The ninja examination was in full swing, and a large number of tourists flocked to Konoha from all over the world just to join in the fun.
Including the Elite Jōnin, the number of Jōnin recognized by the village was only 2,200.
This number had been enough for Konoha in the past, and it was only barely enough to sustain the Jōnin strength of Konoha during its prime.
But if the other three major nations and the various smaller nations were taken into account, the competition became extremely fierce.
Even though many people still held resistance toward Konoha, they did not want to be eliminated.
Otherwise, if they ran into former colleagues in the future who had become Jōnin, or even Elite Jōnin, while they themselves were only Special Jōnin, the embarrassment would be unbearable.
Therefore, all the shinobi who signed up for this event gave it their all, determined not to lose face in the future.
The evaluation criteria for Jōnin were actually very vague, but since the purpose was to select the best from among the best, the requirements needed to be set higher. This avoided having too many pass, or too few.
The first test was of chakra reserves, with the minimum standard set at 0.5 Kakashi.
The latest measuring instrument developed by the scientific research team, and the chakra measurement unit chosen by Yami himself, had spread throughout the entire ninja world.
The "Kakashi" here referred to the amount of chakra Kakashi had before being injected with Hashirama cells. Otherwise, based on his current chakra, very few people would be able to pass.
When Kakashi learned that Yami had come up with such a unit, he waited at the door of the Shimura house and cried all night. Anyone who heard him would feel heartbroken.
But even this did not change the fact that he had become a unit of measurement. Now, when Jōnin chatted, they would ask:
"Have you taken the test? How many Kakashis are you?"
"0.8. What about you?"
"Hahaha, then I've got more chakra than you. I'm 1.3."
"Awesome, even better than Copy Ninja Kakashi, I really admire you."
"No, he's just a fake. If you work harder, you can surpass him."
Kakashi completely exploded. In the Elite Jōnin battles, he no longer kept his old habit of going 50-50. He opened with Raikiri and finished with Kamui, showing no mercy.
When challenging for Kage-level qualification, he fought Deidara the entire time, beating him so hard that he nearly coughed up blood.
His explosive art did not even manage to blow off a single hair, so of course he was left spitting blood.
But who could blame him? With Deidara's ability for instantaneous detonation, and Lightning Release as a direct counter, Deidara had no way to handle Kakashi. After the fight, he was so angry that he stormed out of Konoha like a madman and blew up several mountains.
He made outstanding contributions to the cause of opening mountains and building roads in the Land of Ninja.
Kakuzu looked at Kakashi with regret, sighing in dissatisfaction.
Why had he chosen Deidara, this idiot? Wouldn't it have been better to just give him money?
The Kage-level challenge ended, and Yami had no interest in watching the rest of the battles. He said to Shisui beside him, "Finish the selection of Special Jōnin within a week, then you can begin the Chūnin Exams."
"Yes, I've already started preparing," Shisui nodded softly in reply.
There were too many shinobi participating in the Chūnin Exams. Not only were Genin seeking advancement, but many Chūnin also did not want to fall behind. Using only one exam hall as before would no longer work.
The initial plan was to open fifty examination halls, divided into two rounds. Each hall would be overseen by three Elite Jōnin, assisted by twenty Jōnin.
Yami nodded in satisfaction. Shisui's ability to execute under clear instructions was strong, so there was little need for Yami to worry.
Yami had been very busy recently because he was getting married.
Although he had held several engagement ceremonies, he had never held a wedding. Now that the ninja world was stable, he needed to give an explanation to the women in his family.
This wedding would undoubtedly be the most luxurious and grand in the history of the ninja world.
Well, except for the fact that there were too many brides. But aside from that, these ten weddings would certainly satisfy everyone.
Izumi, Hikari, and the others were overjoyed. After waiting for so many years, the day had finally arrived.
They took this wedding very seriously. Kurenai and Yugao threw aside their Anbu duties, while Tsunade handed the medical department over to Kabuto and Nonō, and devoted herself fully to preparations.
Only one person was not very happy.
Hanabi thought Yami was still too impatient. It would be better to wait a few more years. Once she came of age, there would be one more bride, and the wedding would be even livelier.
These words brought tears to Hiashi's eyes, and Izumi and the others did not know whether to laugh or cry.
After giving the little girl a good scolding, Hanabi finally calmed down.
But recently, while everyone else was busy, Hanabi often snuggled into Yami's arms.
The night before the Chūnin Exams, Yami invited Naruto and Sasuke to eat at the Yakiniku Q main store. There were now fifteen Yakiniku Q branches in Konoha, but he still thought the sauce at the main store tasted the best. He wasn't sure if it was just an illusion.
After Sasuke and Naruto paid the bill, Yami asked Naruto to head back first. He then took Sasuke to a quiet residential area and entered a detached villa.
"Yami-sensei, whose house is this?" Sasuke asked in confusion.
"Oh, this is a lady's home. She moved in not long ago. I'm here to show you around."
Just as Sasuke was trying to figure out what was going on, hurried footsteps sounded from upstairs. In the bright moonlight, Sasuke could clearly see the face of the person approaching, and he was shocked.
"Mother!"
(To be continued.)
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