Naruto AI
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Chapter 57 Promotion to Special Jonin
🕑 Added 2025-07-31 20:07:28 +0000 UTCRenjiro was surprised when they led him all the way to the top of the Hokage Residence. As a Chunin, he normally wouldn’t be allowed near such an important event. But since it was wartime, the rules had changed.
As he stepped onto the rooftop, the wind brushing past his face, he spotted familiar figures already gathered.
Shikaku turned slightly and gave him a nod, and said with a faint smile: “Didn’t expect to see you up here.”
Renjiro returned the nod, stepping into place beside him: “Yeah… me neither.”
Inoichi glanced over and said: “They must really think highly of you, Renjiro. Not many get invited to witness this kind of moment.”
Renjiro gave a small, almost unsure smile: “Well, anyway, I’m happy to be here.”
The rooftop fell quiet again as they all turned their eyes forward waiting, watching—as history prepared to unfold before them.
Finally, under the watchful eyes of thousands, the Third Hokage slowly removed the ceremonial hat from his head.
Across from him stood Minato, his golden hair was glowing in the sunlight, clad in the flowing white-and-red robes of the Hokage.
With both hands, he bowed slightly and respectfully accepted the hat from Hiruzen.
In that quiet, powerful moment, the torch was passed.
And the instant the hat touched Minato’s head, a new era began—he was now the Fourth Hokage.
"The village will be in your care from now on, Minato." Said Hiruzen, his voice was deep and solemn, yet carrying a note of quiet relief.
Minato stood tall, eyes firm with resolve: “I will give everything I have for the village.” He said in confident voice: “I won’t let you down, Sandaime-sama.”
Then, with deliberate steps, he moved to the edge of the tower. He removed his hat, raised it high above his head—and the crowd below erupted.
The declaration rang out:
“From this day forward—I am the Fourth Hokage!”
“Whoo!”
A thunderous cheer erupted like a tidal wave, rippling through the village and shaking the very air. The rooftops, the streets, even the walls seemed to vibrate with the crowd’s joy.
Renjiro stood frozen, his breath caught in his chest as he stared at the figure bathed in golden sunlight.
In that moment… Minato didn’t just lead the village, he stood at the very center of the world.
---
It had been a week since Minato became the Fourth Hokage.
For Renjiro, it was a calm and relaxing week. He mostly stayed at home, only going out to train or take Inmaru on walks.
They had been separated for more than six months, so it made sense that things felt a little distant between them. But Renjiro believed that if they spent time together every day, their bond would come back.
And it was already happening—Inmaru had started to warm up to him, even coming over to ask for food when he was hungry.
What Renjiro didn’t know was that Inmaru wasn’t coming to him out of affection or renewed trust. The real reason was much simpler—Inmaru had remembered that Renjiro used to be his little errand boy, the one who always cooked for him. So, when he was hungry, it just made sense to find the "chef."
That day was no different. Like always, Renjiro took Inmaru out for a walk.
On the way, they ran into several shinobi who had fought alongside them on the Kirigakure and Iwagakure fronts.
Whenever they saw Renjiro, they instinctively stopped to greet him.
It was a small gesture, but it spoke volumes—a sign of the deep respect he had earned for his courage and sacrifice during the war.
“Woff! Woff!”
Inmaru suddenly barked with excitement.
“Hm?”
Renjiro blinked, then caught a strong, mouth-watering smell in the air. He looked up—and realized they’d somehow ended up in front of the dango shop.
Of course, it wasn’t by chance. Inmaru had led them here on purpose. Ever since he’d tried dango on one of their walks, he’d become obsessed. Now, he made sure their daily route always passed by the shop.
“You little rascal…” Renjiro sighed and shook his head, giving the dog an exasperated but amused look.
"Woof!"
The moment they stepped into the shop, Inmaru barked a few times, clearly impatient.
The owner, already used to his unusual four-legged customer, didn’t even ask what they wanted. With a calm smile, he simply said: “Just a moment, I’ll get it ready.” And began preparing the order.
“Yo! Renjiro, Inmaru. You two are here again!” Came a familiar, overly enthusiastic voice.
Renjiro let out a soft groan and muttered to himself: “Not again…”
He didn’t even need to turn around to know who it was.
"Don’t you people have missions or something? Why do I always run into you at this shop?" Renjiro asked with a helpless sigh as he turned around. Though his words were addressed to the group, it was obvious he was aiming them at one person in particular.
Behind Renjiro stood a group of young shinobi. Among them, one stood out with his striking appearance—wearing a bright green jumpsuit that drew everyone's attention. It was Might Guy. Beside him were Asuma, Kurenai, and Genma, all casually gathered at the shop.
Their bond with Renjiro had started right here—formed over shared moments and sticks of dango. Just like in the original timeline, this group often gathered at this very spot.
And thanks to Inmaru dragging him here every day for snacks, Renjiro became a regular too. Naturally, they all got to know each other better over time.
Renjiro could still remember the day they first met. Guy had been so thrilled that he shouted: “You’re my idol!” and even asked for an autograph—completely ignoring the fact that they were both the same rank. It had caught Renjiro completely off guard.
Later, Asuma explained that Guy looked up to Renjiro because of the technique Soru, that Renjiro had created.
When Guy discovered that its creator had only been a 14-year-old Genin at the time, he was deeply moved. From that moment on, he saw Renjiro as a personal hero.
And Guy’s admiration only grew stronger with time. The more he learned about Renjiro’s accomplishments, especially the battle that earned him the title “Lightning Flash of Konoha”—the more he admired him, the stronger those feelings grew rushing through his heart like a giant wave.
“Hey!” Guy suddenly exclaimed, his eyes lightened up as if he had just spotted something: “Isn’t that Kakashi?!”
“Kakashi?” Renjiro’s interest perked up. Aside from a brief glimpse during Minato’s inauguration, this was the first time he was truly seeing Kakashi, the future Sixth Hokage in the original story.
“Kakashi! Come have some dango!” Guy called out with his usual energy, waving enthusiastically: “I’ll introduce you to someone amazing!”
“I’m busy. I don’t have time.”
Kakashi replied coldly, barely sparing them a glance before turning away and walking off, just like that.
At this point in time, Kakashi was still struggling to cope with the deaths of Obito and Rin. Though his mask concealed it well, the grief weighed heavily on him, most people simply mistook his quiet demeanor for natural arrogance.
Renjiro had once considered intervening, trying to change the tragic fates of Rin and Obito. But the harsh truth was, he lacked the courage to face the consequences.
Saving Obito would mean interfering with Madara’s long-laid plans—something far beyond what Renjiro was ready to challenge. Even worse, trying to stop Rin and Obito’s deaths could’ve made him a traitor to Konoha, since their mission was top secret and only a few high-ranking people even knew about it.
And even if he had wanted to help, it wasn’t that simple. Renjiro had been stationed far from them on the Iwagakure front. He had no idea when or where Kakashi’s fateful mission had happened.
Despite being someone from the future, his knowledge of Naruto’s timeline was broad and general—not detailed enough to change such critical events.
And just like that, the tragedy had already happened. The first domino had tipped over.
The spark that would one day ignite the Fourth Great Ninja War was now set.
---
The next day, just as Renjiro was about to leave for training, an Anbu appeared out of nowhere.
“Yondaime-sama wants to see you.” The masked Anbu said in a deep voice.
“Yondaime-sama?” Renjiro raised an eyebrow in surprise but quickly followed.
When they reached the Hokage’s office, the Anbu gave a short nod and disappeared. Renjiro didn’t think much of it, because it was a typical Anbu behavior.
Knock, knock.
Renjiro calmly rapped on the door.
“Come in.” A gentle voice responded from inside.
He pushed the door open—and to his surprise, saw not just the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, but also the former Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, seated nearby.
Renjiro quickly stepped forward and bowed: “Yondaime-sama. Sandaime-sama.” He greeted Minato first, then Hiruzen.
Hiruzen gave a warm smile and waved a hand: “No need to be so formal—we’re all part of the same family here.”
Renjiro could feel it, something serious was coming.
Minato had been watching him closely from the moment he stepped in. Then, with a warm smile, he said: “The name ‘Lightning Flash of Konoha’ is known across the entire shinobi world.”
Renjiro replied calmly: “That’s too generous, Yondaime-sama. If we’re talking about fame, your title, Yellow Flash rings far louder.”
Minato chuckled and shook his head: “That’s just the age gap between us. When I was your age, I hadn’t accomplished even half of what you’ve done.”
Hiruzen stepped in with a warm smile: “It doesn’t matter whose name echoes louder. What matters is that both of you are shinobi of the Hidden Leaf. That alone is enough.”
“You’re right.” Minato nodded, laughing softly: “Apologies—I got a little carried away.”
Watching Minato’s humble and sincere demeanor, Renjiro couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of respect.
It was clear now why Minato had surpassed even Orochimaru and other seasoned candidates to become the Fourth Hokage. It wasn’t just the Third Hokage’s support, Minato truly had the heart and presence of a leader.
He didn’t rely on status or authority, he led with humility and natural charisma.
“Now then.” Minato said, his tone shifting as his expression grew serious: “Let’s get to the real reason I asked you here.”
Looking Renjiro in the eye, he continued firmly: “Takane Renjiro, in recognition of your outstanding achievements on the battlefield and your dedicated service, the village has officially appointed you as a Special Jonin. We trust you’ll carry this responsibility with pride and continue to serve Konoha with honor.”
Renjiro murmured the words under his breath, still processing: “Special Jonin…”
Renjiro had been half-expecting something like this, but even so, he couldn’t hide his excitement.
Becoming a Special Jonin was no small thing. It officially placed him among Konoha’s mid-to-upper ranks.
Even more importantly, the promotion opened new doors: access to classified information, involvement in strategic planning, and eligibility for elite-level training. And that... was exactly what Renjiro valued most.
Comments
Vas
Thanks for the chapter.
