Chapitre 322: CH_9.7 (322)

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———

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed in contentment as he gazed at the empty side-table-trolley beside his desk. It was usually full of paper, requiring his attention as the Hokage. Even though he had been the Hokage for decades, he still hated paperwork with a passion. It was the bane of his existence.

In truth, the amount of paperwork wasn't much—but he had many other responsibilities as the head of the village than just toiling away at paperwork in his office. In fact, on a typical day, he was only in his office for a couple of hours at most. He had to keep up to date with domestic and foreign matters, regularly meet with division and department heads, go on social visits, and do a hundred things his office required from him.

These things took time and energy. And just when he would think it was all over and he could rest, someone would dump paperwork over him. Sometimes, he thought being on the battlefield was better than reviewing paperwork.

However, today, not only had he completed all of his commitments and appointments, but he also confirmed from his secretary that there was no more paperwork. Which meant as long as nothing disastrous happened, he was free for the day. And it was only midday, meaning he had the afternoon and the evening to relax.

He called his secretary into the office.

"Is there anything else that I need to do today? If not, I am ready to head home for the day," said Hiruzen as he arranged the things on his desk.

"There's nothing else scheduled on your schedule, Lord Hokage," the secretary smiled, seeing the Hokage already setting up his desk, eager to leave.

"Very good." Hiruzen stood up. "I will not be available today. Unless it's vital, I do not want to be disturbed with anything else until tomorrow."

The secretary nodded before remembering something. "There is one thing, Lord Hokage. There is a chunin promotion ceremony scheduled for today. You said you want to attend at least one every year. Would you like to attend this one?"

"A promotion ceremony? One so soon after the Chunin Exams?" asked Hiruzen. "Is it a private ceremony held by a clan?"

As the Hokage, he attended the Hidden Leaf Village's academy graduation ceremony every year. He also publicly promoted every jonin and thus was at every jonin promotion ceremony. However, he didn't have the time to attend every chunin promotion ceremony—and he didn't need to show up, but he made sure he attended at least one. Most of the time, it was a private ceremony held by a clan for political reasons.

"No, sir. It's for one Chunin Takuma, a civilian-born shinobi. For some reason, he's having his ceremony alone."

"Takuma? Family name?"

"No family name."

"Takuma... Takuma... Takuma? Ah!" Hiruzen exclaimed, recalling the name and person. "Do you have a file?"

"Yes, sir... Though, some parts of it are redacted." As the secretary to the Hokage, one was given a high-security clearance to prepare for any questions the Hokage might want answers as they didn't have time to read through convoluted files and documents.

Usually, the secretary had the clearance to unlock the seals used to redact and obscure sensitive information on personnel files. However, this file required a higher level of clearance to disclose the redactions.

Hiruzen grabbed the file and opened it. He was right. It was Maruboshi Kosuke's student, whom he had seen in the hospital a few years ago. The last time he had heard of Takuma was nearly a year ago when the ROOT targeted him. Back then, he was surprised to see words like the Ring and Police Force mentioned in the history of the same individual.

"Hmm? The Steam-Frost war?"

"Chunin Takuma just returned from the Land of Frost... If you remember, a few months back, you were briefed about a jonin death at the war. He killed that jonin."

"... Is that so?" Hiruzen muttered as he weaved hand seals to lift the redactions in the war section of the file. His gaze sharpened when he saw the confidential notes about the ROOT involvement, which directly linked to the assassination attempt, which was also redacted.

"I think you should visit, Lord Hokage. To attain the chunin rank at such a young age by a civilian-born shinobi is a rarity. Moreover, he achieved it through a field promotion, which is all the more impressive. I believe Chunin Takuma, who has just returned from the war, would be honoured to see you at his promotion ceremony."

As the secretary spoke, Hiruzen read another redacted paragraph that told him that Takuma hadn't received a field promotion but was promoted by the ANBU, who had very recently hired him.

"Not to mention, Chunin Takuma is an orphan who has made something great out of himself. His accomplishments here are beyond impressive," said the secretary.

"You are right. I should at least show my face," said Hiruzen as he turned toward his desk. "Make the preparations for the visit, please."

The secretary left the room, leaving Hiruzen with the file.

He stared at the page with Takuma's background, which said his parents were merchants who had died during the Nine-Tails Incident.

A complete lie.

He knew it because he ordered the fabrication himself. No one would bat an eye because the day of the incident had made numerous orphans; slipping a false one into the mix made for a perfect cover.

Hiruzen flipped to the last page of the file. There was a single line on the page which was redacted. He weaved the special hand seals before pressing his thumb on the line—but the redaction didn't lift. There was nothing in the village he didn't have access to. He could open the redaction seal, but on his orders, it was given a confidentiality level that required him to be in a special room to lift the seal. One such special room was his office. He looked at a tall bookshelf in the corner, hiding a secret door leading to the secret room.

However, he didn't need to go to the room.

He already knew the redacted line was a file number, which Hiruzen hoped was gathering cobwebs in a dusty file room somewhere in a secure facility. But seeing that Takuma had joined ANBU, one other person with clearance would have seen the file and the truth within.

———

"Congratulations, Chunin Takuma!"

Mikoto gazed at the tall, well-muscled man. He was immediately identifiable by his shiny bowl-style haircut, thick eyebrows, signature green jumpsuit and orange-stripped leg warmers.

If it were anyone else, she would've laughed at the style choices, but none of those thoughts passed her mind when facing the man before her.

Disregarding herself, who had been out of active duty for nearly fifteen years, her generation of shinobi were on the tail end of primes and had transitioned into positions away from the field. Their time had passed, and it was time for a younger generation to shine on the battlefields.

And in that generation, the man before her perhaps shone the brightest.

"Oh, my! Pardon my rudeness for not recognising you instantly, Lady Uchiha!"

Leaf's Noble Green Beast, Might Gai.

As he walked toward her, she could sense a steadiness in his gait and stance, a stability she couldn't put into words. The man seemed to exude a sense of boundlessness. She hadn't seen him fight, but she knew of his renowned taijutsu, unbeatable across the lands, perhaps only matched by the current Raikage. Her instincts told her that the tales about him were true. They said that his body was forged in a smithery, crafted to be indestructible.

She glanced at his bare toes, peeking out from his sandals; they looked beat up and entirely calloused—more than she had ever seen. Even his knuckles and fingers were crooked from being broken and healed thousands of times.

All Mikoto wanted to do was activate her eyes, politeness being the only thing holding her back. She wondered what she would see if they fought. What would it feel like to break down his moves and style to the fundamentals and adapt to make it her own?

His reputation was such that she had the ridiculous thought that perhaps even her sharingan would fail to copy his taijutsu. She remembered a conversation with her husband, who told her that there were rumours that Gai had developed a taijutsu counter to the sharingan. As a fight progressed, an Uchiha with a sharingan would gradually gain an advantage by copying and analysing their opponent's move. For that reason, fighting a Uchiha was known to be fighting a losing battle.

However, Gai was known to be friends with Hatake Kakashi, who the clan had allowed to keep one of their clan's eyes. They didn't know how much truth was behind the rumour, but it could very well be possible for someone like him.

Just the thought of it and its imagined thrill made her consider attacking him so that they would fight.

"Mom?"

Mikoto took a breath and looked at Sasuke, who was gazing up at her with a tilted head.

"I'm sorry, baby. Did I grip too hard?" she smiled while kicking herself in the mind.

"What brings you here, Lady Uchiha?" asked Gai with a bright smile before looking at Takuma, who was only one step behind.

"Is there something on my face?" asked Takuma as he touched his face.

Mikoto hid a smile when she saw Takuma looking nervous. It was amusing because he was always so calm and collected. It seemed that he looked up to Gai.

"Not at all. No, you aren't a Uchiha. The colour of the eyes and... yeah, even the shape of the face is wrong," said Gai confidently.

At first glance, Takuma resembled a Uchiha, but upon closer inspection, he didn't have any of the Uchiha's physical traits.

"How are you two acquainted?"

"Takuma worked at the Police Force and is my student," said Mikoto. "It's a pleasure to meet you here, Jonin Gai. You are performing the ceremony today?"

"I am. I do not enjoy things like these, but it's part of my duties, so I'm glad it's a solo ceremony." Gai flashed a winning smile as he heavily patted Takuma's shoulder. "So, you work at the Police Force? Admirable! Hmm?" He lightly patted Takuma's shoulder a couple more times.

"Ah, I worked there. I recently quit," Takuma replied

"Eh, why?"

"... I just wanted a little break and slow down."

"That won't do, Chunin Takuma! You are still young; right now is not the time to slow down! You must channel the power of youth and push forward at full speed! Be passionate and enthusiastic, and give it your all no matter what you do!"

"I-I see."

"This is the time to accomplish and achieve everything you wish for! Embrace your youth!"

Mikoto couldn't help but chuckle and was about to tease Takuma but caught something at the edge of her vision. Both she and Gai turned to see a masked ANBU-nin walking toward them.

It was said that a visit from an ANBU-nin was almost never a good thing.

Mikoto wondered who the ANBU-nin was visiting. Her thought immediately went to Itachi and if something had happened to her son. As a shinobi, she knew to expect danger; many people she knew had died on missions and battlefields—but as a wife and mother, she would never stop worrying about her husband and son and face the realistic fear that they might not return.

"Greetings, Jonin Gai, Lady Uchiha," said the ANBU-nin, his voice betraying no emotion.

"Is something wrong?" asked Gai, his previous merry attitude fading away into seriousness.

"Rest assured, there's nothing to be worried about. This is not that kind of visit," said the masked shinobi before looking at Takuma. "Congratulations on your promotion, Chunin Takuma."

"Thank you," said Takuma, surprised and unsure.

"It is a great achievement, and I'm happy to inform you that the Lord Hokage will soon be stopping by to offer you his blessings personally."

———

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Chapitre 323: CH_9.8 (323)

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———

Takuma was stressed.

Not only did he have Might Gai at his promotion ceremony, but the Hokage himself was coming to attend. It was supposed to be a low-key event he could enjoy with the people he was close to, but it turned into something high-profile in an instant.

"Look at you, so nervous." Mikoto ruffled his hair when she heard him sigh.

"Of course I am! Lord Hokage is coming here!" said Takuma, feeling the jitters.

After living in the world for four years, his perception of many things had changed drastically. The man portrayed as a grandfather figure to Naruto and seemed to be easily accessible at the mission desk handing out D-rank missions was a military leader who controlled a vast shinobi army.

One of the most powerful men in history, and would never be found at the mission desk.

"There's no need to be stressed, Takuma," Maruboshi tried to calm him down. "Lord Hokage is not an unreasonable man; as long as you act with respect, there's nothing to worry about."

'Easy for you to say,' thought Takuma. Maruboshi had served under three different Hokage and would have been a jōnin if he didn't continue to deny promotions. He was well-acquainted, if not outright friends, with the Third Hokage.

He glanced at Might Gai, chatting with Doctor Oishi, Taro's dad, a Tokubetsu Jōnin, who had attained jōnin level skill in iryōjutsu. Taro stood beside his dad, listening to their conversation, looking utterly uninterested.

"You like him, huh? Might Gai, that is," Mikoto commented.

"Huh? Well, yes..."

Despite not being a huge fan of the source material, he enjoyed it enough to finish it, and Might Gai was one of his favourite characters. His personality was charismatic, he had a unique flair, was a genuinely nice person, and he gained his strength through pure effort and hard work.

There was nothing to dislike in the best way possible.

"Why not go ask him for advice?" said Mikoto.

"Eh, but—"

She cut him off. "Come on, talk to him before the Lord Hokage arrives. You won't have a chance after that," she urged him.

Takuma, getting pushed, walked toward Gai. In the moment, he understood the feelings of fans when they approached celebrities for pictures and autographs. He had interacted with jōnin before, but he always had a reason to do so; this felt different and made him nervous.

"Ah, Takuma. Congratulations on your success," said Doctor Oishi with a smile.

"Thank you, sir," Takuma smiled before turning to Gai. "Sir, I was wondering if I could get some advice."

"What sort of advice?" asked Gai. As a jōnin, he was used to other shinobi coming to him for advice.

"I currently have an energy imbalance condition. My physical energy levels lack behind my spiritual energy. Seeing as you are a taijutsu specialist, you must be knowledgeable about body strengthening and conditioning."

"Oh my," Doctor Oishi commented from the side.

"What should I do to bridge the gap?" Takuma asked sincerely.

"You are using weighted gear, don't you?" asked Gai, surprising him.

"Y-Yes! How did you know?"

"I could tell," said Gai before asking for more details. "You're already on the right path; just keep doing that. The key is not to get comfortable; the moment you feel half-comfortable with the burden on your body, increase the weight. Repeat the process until you reach your limit—but do not overdo it and get injured."

Takuma nodded with all the seriousness of a soldier receiving orders.

"Now, listen carefully because this is important. To get the most out of this training, you must understand there's more to it than just how much your body can bear. You have to pull the most out of your body's potential—train your speed, explosiveness, agility, flexibility, endurance, durability—hit every aspect you can as often as possible."

According to Gai, a targeted approach was better if he was training his body to suit a specific combat style. For example, focusing on speed and agility was the better option when training for a combat style that revolved around swiftness.

However, for building physical energy levels, a balanced approach was the best option to pull the most out of the body's potential.

"Another thing you can do is to use chakra. It's not as rewarding, but frankly, it gives the most when you think about how low-effort it is," said Gai with a shrug. "The more you use chakra, the more you will have of it."

"To provide some medical context," Doctor Oishi chimed in. "If you use up all your chakra every day—not enough to cause chakra exhaustion, of course—eventually your body will notice and try to give you access to more chakra to stop you from repeatedly approaching chakra exhaustion. And in your condition, it will make that possible by boosting your physical energy. Of course, it's not magic, so it won't produce physical energy out of nowhere—but it will slightly improve the results of the training and effort."

There were a dozen more factors that affected how much Takuma would be able to get out of the methods. He was young, and that meant he was still growing, which meant that he would see benefits for at least another seven to eight years—but his youth also meant that his body was underdeveloped, so he had to wait for it to mature before he could push himself past some limits.

"Finally, here's a piece of advice," said Gai. "You must learn how to use the extra power as your body grows stronger. Your body is the tool—a stronger body means a better tool—however, you're wasting it away if you don't learn how to use it properly, so understand your body's capabilities and limits—what it can or cannot do."

"I must admit, I have spent more time in the hospital than I have done on field and combat training combined, and from the looks of it, my son will spend more time behind a desk," said Doctor Oishi, ruffling patting Taro's shoulder, who looked embarrassed. "The Academy teaches the Hidden Leaf Kata. I know there are these dojos around the villages that teach different taijutsu styles—do you have a recommendation for a dojo that can teach him?"

Every Leaf shinobi knew the Hidden Leaf kata because it was taught in the academy.

Gai pursed his lips. "A kata is a philosophy or principles that guide a shinobi's combat style. It can be as simple as preferring feet over fists or something as broad as Uchiha building their style around counter-offence. The Hidden Leaf kata was developed as a learning platform and thus favoured balance—it was made to teach children how to use their bodies to fight. It's a splendid creation, but shinobi are supposed to change and adapt it to meet their requirements and preferences."

Takuma nodded. He learned the Hidden Leaf kata mostly from Maruboshi, which was different from what he learned in the academy as the kata had changed and developed since Maruboshi had learned it in his childhood. Moreover, Maruboshi had altered the kata into something he thought suitable for teaching Takuma—who himself had changed it to the point that it couldn't even be called the Hidden Leaf kata.

His time in the Ring had changed how he fought. If someone looked close enough, they would see the roots of the Hidden Leaf Kata, but it had become something completely different. Now, he was trying to change it even more to get rid of the bad habits that he had ingrained into his style.

"...These dojo all have their own principles. I think they have immense value in providing shinobi with something tried and tested—but ultimately, the best option is to create something custom-made that fits you like a glove. However, if you do not have time, the dojos are an option. I can suggest a few choices, but you must try out plenty to see what fits you."

Takuma, who was listening to the conversation, had a thought that he chose to voice aloud. "Do these dojo accept dojo storming?"

"They do." Gai smiled brightly. "Ah, I remember doing it a couple of times."

"You must've won," said Doctor Oishi.

"I did! A great learning experience nevertheless."

There was a hubbub in the hall. Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, had just walked in, two ANBU-nin flanking him on either side. He had his Hokage robe and hat on, and even though he was old, he had changed since the last time Takuma had seen him during the academy graduation. From no angle did he look like someone who could destroy the entire hall if he felt like it.

"Go on, greet him, Takuma," said Doctor Oishi.

"How do I look?" Takuma asked Taro.

"Like one badass chunin," Taro smiled.

"Perfect," said Takuma, putting on a smile.

Takuma walked to Hiruzen, who seemed to recognise him instantly, which was surprising and flattering at the same time.

"Congratulations, Chunin Takuma. It's nice to meet you again; the last time I saw you, you weren't in a condition to talk," Hiruzen said, flashing a smile.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Takuma bowed politely, remembering Maruboshi's words. "I never got to thank you for looking after me all that time ago."

He had fainted into a coma when he realised that he couldn't access his chakra during his early days of training with Maruboshi. It had put him out for a week, and during that time, Hiruzen, who happened to be at the hospital, had come to look at him due to his connection with Maruboshi and had even requested a Yamanaka to look at him to see if it would help.

"Think nothing of it," said Hiruzen before nodding to Maruboshi, who had just been chatting with Anko just before he arrived. "You are lucky to have him as a teacher."

"I am," Takuma agreed wholeheartedly. "I am blessed when it comes to people who have taught me so much."

"Indeed. To have Lady Mikoto as a teacher is something to be envious about."

"I think I used up all my luck having her as my teacher," Takuma smiled. "But it's just not her. I learned so much from Chunin Iruka when I was a new genin, and Chunin Anko looked after me when we were deployed to the Land of Frost. I wouldn't be where I am right now if not everyone here."

"Very good, it's important to recognise people dear to you," Hiruzen nodded approvingly. "How do you feel? Thrilled to be a chunin?"

"Yes, sir. Excited about what's next," said Takuma. "What was it like for you when you became chunin?"

"Oh, I don't remember; it's been such a long time. This place sure wasn't there when I got promoted," Hiruzen chuckled, pointing at the extravagant hall. "Hmm... but I remember taking things too seriously back then not to disappoint my teacher, who had just become the Second Hokage. Looking back at it, I should've enjoyed my youth more."

He patted Takuma on his shoulder. "Work is undoubtedly important, but don't forget to live and enjoy life."

"Yes, sir. I will remember that."

"Good, good." Hiruzen smiled, his words and actions resembling those of a grandfather who was wholeheartedly happy for his grandson's success. It was heartwarming.

The ceremony proceeded smoothly. With the Hokage attending, there was no way anyone else was performing the ceremony. Gai happily stepped aside, and Takuma got to have the Third Hokage put a flak jacket on him while the people who mattered in his life watched and applauded.

The ceremony itself was short and was over within ten minutes. Takuma thought Hiruzen would leave soon after, but he stayed another half hour conversing with everyone who had come, which was exciting for many who didn't think they would ever get to talk to the Hokage.

Takuma had heard that Hokage were people who were bigger than life, but seeing it firsthand was a different experience. Hiruzen engaged everyone in conversation; his depth of knowledge was impressive, and his ability to make everyone smile and have them impressed with what he said was spectacular.

He made everyone feel he was truly interested in them and their discussion. Takuma saw Hiruzen's charm, which had allowed him to hold his position for a long time, and it was something else.

Alas, it was time for Hiruzen to leave and Takuma was going to see him out. They walked side by side across the hall, and as they approached the exit, Hiruzen spoke to him.

"Walk with me, Chunin Takuma."

———

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