Hokage Tower, Hokage's Office.
Seated behind his desk, adorned with the Hokage hat, Hiruzen Sarutobi rhythmically tapped his fingers against the wooden surface, deep in thought. Beside him, White Fang stood respectfully, silent and composed.
"Could it be that we struck gold? We recruited a kid, and he turned out to be a super genius?" Hiruzen suddenly mused aloud.
"It's hard to say," White Fang responded with his head slightly lowered. "Hokage-sama, Haruto Saito's strength is indeed improving. Over the past half month, ANBU has been closely monitoring him and keeping detailed records. He is growing, and quite fast at that, but if you're saying he managed to kill an elite Jonin… I find that absolutely impossible."
"Explain." Hiruzen leaned forward slightly.
"There is a vast difference between being able to kill an elite Jonin and doing so swiftly and silently. The former simply requires equivalent strength; in a head-on battle, one would naturally emerge victorious. But the latter? That requires strength far surpassing the average elite Jonin to execute a swift and silent kill."
Hiruzen nodded. The analysis was spot on. He understood this logic well, but he simply did not want to admit it. He truly hoped that Haruto Saito was a super genius.
He had always valued talent. If Haruto could serve Konoha, it would be ideal. After all, he was only twelve years old. It wasn't too late to mold him. If he truly possessed extraordinary talent, then all the better.
"So, you believe…" Hiruzen prompted.
"There was someone else involved." White Fang immediately answered.
"Hm?" Hiruzen tilted his head slightly, narrowing his eyes. "You're suggesting that someone is secretly protecting him? Helping him?"
"It's highly likely!" White Fang speculated. "Half a month ago, when he killed Hyuga Renji, no one saw how he did it. And now, with Mukou no Kama, it's the same. Even the location was identical—underwater, in the lake. We only know the result, not the process. So, whether he actually killed him or not is uncertain."
"Hmm…" Hiruzen pondered. That was indeed a plausible scenario.
Haruto Saito hailed from Amegakure. If he had a secret protector, that person was likely an Amegakure shinobi as well—someone exceptionally powerful, highly skilled in concealment and stealth.
Hiruzen's thoughts drifted toward Amegakure's leader, the man known as the "Demi-God" Hanzo.
In the current ninja world, very few could be considered Hiruzen's equals, and among them, the one he was most wary of was Hanzo. That man was powerful and ruthless—cunning and dangerous.
"Could this be Hanzo's scheme?" Hiruzen muttered, entertaining various possibilities.
If Haruto Saito knew what Hiruzen was thinking, he would have undoubtedly been amazed by the sheer scope of his imagination.
Both White Fang and Hiruzen were incredibly intelligent men, but intelligence often came with a downside: overthinking. They had a tendency to overcomplicate matters.
Whoosh!
A sudden gust of wind swirled in front of the desk, and a confident, lively voice echoed through the room.
"Sensei, I heard that kid, Haruto Saito, killed an elite Jonin. Is it true?" Tsunade appeared out of nowhere, eyes gleaming with curiosity, her expression brimming with excitement.
"Yes, Mukou no Kama, a professional assassin from the black market," Hiruzen confirmed.
"So, it's true! That little brat… how did he do it? Tsk tsk! Something's fishy. He must have a secret." Tsunade paced around the office, mumbling to herself, shaking her head. Her cheeks were slightly flushed with excitement.
She had already been intrigued by Haruto Saito, but due to Hiruzen's previous orders, she had been unable to approach him freely. But the more she was restricted, the more her curiosity burned.
Now, she was convinced that Haruto had a massive secret.
Still muttering to herself, she walked over, picked up a cup, filled it with water, and sipped as she returned to the desk.
Tsunade was probably the only person in all of Konoha who could behave so casually in Hiruzen's presence. After all, she was the one person who dared to call him an "old geezer" when she was upset.
Hiruzen simply let her be. He had raised her like a daughter since she was six years old.
"Where did you hear about Haruto killing an elite Jonin?" Hiruzen suddenly asked.
"Everyone's talking about it!" Tsunade pointed out the window. "It seems like half the village already knows."
"Hmm." Hiruzen nodded. The rumors were spreading fast—just as he had intended. He had deliberately allowed the information to circulate. And judging by the reaction, it was the perfect move. The news was explosive enough to spread at lightning speed.
Knock, knock!
There was a knock at the door.
Hiruzen cleared his throat and shot Tsunade a glance before saying, "Come in."
Tsunade casually wandered to the side, assuming a more proper stance.
The door opened. Danzo entered first, followed closely by Haruto Saito.
"Oh? She's here too." Haruto immediately spotted Tsunade, feeling slightly annoyed. He had hoped to avoid unnecessary interactions with her—she was like a volatile bomb, unpredictable and dangerous.
"Greetings, Hokage-sama," Haruto bowed politely.
Of course, he recognized Hiruzen Sarutobi. Though he was younger than in the original story, his facial features were unmistakable.
—— Name: Hiruzen Sarutobi Title: Third Hokage of Konohagakure Reputation: 105,673 Relation: Neutral ——
Haruto was stunned. Over 100,000 reputation points?! That was insane! His reputation value was off the charts. However, Haruto knew that part of it must stem from his position rather than sheer power, meaning his actual strength wasn't as exaggerated as the numbers suggested.
"Hm, so you're Haruto Saito?" Hiruzen asked with a dignified tone.
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
"Haruto, kid, do you remember me?"
Before Hiruzen could continue, Tsunade suddenly jumped next to Haruto, greeting him with an overly familiar tone.
"Heh, heh… I don't recall." Haruto forced a chuckle, pretending not to recognize her, then instinctively took a few steps to the side, away from her.
"Oi! You little brat, acting all arrogant, huh?!" Tsunade grabbed Haruto by the neck and gave him a playful chokehold.
"Enough nonsense," Hiruzen scolded lightly, though he wore an amused smile.
"Hmph." Tsunade released Haruto, turned away, and quietly sipped her water as if she had done nothing.
Haruto barely resisted the urge to sneeze—he still couldn't stand the scent clinging to Tsunade.
"Haruto, tell me. Did you really kill the elite Jonin who tried to assassinate you today?" Hiruzen questioned.
"Yes." Haruto nodded. "Although, I didn't know he was an elite Jonin at the time."
"How did you manage to kill him? Underwater?" Hiruzen pressed further.
"He wasn't as good at swimming as I was. He choked on water in the lake," Haruto answered with the utmost seriousness.
Pfft—
Tsunade, mid-sip, spat her water everywhere. Haruto felt something wet trickling down the side of his face.
*********************************************************************************************************
"Hello everyone! If you'd like to support the novel and gain early access to chapters up to 100, you can join my Patreon at
patreon.com/Rawink
The first 10 members will have the exclusive opportunity to personally connect with me and share their valuable suggestions. Your insights are highly appreciated and will play a key role in shaping our vision. Hurry up !!!