"Nice work, Ren. Here—have something cold."
The moment Ren returned to the resting area, Rin Nohara hurried over with a chilled bottle of Konoha Raw Cola. A bright smile spread across her face as she held it out to him.
Before Ren could even thank her, Kurenai Yuhi stepped forward from the other side, a clean towel already in her hand.
"You were sweating quite a bit out there," she said softly. "Here. Let me help you wipe it off."
Ren looked from Rin to Kurenai.
One offered him a drink.
The other offered to wipe away his sweat.
For some reason, the atmosphere suddenly felt a little more dangerous than the battle he had just finished.
"Thanks, Rin. Kurenai." Ren smoothly took both items before the situation could develop any further. "I'll handle it myself."
Kurenai's hand paused for the briefest moment before she let go of the towel.
Rin, meanwhile, simply smiled.
Ren wiped the sweat from his forehead, twisted open the bottle, and took several long gulps.
Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.
Cold carbonation rushed down his throat, instantly washing away the lingering heat of the battle.
He exhaled in satisfaction.
The fight against Toki had consumed more chakra than it might have appeared.
Ren could have ended the battle much more efficiently if victory had been his only concern. Instead, he had deliberately chosen to meet Toki's ninjutsu head-on, turning their duel into a spectacular exchange that the audience would remember.
Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet.
Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique.
Both were B-rank techniques, and using them consecutively was hardly cheap.
The total chakra expenditure had been somewhere around half to nearly a full unit by Ren's own strange method of calculation. For someone like Rin or Kurenai, that level of consumption might have left them completely exhausted.
Ren, however, was different.
His absurdly developed physique and chakra reserves gave him enough endurance to treat such consumption as merely inconvenient.
More importantly—
It had been worth it.
Even now, cheers still rolled through the arena.
The audience had come expecting a Chunin Exam.
Ren had given them a show.
And judging by the thunderous applause that had followed the collision between the water dragon and the blazing fire dragon, they would probably be talking about it for quite some time.
With Ren's victory over Toki, the final match had concluded.
The Chunin Exams were finally over.
After several minutes of excited discussion throughout the stands, Hiruzen Sarutobi rose from his seat on the elevated viewing platform.
The Third Hokage cleared his throat.
"Ahem."
His amplified voice immediately spread across the entire arena.
The restless crowd gradually quieted.
"This year's Chunin Exams have officially concluded."
The remaining whispers vanished.
Every Genin in the resting area instinctively straightened.
Even Obito stopped talking.
Hiruzen's eyes slowly swept across the competitors below.
"After considering each participant's performance throughout all three stages of the examination, we have reached our final decision."
A brief pause.
That pause alone was enough to make several young shinobi hold their breath.
Hiruzen continued.
"I will now announce those who have been promoted to the rank of Chunin."
The atmosphere tightened.
"From Konohagakure…"
His voice rang clearly through the arena.
"Ren. Asuma Sarutobi. Rin Nohara. Might Guy. Kurenai Yuhi… and Uchiha Obito."
For a heartbeat, there was silence.
Then—
"OOOOHHHH!"
Obito exploded upward as though someone had lit an explosive tag beneath his feet.
"I DID IT!"
He threw both fists into the air, completely forgetting every injury Guy had inflicted on him earlier.
"I'M A CHUNIN!"
His goggles nearly slipped from his forehead as he spun toward Rin.
"Rin! Did you hear that?! I became a Chunin! Me! Uchiha Obito!"
The Sharingan behind his goggles seemed to shine with excitement.
His condition was actually impressive considering what had happened during his match against Guy. Obito had been beaten badly enough that most people would have preferred spending the rest of the day lying down.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—the Uchiha bloodline combined with Obito's almost supernatural stubbornness made him remarkably difficult to keep down.
After treatment and enough bandages to make him resemble a poorly wrapped mummy, he had returned to the arena just in time for the announcement.
Rin laughed gently.
"Yes, Obito. I heard."
She gave him a sincere smile.
"Congratulations."
Obito immediately grinned.
"Hehe! Congratulations to you too, Rin!"
Before he could enjoy his triumph any further, a roar erupted nearby.
"YOUTH!"
Everyone turned.
Might Guy stood with one foot planted forward, one fist raised toward the heavens, and tears streaming dramatically down his cheeks.
"This is the reward for never abandoning the flames of hard work! The Blue Beast of Konoha has officially become a Chunin!"
He clenched his fist harder.
"Father! Kakashi! Ren! Did you see that?!"
Ren blinked.
"…?"
Why had his name suddenly been added to that list?
He scratched the side of his head.
Come to think of it, Kakashi hadn't appeared today.
That was slightly unusual.
Guy's father, Might Duy, on the other hand, seemed to have attended. During Ren's fight against Toki, he vaguely remembered spotting an extremely conspicuous green figure somewhere in the audience.
With that outfit, it would have been difficult for the man to hide even if he wanted to.
Nearby, Asuma, Kurenai, Genma Shiranui, and the others exchanged congratulations.
Some were relieved.
Others were excited.
A few tried to maintain the calm demeanor expected of newly promoted Chunin, only for the smiles on their faces to betray them.
Technically speaking, not everyone promoted today completely satisfied the traditional standards expected of a Chunin.
A Chunin wasn't simply a stronger Genin.
They were expected to lead squads when necessary, make decisions under pressure, judge battlefield conditions, protect subordinates, and complete missions without constant supervision.
Strength was only one part of the equation.
Under normal circumstances, several candidates might have been told to gain more experience and try again.
But these were not normal circumstances.
The shinobi world was growing increasingly unstable.
Relations between the major villages were deteriorating, border conflicts were becoming more frequent, and everyone with enough political awareness could feel the shadow of war creeping closer.
Konoha needed manpower.
More importantly, it needed shinobi capable of serving independently.
So the standards had inevitably loosened.
Anyone who had successfully reached the third stage and demonstrated sufficient ability had essentially earned their promotion.
Hiruzen continued announcing names from Iwagakure and the other participating villages, including Toki.
But for the Konoha crowd, most of those names barely registered.
Their attention remained firmly fixed on their own young shinobi.
Eventually, Hiruzen raised both hands.
The cheering gradually subsided.
Then came the inevitable speech.
The newly promoted Chunin were reminded that their new rank represented responsibility rather than privilege. They were expected to protect their comrades, defend the village, complete their missions, and carry the Will of Fire into the next generation.
It was the kind of speech almost every Konoha shinobi had heard countless times.
Yet today, somehow, it felt different.
Perhaps because the people listening were no longer Academy students.
They weren't inexperienced Genin anymore either.
From this day forward, they were Chunin.
They could command missions.
They could lead teams.
And if war truly came…
They would be expected to stand on the battlefield.
Hiruzen eventually finished his address, bringing the week-long Chunin Exams to an official close.
The spectators began filing out of the arena.
Excited conversations immediately erupted throughout the departing crowd.
"What an incredible final match!"
"That Water Dragon was enormous!"
"And the fire dragon! Did you feel the heat from the stands?"
"These kids are only eleven or twelve, aren't they?"
"Terrifying. At their age, I was still learning how to properly throw a kunai."
"Did you see that Uchiha boy's Sharingan?"
"What about Might Guy? That Taijutsu was insane!"
"And Ren! That white-haired kid is unbelievable!"
"The future of Konoha is looking bright."
Another voice suddenly joined the discussion.
"Forget his ninjutsu. Did you notice how handsome that Ren boy is? My daughter is only a few years younger. If I could get him as a son-in-law…"
"Keep dreaming."
Their laughter disappeared into the departing crowd.
Back in the resting area, Obito had already moved on to the next important matter.
Celebration.
"Hey, Ren! Rin!"
He hurried over enthusiastically.
"We should go eat barbecue! Today's my treat!"
Asuma raised an eyebrow.
"Your treat?"
Obito froze.
"…We can split the bill."
"Thought so."
Everyone laughed.
Obito coughed awkwardly before pretending nothing had happened.
"Anyway! Ren, Rin, Asuma, Kurenai—you're all coming. We finally became Chunin. We need to celebrate properly!"
"I'm in," Asuma said. "I'm starving."
Kurenai nodded.
"Sounds good."
Her eyes unconsciously drifted toward Ren.
"If Ren is going."
Ren noticed.
Before he could respond—
"Wait!"
Guy suddenly appeared beside Obito.
His expression was wounded.
"Why didn't you invite me?"
Obito's face immediately darkened.
"You seriously have to ask?"
He pointed furiously at the bandages covering his body.
"Look at me!"
Guy looked.
Then gave him a thumbs-up.
"You look youthful!"
"That's because you beat me half to death!"
Obito's eye twitched.
"I even activated my Sharingan and still lost! Damn it… I was careless! That's all!"
Guy's eyes instantly ignited.
"Oh?"
Obito jabbed a finger toward him.
"Next time, I'm winning!"
Guy's teeth flashed.
"Excellent! I accept your challenge! Let our rivalry burn brighter beneath the blazing sun of youth!"
"Stop shouting about youth!"
The others burst into laughter.
For a few moments, everything felt wonderfully simple.
No war.
No missions.
No enemies.
Just a group of young shinobi celebrating another step forward.
But the peaceful atmosphere didn't last.
Ren noticed someone approaching.
Then everyone else noticed too.
Their laughter quickly faded.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was walking toward them.
Minato Namikaze followed beside him, accompanied by Shinku Yuhi.
There was another man with them as well—Masamune Tachibana, who appeared to be having a pleasant conversation with Hiruzen.
Obito immediately straightened.
Asuma stopped smiling.
Even Guy abandoned his dramatic pose.
"Hokage-sama!"
The young shinobi bowed respectfully.
Hiruzen waved lightly.
"No need to be so formal."
His expression was warm as he studied them.
"You all performed well."
His gaze passed across Obito, Rin, Guy, Asuma, and Kurenai before finally settling on Ren.
There it stopped.
Minato noticed.
So did Shinku.
Hiruzen's appreciation was impossible to hide.
"Especially you, Ren."
The atmosphere subtly changed.
Ren raised his eyes.
Hiruzen continued.
"Your performance throughout these examinations exceeded my expectations. Whether it was your judgment, composure, combat ability, or adaptability, you demonstrated qualities far beyond what would normally be expected from someone your age."
Obito glanced sideways at Ren.
Kurenai's expression brightened with pride.
Rin smiled.
Hiruzen stroked his beard.
"And then there is the Water Dragon Bullet Technique."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"You were given only three days."
Shinku remained silent, but his expression showed that he understood exactly what the Hokage meant.
Three days.
A B-rank Water Release technique.
Yet Ren had performed it in front of thousands of spectators as though he had been practicing it for years.
"To learn Water Dragon Bullet in only three days and then display that level of mastery…"
Hiruzen shook his head slowly.
"That degree of talent is extremely rare."
"Hokage-sama is giving me too much credit."
Ren bowed modestly.
Internally, however, his thoughts were considerably less humble.
Well… technically, I cheated.
He hadn't learned Water Dragon Bullet through conventional training.
After attaching the technique as a new "skin" to Wild Water Wave, the corresponding ability had effectively been unlocked automatically. All Ren needed afterward was enough practice to familiarize himself with its execution.
Calling that extraordinary learning talent was somewhat unfair to actual geniuses who had to spend weeks or months mastering difficult ninjutsu.
But Ren certainly wasn't going to explain that.
The reputation of being a genius was useful.
Especially now.
Hiruzen's smile slowly disappeared.
Ren immediately noticed the change.
So did Minato.
The casual conversation around them vanished.
Even Obito instinctively stopped fidgeting.
Hiruzen looked directly into Ren's eyes.
There was something different in the Hokage's expression now.
Not merely appreciation.
Evaluation.
Decision.
The atmosphere suddenly felt heavier.
"Ren."
"Yes, Hokage-sama?"
"Your performance today was impressive, but my decision is not based solely on this examination."
Hiruzen clasped his hands behind his back.
"I have reviewed your recent missions, your combat record, your judgment under dangerous circumstances, and the evaluations submitted by your superiors."
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly.
Minato remained silent.
That silence alone told Ren this wasn't an impulsive decision.
Hiruzen had already discussed it with others.
Perhaps long before today.
Then the Third Hokage spoke.
"Your abilities have already surpassed the ordinary Chunin standard."
Obito's eyes widened.
Rin's smile disappeared, replaced by surprise.
Kurenai stared at Ren.
Even Guy fell completely silent.
Hiruzen continued, each word landing clearly.
"Therefore, considering your accomplishments, strength, judgment, and exceptional performance throughout this examination…"
He paused.
The entire group seemed to hold its breath.
Then—
"I intend to formally nominate you for promotion to Special Jonin."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Obito's mouth slowly fell open.
Asuma stared.
Kurenai's eyes widened.
Rin looked between Ren and the Hokage as though making sure she had heard correctly.
They had only just become Chunin.
Only minutes ago.
And now Ren was already being offered another step upward.
Hiruzen watched him calmly.
"Ren," he said, his voice carrying the weight of a Hokage rather than that of an encouraging elder, "what do you think?"
Ren tightened his grip around the cold bottle in his hand.
Special Jonin.
The condensation slid slowly across his fingers.
He had expected today to end with a promotion.
He had expected celebration, barbecue, perhaps a little teasing from his friends.
He had not expected the Hokage to place another rank directly in front of him before his Chunin vest had even had time to exist.
Around him, everyone waited for his answer.
Minato's expression was unreadable.
Shinku watched closely.
Hiruzen's eyes never left him.
And Ren suddenly understood something.
This wasn't merely a reward.
It was a test—and his answer might decide far more than what rank appeared beside his name.
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