"Old man..." Jiraiya's voice softened a bit. "Naruto will graduate from the Ninja Academy next year. What are your plans for him?"
Hiruzen relit his pipe, taking a deep drag.
White smoke billowed before him, blurring his expression.
"Oh?" His voice came through the smoke. "You want to come back and guide him? As Minato's teacher, you are indeed the most suitable candidate."
That was the truth.
Whether in terms of strength, experience, or connection to Naruto, he was the best choice.
Moreover, with a powerful Ninja like Jiraiya protecting him, whether it was Danzo within the village or prying eyes from other Ninja Villages, none would dare easily target Naruto.
But Jiraiya shook his head.
"Forget about taking on a disciple," He waved a hand. "I'm too free-spirited, not suited to be a teacher. And... I have many things I need to do myself."
Besides not wanting to be tied down, he had deeper concerns… not just about the Land of Stars' rise, but also about the Akatsuki in Amegakure, about Nagato and Konan... about Yahiko's death...
He needed the freedom to move, to investigate, to confirm, and ultimately perhaps to resolve things himself.
Hiruzen seemed to have expected this and didn't press, merely sighing. "Then... what do you think of Kakashi?"
"Kakashi? That kid from the Hatake Clan?" Jiraiya thought briefly, the image of that always seemingly lazy, mask-wearing, yet extraordinarily talented silver-haired Anbu coming to mind.
That genius who had experienced too much tragedy yet still stayed in Konoha.
He was Minato's student, the Anbu Commander, his strength unquestionable, his loyalty to the village absolute.
"Strength isn't a problem," Jiraiya evaluated. "Experience is sufficient. But..."
He paused, thinking of Kakashi's somewhat subdued and closed heart due to the successive deaths of his close friend and teacher, saying with slight concern, "Is his personality suitable for guiding Naruto?"
"He's the most suitable candidate besides you," Hiruzen's gaze returned to the window, looking towards that vibrant little dot on the Hokage Rock, his voice low and full of meaning. "Moreover, sometimes, the process of illuminating others might also illuminate oneself. I believe in Naruto."
Jiraiya fell silent.
He looked out the window, towards the direction of the Hokage Rock.
Naruto, Menma, and Hinata had finished cleaning most of the graffiti and were now sitting on Hiruzen's statue, being lectured by Iruka.
The sunlight fell on them, outlining faint golden halos.
A complex look flashed in Jiraiya's eyes.
"Perhaps," He said softly.
Cleaning the Hokage Rock's graffiti took the entire afternoon. By the time the last speck of paint was wiped away, the sun was already setting low, the sky dyed a warm orange-red.
Below the Hokage Rock, Konoha streets.
Iruka walked ahead, followed by the three little ones… Naruto, his face still bearing traces of paint, Menma, and Hinata.
Naruto had his hands behind his head. Big Sis Hinata was throwing punch after punch at Menma as if he were a sandbag, while Menma just smiled and took it. The three of them completely ignored Iruka's majesty.
"Remember, next time you dare to graffiti the Hokage Rock, it won't be just cleaning as punishment," Iruka turned, hands on hips, looking sternly at Naruto. "I'll assign you enough theoretical homework to last until graduation!"
"I-I know already..." Naruto responded listlessly, his stomach timely letting out a protesting 'grumble...'
Iruka's expression softened a bit. He checked the sky, then looked at the three students, and sighed. "Fine, you've worked hard today. Ichiraku Ramen is on me, as a reward."
"Really?!" Naruto's eyes instantly lit up, the boy revived on the spot. "Iruka-sensei is the best!"
"Then we'll be troubling you, sensei," Menma, having freed himself from Big Sis Hinata's punches, said to Iruka.
"Iruka-sensei better be prepared," Big Sis Hinata said, hands in her pockets, a slight smirk at the corner of her mouth.
Iruka's mouth twitched, inwardly cursing himself for forgetting about Hinata's huge appetite. His wallet was going to take a big hit today.
'Oh well, I could always get reimbursed by Hokage-sama later,' Iruka consoled himself.
The four headed towards the commercial street, the setting sun stretching their shadows long.
Shop lights along the street gradually turned on, the air filled with the aroma of food and the talk and laughter of people returning home.
At this moment, Konoha appeared tranquil and peaceful.
Simultaneously, inside the Hokage Building.
"Hehe, I'll be off then, old man. Smoke less!" Jiraiya grinned, jumped out of the open window, his long white hair tracing an arc in the air before disappearing. Only the wind blowing in from outside gently stirred the curtains.
Watching Jiraiya flip out the window again, Hiruzen just shook his head helplessly, as if numb to this disciple's decades-long 'bad habits'.
Only Hiruzen remained in the office.
The Third Hokage stood by the window, looking at Konoha under the setting sun. The pipe in his hand had gone out, but he still held it between his lips, as if chewing on something bitter.
After a long while, he turned, slowly walked back behind the massive desk, and sat down in the wide chair.
The chair emitted a soft 'creak', bearing the weight of his increasingly aged body.
He pulled open the drawer on the right, taking out a thick document sealed in kraft paper.
The cover was stamped with [Confidential], with a line of small text below: Konoha Ninja Academy Student Evaluation Report.
Hiruzen untied the string, spreading the file open on the desktop.
It was an extremely detailed document, covering information on all students in Naruto's year… family background, entrance exam scores, yearly assessment data, practical exercise performance, personality evaluation, potential analysis...
It even included behavioral analysis from Sasuke's covert observations in his Anbu capacity.
Hiruzen looked over this data while relighting his pipe, taking a deep drag.
White smoke filled the office, blurring his expression.
Jiraiya had refused to be Naruto's Jonin Instructor, which was expected.
That wanderer never liked being tied down, let alone taking on long-term responsibilities like mentoring a disciple.
That left only one suitable candidate to be Naruto's Jonin Instructor.
Hatake Kakashi.
But a team needed three people.
Hiruzen's gaze fell once more on the names Menma and Hinata.
One was a commoner genius, an orphan, the other was the new head of Konoha's largest Ninja Clan, the Hyuga...
More importantly, they were Naruto's closest peers.
Placing these three in the same team would not only maximize the team's teamwork and combat effectiveness but also deepen their bonds with Konoha.
In Hiruzen's view, although Menma was of humble birth, his talent was exceptional. Becoming a Jonin was only a matter of time, and he would undoubtedly become a future pillar of Konoha.
Hinata, as the new Hyuga Clan's head, represented Konoha's prestigious clan and is destined to be part of the next generation's high command.
And Naruto, as the Fourth Hokage's son and the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki, also needed to strengthen his ties to the village.
Such a combination was practically perfect.
"Let's tentatively decide this for now," Hiruzen murmured to himself, picking up a pen and writing his instructions at the end of the document.
Jonin Instructor: Hatake Kakashi.
Genin Team Members: Uzumaki Naruto, Menma, Hyuga Hinata.
He set the pen down, about to close the file, when the office door was suddenly knocked.
Knock knock knock.
The knocks were heavy, slow.
Hiruzen frowned.
'This timing, this knocking rhythm...'
"Enter," He said solemnly.
The door opened.
A figure slowly walked into the office.
He wore a dark gray kimono with a black robe over it, leaning on a wooden cane with his right hand, his gait somewhat unsteady, as if his leg had an old injury.
Most striking was his face. His right eye and right arm were thickly bandaged. His exposed left eye was sharp as an eagle's, his gaze carrying a dark, oppressive pressure.
Konoha's Root leader, Shimura Danzo.
"Hiruzen," Danzo's voice was hoarse and low, like two rough stones grinding together. "I have important intelligence."
He walked to the desk, didn't sit, just stood there, fixing Hiruzen with that single eye.
Hiruzen set down the file in his hands, closing it and pushing it aside.
He didn't speak, just looked quietly at Danzo, waiting.
Danzo didn't beat around the bush either, getting straight to the point. "These groups' activities are becoming increasingly public, increasingly radical. Last week, riots broke out in Todoroki City. A mob killed the city lord's entire family, declaring the establishment of a new state. Although quickly suppressed by Ninja sent by the Land of Earth's Daimyo, the influence has already spread."
"What were the reactions of the Land of Earth's Daimyo and Onoki?" Hiruzen asked.
"Purge." Danzo's tone held no fluctuation. "Large-scale searches and executions. Over the past month, more than three hundred 'rebels' have been executed across the Land of Earth, with over two thousand imprisoned. But—"
He paused, a cold gleam flashing in his single eye. "The harsher the suppression, the fiercer the resistance. The bottom layer of the Land of Earth now is like a pile of dry tinder. It only needs a single spark to burst into a raging wildfire."
Hiruzen fell silent.
He certainly understood what this meant.
The Land of Stars had not only defeated the Land of Earth militarily but was now also erode it ideologically.
"That old fox Onoki..." Hiruzen slowly spoke. "He definitely won't sit idly by."
"Of course not." Danzo's voice grew even colder. "Root's latest intelligence shows that Iwagakure's resource intake over the past three months has increased by forty percent. But after analysis by the Intelligence Division, given Iwagakure's current Ninja scale and training intensity after multiple rounds of disarmament under Land of Stars' supervision, they cannot possibly absorb this many resources."
Hiruzen's pupils contracted slightly.
"You're saying... Onoki is secretly stockpiling military supplies?"
Danzo nodded, his cane tapping lightly on the floor. "That's the only explanation. Those extra resources—Chakra Metal, explosive tags, soldier pills, medical supplies... aren't being used for daily consumption. They're being stored."
"Onoki is preparing for war."
The air in the office seemed to freeze.
Outside the window, the setting sun had completely sunk below the horizon, dusk enveloping Konoha Village.
No lights were on in the office, only a desk lamp on the table emitting a dim yellow glow, casting the elongated, distorted shadows of Hiruzen and Danzo onto the wall.
Hiruzen picked up his pipe again, lit it, took a deep drag.
White smoke slowly rose in the lamplight.
"If Onoki starts a war, he will definitely seek allies," Hiruzen slowly leaned back in his chair, fingers unconsciously rubbing the warm pipe. "With his cautious nature, he would never challenge the currently dominant Land of Stars alone. He will definitely seek allies, join with other forces feeling threatened and uneasy about the Land of Stars, to act together."
Danzo nodded, a cold gleam in his single eye. "Exchanges and communications between the Daimyo's courts of the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire have also become much more frequent."
"Looking at the current Ninja World, the only ones with the strength to fight the Land of Stars are our Konoha, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure."
Hiruzen silently smoked his pipe, gray smoke curling up, blurring his deeply wrinkled face.
Both he and Danzo understood clearly.
It seemed the Fourth Great Ninja War was not far off.