Talent System In The Naruto Universe

The Chunin Exams are one of the most important milestones in a ninja's career.

Unless there are special circumstances, no one wants to remain a Genin for life.

More importantly, Genin cannot take on missions alone. Only by advancing to Chunin or Jonin can they do so.

In other words, it directly affects their income.

As Genin, the missions they undertake are low-level and require splitting the rewards with the village and their supervising teacher, leaving them with very little.

"I'll wait for you!"

Might Guy became instantly excited.

He didn't think too deeply about it; he only knew that the Chunin Exams were a youthful showdown, and the thought of it made him wish time would speed up.

"About four more months."

Hanekawa paused for a moment and added, "This time, the Chunin Exams are limited to Genin within the Hidden Leaf Village."

Kakashi Hatake seemed deep in thought.

With his abilities, passing the Chunin Exams wasn't difficult. The challenge lay in securing first place.

Hanekawa and Might Guy were formidable opponents for him.

Looks like he'd need to perfect the Chidori.

"Will Rin participate?"

Obito Uchiha looked toward Rin Nohara.

"Yes," Rin Nohara replied with a worried expression. "But I feel my chances aren't very high."

She specialized in medical ninjutsu and wasn't adept at combat or sparring.

"It's fine," Hanekawa said, shaking his head. "The Hokage will surely take into account your role as a medical ninja."

In the original storyline, Rin Nohara successfully passed the Chunin Exams, likely because the standards were lowered due to the approaching war.

Take the joint Chunin Exams in Naruto's generation as a reference—despite their overwhelming strength, even Uchiha Sasuke and others didn't pass, leaving only Shikamaru Nara as a Chunin.

"..."

Obito Uchiha, feeling a bit disgruntled that Hanekawa had stolen his moment, declared, "I'll participate too! And I'll definitely claim first place!"

"Good luck," Rin Nohara encouraged him, knowing his personality and not calling him out on it.

"Heh!"

Obito Uchiha's face broke into a smile.

"Kakashi."

Hanekawa stepped forward and asked, "How's that jutsu you created coming along?"

"You mean Chidori?"

Kakashi Hatake shook his head slightly and replied, "It still has obvious flaws."

So, it's already named Chidori.

As for the problem, Hanekawa understood it well.

Simply put, using Chidori required charging at the opponent at high speed, but this made it hard to see and react to counterattacks due to the rapid movement.

Chidori—or Lightning Cutter—was actually most suitable for the Uchiha clan because only the Sharingan could keep up with such extreme speed and fully harness its potential.

"I have an idea," Hanekawa suddenly said, thinking of Sasuke Uchiha. "Why not alter its form?"

In the original story, Chidori evolved into many techniques in Sasuke's hands—such as Chidori Blade, Chidori Stream, and Chidori Spear.

"Alter its form?"

Kakashi Hatake asked instinctively, "How would I do that?"

"What about turning Chidori into a ninja tool?" Hanekawa suggested with a smile.

"Is that even possible?"

Kakashi's face was filled with surprise.

"Wouldn't the time it takes to charge at an enemy be similar to throwing a ranged ninja tool?" Hanekawa paused before continuing, "Besides, you could also infuse Chidori into your short blade or even your body."

"I understand the part about the blade, but what do you mean by infusing it into my body?"

Kakashi earnestly sought clarification.

"Currently, your Chidori is limited to your right hand. What if you expanded it to cover your entire body? What do you think it would become?"

Hanekawa was referring to Sasuke Uchiha's lightning-style technique, Chidori Stream.

"It would become a defensive technique!"

Kakashi's eyes lit up in realization.

"Not just that," Hanekawa added with a smile. "It could also serve as a wide-range offensive technique."

"Brilliant!"

Kakashi's tone couldn't hide his excitement.

He had been pondering solutions to Chidori's issues for a while but saw no way around it—unless he somehow gained a pair of Sharingan.

But Hanekawa's suggestion indirectly solved the problem.

If not for Uchiha Itachi's 100-day celebration, Kakashi would have wanted to start experimenting immediately.

"Thank you, Hanekawa!"

Kakashi looked genuinely grateful.

"No problem; we're friends," Hanekawa replied, coughing lightly. "But once you've figured it out, can you teach me the full-body version of Chidori?"

This was his true goal.

He planned to use Chidori Stream as a cover for his Lightning Cloak.

The Lightning Cloak came from the Hidden Cloud Village. While it was immensely powerful, the lightning radiating from his body while using it made it impossible for him to use it discreetly.

If Chidori Stream could be developed, it would perfectly conceal the technique.

After all, Chidori Stream also envelops the entire body in lightning, and it's even brighter and more dazzling.

"No problem," Kakashi Hatake agreed without hesitation. "Without your suggestion, I wouldn't have been able to develop Chidori."

For him, Chidori Stream and Chidori Blade were the greatest upgrades.

The former spreads across the entire body, while the latter integrates into his short blade.

With these, Kakashi would be able to fight while using Chidori, significantly boosting his destructive power.

The only issue was chakra consumption.

But since he didn't currently have the Sharingan, his chakra reserves weren't too strained.

Hanekawa thought of the official novel Kakashi Hiden.

After losing the Sharingan, Kakashi developed a new version of Raikiri that didn't require the Sharingan, called Purple Lightning.

In a way, Hanekawa's suggestion was the optimal solution.

After all, even the future Kakashi couldn't solve the Sharingan issue.

"You're quite the thinker," Tsunade remarked after hearing their conversation.

She was starting to feel that Hanekawa resembled Tobirama Senju more and more.

"Sensei, I call it being clever," Hanekawa corrected her.

Tsunade snorted softly, raised her hand, and flicked his forehead.

Hanekawa's mouth twitched.

By now, he understood Tsunade's habit—when she couldn't out-argue someone, she'd resort to a little violence.

Fortunately, it wasn't real violence, more like playful teasing.

"We've arrived!"

Obito Uchiha's spirits lifted as he said, "I'll take you inside!"

But just then, a familiar figure appeared at the entrance.

"The clan leader?"

Obito was momentarily stunned.

Even though it was Itachi Uchiha's 100-day celebration, it was unusual for Fugaku Uchiha, the clan leader, to personally greet guests at the entrance.

Could it be that I'm that important?

"Lady Tsunade," Fugaku Uchiha approached with a smile. "Welcome."

"Congratulations, Fugaku," Tsunade replied, glancing at Hanekawa, who promptly handed over the gift.

"Please follow me," Fugaku said, accepting the gift.

Hanekawa followed him into the courtyard, which was already bustling with many ninjas—most of them Uchiha clan members.

"Lady Tsunade," they greeted respectfully upon seeing her.

Despite their pride, the Uchiha clan maintained respect for someone of Tsunade's strength and unparalleled medical expertise.

"Please take the seat of honor," Fugaku gestured to the main seat.

"Is the old man not coming?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow and asked.

"The Hokage has pressing matters to attend to. He said having you represent him is more than sufficient," Fugaku replied without missing a beat.

Tsunade pursed her lips.

Even at this time, pulling political maneuvers?

Hiruzen Sarutobi was indeed extending goodwill toward the Uchiha, but his absence avoided unnecessary misunderstandings among other clans and ninjas.

Besides, it was just Itachi's 100-day celebration—his absence wasn't unreasonable.

Without further comment, Tsunade took the main seat.

"Obito," Fugaku instructed, "take Hanekawa and the others to their seats."

"Yes, Clan Leader," Obito replied immediately.

"Hanekawa!"

Before they even reached their table, Sarutobi Asuma's voice rang out.

Seated beside him were Shizune and Shisui Uchiha.

So this is the infamous "kids' table," Hanekawa thought.

He understood Fugaku's arrangement—it made sense to group them based on their young age, as they weren't suited for adult conversations.

"Nice!" Asuma grinned. "It's rare for us to gather again!"

"We have Itachi Uchiha to thank for that," Might Guy said, pumping his fists. "When he grows up, I'll teach him the ways of youth!"

"Don't even think about it. The clan leader won't let you near him," Obito retorted.

Hanekawa took a sharp breath.

Letting Might Guy teach Itachi? Wouldn't that completely derail him?

Without his guidance, there might never be a Night of the Uchiha Massacre.

But such thoughts were purely fanciful—the likelihood of it happening was slim.

"Kakashi," Asuma suddenly recalled something. "Last month was Hanekawa's birthday, but you weren't there. Where's your gift?"

"Here," Kakashi replied, already prepared, as he handed over a gift box.

"This is mine!" Might Guy pulled out a pair of nunchaku.

Only Obito stood frozen in place.

Nobody told me about this part!

He barely tolerated Hanekawa—why would he have prepared a gift for him?

"I… I forgot to bring it. I'll give it to you tomorrow," Obito stammered, forcing himself to respond under the weight of everyone's gaze.

"It's fine. Whether you give a gift or not, it's the thought that counts," Hanekawa said, shaking his head indifferently.

He glanced at the nunchaku, feeling nostalgic, and casually put them away.

Since it wasn't yet time to eat, everyone began chatting, mostly about their experiences during missions. Hanekawa listened while opening his system interface.

Over the past three months, he had obtained a new B-grade skill entry. One reason he wanted to learn Kakashi Hatake's Chidori was to complement a high-level Lightning Release jutsu.

[B-grade Talent Entry: Lightning Release Special Jōnin]

Trigger Condition: Mastery of nine Lightning Release jutsu entries at a proficient level.

Effect: Increases the effectiveness of all Lightning Release jutsu by 100%.

Note: Learning and mastering more Lightning Release jutsu can advance this entry to an A-grade Lightning Release Jōnin entry.

It was similar to his previous B-grade entries, Genjutsu Special Jōnin and Medical Special Jōnin.

This marked the third "Special Jōnin" entry Hanekawa had acquired.

Aside from that, his progress toward mastering the Yin Seal had significantly advanced, though it was still far from complete—likely requiring another year.

At that moment, a commotion broke out nearby.

Hanekawa instinctively turned and saw three pairs of Byakugan.

They were ninjas from the Hyūga Clan.

The Hyūga and Uchiha clans were equally renowned in Konoha, both possessing dojutsu-based kekkei genkai and being far more powerful than other ninja clans.

However, the two clans rarely interacted, so the Hyūga clan's visit was indeed surprising.

"It was at the clan leader's invitation," Shisui Uchiha explained.

This made their visit more understandable. An invitation left them no choice but to come, as declining would appear cowardly or rude.

Hanekawa studied the young man leading the group—Hyūga Hizashi.

Hizashi was the younger brother of Hyūga Hiashi and the father of Hyūga Neji.

In the original story, when Hyūga Hinata was kidnapped by a Cloud Village envoy, Hiashi killed the envoy upon discovery. The Cloud Village pressured Konoha to hand over the killer, leading Hizashi to sacrifice himself in Hiashi's place.

That plotline, to Hanekawa, was absurd. He couldn't wrap his head around why it was handled that way.

"Apologies for being late, everyone," came another voice behind Hizashi—it was Minato Namikaze.

"Sensei!" Kakashi, Obito, and Guy greeted him enthusiastically.

"Minato-senpai," Hanekawa said, guessing that Minato had been with Kushina Uzumaki.

She was likely absent due to her status as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki. The Nine-Tails certainly wouldn't tolerate being near a gathering full of Sharingan users without causing havoc.

"You all carry on; I'll go join them," Minato said after a brief exchange.

Due to his seniority, he headed over to the adults' table.

As time passed, the courtyard gradually filled, and nearly all the seats were taken. Hanekawa glanced around, noting that most of the guests were Uchiha clan members, with a few from other clans, such as the Hyūga, Ino-Shika-Chō, and Inuzuka clans, each represented by two or three individuals.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

Fugaku Uchiha stood up, radiating pride.

It had been a long time since the Uchiha clan had been this lively. Previously, such gatherings were purely internal, but this time, other clans had joined as well.

This was thanks to the goodwill extended by Hiruzen Sarutobi, facilitated by Shisui Uchiha and Obito Uchiha.

Fugaku felt optimistic about the Uchiha clan's bright future, perhaps even producing a Hokage one day.

In a distant corner, however, a group of Uchiha ninjas glared at him with dissatisfaction.

To them, Fugaku's quick shift in stance after receiving minor favors from Hiruzen Sarutobi was disgraceful.

They were part of the hardline faction, or "hawks," who constantly plotted rebellion to seize power and install their own Hokage.

But as their influence waned, they could only bide their time.

The celebration officially began.

While the adults engaged in political maneuvering, the children simply focused on eating and drinking.

"Kakashi," Hanekawa said, picking up a piece of beef. "How long will you all be staying this time?"

"Not sure. It depends on Sensei," Kakashi replied after a brief pause. "But I suspect it'll be a while since the Cloud Village's AB Combo has returned to their village."

"Then you'll have time to work on your Chidori," Hanekawa said with a smile. "If you need my help, just let me know."

"Thanks," Kakashi said without hesitation. "I'll definitely reach out when I need to."

Lightning Release users were rare in Konoha, making both Kakashi and Hanekawa something of an anomaly.

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