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Time flew by. It had already been over a month since the Gentle Fist appeared in Akio's attribute panel, and his Gentle Fist had now reached Level 3.
Gentle Fist LV3 (61000/100000)
"Progressing pretty fast. Age doesn't seem to be a factor at all—and it's not like I've been practicing every day, either."
Over the past month, Akio had taken on a routine much like the elderly people practicing Tai Chi in his past life. Every morning, he'd go through the Gentle Fist beginner forms twice, and somehow, it felt quite pleasant.
Sigh. "I really thought leveling up the Gentle Fist would let me grasp some techniques on my own. I was too naive… or maybe I just haven't reached the required level yet?"
Watching the two little ones in front of him mimicking the Gentle Fist moves with surprising precision, Akio smiled and asked, "Did your grandfather ever say if there's a level of mastery you need before you can learn the Hyuga Clan's secret techniques?"
The two children looked at each other and shook their heads.
Akio sighed. Looks like they don't know yet. He glanced at the sky—twilight was settling in.
"It's been a month and a half since I arrived in Konoha, so when exactly is the Hokage going to be chosen? Earning some Witness Points is harder than I thought…" Akio sighed, waving the kids off for the day.
As he watched them walk away, he reflected on how peaceful the past month had been. Although he'd made some progress thanks to the Gentle Fist, his strength hadn't advanced as much as he'd hoped. He was starting to feel a little restless.
Too lazy to head to the Hokage Building, Akio waited for Tobirama to return at the Senju compound.
Perhaps it was the result of the task review office Akio had set up when acting as interim Hokage, or maybe it was simply because the First Shinobi World War had ended—either way, the Hokage seemed less busy lately. The sun hadn't even fully set before Tobirama leisurely returned.
"Tobirama, come over here."
Akio didn't leave the room. Recently, he had discovered another use for Wind Release at Level 8—it allowed him to transmit his voice directly to others' ears, much like the voice transmission techniques in wuxia novels.
Tobirama paused for a moment, recognized the voice as Akio's, and walked toward the guest room.
"Second Granduncle, you called?"
Akio nodded. "I've been here over a month already, and you still haven't decided on the Third Hokage?"
"I've decided. I'm going with your suggestion—we'll hold an election. But there's no rush. We can wait a couple more years."
Akio's face darkened. Though Tobirama agreeing to an election was a relief, two more years was hard to accept.
"Getting Witness Points is way too difficult…" Akio muttered. He was considering returning to Uzushio for the time being. If he stayed any longer, he really would end up as a preschool teacher.
News of Akio tutoring two Hyuga kids had spread among the clans. Lately, several had been trying to foist their own children onto him as well.
"In that case, Tobirama, I'll head back for now. Let me know when the Hokage election is set."
Tobirama was taken aback. "You're leaving so soon?"
"Yeah, if I stay any longer, I'll be starting a preschool class in Konoha."
Tobirama chuckled. "I heard about that. You've taken those Hyuga kids as your disciples?"
"Not at all—just killing time and learning a softer kind of taijutsu that fits someone my age…"
"Your age, huh?" Tobirama sighed but said no more.
"Konoha's going to get lively soon. Aren't you sticking around to see it?"
Akio paused. "Lively?"
Tobirama pulled out a scroll and handed it to him. Akio opened it, then froze—a joint jonin exam?
"There's such a thing? I could understand a joint chunin exam, but jonin? Isn't that usually based on mission performance and overall ability?"
Tobirama nodded. "Originally, it was supposed to be a chunin exam, but Konoha hasn't produced any outstanding genin in the past couple of years…"
Akio shook his head. "The war just ended, and now you want to intimidate the other villages? Can Konoha even guarantee victory in a jonin exam? There are plenty of shinobi in their thirties or forties who've never made jonin, some even from the Warring States era—veterans with so much experience that even an average jonin would struggle to beat them."
"No problem, Granduncle. We've got Hiruzen's two disciples, and the exam will be next year, so they'll have time to grow stronger."
Akio blinked. "Two disciples?"
"Orochimaru was just promoted to jonin," Tobirama said, a little regretful.
"So that means… Tsunade and Jiraiya? They'll only be 16 next year. Can you really count on them to win?"
Tobirama's expression turned cryptic. "The exam will be held in Konoha. We can set up the terrain in advance. I was hoping you'd help with that."
Akio glanced at him and chuckled. "So… you mean rig the test?"
Tobirama shook his head. "No—just adding a layer of insurance. Also, I plan to promote a genin to chunin this year and have him join the jonin exam. That should be our trump card."
"Promote a genin to chunin for the jonin exam?" Akio paused. "Might Guy?"
Over the past month, Akio had run into Jitōu and his "uncle" a few times. Might Guy was 18, looked like he was in his thirties, and was still just a genin. Word was, he'd never passed a written exam—Jitōu, being a single-celled thinker, couldn't handle the written tests either, especially with Tobirama adding all that biology content.
Tobirama nodded. "That's right. Sounds like you've met him. If not for your student Jitōu, I might never have noticed him."
"Well, that should work. Multiple layers of insurance… Which villages are you inviting?"
"We're inviting Sunagakure, Takigakure, Kirigakure, Yugakure…" Tobirama listed quite a few.
"All of those?"
"They probably won't all agree, but it's worth sending the invitations. I'm excluding Kumogakure and Iwagakure—everyone else will get one. The exam's set for March of Konoha Year 25."
"Got it. Sounds like a lively event. Uzushio will join too. I'll head back and find a few promising youths who can make jonin."
Tobirama nodded in agreement.
"Well then, I'll leave you to it. I'll think about what kind of test questions to prepare. How many rounds are you planning for the exam?"
"Two. First round's a written test—how well they handle unexpected situations during missions. Second round's live combat. Evaluation will be comprehensive. The judges will be you, me, and—if they attend—Kage or elders from Kirigakure and Iwagakure."
"Got it…" Akio responded with enthusiasm. "Last time I designed test questions was for my three disciples. Good times…"
Tobirama watched his excited expression and hesitated. "Just for the first round, I'd like you to come up with a few mission scenarios. But… go easy on the kids, alright?"
"Don't worry—leave it to your Second Granduncle!"
Tobirama let out a sigh. He was starting to feel a bit of regret.
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