They're promoting the "Konoha threat" theory, and spouting nonsense about the Hidden

Chapter 242 Jonin Promotion Ceremony!

46 years in the Hidden Mist Village, 47 years in the Leaf Village.

Hidden Mist Village, Ninja Academy Auditorium.

The grand hall, built to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Ninja Academy, is now packed with countless villagers who come to watch the spectacle.

The auditorium, originally designed to accommodate 10,000 people, was now packed to the brim. In addition, villagers continued to pour in from outside, and the entire ninja academy was filled with people. This forced the Kirigakure ninjas to be urgently deployed to block the crowds and maintain order.

After being persuaded by the ninjas of the Hidden Mist Guard, the frenzied crowd finally regained some order, allowing them to catch their breath a little.

"Phew... Seriously, I don't know where all these people came from. Don't these guys have jobs?"

A ninja who had recently been promoted to Chunin and had just joined the Hidden Mist Guard wiped the sweat from his brow and couldn't help but complain.

Today is a big day, and it's happening inside the Ninja Academy, with the participants being villagers from Kirigakure. So, they absolutely cannot resort to violence.

All they could do was create shadow clones, then hold hands and rely on the ninjas' powerful physiques to forcefully "squeeze" out an order from the dense crowd.

This is not an easy job for a ninja who is used to killing, which is why he complained so much.

Compared to him, the middle-aged man standing next to him was much more composed.

"Heh... After all, this is the first time in the history of Kirigakure and even the ninja world that a Jonin promotion ceremony has been held publicly. It's understandable that they're going crazy like this... Even I, if it weren't for my duty, would have liked to go in and see what the excitement was like!"

"Jonin... Sigh, I really don't know when I'll be able to reach that level of strength..."

"Not to mention the Jonin promotion ceremony this time. I heard that Lord Hozuki personally pinned the Jonin badges on them. If I could have that day, I'd die happy!"

At this point, the young ninja's eyes were filled with boundless hope, and he couldn't help but imagine himself becoming a Jonin and being personally awarded a medal by Hozuki Shingetsu in front of everyone.

After all, that's Lord Hozuki Shingetsu!

Since its rise in Kirigakure twelve years ago, in just a few years, it has made a name for itself in the ninja world, saved Kirigakure from suffering, implemented reforms in the ninja academy, and expanded its colonies in the Eastern Continent... Since then, the entire Kirigakure can be said without hesitation to have entered the "Hozuki Era".

Now, twelve years have passed, and Hozuki Shingetsu's image in Kirigakure has long been deified.

In particular, his repeated refusal of the position of Mizukage, preferring to lead Kirigakure as an elder, deeply moved all the villagers of Kirigakure with his noble character.

What an honor it must be to have such a great figure personally pin the Jonin badge on your chest at the crucial moment of your promotion to Jonin.

but……

The boy sighed inwardly, knowing how unrealistic his wish was.

Don't be fooled by the fact that he's now a Chunin, which is the fourth rank in Kirigakure's nine-rank ninja system, only two ranks away from the sixth rank Jonin. But those two ranks are enough to clearly distinguish between geniuses and ordinary people.

Given his current situation, if he works hard and makes great contributions to earn a large amount of contribution points, he might be able to become an elite Chunin within ten years.

But becoming a Jonin... well, that really depends on luck, on fate.

The person next to him is one of the few commoner ninjas who hasn't experienced Hozuki Shingetsu's new-style education. Now in his thirties, he's only at the Chunin level, just like him, which shows just how difficult this path is.

The middle-aged ninja glanced at his partner beside him and instantly understood his thoughts. He chuckled and shook his head without saying anything.

After all, when he was that age, he had also dreamed of whether he was one in a million ordinary genius who could become the first ordinary Jonin since the founding of Kirigakure.

But a dream is just a dream, and as time went by, he gradually became aware of his congenital deficiencies.

However, he didn't think there was anything wrong with it. After all, compared to his peers, and compared to his classmates who died at his hands right after graduating from the ninja academy, he was already lucky enough.

"Oh, by the way, I heard that among those promoted to Jonin this time, there are a few kids who are twelve or thirteen years old... If we're talking about the timeline, you probably hadn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy yet when they were there, right?"

The middle-aged man seemed to have thought of something, and looked at his companion with a teasing expression, asking, "Do you know those people?"

Upon hearing his colleague's words, the young chunin's face instantly froze.

We're more than just acquaintances...

He would never forget how he, as a sixth-year student, was defeated by those monstrous first-year students in the Ninja Academy's ladder battle.

A delicate little face, a terrifying shark-like expression, and the unsolvable ability to turn into water at any time...

To put it bluntly, it wasn't until then that he realized that age is nothing but a joke in the face of genius.

Upon realizing this, he quickly shook his head, dispelling any delusions he might have had about a Jonin, and concealed his true feelings, saying:

"How could I possibly know them? I'd like to know them, but... I'd already graduated by the time they enrolled, so there's no way we could ever cross paths..."

"How about we talk about that first civilian Jonin? I do know him..."

Meanwhile, the two were discussing the main character of this Jonin promotion ceremony outside the door.

Inside the auditorium, the air was unusually heavy. All the people who had arrived early had serious expressions and were staring intently at the high platform in front of them.

Because this unprecedented Jonin promotion ceremony in the ninja world, the first of its kind in Kirigakure, is about to begin!

"Welcome, everyone..."

On the stage, Sara, who had completely become a member of the Hidden Mist Village and was no longer the queen of the Loulan Kingdom, was dressed in a bright red dress and calmly took on the role of host, beginning to introduce the origin of this conference.

"...Now, let's welcome the main characters of this Jonin Promotion Ceremony!"

Sarah raised her right hand high, and with that movement, all the lights in the auditorium went out instantly, and a bright beam of light shone directly onto the other side of the platform.

"They are... the 'Flowers of the Hidden Mist,' eleven-year-old Mei Terumi!"

Snapped!

The searchlights were turned on and shone directly on Mei Terumi, revealing her delicate face that was hidden by her long chestnut hair.

Her already blossoming, graceful figure, paired with that blue slit dress, surprisingly exuded a touch of allure.

"...'The Tailed Beast Without a Tail,' twelve-year-old Kisame Hoshigaki!"

Kisame Hoshigaki, hidden in the darkness, finally revealed his face. However, with bright light in front and darkness behind, his shark face appeared even more ferocious.

At only twelve years old, he was already over 1.8 meters tall. This height, combined with his terrifying face, made people afraid even before they fought him.

What's even more surprising is that Samehada, which was originally in the hands of Suigetsu Hobutsuki, somehow ended up in his hands, and he was holding it upside down on his shoulder with one hand.

"...'Hozuki the Second,' the eleven-year-old Hozuki's full moon!"

The genius of the Hozuki clan, known as "the second Hozuki Shingetsu," leaned lazily against his twin swords, Hiramekarei, and waved to the crowd below the stage.

"...'Genius Lightning Ninja', thirteen-year-old Yuri Ringo!"

"...'Demon,' the thirteen-year-old Zabuza Momochi!"

With two shouts, two equally young men stepped onto the platform, each holding a guillotine and a lightning sword respectively, clearly members of the new generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

The audience members, especially the villagers who came to watch the excitement and a few spies from other villages, couldn't help but show surprise when they saw that the Jonin promoted this time were such a group of young children whose faces still seemed to have downy hair.

The reporters from the Hidden Mist Morning News, the Land of Water Daily, and the Ninja World Weekly in the audience also seized the opportunity and began taking pictures.

Flashes of light went off one after another, blinding those around them.

Excellent, the goal of seizing the initiative has been achieved.

Sarah was very satisfied as she watched the audience gasp in astonishment.

Just like Eileen Chang's famous saying, "The shortest road to a woman's heart is..." After six years of getting to know each other, she has completely become the shape of Hozuki Crescent Moon, and her thoughts and ideas are naturally based on his perspective.

However, since Kirigakure wanted to do this "first time in history", the Jonin promotion ceremony could not just be for these few people. After a pause, Sara quickly introduced the others.

"...'The Seal of the Whirlpool' - Sixteen-year-old Masaaki Uzumaki!"

"...'Bone Demon,' Kaguya at seventeen—truly chilling!"

"..."

"...'The Swordsman,' the twenty-two-year-old Takeo Saegusa!"

Just as the oldest person to be promoted, Takeo Sanegae, was being introduced, a burst of enthusiastic applause suddenly rang out from the audience.

This immediately puzzled those who didn't understand, since those who were younger and from better backgrounds hadn't received cheers when they came out. They couldn't understand why this person was getting such treatment.

However, Sara was not surprised by this, because these three warriors were the first Jonin in the history of Kirigakure to be truly from a commoner background.

As the greatest achievement of Hozuki Shingetsu Ninja Academy's ten-year reform, his promotion naturally had to be celebrated on this occasion.

Born an orphan, he rose from a ninja academy student to a jonin in just sixteen years, naturally becoming the embodiment of the common people's aspirations as ninjas, so it is not surprising that he received such applause.

After the applause subsided, Sara finally introduced the last candidate for promotion to Jonin.

"Next, the last one... He is Lord Shingetsu's adopted son and disciple, 'Dragon Transformation,' ten-year-old Yakushi Kabuto!"

clap clap clap!

As the words fell, all the spotlights in the venue shone on a dark corner. The ten-year-old pharmacist adjusted his glasses and, amidst the incredulous gazes of the crowd, stepped onto the platform with a shy smile.

As Kabuto Yakushi stepped onto the stage, the arena fell into a deathly silence.

"What did she just say? Kabuto Yakushi is also a candidate for this year's Jonin promotion?"

Naturally, everyone in the audience recognized Kabuto Yakushi. After all, as Hozuki Shingetsu's first disciple and adopted son, Kabuto Yakushi was quite recognizable among the villagers of Kirigakure.

In addition, this child was very polite despite his young age, without any of the naughtiness of other children his age or the arrogance of his family background, which naturally made him quite popular in the village.

Although everyone knew that the child must have extraordinary talent to be treated like this by Hozuki Shingetsu, they still found it unbelievable that this ten-year-old Jonin was so talented.

After all, even Hozuki Shingetsu only became a Jonin at the age of twelve. Compared to that, wouldn't this child's talent be even more terrifying?

"Very good. It seems that the topic of a ten-year-old Jonin is indeed amazing. Now that we are about to launch the 'Star Ninja' strategy, the chances of success are probably very high."

Sarah nodded as she observed the reactions of the people in the audience.

Having once been a queen, Sarah naturally knew that relying on beauty to win someone's favor was not a long-term solution, so she tried every means to get the job of public relations from Hozuki Shingetsu.

This "celebrity ninja" strategy was the foundation she came up with to make a living, inspired by Hozuki Shingetsu's guidance.

Kabuto Yakushi, a ten-year-old Jonin; Mei Terumi, a beautiful woman with excellent looks and temperament; and Takeo Sanegawa, the first commoner Jonin in history—these three are the first batch of "Hidden Mist Stars" that Sara wants to promote to the ninja world.

Or, to put it another way, "hidden idols."

With their formidable strength, dashing image, relatable background, and the fact that they were the first to capitalize on the trend of mass entertainment, this combination was bound to become an instant hit!

After all, as the famous five-star critic MacArthur once said, the power of idols is timeless.

With the immense popularity of this star-studded group, wouldn't ordinary people or ninjas from small villages who aspire to become the next Sanji no Takeo be desperately rushing to the Land of Water?

All of these thoughts flashed through Sara's mind, but the most important thing now was the Jonin promotion ceremony.

"Finally, let us give a grand welcome to the First Elder of Kirigakure, Lord Hozuki Shingetsu, to the stage to bestow upon them the Jonin badges!"

clap clap clap!

Amidst the respectful expressions and enthusiastic applause of the crowd, Hozuki Shingetsu walked briskly up to the platform, where he shook hands and hugged everyone present, exchanged friendly greetings, received badges, and posed for a final group photo.

They didn't waste too much time on these steps. After all, Hozuki Shingetsu must have spoken to them privately beforehand to get them to become Jonin. Everything they were doing now was just for publicity.

After all the above steps were completed, Hozuki Shingetsu did not leave, but stood on the high platform and began his final speech.

"I am delighted to see so many talented young people emerging in the village. In the past few years, the number of Jonin has more than doubled, and the village's economy has improved year by year... This fully demonstrates the importance of ninja village reform, and we must always persevere..."

After saying all that, Hozuki Shingetsu's expression turned serious, and he changed the subject to reveal his true purpose.

"...However, while we have achieved such proud results, the international situation is becoming increasingly worse."

"Under Danzo Shimura's leadership, the evil Konoha has made great strides. In recent years, the number of Konoha ninjas has quadrupled, military spending has continued to increase, and more than ten small countries have been secretly controlled by it. Its wolfish ambitions are obvious!"

Hozuki Shingetsu solemnly introduced the development of Konoha, then addressed the audience with a dignified expression:

"...So, in the face of this situation, I only have eight words to say to everyone here."

"That is..."

"Abandon illusions, prepare for war!"

(End of this chapter)