I, Konoha's Sage of Life

"Sensei, y-you're back?"

Shisui was running past a shop when he glanced inside and saw Kyoichi sitting there.

Kyoichi put his book down and looked up.

"Yes, I saw you all training hard, so I didn't disturb you."

"I see…"

Shisui walked in, glancing around hesitantly.

Kyoichi frowned. "If you've got something to say, just say it. A five-year-old acting more mature than Asuma isn't a good thing."

"Yes, I wanted to ask—has the Chūnin Exams started?"

Kyoichi raised an eyebrow, setting his book aside to look at him.

"It's just… I saw a lot of Genin squads returning."

Shisui explained.

"Mhm. The Chūnin Exams are starting soon. I was planning to wait until you were all here before saying anything."

Kyoichi nodded.

Shisui clenched his fists, visibly excited.

A moment later, Asuma and Kurenai arrived one after another.

Everyone was here.

"The Chūnin Exams are starting. Here's the application form. If you're interested, sign up. If not, it's fine. This exam is different from before."

Kyoichi didn't explain further.

But…

Kurenai and the others quickly understood.

"Sensei…"

"This is gonna be tough!"

Different?

That must mean Kyoichi designed the test!

"I won't spoil anything, but for the next few days, we'll be doing some specialized training."

"Yes!"

Everyone was pumped.

The Chūnin Exams!

They might not necessarily pass, but it was a great chance to gauge the strength of other squads.

Asuma casually sat down and helped himself to some food.

After following Kyoichi, his sense of shame had gradually eroded. The pride and discipline expected of the Sarutobi heir? Nowhere to be seen.

Of course…

Shisui wasn't much better.

At this point, he didn't look like a typical Uchiha at all.

He didn't wear the Uchiha crest, nor did he constantly boast about his clan. He even eagerly took on tasks like carrying water and chopping wood.

If it weren't for the fact that these chores had recently been turned into official missions, he might still be volunteering to help random villagers.

Obito was the same way.

These two were the black sheep of the Uchiha Clan.

The only difference…

Obito was just… simpler. And in the future, he'd be even dumber.

Kyoichi didn't mean to insult Obito. But teaching him was ten times harder than teaching Shisui.

As for Kurenai…

A certain image flashed through Kyoichi's mind.

Sakura Haruno…

Kurenai specialized in genjutsu, but in reality, she shared a similar starting template with Sakura.

Excellent chakra control

A sharp mind

A natural affinity for genjutsu

The only difference?

Sakura had someone else inside her.

Kyoichi thought for a long moment before making a decision.

Super Strength!

Once Kurenai mastered medical ninjutsu, he'd teach her super strength techniques for self-defense. Not that Kyoichi could use them yet.

The books in his study didn't contain those techniques, but that wasn't an issue. With Katsuyu's help, he could always ask Tsunade.

However…

For Kurenai, just learning the basics would be enough.

She didn't need to master it. Just enough to protect herself.

Her main focus would remain genjutsu and medical ninjutsu.

With that settled, Kyoichi finalized his training plan.

"Asuma, keep up your usual training. You should aim to master Fire Release soon."

"Yes!"

"Shisui, put your swordsmanship on hold for now. Focus on Vacuum Blade and Vacuum Wave."

"Yes!"

"Kurenai, I want you to fully master the Mystical Palm Technique before the exams. We won't be taking any missions for now, so come to me anytime you have questions."

Kyoichi gave his instructions one by one.

He wasn't giving them direct answers to the exam, but targeted training? That was fair game.

Of course…

He wasn't the only one doing this.

Every Jōnin who attended the meeting knew what was coming.

Training was necessary.

A real battlefield wouldn't always provide ideal weapons.

Take Kakashi, for example.

In the original timeline, once Chidori's flaws were exposed and his chakra blade was broken, his combat strength dropped significantly.

Losing his sword cost him half his power.

That was a serious flaw.

Kurenai nodded seriously.

She understood.

If she could master the Mystical Palm Technique and genjutsu before the exam, she'd be a huge asset to her team.

Asuma and Shisui didn't fully get it, but…

They trusted Kyoichi.

---

The Next Day…

Minato arrived with a thick stack of documents.

This was the finalized version of Kyoichi's proposal.

Written by Minato himself.

It was incredibly detailed…

Each aspect clearly explained the purpose and evaluation criteria. Very thorough.

Hiruzen read it carefully from start to finish.

After a long silence…

He sighed deeply.

"Lord Third, are you dissatisfied with the plan?"

Minato was puzzled.

The more he wrote yesterday, the more he felt that Kyoichi's system was superior—more comprehensive, better at simulating the unpredictability of war.

Stealing scrolls? Sure, that required conflict.

But in real battles, would things really be that simple?

No way…

On the battlefield, even Jōnin would target Genin.

But…

Minato noticed that Hiruzen seemed unhappy after reading the plan.

"No… It's just… when it comes to innovation, you young people are really something. As for me… I'm old. Useless."

Hiruzen chuckled.

He was known for his deep scheming.

But after reading Kyoichi's proposal, he suddenly realized—

After so many years as Hokage, he had done nothing but continue the rules set by his teacher.

Oh…

There was one thing.

Early graduation.

But that turned out to be a disaster.

Compared to a kid like Kyoichi…

Even Hiruzen couldn't help but feel ashamed.

Of course…

He quickly composed himself, hiding his emotions.

After all…

He was the Hokage.

With a serious expression, he said, "We'll implement this plan as is. As for team assignments, Minato, I'll leave that to you."

"Yes!"

Minato nodded, then hesitated. "And Kyoichi's payment…?"

"The village's funds are tight. I'll see if he's willing to accept other compensation instead."

Hiruzen thought for a moment.

Normally, the village wouldn't lack money.

But…

The war had just ended, and another conflict could break out at any moment.

No matter how much money they had, it would never be enough.

"Yes, I understand. I'll finalize the details."

Minato didn't press further.

Since the Third had a plan, Kyoichi wouldn't be shortchanged.

He only had admiration for Kyoichi.

People had wanted to reform the Chūnin Exams before, but they never found a good solution.

Make it too realistic?

Too hard—no one would pass.

Make it too easy?

Then anyone could become a Chūnin.

So in the end…

Everyone just stuck with the old system.

But Kyoichi's plan was different.

It covered intelligence gathering, teamwork, leadership, and combat.

It was perfectly suited for selecting Chūnin.

Now the real problem was…

How to form the teams?

Wait…

Minato suddenly remembered something.

He still had to train Obito and Rin!

Without Kakashi, Rin might struggle to pass, and Obito… there was no way he'd make it past the second round.

At that moment, Minato deeply regretted everything.

It felt like he hadn't made Kyoichi do extra work—

He had just given himself a massive headache.

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