Hokage Office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the urgent document delivered by the ANBU, his brows furrowing.
The report detailed the attack on Kakashi the previous night.
It specifically mentioned that Kakashi had killed five Chunin-level assassins, whose identities had been confirmed as rogue ninjas, not from other villages. The reason for their attempt to assassinate Kakashi was still unclear.
“Who could it be?”
Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered deeply.
Kakashi was known throughout Konoha as a genius ninja, constantly under the watch of other villages.
Could Kakashi’s attack have been orchestrated by another village?
Using rogue ninjas to cover their tracks seemed plausible.
The more Hiruzen thought about it, the more he believed it was possible.
Kakashi’s talent was outstanding, and being White Fang’s son made him a target for other villages, who wouldn’t want such a prodigy to grow strong.
One White Fang had already caused significant concern among the major villages.
If Kakashi were to grow into another White Fang, eliminating such a threat early on would align with their interests.
They would go to great lengths to protect their villages, including assassinating Konoha’s geniuses.
Vigilance must be heightened!
If only White Fang were still here!
Thinking of White Fang’s suicide, Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed heavily.
He felt partially responsible for White Fang’s death.
Konoha had lost a top-tier combat force, significantly reducing its deterrent power.
Now, with the major villages stirring, a new war seemed imminent.
For the promising talents of the new generation to grow, Hiruzen felt he needed to take action.
Setting down the document, Hiruzen picked up Kakashi’s file from his desk.
It detailed Kakashi’s recent missions and actions.
The file repeatedly mentioned conflicts between Kakashi and his teammates, hindering mission execution.
How many times had Kakashi clashed with his teammates?
Hiruzen rubbed his temples in frustration.
Since his father, White Fang’s death, Kakashi had become increasingly difficult to get along with.
It seemed he needed to find new teammates for him again.
Besides regular teammates, a strong Jonin teacher was necessary to keep Kakashi in check.
Hiruzen pondered this.
There weren’t many strong Jonin available to lead a team.
Names flashed through his mind until he made a decision.
Then, he called into the empty room, “Send Minato to me!”
“Yes!”
A shadow appeared, kneeling, then quickly vanished.
Hiruzen sat back, took a puff of his pipe, and muttered, “It’s time for Minato to start nurturing his loyalists!”
As Jiraiya’s most outstanding disciple and Hiruzen’s own student, Minato Namikaze was not only powerful but also well-respected in the village.
He was the most suitable candidate for the next Hokage.
Entrusting Kakashi to him reassured Hiruzen.
The current students would soon graduate.
Thinking this over, Hiruzen pulled out another document from his drawer.
It contained detailed information about this year’s graduating ninja students, some of whom were Kakashi’s peers.
If Kakashi hadn’t graduated early, he would have been with these same-age students.
“Uchiha Obito… Might Guy… Nohara Rin…”
After some thought, Hiruzen made his choices.
Firstly, Uchiha Obito.
Assigning this Uchiha clan member to Minato could ease tensions between the Hokage faction and the Uchiha, benefiting Minato’s succession as Hokage. At the very least, the Uchiha wouldn’t openly oppose Minato.
Lastly, a civilian student to balance things out.
Might Guy had extraordinary talent in taijutsu and was exceptional in combat, but his theoretical grades were abysmal.
It was uncertain if he could pass the academy’s theoretical exam.
Observation needed!
Next was Nohara Rin, another civilian ninja with balanced skills. She would be the final choice!
Snap!
Having made his decisions, Hiruzen took another puff of his pipe.
With Kakashi’s situation resolved, his mood lightened a bit.
He had invested considerable effort in Kakashi, more than any ordinary ninja could expect.
Only Kakashi could make him, the Hokage, break the rules repeatedly.
Partly because Kakashi was a genius deserving of attention and partly out of guilt for White Fang’s death.
This was Hiruzen’s way of compensating Kakashi.
“I hope this new team will help Kakashi grow and stop causing trouble!”
Hiruzen leaned back, gazing at the ceiling, slowly exhaling smoke.
Creak!
At that moment, Danzo entered, leaning on his cane.
“Sarutobi, you look quite relaxed!”
Danzo sneered at Hiruzen.
“What do you want?”
Hiruzen ignored Danzo’s sarcasm, sitting up straight.
“Have you finalized the list for the Chunin Exam? If not, include some of my Root members!”
Hiruzen didn’t respond immediately.
He took the Chunin Exam seriously.
The situation in the ninja world was becoming increasingly tense, with conflicts centered around Konoha.
The Land of Fire was the most resource-rich country, and Konoha’s victory in the Second Great Ninja War had secured significant benefits.
Other villages eyed Konoha, hoping to take a piece of the pie.
But Konoha wasn’t to be trifled with and wouldn’t yield in terms of interests.
In the ninja world, yielding once led to more demands. They had to oppose outside threats with strength.
Only then could peace be maintained.
Hiruzen understood this clearly.
Hosting the upcoming Chunin Exam, Konoha had the chance to showcase its strength.
Demonstrating Konoha’s strong reserve forces might deter those scheming villages.
Currently, Konoha’s top-tier forces matched or exceeded the four great villages. Even if they united, Konoha wouldn’t be afraid.
If they also had strong reserve forces, Konoha would be invincible.
The other villages might not sustain a prolonged war.
Therefore, they wouldn’t start a war lightly.
This way, peace could continue.
However, showcasing Konoha’s reserve strength in the Chunin Exam wasn’t easy.
Choosing participants was difficult.
Finding capable Genin wasn’t hard, but finding top-tier talent was challenging.
Outstanding Genin could barely maintain Konoha’s dignity, but they wouldn’t intimidate other villages’ participants.
Only a genius like Kakashi could shoulder this responsibility.
Unfortunately, Kakashi was already a Chunin and couldn’t participate in the exam.
Was there no qualified Genin in all of Konoha?
Hiruzen felt a bit unwilling.
“Is this what you came for?”
Collecting his thoughts, Hiruzen stood up.
Danzo, expressionless, said, “The Chunin Exam is crucial for Konoha’s deterrence strategy. If you don’t have suitable candidates, I can send Root members.”
Hiruzen knew the strength of Root members well.
At minimum, they were Chunin-level.
Some talented young members even had elite Chunin strength.
With their information strictly confidential, there was no worry about other villages noticing.
However, sending Root members to the Chunin Exam was a form of cheating.
Hiruzen didn’t want to do it unless absolutely necessary.
“We’ll discuss this later!”
Hiruzen didn’t accept Danzo’s suggestion.
“Hmph, I knew it!” Danzo, dissatisfied with Hiruzen’s approach, snorted. “In a few days, the participating villages’ lists will arrive. If we haven’t finalized ours by then, what will the other villages think? Don’t let this affect our plans!”
With that, Danzo left without looking back.
Hiruzen sat back, deep in thought.
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