Looking at the familiar Faces in the crowd.
Aokawa was a bit dazed.
Wait, what?
They really sent Genin to the Battlefield?
"Aokawa!" Kurenai Yuhi, who was in the crowd, saw Aokawa from afar and came running over, skipping and jumping.
Her flower-like smile caused many people nearby to look over frequently.
Seeing this, Hyuga Ryosuke, who originally wanted to come over, tactfully stopped in his tracks and stood not far away, winking at Aokawa.
But there's always someone tactless; Uchiha Tetsubi followed along and arrived in front of them.
"Why are you all here?" Looking at the cute Kurenai Yuhi before him, Aokawa couldn't resist patting her smooth hair.
Kurenai Yuhi instinctively shrank her neck slightly before stopping, obediently letting him touch her. Her eyes curved like crescent moons as she said:
"Dad said the Village wants us Genin to handle some patrolling and logistics first to gain some experience."
Aokawa nodded upon hearing this.
That makes sense.
Familiarize themselves with the Battlefield first, gain experience, and slowly rise through the ranks.
As long as they aren't thrown into the slaughter on the Front Lines right from the start, it's fine.
Just then, a voice rang out from ahead.
"All Ninjas at Special Jonin level or above, gather at the Command Center." A Jonin wearing a green flak jacket stood on high ground and shouted, "Everyone else, gather at the Training Ground."
Aokawa and the other two looked at each other; 'everyone else' clearly referred to them, the Chunin and Genin.
The three followed the flow of people to the Training Ground. During this process, Aokawa also noticed another familiar person in the group.
Uchiha Shisui!
"Is this guy only a Chunin?" Aokawa was somewhat confused, but then he felt relieved.
Chunin and Jonin are more like professional titles or positions; they don't always correlate directly with strength.
Besides, Shisui isn't very old right now, roughly the same age as Kakashi. Even Kakashi, who ranked up the fastest, is only a Chunin, so it makes sense for Shisui to be a Chunin too.
When the crowd arrived at the open space of the Training Ground, they found a Jonin who looked like an instructor already waiting there.
"Everyone, line up!" Suzuki Shinj, standing above, shouted loudly.
Watching the many Ninjas below gradually form a neat phalanx under his command, Suzuki Shinj's chest puffed out slightly.
Heroes truly are born in troubled times!
He never expected that one day, a Chunin like himself could become a Jonin and command so many people here.
He cleared his throat, straightened his back, and said with a full voice, "I am Jonin Suzuki Shinj, the person in charge of your team assignments. But before I arrange the teams, I have a few things to say to you."
Seeing that everyone below was listening to him quietly, Suzuki Shinj nodded in satisfaction.
He took a deep breath, drew out his words, and began his lecture: "Everyone! The war has begun! Even if you are only Chunin or Genin, you still carry the glory of Konoha on your shoulders!"
"As a Senior, I must solemnly tell you that the Battlefield is no joke; you must strictly follow discipline! Follow all commands, do not leave your posts without permission, and report any enemy sightings immediately..."
Suzuki Shinj thoroughly enjoyed this process of giving orders. Adopting the posture of both an experienced veteran and a superior, he lectured for a long time.
His speech was filled with big words like "responsibility," "honor," and "will of fire," but the actual content was hollow and tedious.
Just as the people below were finally becoming impatient, the long-winded lecture finally ended.
"Now, begin forming teams! All Chunin, step out and stand to the right! Genin, stand to the left!"
The crowd shifted as everyone moved to either side based on their status, slowly forming two phalanxes.
However, after the split was complete, one person remained in the center of the field.
Aokawa!
Suzuki Shinj frowned at the sight, feeling very confused: "Jonin should have gone to the Command Center for the meeting! Why is there still someone here?"
Thinking of this, he forced a slight smile and offered a kind reminder: "Jonin need to go to the Command Center for the meeting."
"Teacher, I haven't graduated yet!" Aokawa, standing in the center, replied calmly.
Since he hadn't graduated, he naturally wasn't a Genin, let alone a Chunin.
The field fell silent for a moment, followed by an explosion of laughter.
Some of his former classmates from the previous two years laughed the loudest. Among them, several boys who harbored feelings for Kurenai Yuhi had long been secretly displeased by her intimate attitude toward Aokawa just now.
They immediately began speaking sarcastically: "Aokawa is still the same as ever; he's never short of girls, but he can't get his graduation certificate."
"Hahaha! We've been out for two years, and he still hasn't graduated!"
"..."
For a while, the crowd was buzzing with discussion.
Uchiha Inabi and Hinata Iruha suddenly remembered that Aokawa really was still a Ninja Academy Student. It was just that he had been so fierce recently that they had completely overlooked this fact.
In the Genin phalanx, familiar Faces like Hyuga Ryosuke and Might Guy looked at those who were laughing with unfriendly gazes.
Kurenai Yuhi's eyebrows shot up in anger as she turned to glare at them: "So what if he hasn't graduated? Even without graduating, he's much stronger than you so-called Genin."
Under Kurenai Yuhi's gaze, those people could only gradually pipe down. Although she was a girl, her family's Genjutsu was more than enough to handle them. They could only mutter quietly: "Still the same, just hiding behind a girl." "Exactly!"
Suzuki Shinj was choked up by Aokawa's words and couldn't speak for a long time.
His Face darkened. He had actually misjudged and mistaken a Ninja Academy Student for a Jonin.
Thinking of this, he was so embarrassed he could have died; he had lost a lot of Face.
Looking at the only kid in the field not wearing a Ninja headband, who had seemingly played him for a fool, he couldn't help but feel disgusted.
He waved his hand impatiently: "Go into the Genin phalanx."
Once Aokawa entered the Genin phalanx, Suzuki Shinj continued to shout: "In the coming days, you will form your own teams to be responsible for some patrolling and logistics tasks on this Battlefield."
"Teams will be led by a Chunin. After the meeting is dismissed, each Chunin can go to the Genin phalanx on the left and select two suitable Genin as teammates. You can negotiate among yourselves."
"If there are other high-difficulty missions, a Jonin will lead you to execute them."
"Do you understand?"
"Understood!"
"Good!" Suzuki Shinj nodded in satisfaction. Just as everyone thought it was over, he spoke again: "Now, I will announce some points of attention. First..."
As everyone saw Suzuki Shinj starting another long-winded speech, their minds couldn't help but wander again.
In the Chunin phalanx.
"I know what you're thinking!" Uchiha Inabi suddenly said to Hinata Iruha beside him.
"I know what you're thinking too!" Hinata Iruha replied.
"Find someone else; he's not right for you!"
"He's not right for you either. You'll only hold him back. Let him go."
"A team doesn't need to match two Hyugas."
"What's wrong with two Hyugas?" Hinata Iruha raised an eyebrow. "Only fellow clansmen can be of one heart and mind!"
"If that's the case, then different clans are better at complementing each other's strengths!"
"Complementing strengths?" Hinata Iruha sneered. "If you want to ride his coattails, just say so. You, a thick-browed, big-eyed Uchiha, have actually learned to ride coattails now."
"What's wrong with the Uchiha? Can't an Uchiha have a fragile side?" Uchiha Inabi was very clear-headed. "Don't morally kidnap the Uchiha or try to force a definition on us! The Uchiha cannot be defined!"
"Hmph! Then we'll see who's faster on their feet."
"Comparing speed? Hmph! I can't compare to Aokawa, but I'm confident I'm faster than you!"
"Then let's try and see!"
...
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