"One day, I'll become Hokage! Then everyone in the village will acknowledge me!"
At last, Uzumaki Naruto spoke with a rare seriousness, revealing his true goal to Kazama Shin.
"Hokage, huh…"
Kazama Shin murmured softly, thoughts flashing through his mind.
Looking at Naruto, he said,
"Then you'll have to work hard. First, you'll need to defeat me."
"Because I want to become Hokage too."
As he spoke, a smile appeared on his face.
Under the sunlight, that confident smile carried a certain charm.
"Huh?!"
Naruto's eyes widened in shock, his mouth hanging open.
"Y-You…!"
He pointed at Kazama Shin as if he had just committed an unforgivable act.
"And Naruto…"
Kazama Shin's gaze drifted toward the towering Hokage Rock in the distance, passing over the carved faces one by one before resting on the Fourth Hokage.
His tone became slightly heavier, carrying a trace of emotion.
"Throughout history, it's not that becoming Hokage makes people acknowledge you…"
"It's that being acknowledged by others is what allows you to become Hokage."
His words lingered, filled with deeper meaning.
"What… what does that mean…"
Naruto scratched his head, clearly confused.
Seeing Naruto's bewildered expression, Kazama Shin shook his head with a faint smile.
"You'll understand someday."
…
Inside the Hokage's office—
An ANBU member was reporting.
The Third Hokage sat there, a pipe in his mouth, occasionally exhaling smoke.
"…That's what happened. The moment they sensed our presence, those two ninjas retreated."
After listening, the Third Hokage waved his hand. The ANBU bowed respectfully and disappeared in a flash.
Left alone, the Third Hokage looked at a document in his hands.
It was the admission list for the Ninja Academy, which would begin in half a month.
At the top were names from major clans.
If Kazama Shin had seen it, he would have recognized some of them immediately—
Uchiha Sasuke.
Nara Shikamaru.
And others.
His own name was listed slightly below them.
Beside it were evaluations:
Five years old, mentally mature—likely due to growing up alone.
Excellent talent—based on roughly one year of training, already capable of defeating a Genin. Proficient in the Three Basic Techniques and knows several low- to mid-level ninjutsu, likely inherited from parents.
Hardworking, polite—has consistently maintained physical training for months. Highly regarded by neighbors.
Unbeknownst to Kazama Shin—
Everything about him, from birth until now, had been laid out on the Hokage's desk.
Of course, he also understood that with his current level, it was impossible to hide from certain people in Konoha.
"Danzo… you really don't want to let go of any promising seedlings in the village, do you?"
After staring at the list for a long time, the Third Hokage sighed deeply.
According to his intelligence, Root hadn't only approached Kazama Shin—
They had contacted several others as well, most of them civilian orphans.
The Third Hokage knew exactly what Danzo intended.
But he didn't agree.
Once someone entered Root—
They were essentially destroyed.
"It's not becoming Hokage that earns acknowledgment… it's being acknowledged that allows one to become Hokage… well said."
He muttered softly, a look of approval on his aged face.
Gazing at the Hokage Rock, his eyes suddenly shone with sharp intensity.
"Wherever leaves dance, there will be fire. The light of that fire will illuminate the entire village. And when the fire fades, new leaves will grow once more…"
"The next generation of this village will inherit the Will of Fire. I will never allow you to interfere!"
A powerful aura surged from him—
As if the legendary "Professor" of ninjutsu had returned.
…
For the time being, Danzo and Root would likely have their hands full.
They wouldn't have the time to focus on someone like Kazama Shin.
After all—
This world was filled with geniuses.
And among them, those with Kekkei Genkai were even more exceptional.
Whether someone could truly grow into strength was still uncertain.
So Danzo wouldn't fixate on Kazama Shin alone.
And indeed—
When the Root operatives failed to bring him in that day,
Danzo merely pondered for a moment before saying, "Understood," and dismissing them.
…
But Kazama Shin knew none of this.
And for now, he didn't care.
All he wanted—
Was to become stronger.
The encounter with Root had ignited a deep urgency within him.
"I don't ever want to feel that powerless again…"
He muttered to himself.
And so, he placed all his hopes on Naruto.
Every single day—
Three attempts, without fail.
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
…
Time passed with countless failures.
But finally—
On the day before entering the Ninja Academy—
Kazama Shin heard the most beautiful sound.
"Ding. Successfully copied Asura's chakra. Fuse?"
