Chapter 65: Joining the ANBU
On the main viewing platform, watching Asuma's defeat, the Third Hokage showed no outward reaction. Beneath the shadow of his Hokage hat, however, his eyes flickered with a sharp glint.
The village had already gathered detailed intelligence on Akimichi Ryuya, yet the strength he displayed still exceeded the Third Hokage's expectations.
What exactly had happened to this once-obscure member of the Akimichi clan?
In just a little over two years, his power had undergone a complete transformation.
He can't be left idle any longer, the Third Hokage thought to himself.
On the examination field, after Ryuya's match ended, the battles of Kurenai Yuhi, Might Guy, and Mitarashi Anko began one after another.
Ryuya stayed on the sidelines and watched their matches in full. Among them, only Kurenai Yuhi, Might Guy, and Mitarashi Anko advanced to the third round. Hayate Gekkō and Genma Shiranui were eliminated.
Among the three who advanced, Guy's strength was beyond doubt. He clearly possessed the level of a Special Jōnin. Opening the Fifth Gate directly, he gave his opponent a perfect demonstration of what a storm-like barrage of attacks truly meant.
As Orochimaru's disciple, Mitarashi Anko was no slouch either. Although her victory wasn't as smooth as Guy's, she still managed to advance successfully.
Among the three, the one who surprised Ryuya the most was actually Kurenai Yuhi. Her victory looked far too simple—one genjutsu followed by a basic attack, and her opponent was finished.
This was completely different from the ingrained image Ryuya had of Kurenai being weak.
In truth, this was a common misunderstanding among many Naruto fans.
As the eldest daughter of the Yuhi clan, Konoha's foremost genjutsu family, Kurenai's talent and strength were absolutely not weak, and her real combat experience was extremely rich.
In battle, Kurenai's genjutsu was even capable of restraining a powerhouse like Kisame. Her true strength was anything but low.
The reason most fans believed Kurenai was weak was because she lost too quickly and too easily in her fight against Itachi—something that was completely at odds with her status as one of Konoha's Four Elite Jōnin.
Moreover, compared to Kakashi and Might Guy, who were consistently active and accomplished, Kurenai's battle record simply didn't stand out.
But that was people being far too harsh on her.
Whether it was Itachi, Guy, or Kakashi—every single one of them was a monster.
Compared to them, Kurenai naturally appeared much weaker.
Not to mention that dōjutsu bloodline limits like the Sharingan were inherently the natural enemies of genjutsu users.
And to make matters worse, the one Kurenai faced was Itachi, who possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan and Tsukuyomi. In a genjutsu clash, she was bound to look completely outmatched.
Besides, how many people could truly exchange several rounds with Itachi head-on?
Thinking about the inhuman torture Kakashi suffered, Kurenai could already be considered relatively lucky.
After watching all the matches, Ryuya found himself even more interested in Kurenai.
High looks and strong force—who wouldn't like such a beautiful and cool woman?
Letting her fall into Asuma's hands was simply a waste, Ryuya thought with a bit of ill intent.
After the second round ended, the third round began shortly after a half-hour break.
This time, Ryuya drew Yamanaka Fū from the Yamanaka clan.
He didn't have much impression of the guy, only vaguely remembering that he seemed to be a member of Root.
Having no goodwill toward Root whatsoever, Ryuya showed no mercy when facing Yamanaka Fū. After splitting off a Shadow Clone, he unleashed a storm-like barrage of taijutsu attacks that directly took Fū out.
After enduring the first two rounds, Yamanaka Fū's stamina was already heavily depleted. Facing Ryuya, who could rapidly recover using the Sealing: Glutony Technique and the Body Activation Secret Art, he had no chance of victory.
The matches continued until around 3 p.m., when the Special Jōnin selection finally came to an end.
In the end, Ryuya, Kurenai Yuhi, Might Guy, and Mitarashi Anko successfully advanced to become Special Jōnin.
After the assessment, the Third Hokage gave his usual speech to everyone—a hearty dose of "Will of Fire" encouragement.
When the crowd dispersed, Ryuya and Might Guy were asked to stay behind.
"Akimichi Ryuya, Might Guy—you are both outstanding ninja and the future of Konoha. I hope you will join my ANBU and become the cornerstone that protects the village."
With a pipe in his mouth, the Third Hokage examined the two of them as he spoke.
During the Nine-Tails Incident, all divisions—including the Hokage's ANBU—had lost a large number of elite ninja. Now, with conflicts erupting against Kumogakure, there was an urgent need to recruit fresh blood.
This was also the reason why the number of Special Jōnin slots had reached as many as twenty this time.
In previous years, Konoha's annual Special Jōnin selection usually produced fewer than ten successful candidates.
In today's examination, the Third Hokage valued Might Guy and Ryuya the most.
In terms of strength, Asuma was also qualified to enter the ANBU. However, the boy was in his rebellious phase and often went against the Third Hokage, making him unsuitable for a unit that frequently carried out secret missions.
"We're willing to join the ANBU."
Faced with the Third Hokage's personal recruitment, neither of them hesitated and accepted on the spot.
Hearing their answer, a smile appeared on the Third Hokage's face.
"Good! You two should go back and rest for today. I'll arrange for someone to contact you soon."
After bidding farewell and leaving the examination grounds, Ryuya and Might Guy quickly caught up with Asuma, Kurenai, and the others. After some discussion, the group decided to find an izakaya to celebrate.
Back in the village, they went straight to an izakaya owned by the Gekkō family and indulged in food and drink.
A ninja's life was one of constantly walking the line between life and death. The immense psychological pressure was often relieved through eating and drinking.
As a result, most people had already gotten used to drinking alcohol since their days at the Ninja Academy. And thanks to their extraordinary physiques, most of them could drink quite heavily.
They started drinking around 4 p.m. and didn't finish until 10 at night.
Through this celebratory gathering, Ryuya became a bit closer with everyone.
Asuma and Anko, who had previously found Ryuya somewhat disagreeable, got drunk and started calling him brother as well.
After all, they were from the same generation, and Ryuya's strength was there for all to see—more than enough to earn their recognition.
During the drinking, Ryuya also took the opportunity to chat a bit more with Kurenai.
It wasn't that he was thinking with his hormones and trying to get close to her, but rather that he planned to consult her about genjutsu in the future.
At present, Ryuya's taijutsu and ninjutsu had both improved dramatically. His overall strength was already enough to place him among the Jōnin.
However, genjutsu remained his weak point.
Whether defending against genjutsu or using it himself, Ryuya was still at a beginner level. If he encountered genjutsu masters like Shisui or Itachi, he would probably be taken out very quickly.
Because of this, Ryuya planned to strengthen his genjutsu training in the future—at the very least, he needed to be able to protect himself.
After the celebration ended, everyone went their separate ways home.
When Ryuya returned to his doorstep, he immediately saw Uncle Akimichi Rōu and Akimichi Kyōko waiting there.
Seeing him, Akimichi Rōyu asked, "How did it go?"
Ryuya grinned. "I passed!"
"That's wonderful, Ryuya-san!"
Hearing this, a smile appeared on Akimichi Rōu's face, while Akimichi Kyōko murmured in surprise and delight.
"Kyōko, I'm a Special Jōnin now. You need to work hard too!"
Ryuya stepped forward, gently patting Kyōko on the head as encouragement.
With the help of the Sealing: Glutony Technique, her strength was no longer at the very bottom among Chūnin.
Although her improvement was nowhere near as exaggerated as Ryuya's, it was still considered decent among the younger generation of the clan.
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