Having been specifically instructed to wear only dark, simple under-layers, Tatsuma and Minato finally received their Chunin certificates and flak jackets. As they slipped on the smallest size available, they found that the vests fit remarkably well.
Tatsuma removed the forehead protector he usually wore as a bracer on his left arm and tied it around his forehead. The metal plate was slightly too curved for his brow, but since he had to take a photo for his official file later, he'd just have to deal with it for now.
Once it was secured, Tatsuma moved his body experimentally. The standard-issue vest, perfected through the feedback of countless generations of shinobi, offered zero restriction to his range of motion. The various pouches were clearly designed for maximum efficiency in the heat of combat.
There were even several dedicated slots for small and medium-sized scrolls. The vest felt heavy and rigid—likely lined with internal armor plating—and featured a high, stiff collar that shielded the sides and back of the neck.
Tatsuma adapted to the weight quickly. He looked over at Minato, who was practically caressing the fabric of his new vest with a dazed, blissful grin on his face.
"You know," Tatsuma joked, "if the village ever produces a Chunin younger than us, this vest is going to be way too big for them."
They were wearing the absolute smallest size in stock, and even then, there was a gap of two or three fingers at the chest. If they were any smaller, the vest would have swallowed them whole. Minato just nodded absently, not really hearing a word; he was currently basking in the pure joy of finally attaining "Vest Freedom."
The kunoichi in charge of distributing the gear let out a soft laugh. "Becoming a Chunin at ten is already an incredible feat. I've never seen one younger than you two. But if a child with that much talent truly appears, the village would simply have a vest custom-made for them."
She then produced a checklist and handed it to Tatsuma. "This is the list of supplies a Chunin is entitled to claim. Aside from your two daily-use vests, two sets of under-liners, two sets of thermal winter liners, and four pairs of shinobi sandals, see if there is anything else you need."
In a sense, once you reached the rank of Chunin, you never had to spend another ryo on clothing. While they didn't have true "wardrobe freedom"—they were required to wear the flak jacket on missions unless specified otherwise—their under-layers were up to them. Most, however, opted for the village-issued deep blue or black sets. They were high-quality, comfortable, and, most importantly, free.
True sartorial freedom only came with the title of Special Jonin or Jonin. At that level, one only needed to wear the forehead protector; they could wear the standard uniform, request a custom-fit version, or wear their own clothes.
Furthermore, any village-issued gear that was damaged in the line of duty could be replaced. Depending on the level of wear, the village would either refurbish the item or simply issue a new one.
The list Tatsuma held was surprisingly extensive. There were several types of gloves alone: smooth, insulated gloves for Medical-nin or poison specialists, fingerless combat gloves, and even armored gauntlets.
Then there was the body armor. Most of the options were crossed out, leaving only the standard wartime plate—the same style the Sannin wore during their rise to fame. The older lamellar styles had been phased out as obsolete or inefficient.
There were also specialized uniforms with suffixes like "Sealing Corps," "Medical Corps," and various environmental gear like raincoats and cloaks.
Tatsuma skimmed the list and requested four pairs of armored gloves, two sets of wartime chest plates, and two raincoats. He ordered everything in doubles—one set for himself and one for Minato—before handing the list back.
The kunoichi nodded. Tatsuma's request was modest. She'd seen people try to claim ten sets of everything at once; those she would flatly refuse. After all, if you shear the sheep too aggressively, the sheep is going to feel it.
"Lord Hokage has a mission to discuss with you, doesn't he?" she asked with a smile. "You two head up to see him. I'll go to the warehouse and get your supplies ready. You can pick them up on your way out."
Tatsuma thanked her and dragged Minato away, catching the blonde still sniffing his collar. "Stop that," Tatsuma hissed. "That vest has been in storage for who knows how long. You'll catch a lung fungus if you keep inhaling that."
Minato stopped, looking a bit embarrassed. Now that Tatsuma mentioned it, he realized what that "new clothes" smell actually was: a heavy mix of industrial starch and ancient mildew.
Standard, Medium, and Large sizes flew off the shelves, but "Extra-Small" was a rarity. These vests had probably been sitting in a crate since the First Great War. Tatsuma decided then and there that he was going to wash his new gear three times and leave it in the sun for two days before wearing it for real.
The sandals were an even bigger concern. They were open-toed, but who knew what was growing in a pair of shoes that had been "cellar-aged" for a decade? He wasn't about to risk a fungal infection before his next mission.
The duo stopped by another office to have their ID photos taken for the archives before heading upstairs. Even before opening the door to the Hokage's office, the thick scent of tobacco hit them. Tatsuma's eyes began to water from the secondhand smoke.
Evidently, the "Old Smoker" inside had been puffing away for hours. Usually, this level of chain-smoking meant one of two things: he was either playing cards and drinking, or he was drowning in stress.
Tatsuma hesitated at the door, wondering if they should come back later, but Hiruzen's voice drifted out from the haze: "Tatsuma? Minato? Come in."
They stepped inside. Tatsuma immediately cast a look of pure pity toward a dark corner of the room. He could sense someone there—an Anbu bodyguard. If he was choking after five seconds, that poor guard must be suffering.
"Hokage-sama," they greeted in unison.
Hiruzen gestured for them to approach. He wanted to get a look at the village's future, but the office was so dim and smoke-clogged that he could barely see his own hands. He rose slowly, walked to the window, and threw it open. A massive cloud of gray smoke billowed out into the street. To an outsider, it probably looked like the Hokage building was on fire.
As the air cleared, Hiruzen turned to look at them. Seeing the boys in their new vests, he beamed. "Good! You look sharp!"
He returned to his desk and pulled out two mission scrolls. "This is your first official assignment as Chunin. Do you have the confidence to see it through?"
"Yes, sir!"
Minato's shout was so loud it actually made Tatsuma jump. He'd never seen Minato this hyped before. Recovering his composure, Tatsuma gave a firm nod as well.
He looked at the scrolls, his mind racing. Would they be sent to the Sand front? The Rain? Or perhaps north to support the Uchiha and Sakumo against the Cloud?
But when he opened the scroll, he realized he was completely wrong. Their first mission wasn't a combat deployment. It was... acting as proctors.
Specifically, they were to assist with the Academy's graduation exams and conduct the combat trials for the prospective Genin. They weren't authorized to fail students outright, but they were tasked with evaluating their performance on a scale of S (Exceeds expectations), A (Excellent), B (Genin-level), and C (Below standard).
Seeing the boys' confused expressions, Hiruzen allowed himself a small chuckle. "Thanks to the two of you, we promoted fewer than a hundred new Chunin this cycle. Our reinforcements for the front are... shall we say, meager."
Tatsuma and Minato both winced. They had quite literally "wiped the floor" with their peers during the exams. The fact that nearly a hundred people made the cut at all was likely due to the village lowering the bar to meet wartime demands.
Hiruzen continued, "The village plans to wait until the Academy graduates before sending Orochimaru back to lead you all to the front. However, we are short on qualified shinobi to test the students. The teachers can handle theory and basic ninjutsu, but they've been away from the front lines for too long to judge real combat prowess."
"You two have seen the battlefield. You know the current standard of foreign shinobi. And... since you are younger than most of the graduates, defeating them will help cool their heads. These children are about to be sent out on missions; if they go out overconfident and excited, they'll get themselves killed. They need to learn to stay calm."
"I understand, Hokage-sama," Tatsuma said, nodding. He saw the wisdom in the "humbling" mission.
"We won't let you down, Hokage-sama," Minato added solemnly.
Hiruzen nodded, then pulled out two more scrolls. "Speaking of rewards... I still owe you a jutsu. This is the scroll for the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique. I intended to teach you personally, but... I simply cannot find the time."
"The Hokage's duties are paramount. We are honored to receive the scroll," Tatsuma said dutifully.
Hiruzen looked increasingly pleased. "And the other scroll... is a gift from the Sarutobi clan: Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bullet. Normally, one must master the Great Flame Technique first, but with your talent and Fire Style proficiency, you should be able to grasp it directly."
"This jutsu has exceptional synergy when combined with other elements. Study it well."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama!" they said together.
Tatsuma stepped forward to take the scrolls. When he returned to Minato's side, Minato reached for the Fire Dragon Bullet first.
Minato knew Tatsuma was itching to get his hands on the Bringer-of-Darkness. Tatsuma already possessed Tobirama's entire library of elemental jutsu; he wasn't hurting for firepower.
In fact, over the last few days, Tatsuma had shared some of Tobirama's collection with Minato. Unfortunately, aside from a few specialized Fire and Wind techniques, the vast majority of Tobirama's research focused on Water and Earth—the components he'd used to try and replicate his brother's Wood Release.
While that library was a literal gold mine of notes and personal insights, Minato lacked the affinities to make use of the "real" treasure. He had only picked out a few optimized versions of standard jutsu.
"Alright," Hiruzen said with a smile. "Go home and prepare. Don't go losing to a bunch of Academy students now, or you'll ruin my whole plan."
Tatsuma and Minato nodded, gave a final bow, and left the office to claim their new gear.