Naruto: The Perfect Hokage

Chapter 32- The Formation of Team 7

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I watched as the clearing in front of me reshaped. The S-rank water ninjutsu was doing its job, altering the landscape, albeit on a very small scale. After all, real landscape-changing jutsu exists in this world—like the Susanoo of Uchiha Madara or Hashirama the goat. He had a ton of ninjutsu capable of transforming landscapes entirely. Honestly, Hashirama Senju was a hacker, suspected to be made of 100% pure Hashirama cells—the ultimate cheat code of the Naruto-verse. He could practically create a new map with each jutsu. I also dreamed of reaching such power levels one day.

Maybe learning sage jutsu would bring me closer to that. Sage jutsu had the potential—it was like a short-term buff that multiplied one's strength. Without it, even someone with Hashirama-level chakra would find it difficult to pull off something like the Thousand-Armed Buddha. Sage jutsu would definitely be useful as my ace technique, especially when facing someone stronger than me. An elite jonin using sage mode could easily take down a regular kage-level shinobi without much difficulty.

I didn't have any bloodline limit. In a world where bloodline was almost everything, this was... bad, to say the least. But I had something better—my system. With it, I could eventually reach Six Paths-level strength by maxing out my basic attributes. The only problem was I had no idea how long that would take. As for the mysterious Yin and Yang Release, they grew naturally with increased physique and mental strength. However, the Senju clan did have a technique to extract more Yang chakra. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to learn it yet—they said it should only be used when one fully matures physically, or it could stunt bodily growth. Makes sense, though. Yang chakra is tied to the physique, and forcibly extracting it couldn't be good.

The technique might work differently on me compared to the Senju. They're born with superior physiques and immense potential, which they use to grow and convert into strength. Once their potential is exhausted, they stop growing. My case was different. Initially, my potential was close to zero, and the reason I can continuously grow is thanks to the system. By adding points to my physique and mental strength, I've increased my potential. But I still have to train hard to convert that potential into strength, just like everyone else.

If I stopped adding points to my physique now, my strength would still grow, but I would never reach kage-level. The reason is simple: my other attributes would increase somewhat based on my physique, but my chakra wouldn't grow at all. Even if I learned thousands of jutsu, I'd still end up like Kakashi at the beginning of the series.

The other attributes—like strength or agility—work differently. Adding points to them yields immediate results, but it's not efficient in the long run. For instance, imagine having 250 strength with only 10 physique. I could punch really hard, sure, but the impact would likely turn my fist into mush. Yeah... bad idea. Also, the number of points I have is limited. If I tried to improve everything equally, my training would yield no meaningful results. That's why I focus on physique and mental strength; they're the driving forces behind the cycle of growth.

I'm not sure if the Uchiha clan has a similar technique for extracting Yin chakra. If they did, I imagine they wouldn't act like crazed lunatics trying to awaken their Sharingan. But if such a technique exists, perhaps the Sharingan could be opened and upgraded without emotional trauma. Maybe I'll experiment once I manage to trade for some Sharingan or Uchiha corpses with the system... though that'll take time. I'll need to wait for the Second Ninja War for such opportunities.

My thoughts were interrupted as Sarutobi-sensei emerged, looking a bit haggard and coughing. It seemed he had used Earth Release at the last moment to escape the brunt of my attack. As expected of a future kage. He coughed and said, "That's it, Akira, you pass. You're strong enough to become a genin. Tsunade and Jiraiya, you're up next. If you manage to get the bells, maybe all three of you will pass."

And just like that, I passed the exam. In hindsight, maybe using an S-rank jutsu was overkill, but hey, all's well that ends well.

I perched on a tree branch, spectating the match that followed. The situation wasn't great for Jiraiya and Tsunade. Sensei was completely serious now, likely because of my little stunt. Tsunade was managing somewhat with her super strength, but poor Jiraiya was being tossed around like a ragdoll. Frankly, even I felt bad for him.

Sensei was clearly frustrated, and Jiraiya was the perfect punching bag—he definitely wouldn't dare to lay a hand on his sensei's granddaughter. Poor guy. Having no background really does suck. Good thing I managed to secure a good one for myself.

Time soon ran out, and, as expected, Jiraiya was tied to a log. Looks like Kakashi's exam wasn't original after all. This is generational propaganda at its finest. I feel like I'm witnessing a multi-generational pyramid scheme.

Lunch arrived, but Jiraiya didn't get any. I decided to share mine. "Here, Jiraiya. Take some of my lunch. I've already passed, but you'll need the strength for the next round," I said, offering him some food. Jiraiya looked like he was about to cry, mumbling something about best friends.

Tsunade, surprised by my gesture, followed suit. "Here, you idiot. Take some of mine too. Don't eat all of Akira's food, or he'll go hungry," she scolded, true to her nature, before force-feeding Jiraiya.

And so, following the all-too-familiar script, Hiruzen-sensei appeared and declared us all as passed. Team 7 was officially formed.

In the future, Team 7 would achieve greatness and become famous throughout the world. Akira and Tsunade married and lived happily ever after. Jiraiya, after a long single life, married Orochimaru, who had turned female via Living Corpse Reincarnation.

Thank you for reading. End of the story.

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... Just kidding. This wasn't the end. Sorry for the delay, as I'd mentioned before—exams and stuff. I've been busy. Then I got back home and spent the first day indulging in home-cooked food after six months of hostel life. Today is the second day, and I'm back in business. Regular chapters from now on.

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