In the Hokage's office, Tatsuma and Minato, who were specifically instructed to wear dark single-layered garments, received their Chunin certificates and vests. They put on the smallest-sized vests, which fit them quite well.
Tatsuma removed the forehead protector from his left arm and placed it on his head. The curvature of the protector was a bit awkward, but considering they would be taking photos for records later, they had to make do with it for now.
After adjusting, Tatsuma moved his body a bit. The vests, crafted after countless generations of Ninjas' experiences, didn't restrict movement. The various pockets on the vest also proved to be very convenient for combat.
There were even several slots reserved for small and medium-sized scrolls. The vest was slightly heavy and rigid, likely lined with some armor. The high collars on both sides covered the neck and the back.
Tatsuma quickly adapted to the vest and then looked at Minato, who was absentmindedly rubbing his vest with a silly smile on his face, and said with a smile, "If the village produces Chunin who are even younger than us in the future, this vest might be too big."
They both wore the smallest size, fitting snugly with a gap of two or three fingers at the chest. If they were any thinner, the vests would be too big. Minato, upon hearing this, just nodded. He hadn't really heard what Tatsuma said; he was still immersed in the joy of wearing the vest freely.
The female ninja who distributed their supplies smiled and said, "To be promoted to Chunin at the age of ten is already impressive enough. I haven't seen Chunin younger than you two. However, if there really are children with such high talent, the village will customize vests for them."
After saying this, the female ninja took out a list and handed it to Tatsuma, saying, "This is the list of supplies that Chunin can apply for. Besides the two sets of daily vests, two sets of lining, two sets of winter inner wear, and four pairs of footwear, let me know if you need anything else."
After being promoted to Chunin, in a sense, they didn't need to spend money on clothing anymore because Chunin hadn't truly achieved the freedom to choose their attire. When performing missions unless necessary, they had to wear the designated Chunin vest.
The inner lining is somewhat casual, but most Chunin would still choose the deep blue or black linings distributed by Konoha. After all, they are of good quality, comfortable to wear, and cost nothing.
Upon being awarded the title of Special Jonin or Jonin, they gain true freedom in clothing. They only need to wear the leaf Ninja forehead protector. Of course, they can also choose to wear uniforms or apply for custom uniforms that suit them better, both of which are also free.
Moreover, after the uniforms and protective gear provided by the village are damaged, replacements can be requested. Depending on the extent of the damage, the village may choose to recycle or issue new ones, especially if they are damaged beyond repair.
The list Tatsuma holds now is precisely the items Chunin can apply for free. The variety exceeds Tatsuma's expectations; there are several types of gloves alone.
There are smooth isolation gloves more suitable for medical ninjas or those skilled in poisons, half-finger gloves for combat, or gloves with backstrap armor.
In addition, there are optional armors, although some options have been crossed out, leaving only wartime armors, similar to the ones worn by the Sannin during their famous battles.
As for the overlapping armor and the new-style overlapping armor, they have all been crossed out, presumably because they are outdated and unreasonable in design, and have been phased out.
There are also some special uniforms, but they all have suffixes, such as those applicable for Seal Team, Medical Corps, etc., as well as various items suitable for different environments, such as raincoats, capes, etc.
Tatsuma looked at the list and requested four pairs of gloves with backstrap armor, two sets of wartime armor, and two sets of raincoats, all in duplicate—one set for him and one for Minato. After making their selections, he handed the list back to the female ninja.
The female ninja nodded; Tatsuma's request was not excessive. She had even encountered demands for ten or eight sets each, which she would outright refuse. After all, if one pulls the wool too much, even the sheep feel it.
"Does Third-sama have any missions to assign to you? You can go find Third-sama first, and I'll prepare the necessary supplies for you in the warehouse. You can come by later to pick them up," the female ninja said with a smile. Tatsuma nodded and, pulling Minato, who was still sniffing at the collar of his vest, away, said to the unproductive Minato, "Stop sniffing. If you get lung disease from these old vests stored for who knows how long, you'll have to get treated."
Upon hearing this, Minato stopped his somewhat peculiar actions. With Tatsuma's reminder, he finally realized what the smell on the vest was. It was the distinctive smell of new clothes mixed with the scent of mildew.
Uniforms in medium, small, and large sizes are quickly used up because most ninjas manage their figures well and undergo normal development, so they fit into these three sizes. However, they both wear the smallest size, which is rarely chosen by anyone, so they have no idea how long they've been in stock. Tatsuma has already decided to go back and wash all the uniforms they received three times and then sun them properly for two days.
Especially the footwear, although they are all open-toed sandals, if they've been stored for so long and not cleaned properly, what if they infect their feet? Tatsuma, accompanied by Minato, first went to another office to have their photos taken for documentation, then went upstairs to the Hokage's office. Even before entering, Tatsuma smelled the heavy scent of smoke, and his eyes began to feel uncomfortable, stinging from the smoke.
Obviously, the person in the room with the smoking habit had been at it for quite some time. Typically, smoking so much in a short period either indicates heavy drinking and gambling or a lot of worries.
As Tatsuma hesitated outside, unsure if it was the right time to come in, Sarutobi Hiruzen inside spoke up, "Is it Tatsuma and Minato? Come in."
Only then did the two enter the Hokage's office. Upon entering, Tatsuma cast a sympathetic glance towards a dark corner of the office where he sensed someone. Presumably, it was one of the ANBU guards.
He couldn't stand the smoke, and he had just arrived. That ANBU ninja...
"Hokage-sama," they greeted in unison.
After exchanging pleasantries, Sarutobi Hiruzen gestured for them to come closer. He wanted to see the future of Konoha in these two, but the office was dimly lit and filled with smoke, making it difficult for Sarutobi Hiruzen to see clearly.
He rose slowly and walked to the window. As he opened it, a large amount of smoke billowed out of the room with the change in air, giving the impression to anyone unaware that the Hokage's office was on fire.
Once the smoke cleared a bit, Sarutobi Hiruzen could see the two clearly. Looking at them in their vests, he smiled and said, "Good! Very spirited!"
After speaking, he returned to his desk, took out two scrolls, and said, "These are your first missions from the village after being promoted to Chunin. Do you have confidence in completing them?"
"Yes!" Minato blurted out, startling Tatsuma. He had never seen Minato so excited before. But once he recovered, Tatsuma also nodded.
As they looked at the scrolls in Sarutobi Hiruzen's hands, they also pondered. What would their first mission be? Would they be battling Sand Ninja or Rain Ninja? Or would they be deployed to the north to assist Uchiha and Sakumo Hatake in guarding the Land of Lightning?
However, upon receiving the mission scrolls, Tatsuma realized his speculations were way off. Their first mission wasn't heading to the battlefield but rather serving as examiners.
Calling them examiners might not be entirely accurate since they didn't have decision-making authority. Their specific task was to assist in the graduation assessment at the Academy, testing the combat skills of the examinees.
They weren't qualified to eliminate candidates; they could only give four types of ratings based on the candidates' performance: S (surpassing Genin), A (excellent Genin), B (Genin), and C (below Genin).
Seeing the puzzled expressions on their faces, Sarutobi Hiruzen remarked, "Thanks to you two, this batch of Chunin promotions consists of less than one hundred individuals. The reinforcements for the battlefield are scarce."
Tatsuma and Minato both caught the teasing tone in Sarutobi Hiruzen's words. They understood that he was downplaying the worth of those who took the Chunin exam concurrently with them. Having nearly one hundred people promoted was already a result of loosening the standards due to wartime considerations.
Both felt a bit embarrassed and scratched their heads. Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't press further and continued, "So the village plans to wait until Orochimaru returns from the front lines to lead you to the battlefield after the graduates from the academy are ready. However, currently, there aren't many ninjas in the village who are qualified and capable of assessing the students from the academy. The senseis at the academy can evaluate their theoretical and Ninjutsu levels, but in terms of practical combat, they've been away from the battlefield for too long."
"Both of you have experienced the battlefield, so you know the current skill levels of Ninja from other villages. Moreover, both of you are younger than many graduates. By defeating them, you can somewhat temper their excitement about graduating. These children will soon be heading to the battlefield after graduation, even though they won't directly participate in combat. They still need to be vigilant at all times. Therefore, they must remain calm. Overly heightened emotions will only harm them."
"Hokage-sama, I understand," Tatsuma nodded, grasping Sarutobi Hiruzen's intention. Minato also solemnly declared, "Hokage-sama, we will take this task seriously."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction and then took out two scrolls, saying, "Speaking of which, I owe you both a Ninjutsu. This is the Ninjutsu scroll for the Bringer of Darkness Jutsu. I should have personally taught it to you, but I simply couldn't find the time."
"Hokage-sama, you have countless responsibilities. You don't need to divert your attention for the two of us," Tatsuma replied understandingly.
Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen taking out the Ninjutsu scroll, Tatsuma spoke sensibly. Sarutobi Hiruzen became even more satisfied and continued, "As for the other scroll, it's the Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu from my Sarutobi Clan."
"The rest of the people need to practice this technique starting from the Great Flame Jutsu Beginner level. But with your talents and your training in Fire Release, there shouldn't be any problem in directly mastering this technique. It has many synergies with other elemental jutsu. Study it well."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama," they both expressed their gratitude.
After their thanks, Tatsuma stepped forward to receive the two scrolls, then returned to his original position and turned to Minato. Minato thought for a moment and then picked up the Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu scroll first.
Minato knew that Tatsuma definitely wanted to start practicing the Bringer of Darkness Jutsu sooner. After all, Tatsuma wasn't lacking in Five Elements Release Jutsu, having inherited the vast knowledge treasury of Senju Tobirama.
In fact, over the past few days, Tatsuma had also been pulling Minato to look at some of the elemental jutsu collected by Senju Tobirama. However, apart from earth and water elemental jutsu, the number of other ninjutsu collected by Senju Tobirama was not very large.
Many of them were ancient, and there were newer, more optimized versions or more comprehensive techniques available "on the market," so they didn't offer much help to Minato. He only symbolically selected a few.
As for earth and water elemental jutsu, not only are there a large number of them, but Senju Tobirama also recorded a lot of his insights and notes on them. That's the real treasure. Unfortunately, Minato doesn't have the chakra for these two types of jutsu, so he can't learn them.
"Alright, go back and prepare well. Don't lose to those candidates in the graduation assessment, or it will disrupt the village's plans," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a smile. Tatsuma and Minato nodded, then left the Hokage's office to collect their supplies.
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