NOVEL NEXT Chapter 333: Chapter 333
Minato Namikaze had originally been chosen as a disciple by Senju Tobirama due to his exceptional talent for space-time ninjutsu, leading to his mastery of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
However, as Tobirama continued to train Minato, he discovered that Minato not only had incredible spatial talent but also possessed remarkable creative thinking and an innate understanding of politics and leadership.
This pleasantly surprised Tobirama, who began imparting more knowledge to Minato.
At only sixteen years old, Minato already had the mindset of a Hokage and the ability to lead as one.
For this reason, Hui was intentionally grooming Minato, keeping him close.
Even though he could live forever, Hui had no intention of remaining Hokage, or the leader, for eternity.
It was too exhausting and, frankly, too boring.
Thus, he had begun training Konoha's Fourth Hokage...
No, more accurately, he was preparing the Second Sage of the future Hidden Sage Village.
Even though the Shinobi World hadn't been unified yet, Hui had already decided on the name of the future single village: Hidden Sage Village.
And its leader would no longer bear the title "Kage."
Instead, they would simply be known as "Sage."
Hui himself was the First Sage.
And now, in his mind, there were a few candidates for the position of Second Sage.
These included Minato Namikaze, Nawaki Senju, and Fugaku Uchiha.
These three individuals stood out as the most outstanding young talents in the village.
They all possessed exceptional political acumen, leadership abilities, and combat prowess.
Of course, there were others like Orochimaru and Tsunade who were also exceptional.
However, Orochimaru was wholly absorbed in scientific research and his personal pursuits. He had no desire to lead the village.
As for Tsunade, her focus was entirely on Hui, and she had no aspirations of becoming the Second Sage.
As Hui walked with Minato back to the Hokage's office, he noticed Nawaki waiting with an eager expression.
Nawaki's eyes lit up the moment he saw Hui.
"Brother-in-law, you're finally back! I have something important to report!"
Nawaki spoke with a grin.
"Lately, the frequency of reconnaissance attempts by the other villages has increased. They've been sending more personnel to scout out Konoha, and it's clear that they're getting desperate.
The reason for this is simple, the fifteen-year treaty we signed back then is nearing its expiration, and they fear that Konoha will immediately go to war once the treaty ends.
So, they're trying to gather as much information as possible about Konoha's current strength in preparation for the inevitable war."
Nawaki explained as Hui took his seat and casually sipped his tea.
"And they're right. It's inevitable that we'll launch a war to unify the Shinobi World. Just as the other villages have feared, Konoha will move once the treaty ends.
"There are still two years left before the treaty expires, but when you compare Konoha's current development and power to that of the other villages, the gap is immense.
"In fact, I'd estimate the gap is equivalent to at least twenty years, possibly even closer to forty years.
"Even if we shared all of Konoha's secrets and gave the other villages full access to our methods, they still wouldn't be able to catch up within the next two years."
Nawaki continued, his voice growing more animated.
"That's why I believe there's no need to continue blocking their spies and agents.
"Let them come. Let them see Konoha for what it is.
"In fact, not only should we stop blocking them, we should even invite people from other villages to visit and see the reality for themselves.
"Some of them might even abandon their plans for war and choose to surrender voluntarily."
Hui raised an eyebrow as Nawaki laid out his bold proposal.
"And as for how to invite them... I've already thought of a reason—
"We can host a Chūnin Exam or even a Jōnin Exam. Either one works.
"We can hold a joint ninja examination and turn it into a grand festival for the entire Shinobi World!
'We'll invite representatives from every village and let them witness the strength of Konoha firsthand.
"We'll show them just how powerful Konoha has become, shattering any last hopes they might have of opposing us.
"Let them despair. Let them understand that resistance is futile."
Nawaki finished his proposal, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Peace had brought with it a sense of calm and stability, but after years of peace in Konoha, Nawaki was bored out of his mind and itching for action.
Nawaki wasn't a warmonger, he simply found it unbearable that his immense strength remained unknown to the world. It made him feel like a king dressed in finery yet wandering unseen in the night.
Besides, Nawaki's dream had always been to become a figure as renowned as a "Hevenly Emperor of the Trees", known throughout the Shinobi World and the universe beyond. But in these peaceful days, how could he ever achieve fame?
So, Nawaki was eager for things to heat up and for the Unification War to break out.
This Ninja Examination would be the beginning.
In this grand event, Nawaki intended to vie for the position of Chief Examiner. He wanted to show the Shinobi World what a truly terrifying proctor could be.
After listening to Nawaki's proposal, Hui rested his chin on his hands and contemplated.
He knew this idea had likely come from Nawaki's sheer boredom, but after giving it serious thought, he realized the suggestion made a lot of sense.
Just as Nawaki had said, Konoha's development and strength had surpassed the other villages by at least forty years.
And in terms of high-level combat power, the gap between Konoha and the rest of the Shinobi World had become insurmountable, a chasm between dimensions.
After all, Konoha now boasted multiple Six Paths-level figures.
Mochizuki Hui, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, and Uchiha Madara.
Any one of these three could single-handedly dominate the entire Shinobi World, crushing it however they pleased.
Then, there were the strongest shinobi below the Six Paths level, such as Nawaki, Tsunade, and Tobirama Senju.
The Shinobi World had long believed that Hui's power was on par with Hashirama Senju, the original God of Shinobi.
In truth, Konoha now had several individuals as powerful as Hashirama.
And Hui himself had become a true deity in the eyes of the world.
Furthermore, in terms of Kage-level, Elite Jōnin-level, and Jōnin-level shinobi, Konoha's numbers were unmatched and utterly unattainable by any other village.
With such overwhelming strength and such an elite roster, how could the other villages, none of whom even had shinobi capable of reaching the strongest below Six Paths level, possibly compete?
The truth was, the concept of the Unification War had been a joke from the moment the treaty was signed thirteen years ago.
Konoha no longer needed to hide its true power from the world.
It was time to display their strength boldly, to show the rest of the Shinobi World what suppression truly meant!
"Well, I know you came up with this because you're bored, but you make a valid point. Very well, let's hold a Ninja Examination. As for whether it should be a Chūnin Exam or a Jōnin Exam...
"Let's go with a Chūnin Exam. If it were a Jōnin Exam, most villages wouldn't even have enough qualified participants."
Hui agreed to Nawaki's proposal, deciding to host a Joint Chūnin Exam for the Shinobi World.
Konoha had advanced to a level where it no longer existed in the same realm as the other villages.
It was time for the rest of the Shinobi World to see the truth.
To see just how formidable their enemy in two years' time would be!
Once the decision was made, Minato Namikaze drafted the official order and sent it to the Administrative Department.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was still the head of the department. When he received the order, a smile spread across his face.
He knew the unification of the Shinobi World was imminent.
Moreover, the idea of showcasing the Konoha he had helped build to the rest of the world filled him with excitement.
He couldn't wait to see the expressions on the faces of the other villages' representatives when they entered Konoha.
It was sure to be entertaining.
An hour later, a detailed plan was placed on Hui's desk.
It included everything from the exam's schedule and procedures to the roles of various Konoha departments and how they would cooperate.
The news spread quickly and within no time, all the relevant departments knew about the upcoming Chūnin Exam.
Even Konoha's Genin were notified and instructed to sign up.
Then, invitations were sent out from Konoha to the entire Shinobi World.
Every ninja village, big or small, would receive an invitation from Konoha.
A grand festival was about to take place in Konoha, one that would shake the Shinobi World to its core.
join my patreon for 145+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/HyppoTL