The Ninja Preparatory Division's job fair kicked off in full swing. Banners reading "Job openings! All interested applicants must report to the main gate of Konoha Village today." were hung across every major street of the village.
Akaba sat inside a makeshift booth hastily constructed by the Military Police, waiting for Chunin-level applicants to arrive.
Around him, several peers his age busily handled small recruitment-related tasks, while Loe and Shinnosuke sat nearby, organizing some documents.
These materials had been voluntarily handed over to Akaba's Multiple Shadow Clones during yesterday's Q&A session.
Those individuals had shown great interest in the teaching positions, asking questions non-stop.
Before long,
a dozen Chunin arrived, clearly prepared for combat.
All Genin?
Looking at the Genin working inside the booth, the Chunin appeared curious and hesitant—could these really be staff members of the Preparatory Division?
"Hello, the Genin Council is here to serve you wholeheartedly."
"The Genin Council?"
The Chunin looked puzzled; they'd never heard of such an organization existing within the village.
Inuzuka Ishi patiently explained, "The Genin Council is an organization formed by Genin from the Preparatory Division. Its purpose is to assist teachers in managing training, learning, and other duties of the Genin."
"I see."
That actually sounded quite convenient.
With these Genin around, minor tasks could now be entrusted to them.
The Chunin immediately understood.
"May we ask which positions you're applying for? The theory lecturer position has already been filled. We're still seeking candidates for Ninja Tool Training Instructor and Stealth Training Instructor."
Inuzuka Ishi fluently listed all currently vacant positions. He hadn't wasted a second today—he came fully prepared.
After hearing this, the expressions of the Chunin turned hesitant one by one.
Too many options—it became hard to decide which to choose.
Not far away, Akaba lounged under a tree in his booth, watching everything unfold from the sidelines.
At present, Inuzuka Ishi was leading the Genin Council.
Watching him handle things, everything seemed orderly and well-managed without any confusion.
After looking around for a bit, the Chunin seemed to have made up their minds about which positions to apply for.
"I hope we finish recruitment today; otherwise, it'll get too tiring," Loe said listlessly, slumped at his station.
"Don't be so lackluster. Someone's coming."
Akaba nudged him slightly before adjusting his posture to await the approaching applicant.
The visitor appeared to be in his early thirties, wearing a stern expression. Upon arriving before them, he slowly took a seat and asked, "I'll be honest—I'm curious. You're hiring all these instructors, but what are *you* actually planning to do?"
Akaba glanced at the application form handed to him, raising his eyebrows slightly.
Shiragusa Ryosuke, a Tokubetsu Jonin, skilled in ninja tool manipulation, Earth Release, and Fire Release—an individual remarkably strong in certain areas.
However,
this visit wasn't just about applying; he likely came seeking trouble.
Was it personal motives, or was it instigated by his clan?
The Shiragusa were not a large family; their numbers weren't substantial—roughly similar to those of the Yuhi Clan.
If ordered by his clan, that would mean we'd need to think carefully.
Akaba's mind raced, but he didn't stop speaking. "As Chief Training Instructor, my role isn't just to teach—I'm responsible for planning and guiding the Preparatory Division's training. That means deciding what needs to be taught, how it should be taught, and how to maximize the students' combat effectiveness so they can immediately adapt to the battlefield when deployed."
"How do you plan to achieve that? Do you really think this kind of instruction can match direct mentorship under a Jonin?" Shiragusa Ryosuke interrupted.
Hmm, another defender of the old system?
Akaba subtly adjusted his approach. "No one denies that direct guidance from a Jonin is better than group instruction. But do we actually have enough Jonin with free time on their hands? And considering how many Genin there are in the village, where would we even find so many Jonin mentors? In the end, some of them will just return to the ninja academy anyway."
Shiragusa Ryosuke fell silent.
Jonin were essentially military commanders; during wartime, there was no way they could all serve as personal mentors.
"Our goal with the Preparatory Division is to identify each student's strengths and develop their full potential. Then, we'll selectively apply the former Jonin mentorship system to those who show exceptional talent."
Akaba continued slowly.
Comprehensive training, layered screening, targeted education, and individualized instruction.
Shiragusa wasn't stupid. He now had a general understanding of Akaba's philosophy.
To put it plainly—
The purpose of the Preparatory Division isn't to produce elite Tokubetsu Jonin or Jonin, but rather to standardize and efficiently train Chunin- and Genin-level ninjas.
For someone like him—born into a prestigious clan—such a system might seem unnecessary. But for many commoners who previously lacked the talent to advance, this structured school-based training might offer them a chance to climb from Genin to Chunin.
It was the Chunin level that formed the true backbone of warfare.
Shiragusa Ryosuke remained silent for a long time before kneeling deeply in apology. "My deepest apologies—I questioned your judgment and the village's decision. May I ask if I would have the honor of becoming a Ninja Tools instructor for the Preparatory Division?"
"Normally, there would be selection trials and competitions…"
Akaba hesitated slightly. That was how it was usually done, but Shiragusa was a Tokubetsu Jonin after all.
Besides, why would a Tokubetsu Jonin want this job? He'd originally thought the man had come to stir up trouble.
As if sensing his confusion, Shiragusa extended his leg. "My leg was severely injured during the war and never fully recovered, so I'm no longer fit for frontline duty. Teaching Ninja Tools, though, shouldn't be a problem for me."
Akaba glanced downward. His leg was covered in ugly scars, with a particularly deep wound right on the knee.
[He took an arrow to the knee], Akaba thought.
With reduced mobility and agility, he clearly couldn't function as a regular ninja anymore.
Loe hesitated for a moment before suggesting, "Then why not just assign the position directly to Ryosuke?"
"Hahaha, don't worry. When it comes to Ninja Tool Manipulation, I believe I won't lose to anyone. Still, I beg you to let me follow the normal process."
Shiragusa Ryosuke stood up.
His movement was slow—he clearly struggled with his right leg.
Akaba fell into deep thought.
Ryosuke Shiragusa's condition was truly unexpected, yet it also served as a reminder.
There wasn't just Ryosuke Shiragusa who was a tokubetsu jonin in the village. There were many other jonin who had also been injured to the point they could no longer fight on the battlefield. Though these individuals had various disabilities, their combat experience was incredibly rich, and their strength was unquestionable.
Therefore—
[Shadow Clone Jutsu!]
"You stay put and keep an eye on things. I've got something to discuss with the Third about what just happened."
To the Preparatory Division, these individuals were absolute treasures.
Akaba stood up, leaving his clone and Loe behind before heading off alone.
Hiring these special ninja wouldn't just solve the mentor issue—it could also help disabled but determined ninja who wanted to contribute to the village.
Of course, not every disabled ninja could be like Shiragusa Ryosuke, whose skills in manipulating ninja tools weren't affected. Most would probably have to join as special hires. Therefore, there was no need to cancel the formal mentor recruitment process.
He made his way quickly to the Hokage Tower.
He reported what had just happened to the Third, clearly stating his idea.
The Third fell into a thoughtful silence.
For disabled ninja, the village had always offered economic subsidies and compensation as support.
But with this kind of idea...
"Your suggestion is brilliant. It's not just for the Preparatory Division—these jonin could work as advisors for the Military Police as well."
The Third expanded his thinking, quickly coming up with various plans.
In those days of war, there were no medical ninja accompanying missions. Most injured or disabled ninja died on the battlefield. Only tokubetsu jonin and jonin had any real chance of surviving serious injuries long enough to receive treatment from medics stationed behind the front lines.
Even then, without advanced medical ninjutsu, basic healing techniques combined with medicine simply couldn't fully heal them.
That's why so many jonin seriously injured during the First Shinobi World War still lingered on. Some who hadn't lost their fighting ability had already returned to active service, but others had completely lost the capacity to go into battle or take missions.
Recruiting them for these positions would indeed be an excellent solution for Konoha, which currently faced a shortage of capable personnel.
"I'll hold a meeting immediately to collect the names of severely disabled ninja and make arrangements according to their situations, hiring them as advisors or special instructors for the Ninja Academy, the Military Police, and the Preparatory Division. You don't need to worry about it anymore—I'll handle it personally."
The Third made a swift decision and immediately took action, practically shoving Akaba aside in the process.
Akaba didn't mind at all.
With the Third taking over, he no longer needed to run around everywhere. Since his shadow clone and Loe were guarding the job fair, there was nothing to worry about there either.
Thinking about it this way—he could go back to being lazy again?
A grin spread across his face before he could stop it, and he cheerfully returned to the manga shop once the Third had gone.
"Young master, aren't you—"
"Heheh, I'm just a clone. I'm back to draw manga."
Akaba chuckled as he spoke.
Ah, that makes sense.
Sakuma Yunlang nodded in understanding and paid him no further mind, continuing to organize the manga.
Looking at him, he seemed to be searching for some older volumes.
"What are you doing?"
"Orochimaru sent someone asking for five complete sets of this manga. He's tied up now and asked me to drop them off."
After looking around for a while, Sakuma finally found the first volume, long buried at the bottom of the pile.
Five sets?
Akaba hesitated for a moment before his eyes lit up. Ah, so the Yumekuma have already started working!
"I'll take them. You don't even know where he is."
Akaba volunteered to take the comics.
This was a perfect opportunity to ask what exactly was going on.
Sakuma Yunlang was shocked—was this the young master's shadow clone? It was completely different from the original, actually willing to do errands.
He handed over the five manga sets like a zombie; Akaba snatched them up and hurried straight to Orochimaru's lab.
The research institute had already begun renovations and looked like it'd be opening along with the Preparatory Division. For now, Orochimaru still had to work in the Anbu lab.
But Danzo had already left, and currently Aburame Yūgen was in charge of the entire Anbu, so entering wouldn't cause much pressure.
Finding the lab,
Orochimaru had just completed his research and was seated, speaking with one of Manda's attendants—a serpent.
"Orochimaru, I've brought the manga."
Akaba walked in and placed the five manga sets on the table.
The small snake glanced at Akaba, then at the manga on the table, nodding in satisfaction. "Very good. Lord Manda is pleased with your offering."
After saying that, it swallowed the manga whole, disappearing through a jutsu back to Ryuchi Hidden Village.
Manda's offering?
Akaba paused for a moment, recalling a certain setting.
Every time Orochimaru summoned Manda, he needed to offer something as tribute. But since manga became popular in Ryuchi Hidden Village, maybe—
"This time, you must present one hundred *manga volumes* as tribute—or I shall devour you!"
Hmm, déjà vu.
Orochimaru lightly sighed, only speaking with annoyance after the snake left, "Beats me what's gotten into Manda. Outta the blue this morning, he sends someone down here asking for five manga sets as tribute."
Of course, it was all due to Yumekuma.
Akaba thought silently in his heart.
Still, he felt something was off. Manda was so huge—could he really see those tiny comic panels?
And those five sets?
Probably meant for other denizens of Ryuchi Hidden Village!
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