NOVEL WEB Chapter 76: CHAPTER 76
300,000 life energy!
By contrast, the over two hundred dignitaries in the capital had yielded less than 100 units of life energy on average. Kimimaro speculated it was due to their sedentary lifestyles—softened by years of luxury and disconnected from physical hardship.
One fact was clear: war was the fastest way to harvest life energy.
Still, such methods couldn't be sustained indefinitely. The Land of Vegetables had to be stabilized first. For now, Kimimaro focused on governance.
Two days later, Haruna was officially crowned as the Daimyō of the Land of Vegetables.
At the coronation ceremony, she stood proudly before the remaining ministers and the citizens, declaring Kimimaro the Guardian Ninja of the Land of Vegetables. Her gaze toward him was unmistakably filled with admiration—and something deeper.
Though such a public display was unconventional, no one dared oppose her.
The country had been through too much. Many of the old ministers were either dead or had fled, and those who remained were either loyal to Haruna or understood the futility of resistance. Kimimaro's strength had long since silenced dissent. To most of them, he wasn't just a protector—he was a necessary force of order.
This sentiment only grew after witnessing the transformation of the thousand-plus former enemy soldiers. In just half a month, Kimimaro's rigorous regime had turned them into a disciplined, revitalized force—far superior to the country's previous troops.
With Haruna firmly in power and Kimimaro at her side, few questioned their authority. And even fewer objected to what came next.
Standing atop the ceremonial platform, Haruna made way for Kimimaro to announce the first national policy:
"Three months from today, a nationwide civil service examination will be held. All citizens between the ages of 16 and 40 may participate. This examination will be the basis for selecting new officials to fill critical roles in the administration of the Land of Vegetables."
Within two weeks, textbooks would be printed and distributed across the land, forming the basis of the exam—at least 80% of the questions would be derived directly from their contents.
The exam would become an annual event, and this first instance a pilot program to refine the system over time.
The citizens erupted in celebration, showering blessings on both Haruna and Kimimaro. The ministers, on the other hand, were caught off guard. Whispers spread among them—what was Kimimaro really planning?
But none dared challenge him openly.
Kimimaro's motive was simple: take advantage of the current vacuum of power to implement structural reform. He didn't expect truly competent officials to emerge from the first wave—three months of rushed study couldn't undo years of neglect. But he wasn't aiming for immediate success.
He was building a framework.
In a feudal system dominated by inherited power and clan privilege, open examinations were a radical way to dismantle the monopoly of the elite.
The purpose of the textbooks was twofold: to enable the participation of commoners and to subtly control the narrative. Anyone who aspired to rise would have to learn the doctrines he approved—his vision for a future order.
Such reform would be impossible in a great power like the Land of Fire. But here, in a small nation battered by conflict, Kimimaro had the means and authority to enforce it directly.
It would take three, five, maybe even ten years for the system to bear fruit.
But that was fine.
He hadn't come to this world just to survive. The looming Fourth Great Ninja War might erupt in two or three years, depending on how the timeline aligned. But even that wasn't his true endgame. His goal was what came after—shaping a new world order once the ashes settled.
Was it exactly three years until the war? Perhaps less. The timespan between Naruto leaving with Jiraiya and the start of Shippuden was two and a half years. From there, the Akatsuki's activities intensified quickly. By Kimimaro's count, he had already spent nearly five months here. There wasn't much time.
He needed to move fast.
After the ceremony, Kimimaro convened separate meetings with the civil and military leadership.
To the civil ministers, he was brief and direct:
"The new order has been declared. Those who comply will rise. Those who resist… may try. If they fall, they will be buried."
To the military commanders, his tone shifted. He spoke with vigor, offering them a new training doctrine—a fusion of shinobi genin methods and military discipline from his former life. The undertrained commanders treated it like a holy text.
Some were naturally hawkish. And they immediately understood the implications.
Why train an army unless you intend to use it?
The Land of Vegetables had long been passive. But with Kimimaro's reforms, a quiet fire had been lit—the dream of becoming more than just a footnote in the ninja world.
Kimimaro quickly consolidated control over many military factions.
With the military in his grasp, what reason was there to fear the empty bluster of civil officials?
Once these matters were settled, he returned to his residence.
"Karin, what's wrong? You seem upset."
Kimimaro found Karin waiting in his room, arms crossed, an obvious pout on her face.
Without saying a word, Karin suddenly lunged forward and kissed him.
It was a long, breathless kiss before they finally pulled apart.
"You should go," she said flatly.
"Go where?"
"To Haruna's place. She came to see me earlier. I wasn't thrilled, but… today is her big day. And she wants… the other thing too."
Kimimaro finally understood and gave a helpless sigh.
"So now I'm some kind of reward being passed around? Like the two of you are just deciding who gets to go first?"
"Hmph! You're the one who insisted I wait until I'm older. It's not like I'm obsessed with this kind of thing, but it's frustrating always being the one left behind!"
He gently pulled her into a hug. "Alright, alright. Don't be mad."
"I'm not," Karin muttered, her voice softer now. "You should still go. If you don't, Haruna will be hurt. She's insecure. She's always afraid you'll leave once you've achieved everything you want. If you don't acknowledge her as your woman, she'll keep worrying."
Kimimaro looked at her seriously. "Do you really think I'd do something like that?"
"No. But she does. Haruna needs reassurance—real, physical proof that you won't abandon her."
With a light shove, Karin nudged him toward the door. "So stop pretending. If a beautiful woman is offering herself to you, what kind of man says no? I won't be jealous. Really."
Kimimaro's cheeks flushed despite himself. Karin had always understood him far too well.
In a world that respected strength, where he'd found a loyal and generous girl like Karin, he truly felt fortunate.
Just before he stepped out, Karin whispered near his ear:
"I'm not a little girl anymore. In less than two months, it'll be our birthday. This time, I want you to be with me."
T/N: I really want to open the Author's brain and know what's going on inside 😡
Timeline Clarification:
This isn't just about advancing the romantic subplot—it's to clarify the timeline, since the original manga's chronology can be a bit vague, and we want ours to stay internally consistent.
Naruto's birthday is October 10th. The Chūnin Exams began on July 1st and lasted more than a month.
Naruto had already turned 13 by the end of Part 1, meaning Sasuke's defection and Kimimaro's death occurred near the end of the year.
In this timeline, Kimimaro has been reincarnated for over five months, and both his and Karin's birthdays are coming up soon—fittingly, both are canonically in June.
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