A month later, the fifteen Genin from the Earth Scroll team underwent the third exam.
Ino, a Ninja with reconnaissance abilities, led a temporarily formed squad on patrol outside the Village and did not attend the competition in person.
From the results, it was quite good.
Sakura was defeated by Tenten, a greatly strengthened Hinata defeated her Team 8 teammate Kiba, and Choji was no match for Lee, getting a beating and a direct GG.
In the quarterfinals, Tenten and Hinata had a fierce battle, which was like Tenten fighting a female version of Neji. In front of Hinata, who had mastered the Gentle Fist style, Tenten's Ninja tool throwing couldn't find any openings, and she was ultimately eliminated.
The final was Hinata against Lee, and in the end, Lee, after removing his weights, proved to be superior and won the competition.
Might Guy ran around the arena, holding his beloved disciple, celebrating the victory.
All six performed well, and after the Chunin Exams, they received their promotion to Chunin and their respective Chunin vests.
Inside the barbecue restaurant, no one spoke. Even Choji didn't look at the barbecue right in front of him. He pursed his lips, and for the first time, the usually optimistic Choji experienced a feeling called separation.
"Eat first! The barbecue here is really too expensive, and it won't taste good when it gets cold. Choji, hurry, eat!" Asuma took the lead, and the atmosphere among them finally livened up.
Ino suggested they have some alcohol, and Shikamaru and Choji, both honest kids, hesitated for a moment before nodding.
After eating and drinking to their fill.
Asuma looked at Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji with great satisfaction.
The three had successively been promoted to Chunin, and according to the agreement between the Sarutobi Clan and the Ino–Shika–Choji clans, he had completed his mission.
Shikamaru properly wore his Chunin vest, Ino was still in her purple sleeveless vest and Ninja pants, while Choji wore the Akimichi Clan's armor, with the unchanging large "Food" character on his chest.
Asuma opened a box, then looked at them, smiling as he said, "Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, congratulations, you are all Chunin now. Soon, you will be the captains of your own squads, leading new teams. According to tradition, these earrings are my gift to you. Don't forget the happy times we four spent together; we are Team 10."
He pushed the box towards the three: "These earrings are proof of your independence in your respective clans, and now they are given to you."
The three removed their previous earrings and put on the new ones. From this moment on, they were the sixteenth generation Ino–Shika–Choji, witnessed by the Sarutobi Clan. Unless they did something truly extraordinary, they would be the next heads of the three families; this was a family tradition.
At the same time, Team 10 completed its historical mission. The team's designation in Konoha Village still existed, but in reality, it would be difficult for them to be together again.
The Village couldn't let a Jonin babysit, so to speak, three captain-level Chunin on missions; that would be a waste of resources. Previously, the Village assigned missions to Team 10 as a unit, treating the four as a whole. From now on, missions would directly interface with them individually.
Asuma returned to the regular Jonin ranks, performing Jonin-level missions, and the three of them also moved past the beginner stage, becoming the backbone of the Village.
The future squad model would be much more flexible. The three were still a squad, but the Village would arrange temporary teammates based on their individual abilities to carry out Chunin-level missions. A Chunin is like a brick, going wherever needed; there's nothing to say about that.
This situation would also not last too long. As long as Ino accumulated enough missions, she could be promoted to Jonin.
Her own combat record, recommendation from a Ninja family, and sufficient mission count were the three promotion conditions, and the first two were almost nonexistent for her.
She wouldn't remain at the Chunin rank for too long; the Village wouldn't allow a combat force like her to waste time on Chunin-level missions.
It wasn't a matter of life or death, and they would still see each other often. The four had a big meal, which marked the end of Team 10.
At the same time, Yuhi's Team 8 and Might Guy's Team Guy were also having similar gatherings. The only exception was Team 7, because Naruto was still a Genin.
Jiraiya didn't think there was a big problem.
Team 7's situation was a common phenomenon; if one or two members of a squad were promoted to Chunin, would the remaining one, facing such immense pressure, still fail the exam after another six months? No way, right? No one would stay a Genin forever, would they?
After the Chunin Exams, Ino quickly received another mission. She handed over the flower shop work to Yamanaka Rino and went to the Hokage Building alone.
Shikaku, who assisted the Hokage, signaled her to wait in the adjacent room for a while, as the Fifth Hokage still had official business to attend to.
Looking at Tsunade in the original timeline, one knows that the Hokage's job is incredibly busy.
Ino had nothing to say and strolled over to the side room to wait. Upon entering, she found that she wasn't the first to arrive; there was also a young man waiting for a mission.
Judging by his vest, he was also a Chunin. The other party heard her footsteps and quickly turned around, greeting her enthusiastically.
"Ah?! Miss Yamanaka, right? Hello, hello. I'm Kaminarimon Iburi. I never imagined I'd be undertaking a mission with a genius Ninja like you this time. Please... please, please take care of me!"
Kaminarimon Iburi bowed deeply, and when he looked up, Ino noticed that he had a beard much like Asuma's, and he appeared to be in his early twenties.
Ino didn't know his background and replied politely, "Senior Kaminarimon, please just call me Ino. And please take care of me too."
The other party waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no, no. I watched last August's Chunin Exams, and honestly, I was truly shocked. I'm not good at it; I'm not good at fighting, really, I really need your help!"
Not good at fighting? Ino looked him up and down, ruling out the possibility of him feigning weakness. This guy indeed seemed weak, soft, in his demeanor.
As if worried she wouldn't believe him, Kaminarimon Iburi explained softly, "I used to do administrative work. This time, they're asking me to go on a mission... it's really—"
He wanted to say that the Fifth Hokage was messing around, but at the end of last year, Jiraiya had harshly criticized all the department heads responsible for logistics and procurement in the Village. The heads all knelt, so how could a small fry like him dare to refuse the Hokage's orders? Danzo could refuse, but are you Danzo? If they tell you to come, you have to come! If they tell you to assassinate the Raikage, you have to go. You say you can't beat him? Well, you still have to try first!
Ino just smiled and said nothing.
She felt a little strange. What kind of mission was it that they would pair her with such a partner? Judging by this guy's appearance, he probably had no combat ability. Could it be another fundraising mission?
Shikaku suddenly entered the room. Kaminarimon Iburi sprang to his feet like a spring. Shikaku gestured for him to remain seated, indicating that his presence wasn't about a mission.
He held a report and asked Ino, "You and Shikamaru both mentioned a tram in your report from the Land of Snow. Now you want to develop this tram in Konoha Village? And then have it run nationwide?"
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