Even after stepping out of the sealed scroll repository, Sarutobi Hiruzen's face still glowed.
He turned to Tejima Shinichi beside him, warmth in his eyes like never before, and said with a smile:
"Training in Wood Release is no easy feat. Yamato has unique experience in this area; if you run into questions, seek his guidance first. If you hit a wall, come to me anytime."
"Yes, sensei." Tejima Shinichi nodded. Having Yamato —an instant "senior"—around would save him a lot of trial and error.
"All right, back to the office with me." Hiruzen straightened his ceremonial robe and looked toward the Hokage Building. "It's time to make this news public."
...Meanwhile, the mission-turn-in area in front of the Hokage Building was rather lively.
Team 7's Kakashi Hatake stood with Uzumaki Naruto, Sakura Haruno, and Uchiha Sasuke; Team 8's Kurenai Yuhi had with her Hyuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino; and Team 10's Asuma Sarutobi led Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, and Yamanaka Ino. All three squads were gathered, waiting for the Hokage to hand out today's assignments.
"So sloow—!" Naruto squatted on the ground doodling circles, complaining at the top of his lungs. "Why isn't Grandpa Third here yet!"
"Naruto, quiet." Sakura frowned and scolded, though her own gaze kept drifting toward the far end of the corridor.
Uchiha Sasuke leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets, eyes shut, but the slight crease in his brow betrayed that he cared more than he let on.
Kiba and Akamaru were restless; Shikamaru wore his "what a pain" look; Choji concentrated on munching chips; Ino chatted softly with Hinata, who seemed distracted, fingers nervously tapping together, stealing quick glances at Naruto before looking away.
The lone exception was the low-profile Aburame Shino, quietly standing in a corner's shadow, as if merged with the wall, silent and alone.
Honestly, looking at Team 8's lineup, one could legitimately wonder why Hiruzen grouped Hyuga Hinata and Inuzuka Kiba with Aburame Shino... After all, the Byakugan's penetrating sight and the Inuzuka clan's enhanced scent tracking with Akamaru were top-tier reconnaissance skills.
Otherwise, with Shino's innate "you-can't-see-me," if it were anyone else, teammates might turn around mid-mission and not even spot him.
Just then, footsteps echoed from the far corridor.
Everyone perked up and straightened.
Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen walked in slowly, and behind him—only one person: Tejima Shinichi.
"Hokage-sama!" all spoke in unison.
They greeted in unison, yet every gaze slid toward Tejima Shinichi, surprise evident in varying degrees.
What's going on...? Why is Shinichi with the Hokage? And... where are the other two members of Team One?
Naruto, never able to hold his tongue, pointed straight at Shinichi and blurted, "Eh?! Shinichi? Why's just you here? Where're Kobayashi and Sato?"
Hiruzen stopped, swept his gaze across them, and with his usual smile explained on Shinichi's behalf:
"Team One just returned from a C-Rank mission yesterday. Thoughtful Yamato gave them a day off to rest. As for Shinichi, I had other business with him."
"A C-Rank?!"
The words instantly stirred waves among the Genin.
"They... they've already done a C-Rank?!" Kiba's eyes bulged, envy written all over. "That fast?!"
Ino clasped her hands over her heart, star-struck eyes on Shinichi: "Shinichi-kun's amazing! Only just graduated and already on a C-Rank!"
Sakura also gasped, covering her mouth, looking at Shinichi with new awe.
Leaning against the wall, Sasuke's eyes snapped open the instant "C-Rank" hit his ears, locking onto Shinichi.
A fierce sense of frustration and rivalry surged inside him.
'Damn it... Tejima Shinichi...!' His grip on his ninja tool pouch tightened. 'He's one step ahead again!'
"C-Rank?!" Naruto exploded, jumping and shouting. "Why do they get a C-Rank while we're stuck with boring D-Ranks—finding cats, finding dogs, cleaning riverbanks! I wanna do cooler missions too! Kakashi-sensei, when are you gonna let us take higher-ranked ones?!"
Kakashi's half-lidded eye stayed deadpan as he scratched his head lazily. "Now, now... Naruto, calm down. Mission ranks need assessment..."
Asuma, Senbon between his lips, chuckled. "Looks like Team One's fired up."
Kurenai also nodded slightly, her gaze resting on Shinichi with appreciation.
Hiruzen took in every reaction, gave a soft laugh, offered no further explanation, and simply motioned everyone to follow as he led the way into the Hokage Office.
Each squad stepped forward to receive today's scrolls —mostly familiar D-Rank chores. Naruto stared at his "river clean-up" sheet, pouting, while Sasuke's face turned even colder.
Just as they thought the day would proceed as usual and began to leave, Hiruzen cleared his throat softly, drawing every eye.
The office quieted.
Hiruzen rose, swept his gaze slowly across every Jonin and Genin present, finally settling on Tejima Shinichi, his voice carrying through the room:
"By the way, while all Jonin and Genin are gathered, I have an announcement—"
His eyes passed over the curious faces, and under their puzzled stares he declared solemnly:
"From this day forward, I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, officially take Tejima Shinichi as my disciple!"
"..."
As the words fell, the entire Hokage Building plunged into dead silence.
Silence!
At that moment the Hokage Office was utterly quiet.
Everyone seemed hit by a paralysis Jutsu, frozen in place, faces filled with utter shock and disbelief.
The Hokage... taking a student?!
Third Hokage, after so many years, taking another disciple?!
And the target... a Genin who just graduated?!
Even Kakashi's ever-half-shut eye snapped wide, shock showing beneath.
Kurenai covered her mouth.
"...Old man, are you serious?!"
Asuma sucked in a sharp breath, staring at his father, then at Shinichi.
As Jonin, they understood what the Third taking a late-life disciple meant —and it stunned them.
To the Twelve Rookies the news was no less than thunder.
They all knew Shinichi was outstanding, a true genius above them —yet hearing it firsthand still shook them to the core.
The knowledge taught at the Ninja Academy recorded-Third Hokage, the man hailed as the strongest Hokage in history!
"W-what?!" Nara Shikamaru was the first to cry out, his usually lazy face now full of shock, "You've got to be kidding... this..."
Even someone like him, who always whined about "trouble," was completely stunned by this earth-shattering news.
The Nara clan's innate intellect instantly told him what this implied... the Third Hokage was clearly signaling his successor.
"Grandpa Third's... disciple?!"
Uzumaki Naruto's mouth gaped, his brain unable to process it.
Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino were dumbfounded; Ino's eyes even sparkled with delight.
Uchiha Sasuke felt thunderstruck, his body jolting as he looked at Tejima Shinichi in utter horror; an unprecedented sense of defeat and... hidden jealousy threatened to consume him!
Top student... C-Rank mission... and now, he'd become the Hokage's disciple?!
Was the gap between them already this vast?!
Tejima Shinichi stood quietly, bathed in stares from every direction —shock, envy, jealousy, disbelief... Sarutobi Hiruzen took in their reactions, knowing full well how this news would shake them.
But that was exactly what he wanted.
He needed everyone to know: Tejima Shinichi was the heir he, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had chosen, the undisputed core of Konoha's future!
"Yare yare... no need to be so surprised." Hiruzen chuckled, raising a hand to quell the uproar. "I've thought this through carefully. I'm telling you first because I trust you all."
"Later, I will announce it to the whole Village."
Knowing how hard this was to digest, Hiruzen waved again:
"All right."
"Today's mission has been issued; everyone, go carry it out!"
At his order, despite the turmoil in their hearts, they could only exit the Hokage Office... As they left, the news that Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen had taken Tejima Shinichi as his disciple sprouted wings, racing to every corner of Konoha.
The news swept through Konoha's streets like the wind.
People in the market gathered, whispering, faces full of gossip-hungry glee.
"Did you hear? The Hokage-sama took a disciple!"
"That kid from the Tejima family..."
"The top graduate from this year's Ninja Academy!"
"Incredible..."
Mori Chie, carrying her shopping basket, stepped out, worried about her son's recent odd behavior. Sensing the unusual mood in the street, she thought little of it for the moment.
"Chie! Chie!" A familiar woman hurried over, beaming. "Congratulations! Your Shinichi is amazing!"
Chie blinked, puzzled: "Good news? Shinichi!? What happened?!"
"You don't know?" another vendor chimed in. "Your Shinichi has been taken as a disciple by the Third Hokage-sama!"
Clatter—
Chie's basket hit the ground.
Her eyes went wide, lips trembling:
"W-what did you say?"
...Meanwhile, at Konoha Hospital, after redressing the last patient's wounds, Tejima Kazuto stretched languidly!
He glanced at the clock and muttered,
"Slow day —missions done, should be nothing left."
As he packed his tools, chatter in the corridor grew louder, a familiar name faintly audible.
Frowning, Kazuto curiously poked his head out.
The moment the nurses saw him, the talk cut dead.
Several nurses exchanged complicated glances.
An older medical Ninja strode up and clapped his shoulder hard:
"Kazuto! Who'd have thought your Shinichi would shine so bright!"
Kazuto blinked. "Shine? About what?"
The elder laughed at his cluelessness, then roared:
"Haha... still in the dark? Word just came —Third Hokage-sama took Shinichi as his disciple!"
Tejima Kazuto stood frozen, mouth open, speechless... In the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans, the clan heads called emergency meetings the moment they heard.
The Ino–Shika–Chō trio had always moved as one; now they urgently needed to discuss how to handle this sudden political shift.
The name Tejima Shinichi had once meant "someone else's genius," but from today it would carry the Hokage faction's will; his rise would reshape the Village's power balance.
Inside the Hyuga main house, Hyuga Hiashi listened to the report, face blank, yet the hands on his knees clenched unconsciously.
And in advisors Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado's office, the two elders, after brief shock, lapsed into long silence.
"So that's how it is..." Homura adjusted his glasses, complicated light flashing behind the lenses. "No wonder Hiruzen risked an open break with Danzo and used such thunderous tactics for that Tejima boy..."
Koharu sighed, weariness flickering across her face:
"We all underestimated Hiruzen's resolve... and the value that child holds for him. Perhaps Hiruzen wasn't acting on impulse, but had long planned to treat Tejima Shinichi as... his heir."
Only now did they grasp why Sarutobi Hiruzen had been so furious and forceful when Shimura Danzo overstepped!
...Shimura Danzo's residence.
In the pavilion, the teacup in Shimura Danzo's hand shattered, hot tea and blood dripping through his fingers.
"Sarutobi... Hiruzen..."
He ground the name between his teeth, veins crawling like a spider web across his lone eye.
Root dissolved, power stripped... now even his last chance was utterly severed.
All because of Tejima Shinichi —ruining years of his scheming and now being pushed by Hiruzen toward the seat of successor.
How could he endure it?!
Danzo slowly lifted his bloodied hand, a mad gleam flashing in his lone eye.
"Fine... since you want to thrust him onto the stage..."
"Then let him be utterly destroyed beneath the spotlight."
Though his power was gone, decades of Root's brand ran bone-deep. Those subordinates bound by the Curse Seal of Tongue Destruction could still heed his call at any time.
Yet little did he know, while plotting to drag Tejima Shinichi into the abyss, Shinichi was likewise planning to kill him!
It simply came down to who was tougher and who struck harder!!