Chapter 115: Promotion to Jonin

Chapter 115: Promotion to Jonin

"What do you think of Mu Yue's summer intensive training program?" Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, stroked his goat-like beard and asked the Jonin teachers who had come to observe with a smile after watching the test.

"It's amazing," Yu Ikeda exclaimed. "The students have improved more in just over a month of training than they would in a regular semester of classes."

His praise wasn't just because he got along well with Mu Yue, but because he genuinely felt that Mu Yue's intensive training was extraordinary.

As the homeroom teacher of Class 2-4, he had students in all three groups, ABC. Recalling their abilities before the intensive training, he truly felt that the progress they had made was remarkable.

Ordinary students like Takeshi Nakamori had improved from average to good, while those who were already doing well had become excellent. Every single student had shown growth.

"I think it's very suitable for fourth-grade students who are about to graduate," said Samanoki Kimura after some thought. "If we conduct more similar intensive training in the future, our Konoha genin will become even more outstanding."

Improving the strength of the genin held a significant meaning—it enabled them to take on more challenging and rewarding missions sooner.

Typically, there were restrictions on the types of missions newly graduated genin could undertake, limiting them to menial tasks like garbage collection, cat-catching, and grass-cutting, due to their inexperience and safety concerns.

However, if the overall quality of the genin improved, these restrictions might be relaxed, allowing them to take on more diverse and rewarding missions from the start.

Even the teacher who had been so critical of Mu Yue before changed his opinion and couldn't help but praise Mu Yue's exceptional teaching skills.

The results spoke for themselves; there was no need for baseless speculation. Anyone with eyes could see the remarkable progress the students had made over the past month.

"I'm just doing my best to teach," Mu Yue replied with a gentle smile. "The students' progress is also a result of their own hard work."

"The intensive training is much more exhausting than regular school days," Mu Yue sighed. "With eight hours of training each day, it hasn't been easy for the students to keep up."

Mu Yue didn't take all the credit for the students' progress; instead, he shifted the praise to the students' dedication.

On the one hand, Hiruzen and the other teachers had already witnessed his outstanding results and showered him with compliments, so there was no need for him to boast.

On the other hand, the students had indeed worked tirelessly. His classes were not like physical education classes in his previous life, where students would do a little exercise and then be free to wander around.

The Professor Skill merely made it easier for students to absorb what he taught; it wasn't a cheat code for instant power-ups. If the students didn't put in the effort to learn and improve, even the Professor Skill would be useless.

"Regardless, Mu Yue, you have truly surprised me," Hiruzen said with a beaming smile. "The students' progress is tangible, and I can see it with my own eyes."

"Your summer intensive training has set an excellent example and opened up a new direction for improving the strength of graduating genin."

"Jing Yu Sheng Mu Yue has strong teaching abilities, outstanding work performance, and a dedicated attitude... Therefore, I promote you to the rank of special jonin!" Hiruzen announced with a smile as he handed Mu Yue a scroll.

Placing a hand on Mu Yue's shoulder, Hiruzen continued, "Mu Yue, as a jonin, I hope you will continue to work hard and dedicate yourself to nurturing the next generation of Konoha's finest. The future of our village rests in the hands of young people like you."

The promotion to special jonin was something Hiruzen had promised Mu Yue from the very beginning. As long as Mu Yue could achieve outstanding results with the summer intensive training, he would be rewarded with this promotion.

In fact, when Mu Yue submitted the students' performance records to Hiruzen, the decision to promote him had already been made.

So, Hiruzen had prepared everything in advance, and as long as there were no issues, he would promote Mu Yue on the spot.

Becoming a jonin, let alone a special jonin, was no easy feat. One would typically need to complete numerous missions, accumulate merits, possess extraordinary talents, and demonstrate superhuman strength.

However, if one had the favor of the Hokage, it could be simpler. Hiruzen, having served as the Hokage for several decades, had the authority to make such decisions without question.

But, for the sake of Konoha's credibility and the value of the jonin rank, Hiruzen would never promote a ninja to jonin status lightly.

"Thank you, Third Hokage, for your recognition," Mu Yue said, his voice filled with gratitude as he accepted the scroll with both hands. "I will devote all my energy to teaching and guiding the students, striving to cultivate even stronger shinobi for Konoha."

Although he didn't feel any particular emotion about the promotion, he put on a grateful display for the audience.

"Jonin..." Yu Ikeda's eyes widened, and he looked at Mu Yue with envy.

Even the rank of special jonin was considered part of the ninja elite, allowing them to attend jonin meetings and discuss important matters.

There were only two jonin among the teachers at the Ninja Academy—the head and deputy head of the teacher's group. The rest, including the grade-level directors and office directors, were only chunin.

Seeing Mu Yue, who was a few years younger and had only recently become a teacher, achieve the rank of special jonin, Yu Ikeda couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

He wondered if pursuing girls would be easier if he were a special jonin too.

"You've been promoted so quickly," Aya Ueda added, equally surprised. Although she had expected Mu Yue to be promoted eventually due to his exceptional teaching skills, she hadn't anticipated it happening so soon.

Upon further reflection, it made sense. After all, he had produced remarkable results with Class 1-1 and had also initiated the summer intensive training program to enhance the graduating students' abilities.

The chunin teachers looked at Mu Yue with a mix of admiration and envy.

However, their envy was tempered by the knowledge that Mu Yue's promotion was well-deserved. They knew that if they were in his place, they might not have been able to achieve the same outstanding results.

Hiruzen, noticing the expressions on Mu Yue's face and those of the other chunin, nodded inwardly.

By promoting Mu Yue directly to special jonin, he knew that Mu Yue would be deeply grateful to him. Additionally, the other chunin would recognize the Third Hokage's willingness to promote talented individuals, motivating them to work harder in their teaching endeavors, with the hope of earning a promotion themselves.

It was a small gesture that would yield multiple benefits with minimal preparation.

"Hey, why are the students gathered over there?" one of the teachers asked curiously.

"Oh, my shadow clone must have finished organizing the test results and announced them," Mu Yue explained with a smile. "For the last time, the final scores will be compared with the initial group test results to give the students a more intuitive sense of their progress."

Except for the exceptional A group, the BC groups had maintained the standard groupings from the beginning to the end of the intensive training.

"Let's go take a look at the students' progress," Hiruzen suggested with a smile, leading the teachers over to the group of students.

Mu Yue followed by Hiruzen's side, his face lit up with a sincere smile.

"Under your guidance, the students who participated in the summer intensive training have improved in ninjutsu and taijutsu, resulting in an overall enhancement of their strength."

"Rewards obtained: Chakra +800, Ninjutsu Proficiency Scroll, and Combination Ninjutsu (Proficiency Level)."

The rewards from the summer intensive training were incredibly useful, and he could make good use of every single one of them.

There was no such thing as too much chakra, and the Ninjutsu Proficiency Scroll could be used to enhance the ninjutsu he had already mastered or to learn more advanced and challenging techniques. The Combination Ninjutsu would further increase his output capabilities, given the vast array of ninjutsu he had at his disposal.

But the rewards didn't stop there; there were more notifications awaiting Mu Yue.

"Disciple Uchiha Stop-Water worked hard and achieved perfect results in the summer intensive training. Reward: Chakra +200."

"Disciple Uchiha Soil-Earth worked hard and achieved excellent results in the summer intensive training. Reward: Chakra +150."

"Disciple Might Guy worked hard and achieved excellent results in the summer intensive training. Reward: Chakra +150."

That was an additional 500 chakra added to his reserves.

As he looked at the exam results, Mu Yue couldn't help but think that the system's bugs were indeed tricky to predict.

His speculation was half-right and half-wrong; while it was true that the exams he organized could trigger system exam rewards, there were triggering conditions that he wasn't aware of.

It could be the interval between exams or the improvement in the students' strength during the exam period; Mu Yue couldn't pinpoint the exact factor at play.

Nonetheless, since there were rewards, he could definitely continue conducting exams. However, trying to game the system by holding exams every few days to farm rewards wouldn't work.

With a direct increase of 1,300 chakra, amounting to half a chakra card, Mu Yue was genuinely delighted.

He opened the system panel to check his latest attributes.

"Name: Mu Yue Yu Sheng"

"Chakra: 15,300"

Mu Yue's total chakra had now reached the level of six small cards.

He couldn't help but attribute this success to the summer intensive training. Initially, he had prepared for a decrease in the rate of chakra increase after the holidays, but thanks to the training, the actual growth exceeded that of the regular school days.

In just over a month, his chakra had increased by a whopping 3,250 points, and that was without even taking into account the gains from his cultivation tasks. Mu Yue hadn't calculated the profits from obtaining new ninjutsu yet.

The increased chakra came from various sources, with the most significant contributions being the enhancement settlement and exam settlement. Other sources included class rewards, disciple returns, and the chakra returned from disciples' cultivation. Additionally, Mu Yue's natural chakra growth rate had also increased.

Chakra was a synthesis of physical and mental energy, and ever since he had mastered the Rock Breathing technique, his body and mind had been constantly strengthening with the boost from the Constant Middle technique. As a result, his natural chakra growth rate had increased.

Mu Yue estimated that he might even break through the 20,000-chakra threshold before the end of the next semester.

"Your progress is amazing! You went from twelve points to twenty-three."

"Hehe, yours isn't bad either! Fifteen points to twenty-five."

As Mu Yue and the others approached, the students were excitedly discussing their improvements with their peers.

The data-driven comparison clearly illustrated their progress, and the teachers once again marveled at the results.

After the students had checked their scores, Mu Yue gathered them together for a final speech.

"Are you all satisfied with your improvements?" Mu Yue asked with a smile.

"Satisfied!"

"I never thought I could make so much progress in just five weeks..."

"Teacher Mu Yue, you're amazing! I never imagined that improving our strength could be so simple."

The students responded enthusiastically to Mu Yue's question, each expressing their satisfaction in their own way, but the underlying sentiment was the same.

"It seems that you're all happy with your progress," Mu Yue said, his expression turning serious. "But I want you to know that the most important factor in your improvement is your own hard work. Continue to maintain this dedication, and each one of you will become excellent ninjas."

Perhaps this was the greatest act of kindness he had shown his students in the past month or so.

It wasn't about increasing their favorability towards him or boosting their training efficiency to gain system rewards. It was a sincere wish, devoid of any ulterior motives, for these children to become stronger and survive the impending war.

Having traveled back in time less than five months ago, Mu Yue didn't feel a sense of belonging to Konoha, and his primary goal was to strengthen himself enough to break the curse seal on his body.

However, he believed that anyone who had received a modern education wouldn't be able to bear the thought of sending ten-year-old children into battle.

Unfortunately, Mu Yue was in no position to make such decisions, as he was still struggling to develop his own strength while also worrying about being discovered by Danzo, the elderly shinobi. No matter how much he wished to protect them, his power was limited.

With Sarutobi Hiruzen, the highest authority in the village, present, Mu Yue finished his speech and respectfully invited him to address the students as well.

"To be honest, I was a little worried before coming here today," Sarutobi Hiruzen admitted, his face softening into a gentle smile as he looked at the students. "But seeing your progress has put my heart at ease."

"Witnessing the efforts of the village's new generation fills me with joy and reassurance that the sacrifices and struggles of our ancestors were not in vain. Konoha continues to thrive and grow stronger."

As he spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen recited the famous saying that embodied the Will of Fire.

"Where the leaves of Konoha flutter, the flames of will burn brightly. The fire will continue to illuminate the village, and new leaves will sprout and grow."

"You are the new leaves of Konoha, and there is nothing that brings me greater joy than seeing your growth." With a smile on his face, the Third Hokage held his smoking pipe in his right hand and placed his left hand behind his back.

Mu Yue stood behind the Third Hokage, his own face wearing a gentle smile as he faced the students.

He recalled a saying: "That year, at eighteen, I stood like a lackey."

After the Third Hokage finished speaking, it was truly the end, and it was time to disband.

However, the students didn't leave immediately. Instead, they crowded around Mu Yue, not letting him go, and even blindfolded him, saying that they had a surprise for him.

Mu Yue used his sensory ninjutsu to scan the area and allowed the students to lead him along.

"Ta-da! A super-large five-layer cake!"

Along with Uzuki's energetic voice, Mu Yue's vision was restored, and he found himself surrounded by his students. In front of him stood an enormous cake that was only slightly shorter than he was, adorned with eighteen kunai-shaped sweets on top and countless small candles.

"Teacher Mu Yue, thank you for your guidance over the past month!" the students said in unison.

Among these three hundred students, more than half of them hadn't been very familiar with Mu Yue before the start of the intensive training. Some had only attended his class once, while others might have only heard of his reputation.

However, they soon realized their mistake. The grouping wasn't about favoring the high-achieving students but rather about creating a more efficient teaching arrangement.

While Group A consisted mostly of outstanding students from each class, Mu Yue didn't show any partiality. He used one shadow clone to supervise each group, while his main body rotated between the three groups, ensuring that none received more attention than the others.

Every student had received personal guidance from Mu Yue's main body. Even if they didn't take the initiative to ask questions, Mu Yue would proactively offer instruction when he noticed them struggling.

Mu Yue could accurately call each student by name, rather than referring to them as "that student who made a mistake."

Mu Yue often spoke of how hard-working and diligent the students were, but the students knew that he worked even harder than they did.

While they trained, Mu Yue taught them, and during their breaks, he rarely rested. Instead, he took the opportunity to impart theoretical knowledge related to their training.

While the students may have felt exhausted from their individual training, Mu Yue's main body was constantly moving between the three groups, and he even used three shadow clones to make up for the time when his main body wasn't present. He was truly a one-man team.

The high-achieving students may not have felt this as strongly, but the average and underperforming students truly felt the warmth and care of their teacher.

Things they rarely received from their regular teachers, they now experienced from the renowned excellent teacher, Mu Yue, and it filled them with delight.

For many students, this was the biggest motivation to keep pushing themselves. After all, they couldn't bear to disappoint such a wonderful teacher as Mu Yue.

"The cake was bought with everyone's pooled money," Dodai began excitedly, explaining the students' gift to Mu Yue, "and the eighteen kunai are because Teacher Mu Yue is eighteen years old this year. There are a total of three hundred and fifty-nine candles, and each of us lit one..."

As Mu Yue looked at the innocent smiles surrounding him, his eyes glistened, and his heart was deeply touched.

At this age, the students were pure and sincere. If you treated them well, they would reciprocate that kindness.

Even if they didn't fully understand the intentions behind his actions.

"When my abilities are sufficient, I should also do what I can to help others," Mu Yue thought to himself.

Even though this world was rotten to its core, there were still many lovable people in it.

"I appreciate your thoughtful gift, everyone," Mu Yue said, his smile as warm as the sun. "You've really gone to a lot of trouble."

"It was no trouble at all," Denka replied with a mischievous smile. "If Teacher Mu Yue is willing to become the homeroom teacher for Class 4-6, then it would truly be our pleasure."

"Yes, please be the homeroom teacher for Class 4-3," another student chimed in. "That way, we can be guided by you more often."

"And Class 4-1 as well," added another.

The students from Class 4-2 remained silent, confident that as long as Yuuki Ike was in their class, Mu Yue would essentially be their teacher as well.

"No, that's absolutely not possible," Benii interrupted, guarding Mu Yue protectively. "Teacher Mu Yue can only be the homeroom teacher for Class 1-1."

"Let's all share the cake together," Mu Yue suggested with a casual smile. "If I were to eat this entire cake by myself, you might never see your Teacher Mu Yue again."

Hearing Mu Yue's words, the students temporarily halted their playful bickering over who would get to keep him as their homeroom teacher and began taking pieces of the cake.

Not wanting to waste time, Mu Yue created several shadow clones to help cut and distribute the cake.

"The only thing that old man did right this year was to invite Teacher Mu Yue to be our tutor," Asuma thought to himself as he made his way home, recalling Mu Yue's earlier words.

Since the students came from different economic backgrounds, those who could afford it contributed a little more, while those who couldn't either gave less or helped in other ways. Asuma had contributed most of his savings, making him the biggest donor.

After the cake was devoured, the students chatted happily, sharing funny stories about their training experiences.

"Ebisu, I have some good news for you," Kotetsu said excitedly.

"What good news?" Ebisu asked glumly, still perplexed as to why he had been reprimanded earlier.

"Your reputation as a genius has reached the Fire Shadow!" Kotetsu exclaimed.

"Ebisu, you really owe me a treat now," Izumo chimed in. "After all, it was brave of me to sneak into the teachers' conversation and spread the word about your contribution to improving the Confusion Technique."

"What do you mean, my reputation as a genius?" Ebisu's expression turned grim as a terrible realization dawned on him, along with an understanding of why he had been scolded earlier.

"It happened like this," Kotetsu explained proudly. "I overheard Teacher Mu Yue mentioning my name, and the Fire Shadow was standing right next to him. So, I boldly proclaimed that Ebisu, the genius behind perfecting the Confusion Technique, was the real mastermind."

"But don't worry, Ebisu," Kotetsu added magnanimously. "Consider it my way of repaying you for imparting your wisdom to us."

"In front of the Fire Shadow..." Ebisu's face paled as he realized the gravity of the situation. His career as a ninja seemed doomed before it had even begun.

"Ebisu, why aren't you smiling? Don't you like to smile?" Izumo asked, sensing that something was amiss.

Ebisu's fists clenched tightly, his face a mask of barely restrained anger.

"You're right, I should treat you both," Ebisu conceded, his voice tight. "Let's have cake!" And with that, he smeared the remaining cake on their faces.

This sparked a chain reaction, leading to an all-out cake fight.

Though they ended up a mess, most of the students were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

"Don't be too sad, everyone," Mu Yue said as the gathering drew to a close. "I'm still teaching at the Ninja Academy, so if you have any questions or problems, feel free to come to me. I'll always be your Teacher Mu Yue."

Mu Yue was in high spirits that day, having received a small boost in chakra and what could be considered his second gift since arriving in this world.

On his way home, Asuma encountered the Third Hokage, who had been waiting for him.

Asuma's heart warmed as he recalled Mu Yue's earlier words, and he asked, "How do you think I did in today's battle?"

"There were too many mistakes," the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, replied with a shake of his head. "If it were me, I would have found over a hundred ways to achieve victory."

Asuma's face fell, and he stalked past the Third Hokage without another word.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end