Konoha, Hokage Tower, small meeting room.
All of Konoha's high-ranking officials, minister-level and above, were gathered. Mitokado Homura was presenting a report on behalf of the Administrative Department.
"According to the replies from the villages, Kusagakure, Takigakure, Amegakure, Otogakure, Sunagakure, Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure have all clearly stated they will send participants to the joint Chūnin Exams."
"Including Konoha, a total of nine hidden villages will be participating. However, most have not yet submitted their list of candidates."
Hearing this, everyone was shocked but also quite pleased.
They hadn't expected so many hidden villages to be willing to participate. This demonstrated that Konoha's standing in the ninja world was still pivotal.
Kageyama Kogetsu nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "Having so many villages participate is a good thing for Konoha, but it is also a test."
"Such a grand event in the ninja world is bound to attract many people to come and watch. Konoha must do its best to provide every guest with a comfortable experience."
"The reception arrangements must be taken seriously. As a precaution, the venues can be moderately expanded."
"Public security is a top priority. Let me make this perfectly clear."
"On Konoha's territory, whether they are daimyō, nobles, ninja from other villages, or anyone else, no one is permitted to act insolently or arrogantly."
"If anyone dares to be insolent, and they ignore the warnings, the Police Force has full authority to suppress them. Against those who dare to resist, do not hold back."
Hearing Kageyama Kogetsu's forceful speech, most people felt invigorated, while a few were invigorated but also a little worried.
"Kogetsu, I believe we should spare their lives if possible. If the troublemakers force our hand, it won't be too late for the Police Force to respond harshly then."
"This is Konoha. We hold the absolute home-field advantage," Sarutobi Hiruzen advised in a gentle tone.
As long as it wasn't a matter of principle, Kageyama Kogetsu would always try to show respect to the three elders, so their relationship over the years had been quite pleasant.
"Lord Third makes a good point. We'll do it that way."
"The responsibility for receiving our guests will fall to the two elders and Lord Third."
"As for the specific arrangements, the three of you can discuss and decide. I trust your experience and abilities."
"Shikaku and Nonō will assist, and the other departments will cooperate."
Nara Shikaku's expression didn't change, but he was bitter inside.
Seriously? Preparing for the joint Chūnin Exams is already exhausting, and now I have to get involved in reception work too?
"Very well, Kogetsu," the three elders agreed with broad smiles.
"Yes, Lord Hokage," Nara Shikaku and the others replied with serious expressions.
"If the Daimyō of the Land of Fire is among the guests, I will receive him personally."
"The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, I will also receive personally."
"I will meet with the supervising ninja from each village as a show of sincerity and courtesy."
"As for anyone else, even the daimyō of the other four great nations, I will not receive them personally. You can handle them. I don't particularly enjoy such social formalities."
In truth, Kageyama Kogetsu was just too lazy to meet them. If there were social engagements that would greatly benefit him, he wouldn't find them bothersome at all.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others all expressed that they had no problem with this.
"Oh, and notify the various shops in the village to stockpile supplies and prepare to raise prices."
"This is a great opportunity to make a fortune, but don't raise them too excessively—a maximum increase of twenty percent."
"Konoha's tax rate will also increase by ten percent, returning to normal after the Chūnin Exams."
"Does anyone have any objections?"
Of course, with so many shops in the village, they couldn't just not pay taxes. Did Konoha protect so many civilians for free?
Konoha collected taxes, but the rate was much lower than the official rates in other countries. Plus, there were no local thugs or criminal organizations to harass them, making it a much better place to do business!
No one had any objections, or rather, they wouldn't dare to voice them if they did.
The Konoha government was running around handling everything; it was impossible for them not to earn a single cent.
Otherwise, would the Konoha government just be working for the major clans, shops, and stalls?
Anyone who dared to object should prepare to be dealt with!
It had been two years since the Sixth Hokage took office. Whatever he wanted to do, he got done. Whatever he didn't want to do, didn't happen. He was a formidable character!
"Then it's decided."
"You are all dismissed."
With that, Kageyama Kogetsu stood up and left.
...
Konoha's various departments began to push forward with their work in earnest...
The most important thing for a military organization is efficiency; without it, one cannot survive.
When the Konoha Administrative Department issued the announcement for the nine-village joint Chūnin Exams, the Konoha ninja community was in an uproar.
The vast population of Genin was in an absolute frenzy!
Nine hidden villages, including the other four great ninja villages, all taking the exam together—how immense would the pressure be? How cruel would the competition be?
Many Konoha Genin who had heard whispers of the Chūnin Exams and were preparing to sign up immediately got cold feet, deciding to wait for the next one.
Their supervising Jōnin generally agreed. People needed to know their own limits, and ninja needed to know them even more so. Otherwise, they would surely die young!
The Genin who didn't back down were all quite confident in themselves, and their supervising Jōnin approved.
However, there were also those who were swept along by their teammates, such as Sakura and Hinata.
The Chūnin Exams required all three members of a squad to register to participate. Naruto and Sasuke, as well as Shino and Kiba, all wanted to take part.
In order not to disappoint their teammates or hinder their future prospects, Sakura and Hinata could only brace themselves and choose to participate.
As the weak links of their respective teams, and to avoid holding their teammates back, ninja like the two girls all requested special training from their supervising Jōnin.
The grand event of the nine-village joint Chūnin Exams also caused a sensation among the villagers of Konoha.
Clans and ordinary villagers who ran businesses began to stock up on goods in accordance with Konoha's instructions, preparing to make a fortune during the event!
Those who didn't have businesses looked forward to watching the spectacle.
When the news spread throughout the world, the entire world was in an uproar.
Anyone who received the news and had the money, leisure, and time to make it began to flock to Konoha...
For a time, the mission requests for all the major ninja villages increased, and business was booming!
If one lacked their own armed forces or had insufficient strength, they had to hire ninja for protection.
After all, the world was not a peaceful place. If you didn't want to become a meal for the world's various gray and black market forces, you couldn't afford to be stingy.
If the ninja world had a list of trending topics, most of them in the last month or two would certainly have been related to the nine-village joint Chūnin Exams.
The lives of many people around the world were changed by the exams held in Konoha, but Kageyama Kogetsu's life remained largely unchanged.
One day, when Kageyama Kogetsu returned home from work, he found two timid, uninvited guests in the living room.
"Lord Hokage." The two uninvited guests quickly stood up, their eyes filled with admiration, and knelt on one knee in salute.
The girl on the left had long pink hair and green eyes, with a Konoha ninja headband tied on her forehead. She wore a red top.
Below, she wore a light pink four-sided skirt over black tight shorts, with a ninja tool pouch attached, and long ninja boots on her feet.
The girl on the right had white eyes and blue hair. She wore a cream-white jacket with a Konoha ninja headband around her neck, blue tight-fitting ninja pants, and standard ninja shoes.
"You're Sasuke and Naruto's teammate, Haruno Sakura. And you're Kurenai's student, Neji's sister, Hyūga Hinata, right?"
"No need for such formalities. We're all on the same side here."
Kageyama Kogetsu waved his sleeve, and an irresistible force lifted the two to their feet. He smiled and spoke in a gentle tone.
Hearing that the Hokage knew their names, Haruno Sakura and Hyūga Hinata were overjoyed. Unable to control themselves, the brightest, happiest smiles bloomed on their faces.
"I am Hyūga Hinata!" Hinata said shyly.
"I am Haruno Sakura!" Sakura said confidently.
Kageyama Kogetsu nodded slightly, then looked at Kurenai, Neji, Sasuke, and Naruto who were nearby, signaling with his eyes.
What's going on here?
<><><><><><
Read Advanced Chapters on : patreon.com/Kaizo247
~ Every 150 PS = Bonus Chapter!
~ Push the Story forward with your [Power Stones]