Chapter 5: Elite Jounin Selection

Namikaze Minato, dragging a half-asleep Kushina, hurriedly ran over and skillfully climbed onto the wall.

In the courtyard, Hanma, bare-chested and about to start his morning warm-up, saw a blonde head poking out.

"Yo, little Minato, you're here so early. Looks like you're really looking forward to your teacher's performance."

With a smile on his face, Hanma signaled Minato to climb in.

Taking a deep breath, two thick white streams of air burst out of his nostrils. His muscles, like coiled dragons, bulged with countless veins.

As he walked, his entire skeleton seemed to come alive, producing a series of loud cracking sounds. His muscles appeared to move with their own consciousness, wriggling slowly.

Minato's mouth twitched wildly. Squatting in the corner, he mentally complained, "This definitely isn't normal taijutsu, nor is he a normal human. Definitely not!!"

Gripping with five fingers, combining the strength of his waist and legs, he marked a semicircle on the bluestone ground of the courtyard, assuming a standard combat stance of the Konoha-style taijutsu.

"—Bang!!!"

A single punch, the speed causing a sonic boom that echoed through the courtyard. The air emitted a tortured wail, and the target of the punch was a nearly three-meter-tall iron man reflecting a cold gleam.

With one punch, Hanma sent the iron man flying at high speed, akin to protagonists in manga frequently struck by trucks.

In an instant, the blue bricks beneath his feet shattered layer upon layer, flying in all directions. Before the iron man reached the wall, Hanma had already appeared behind it.

"—Iron Mountain Lean!"

This was a deadly move synthesized from Hanma's personal experience. Using the lumbar spine as the source of power and the thigh as an auxiliary, he gathered all his strength to explode it from the shoulder—a killing move of Bajiquan!

"Buzz—"

The iron man emitted a painful wail, its steel-forged body shattered and filled with cracks, rendering it unrecognizable. Its scattered limbs eerily resembled a vengeful spirit.

Minato's face turned pale. From his perspective, he only saw the iron man fly towards the wall and then towards him at high speed.

But, true to being the future Fourth Hokage, Minato gritted his teeth and stood in front of Kushina within a few meters' distance before the iron man could crash into her.

Hanma, satisfied, instantly appeared in front of Minato and, with a standard front kick, shattered the iron man into pieces.

For a moment, the courtyard was a scene of flying iron debris and deep pits in the ground, as if it had undergone an epic battle.

Hanma quietly admired his handiwork, picked up a warm towel, and wiped his body.

The contact of the towel with his crimson body produced a sizzling noise, emitting steam.

Kushina, now fully awake, was trembling from the destructive sounds, reminding her of the nightmarish destruction of Uzushio Village.

Known as the "Red Hot Habanero" at school, she now hid behind Minato, clutching his back tightly.

Minato, equally pale, leaned exhaustedly against the wall, grasping Kushina's hand and breathing heavily.

"Hanma-sensei, is this your way of fighting?"

Hanma casually waved his hand, donned his battle-ready ninja vest, and grabbed Minato with one hand and the dazed Kushina with the other.

"I'm quite special. Out of the Five Great Ninja Villages, I should be the only one who fights like this.

"But you and I are destined to take different paths. Don't let my power blind you; your future will be just as brilliant."

Hanma didn't change his expression as he poured a bowl of motivational words for Minato and quickly headed to the training ground behind the village.

In the air, Minato's yellow hair swayed in the wind as he quietly pondered life.

Although Uchiha Hanma had always treated him well since he was young, like a big brother, and he had recently become Hanma's disciple, making him one of his closest people,

He had never seen Hanma in training!

Such a brutal and filled-with-male-power fighting style left a profound impression on Minato, making him feel a sense of unfamiliarity towards Hanma.

Konoha, Secret Training Ground No. 47.

Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen and his good friend Danzo Shimura were already in place.

With Hiruzen's smiling expression and Danzo's scowl, they seemed to be bickering again.

Clan heads greeted and chatted with each other, wearing kind but insincere smiles.

Jo-nin with insignias gathered in their small circles, discussing today's matches.

Their standing positions subtly reflected the current high-level structure of Konoha. The increasing discord between clan and civilian ninjas was becoming sharper under the "Will of Fire" ideology.

This internal Jo-nin competition was the first voice of the civilian ninja faction. They could no longer tolerate some incompetent clan ninjas holding high positions.

Hanma walked towards the Third Hokage, carrying two little ones, and said with a cheeky smile,

"Lord Third, I brought my disciple and his little girlfriend to watch the competition and gain some experience."

The Third Hokage sighed helplessly, while Danzo with his usual scowl stared at Kushina.

Danzo always believed that Jinchuriki were tools and should not have emotions. Even as a backup, they should be prepared!

However, Kushina's identity was special. After all, she was nurtured by Uzumaki Mito, and in terms of seniority, she was of the same level as this young lady.

The Third Hokage coughed, taking Minato and Kushina, patting their heads gently.

"If that's the case, I'll take responsibility for taking care of them. They are the new leaves of the village's new era and must face the harsh winds and rains."

Kushina's face visibly brightened after seeing the Third Hokage. She had a good relationship with Hiruzen, who had often sought Uzumaki Mito's help when he first took office.

At that time, Kushina had just moved to Konoha and lived in Mito's house. Over time, he became half a guardian for Kushina.

Hanma, freed from the burden of two troublesome kids, shook his shoulders and started calculating today's opponent and the benefits he aimed to secure.

In fact, his fame in Konoha was only significant among a select few, limited by his Anbu experiences. Apart from the high-level officials, few knew of his illustrious record.

Hanma's goal today was to make a name for himself, secure the leadership in the upcoming war, and make achievements to exchange for the Book of Seals.

Danzo's sinister voice came from the side, "I still believe that joining Root is your stage; your darkness is sufficient."

Hanma squinted his eyes indifferently, "Old man Danzo, I believe strength speaks for itself among ninjas. If I were the leader of Root, I might consider it."

Danzo's face became gloomier, and he snorted heavily, "Insolent!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen cleared his throat, used some unusual ninjutsu to amplify his voice, and said loudly, "Jo-nin class, assemble!"

Immediately, the conversing Jo-nin quickly stood at their positions, listening to the Third Hokage's next instructions.

The Third Hokage took out a lottery box from behind, scanned the crowd, and began to speak.

"This is the elite selection for Konoha's Jo-nin class. The top three will be the winners.

"You are all the pillars of Konoha. You should be prepared for the upcoming war."

"The forces will be divided into three main units: the main attacking force against Sunagakure, the main attacking force against Amegakure, and the battlefield hunting support unit."

"I will stay in the village, and the three winners will take up the division command positions."

"Anyone who wants to serve as a commander, prepare yourselves!"

As soon as the Third Hokage finished speaking, the scene fell silent.

The civilian ninjas did not expect such a fair method to decide battlefield leadership.

Battlefield command bears most of the glory and responsibility. Winning a war brings assets that can make a medium-sized clan thrive for twenty years.

Clan ninjas also did not expect that this approach would be in their favor. They did not believe that anyone from a ninja aristocratic family would lose.

For a moment, the atmosphere became intense, and a battle filled with interests and tension was about to begin!