"Your son, Nara Kagetsu, is doing very well."
Just then, the match between Nara Kagetsu and Aburame Aoshi had ended. Hiruzen, who had watched the entire fight, put down his pipe and smiled at Nara Shikakichi, who was assisting with official business.
"Hokage-sama, you're giving me too much credit," said Nara Shikakichi, shaking his head. As he quickly processed the documents in front of him, he made notes on each one before setting them aside for the Hokage's review and decision. He was being modest with his words.
Even Nara Shikakichi wasn't entirely sure about his own son. Unlike other children in the clan who practiced their secret ninjutsu, his son didn't seem as lazy. It appeared that his body was perfectly suited to handle the heavy demands of their shadow imitation techniques.
Although his son wasn't full of energy every day, he behaved like a normal person compared to other children in the clan who were always looking for a place to rest and recharge.
"Based on his performance today, he's already a qualified Shinobi. He's got brains and strength, and he can predict almost every move his opponent will make. Classic Nara-style combat," said Sarutobi Hiruzen, exhaling a puff of smoke, his face partially hidden by the smoke. His tone was full of admiration.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio were some of the biggest supporters of Hiruzen as Hokage. While their overall clan strength might not match that of the Uchiha or Hyuga clans, the three clans had unique advantages, much like how the Hyuga clan's Byakugan was irreplaceable in certain situations.
As the brains of the trio, the Nara clan excelled at managing complex official affairs and served as a think tank during wartime. Many Nara women were also skilled in pharmacology and medical ninjutsu, forming the backbone of the medical department.
The Akimichi clan, led by the second-generation disciple of Akimichi Torifu, could use their clan's secret technique, the Multi-Size Technique, to have a devastating impact in battle, similar to that of a giant summon, especially in large-scale wars.
The Yamanaka clan specialized in using their secret techniques for interrogation and information extraction. Many members of their clan worked in the Torture and Interrogation Force and the Anbu.
Kagetsu, being a child of one of Hiruzen's most loyal clans, was impressive not just because of his clan ties, but also because of his individual performance on the exam.
At the age of six, he could already use the Shadow Imitation Technique and Shadow Strangle Technique in succession, which was remarkable.
What surprised Hiruzen even more was how a large number of insects from the Aburame clan suddenly died during the battle.
From what he observed, Hiruzen could guess how Kagetsu achieved this, but the possibility left him uncertain.
"Can the Nara clan's insecticides already affect the Aburame clan's insects?" Sarutobi pondered for a moment before asking Nara Shikakichi, who was standing next to him.
"Insecticides?" Nara Shikakichi looked at the unsettling sight of dead insects on the ground displayed in the crystal ball and shook his head under the Third Hokage's watchful eyes.
"I might need to go home and ask Yuno. She's the one who handles the clan's medicines."
The Third Hokage nodded, not pressing further. He was simply curious about how Kagetsu had accomplished this, but since Nara Shikakichi couldn't give a clear answer, he didn't dwell on it.
Perhaps the Aburame clan is more interested in the formula and details of this insecticide than I am, he thought.
As for any potential conflict between the two clans, the Third Hokage didn't even consider it. Insecticide production isn't the Nara clan's main business, and these insecticides are minor compared to their work with medicinal herbs and medicines.
The Aburame clan's insects aren't so easily defeated; that insect is just one type they breed, and they can develop targeted antibodies fairly quickly.
After briefly reviewing the remaining parts of the combat exams, the Third Hokage closed the Telescope Technique and returned to dealing with the backlog of tasks.
After the end of the Second Shinobi War, Konoha received a significant number of mission requests. These requests kept nearly all of Konoha's ninjas busy, except for the essential defence forces that remained in the village.
Over the past two years, Konoha's ninjas have been relentlessly accepting and completing missions.
In contrast, the other ninja villages, having lost many of their ninjas during the war, retreated to their villages to recover and tend to their wounds. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net
After the ninja war ended, the quiet merchants of various countries became active again. Konoha took a big share of the profits, and other major ninja villages received enough mission funds to recover and grow strong again after the war.
Even though there are still fights and battles in each ninja village due to ongoing missions, and tensions remain high, it is not enough to start a new war immediately before full recovery.
This is a rare time of peaceful development after the war.
With the return of abundant funds, Hiruzen Sarutobi recognized the importance of medical ninjas. He decided to invest heavily to fully establish the medical department as Tsunade had requested.
At this moment, a middle-aged man with white hair was wandering silently through the village streets, as if searching for something specific.
As he found a good spot and leaned in to look inside, a somewhat hoarse voice suddenly spoke from behind him.
"You're still the same as always, Jiraiya!"
The white-haired man wasn't startled by the voice. He seemed to have expected it. He looked through the hole he found a few more times, then reluctantly stood up, turned around, and saw a pale-faced man in a white robe behind him.
"Long time no see, Orochimaru. Didn't Tsunade come with you?" Jiraiya said, clasping his hands behind his head with a smile of joy at their reunion.
"She's busy with her work in the medical department and drinking."
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