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Chapter 43 - 41: Chunin Exams? Nah, My Team’s Life Matters More Than Bragging Rights
Hiruzen was, after all, a man of immense experience. After the initial surprise and curiosity, he quickly calmed himself.
But Garou's unexpected praise genuinely caught him off guard.
After all, only he truly knew the original intent behind the development of the Telescope Jutsu.
He coughed lightly and asked, "So, you have something in mind?"
"I'll give you an example. You don't know Medical Ninjutsu, but you at least understand the basics, right?"
"Of course,"
Hiruzen gave a gentle nod.
Garou sat down, grabbed a pen and paper, and began sketching. After a moment, he handed the diagram to him.
It was a simple surgical diagram.
It was not overly complicated. Anyone familiar with surgery would understand.
Garou's idea was to use the jutsu to pinpoint the exact source of an injury, speeding up diagnosis and treatment.
"Is this feasible?"
If the jutsu could be modified for targeted use, then yes, absolutely. Many jutsu seem complex until someone dares to think outside the box.
Like now, if he were to revise it, he could.
The real challenge was having the idea in the first place.
Hiruzen lightly smacked his forehead and sighed, "Fine. Then this technique..."
"Just hand over the jutsu. No need for any reward. If you can help me develop it, that's more than enough."
Garou grinned.
Hiruzen looked speechless.
He hadn't agreed yet.
Besides, he was the Hokage. Should he really be investing his time into something like this?
"As Hokage, shouldn't you lead by example?"
"Alright, alright. You talk more convincingly than I do. Go on, get lost already."
As he spoke, Hiruzen quickly formed a few hand signs, then jotted down the general theory before tearing the note and tossing it to Garou.
If this continued, he felt like he might lose his composure entirely.
"Wait, I've got more. That technique's good, but it's not as valuable as the one I submitted earlier."
Garou wasn't done.
Hiruzen gave him a weird look, then sighed. "Fine. I'll count it as an A-rank contribution. Got anything else you want?"
"I want to learn your Five Elements Seal and Five Elements Unseal techniques."
"That's two separate jutsu!"
Hiruzen chuckled, "So this time I get to mark down two credits."
"Sure, whatever." Garou agreed without hesitation.
Kakashi could teach him the normal stuff Hiruzen offered him to give. There was no need to waste precious favors on those. He only needed things Kakashi couldn't offer.
These three jutsu definitely fit that bill.
So, he received two more scrolls. Hiruzen didn't even care if he took them. He figured Garou could memorize them faster anyway, saving everyone time.
A few more days passed.
Soon, word began to spread among the shinobi, particularly the chunin and jonin ranks, that the Hokage was now actively encouraging the creation of new jutsu.
Supposedly, Hiruzen was compiling a new "Book of Creation," a counterpart to the infamous "Scroll of Seals." To access it, one had to contribute to the village, either through service or original jutsu.
It was said that a highly practical and valuable taijutsu technique had already been submitted.
Plenty of ninja liked developing their own jutsu, but usually kept them secret as personal trump cards.
Why? Because there were no real benefits to sharing.
If not for Bodhi feedback, Garou wouldn't have handed over his jutsu for free either.
A few bucks wasn't enough to tempt most ninja.
If the rewards were significant, people would be all over it. But then the village might not be so pleased.
However, for genuinely powerful techniques, it was a different story.
Many were still hesitant, but Hiruzen wasn't called "The Professor" for nothing. He knew exactly how to bait the hook.
The very next day, Asuma came knocking.
Then, it was officially announced.
Asuma had contributed a new Fire Style jutsu, "Burning Ash," in exchange for a taijutsu technique titled "Limitless Leaf State."
And not only that, Asuma even demonstrated it in front of the Hokage Office.
"Garou, do you think Asuma-sensei volunteered of his own will?" Tenten sidled up and whispered.
Garou glanced around before replying, "Asuma-sensei is loyal to the village. Of course, he wanted to help."
"But I feel like he..." Tenten was cut off by a sudden loud cough.
Kakashi stepped in, preventing her from saying more. "Let's focus on picking a mission."
"Let's do a C-rank mission! We've been training forever. It's time to test ourselves!" Tenten was fired up.
"Mm," someone replied faintly.
Garou turned his head.
It was Kasumi. She was usually quiet in crowds, but even speaking now was a sign of major progress.
"You sure? What about you, Garou?"
Kakashi didn't confirm or deny. He simply turned toward Garou.
Garou took a few seconds to think.
To be honest, C-rank missions weren't that meaningful anymore.
From a personal growth perspective, he'd rather take on B-rank or higher, real fights against real ninja.
That's the kind of battle that sharpens you.
But realistically, it wasn't likely to happen now.
Also, the Chunin Exams were coming up.
He glanced at Kakashi, ready to ask, but changed his mind.
"Even though C-rank is boring, I'll take it."
"...."
Kakashi sighed, face-palming.
This kid clearly saw the truth, yet still insisted on acting like he didn't.
It was probably out of concern for the team, or maybe because he didn't want to join the Exams at all.
So he said nothing more and turned to the others.
"The Chunin Exam registration deadline is near. None of you want to apply?"
"Eh? We can?"
Tenten was shocked. "I heard most genin wait until the second year."
"That's true for most."
"But you three are the strongest team I've seen in years. You were already at Chunin-level during evaluations. Now, you're even better."
Kakashi spoke seriously. "As your leader, I believe you qualify for this year's Chunin Exams."
"Awesome, I... wait, Garou, what do you think?"
Tenten nearly agreed right away, but her trust in Garou reeled her back in.
"You?"
Kakashi turned to Kasumi.
She said nothing, but silently pointed to Garou.
He smiled faintly. "Looks like your decision holds the most weight. Congrats, you've gained a key trait every team leader needs."
"Trust."
"So you're saying... I get to decide whether we join?" Garou looked at Tenten and Kasumi.
They both nodded.
"How does that feel?" Kakashi's eyes squinted, definitely smiling beneath the mask.
"Honestly, it's kinda stressful."
"Knowing my decision could affect my teammates' futures, that's heavy." Garou was sincere.
"So? What's your answer?"
"I am not joining."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
After a few seconds of silence, he asked, "Why?"
"No special reason. Graduating as a Chunin a year earlier or later doesn't matter. A title doesn't define your strength. But if my decision put my teammates in danger, I'd regret that forever."
Garou answered honestly. "I care more about my team than my rank."
"So, you don't trust them?" Kakashi's tone sharpened.
Tenten immediately jumped in. "Kakashi-sensei! That's not what Garou means. He's just worried about us!"
"Oh? So I don't care about you?" Kakashi's voice turned cold, radiating pressure.
Tenten and Kasumi paled. Others nearby stepped away. Only Garou remained still.
"You have your view. I have mine. We're not in conflict. I just expressed my philosophy." Garou replied calmly, still smiling.
"I'll give you one more chance."
"There is no need to test me, Kakashi-sensei. I remember there are two Chunin Exams per year, right? If we skip this one, we'll take the next."
Garou stretched. "I think waiting will benefit Tenten and Kasumi more in the long run."
"Oh? You think I'm testing you?"
"Isn't that the case? I believe, if you were in my place, you'd make the same call."
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