Chapter 153

Kiba could already foresee it — next time the Chūnin Exams came around, everyone else might pass, and only their team would fail.

That'd be absolutely humiliating!

But Kiba also knew Tsunade, the current Hokage, was a woman of swift decisions. Once she made up her mind, there was no changing it easily. Convincing her to modify the team allocations? Impossible.

So, he could only accept his bad luck… and hope Naruto would be a little more reliable.

With the matter concluded, Tsunade dismissed everyone and reminded the newly promoted shinobi to go collect their new uniforms.

Chūnin and Jōnin had designated uniforms. Skin-tight wear and mesh armor aside, the key item was the green armored vest — specially designed, with lots of pockets and decent defense. Most Chūnin and Jōnin wore it regularly, though it wasn't mandatory.

Take someone like Kurenai — she never wore one, opting instead for her own unique look, which was quite stylish.

Still, even if you didn't wear it, you had to collect a set. That was the rule.

Everyone dispersed without delay, but Natsuki and Tenten remained behind.

Tsunade was surprised.

"Natsuki, Tenten, is there something else?"

Natsuki took out a thick stack of documents and handed them over.

"This, Tsunade-sama. Please have a look."

Even more intrigued, Tsunade quickly skimmed through the documents — then suddenly stood up with a serious expression.

"This chakra battery... are you sure it can be manufactured?"

"It already has been." Natsuki handed her one directly.

Tsunade examined it first, then followed the instructions, channeling chakra into the input point. After a few moments, a symbol on the battery lit up. Clearly, Tsunade's chakra reserves were substantial — far exceeding that of Sasuke or even Kakashi.

She stopped injecting chakra, activated the mechanism, and inserted the needle-end into her own arm. With her body connected to the battery, she began attempting to draw chakra from it.

Soon enough, a look of delight spread across her face.

"Heh, this chakra battery is fantastic. It stores more chakra than many Jōnin! If we can mass-produce these and equip every shinobi with one, long-duration combat would no longer be a problem. And the cost isn't even that high… this really is a groundbreaking invention!"

Tsunade was clearly thrilled.

As the newly appointed Hokage, she knew well how shorthanded the village was. If chakra batteries were distributed, many Chūnin and Tokubetsu Jōnin would be able to fight on par with full Jōnin or even elite ones.

After all, a shinobi's strength ultimately hinged on chakra.

Many didn't reach their full potential simply due to insufficient chakra. This battery solved that flaw, allowing more ninja to unleash their true capabilities.

In effect, it was as if the village's combat strength had received a massive upgrade.

Like mana from heaven!

Shizune came over to take a look as well, and her reaction was equally astonished. She hadn't expected Natsuki to come up with something like this — and judging by the situation, he even intended to hand it over voluntarily. A godsend, truly.

Tsunade smiled warmly.

"Natsuki, are you offering this technique to the village? Or… do you have conditions?"

Natsuki didn't beat around the bush.

"Tsunade-sama, I'd like to learn Kuchiyose: Kibaku Fuda no Jutsu (Summoning: Multiplying Explosive Tags Technique)."

Tenten instinctively grabbed his sleeve, her eyes full of admiration for her boyfriend. She had guessed this would be his goal — and was deeply moved.

"Heh, clever kid. And very considerate of his girlfriend too."

Tsunade chuckled.

"That jutsu was created by my granduncle, and it's an extremely dangerous kinjutsu. But with your strength and resources, you two are suitable candidates for it. I'll approve. I'll have someone send the scroll to you later. As for this technology… I'll gladly accept it!"

Natsuki and Tenten exchanged a smile, then bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama. We'll be taking our leave!"

Tsunade watched them depart, then glanced back down at the chakra battery in her hand.

Her smile turned nostalgic, even a little envious.

"What a fine young couple…"

After leaving the office, Natsuki and Tenten made their way straight to the logistics department to pick up their new uniforms. Tenten even paid extra to buy two more sets of mesh armor — one male, one female.

Back home, the two eagerly tried on their new uniforms.

Instantly, Natsuki found Tenten stunningly dashing, while she felt he looked strong and handsome.

The uniform really was excellent — breathable, sweat-wicking, and comfortable. The green flak jacket was lightweight yet durable, providing decent protection. And the many pockets made it perfect for storing intel, scrolls, senbon, kunai, and more.

As for the mesh armor, it resembled chainmail — only thinner, more flexible, and with even better protection.

Tenten then changed into the female version, and her charm was suddenly off the charts. With her figure wrapped in the snug mesh and her legs clad in fishnet stockings, the effect was… overwhelmingly seductive.

She was only thirteen!

Natsuki gulped, eyes switching to scanning mode.

Then he pulled her into the bedroom — he needed to personally test the durability of the mesh armor. Otherwise, he just couldn't feel at ease.

...

That evening, the "Fifteen New Stars" gathered at BBQ Q to celebrate their promotions.

The still-genin kids could only stare at the others wearing their Chūnin and Jōnin uniforms with tearful envy — and vented by devouring plates of meat in wild abandon.

Kakashi, Guy, Kurenai, Asuma, and Aoba sat at a nearby table, all smiling faintly.

Their students had been promoted — a source of great pride. But none could help being a little envious of Aoba. One of his students had jumped straight to Jōnin. The other had become Tsunade's personal disciple.

The guy had hit the jackpot.

Still… it felt well-deserved. After all, Aoba had Natsuki — a genius among geniuses. With someone like him, it felt like even doing nothing would still lead to victory.

"…I wonder what kind of missions Tsunade-sama will assign next."

Shikamaru couldn't shake a sense of unease. To him, becoming a Chūnin wasn't a good thing.

Promotion meant more responsibilities — and more work. That was bad news for a self-proclaimed slacker like him.

Shino commented calmly,

"Now that we're Chūnin, we'll at least be doing C-rank missions. I'm more curious how the teams will be reshuffled."

Tenten nodded in agreement.

"With higher-ranked missions come higher risks. We won't be sent out alone — they'll definitely reorganize us into new teams. It might take some time to adapt."

But Sasuke was confident.

"Being Chūnin means having the adaptability of a Chūnin. We don't need long-term chemistry like Genin teams. Even when added to a new squad temporarily, we must quickly integrate, not drag others down — but carry our own weight. Otherwise, we're not qualified."

Everyone nodded at his words.

Everyone… except Naruto, who pouted in the corner. He just didn't like seeing Sasuke hog the spotlight.

(End of Chapter)

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