice added.

"Politicians," a third person spat, the word carrying all the disdain of someone who'd watched their leaders send children to die while dining on the finest delicacies.

Each comment was a small dagger in Danzo's pride, and Rei savored every one. In a system designed to grind idealistic children into weapons, even the pettiest rebellion felt like a victory worth celebrating.

But as he watched the Root operatives melt back into the shadows, Rei couldn't shake the feeling that his small triumph had come at a terrible cost. Men like Danzo didn't forget slights, and they had long memories for those who dared to mock them.

The promotion that should have been a celebration had become another move in a game whose rules he was only beginning to understand. And somewhere in the darkness, patient as a spider in its web, forces were already moving to ensure that his newfound status came with a price he might not be willing to pay.

Special Jounin at thirteen, he thought again, the weight of the rank pressing down on his shoulders like a burial shroud. I wonder how long I'll live to regret this honor.

****************

Additional chapters on Patr*n

35 Advanced chapters & 5 Bonus chapters of Corpse Picker of Konoha

20 Chapters of Naruto : Blazing Legend

patre*n*com/IchigoTL


Tip: You can use left, right, A and D keyboard keys to browse between chapters.