"Are you planning to challenge me tonight?"
Standing in the courtyard with his hands clasped behind his back, Danzō frowned at Kizaru.
It had only been three days.
Just three days since Kizaru had proposed challenging the Uchiha clan's Jōnin during the graduation exam, only for Danzō to reject that idea and tell him to pass his own test first.
He had given the boy a whole month to prepare.
And yet Kizaru had only taken three days.
That was enough to make Danzō think the boy was getting a little too full of himself.
The praise he had been receiving in the village lately, combined with how easily he overwhelmed children his own age, had clearly gone to his head. At this rate, he might start losing sight of his own limits.
That worried Danzō.
Pride and arrogance were the natural enemies of genius.
If this continued, it would become a serious problem.
Looking at the nephew he had poured so much expectation into, Danzō felt he had no choice.
He needed to teach the boy a proper lesson—one harsh enough to knock that growing conceit out of him.
"I won't be holding back in this assessment," Danzō said, his tone turning heavier. "Think it through carefully, Kizaru."
"Ooh, how scary, Uncle," Kizaru replied with a smile, clearly not the least bit intimidated.
Danzō snorted inwardly, though his expression remained calm.
"Since you're that confident, then fine. Tonight, at eight o'clock, I'll be waiting for you at the clan training ground."
"Don't worry, Uncle. I'll be there right on time," Kizaru said brightly.
"I hope you won't disappoint me."
"Then make sure you're ready too. Don't get scared when the time comes."
"Very well," Danzō said with a curt nod. "I'll be looking forward to it."
Just then, a figure dropped down from above and landed in front of Danzō in a half-kneel.
"Danzō-sama, Hokage-sama has arrived."
Hearing that, Danzō gave a slight nod and waved his hand.
"I understand. You may go."
After watching the subordinate vanish with the Body Flicker Technique, Kizaru immediately understood that Danzō had other matters to deal with.
"Then I'll see you tonight, Uncle."
With that, he waved casually, turned around, and left without even waiting for Danzō to respond.
Danzō watched him go, then slowly turned his gaze forward again.
Standing there before him was Sarutobi Hiruzen, smiling as warmly as ever.
Danzō's expression darkened instantly.
Shameless old bastard.
Back then, Hiruzen had already stolen the Hokage seat from him.
And now he wanted to come and steal his nephew too.
Worse, he was even snatching away the student his own student had been about to take.
The more Danzō looked at that smiling face, the more irritated he became.
And yet...
Annoying as it was, Danzō had to admit one thing.
For Kizaru's future, Hiruzen becoming his teacher really would bring greater benefits.
If Kizaru became Orochimaru's student, then in the future, at best, he would likely only be in a position to compete for the title of Fifth Hokage. After all, above him stood the generation of the Sannin.
But if Hiruzen Sarutobi became his teacher, then Kizaru would have the qualifications to contend for the position of Fourth Hokage—and perhaps even become the youngest Hokage in Konoha's history at the age of twenty.
The gap between those two possibilities was simply too large.
No matter how irritated he was, Danzō had no choice but to admit it.
Having Hiruzen personally teach Kizaru would benefit the boy far more than leaving him with Orochimaru.
"Did Orochimaru have no objections?" Danzō asked coldly.
He had already accepted it in his heart, but out of sheer displeasure, he refused to agree too easily.
Still wearing that mild, almost infuriating smile, Hiruzen took a slow drag from his pipe and answered leisurely,
"They don't object."
Danzō gave a small nod.
"In that case, I can only comply with Hokage-sama's arrangements."
When he said Hokage-sama, he deliberately stressed the title.
The sarcasm in his voice was impossible to miss.
Of course, Hiruzen heard it too—but rather than getting angry, his smile only deepened.
"Danzō, I'm not stealing Orochimaru's student for selfish reasons. I'm doing this for Kizaru and for the village's future." Hiruzen exhaled a thin stream of smoke before continuing. "Do you know? Yesterday afternoon, Kizaru defeated Jiraiya and sent him to the hospital."
What?
Danzō was genuinely startled, though outwardly, his face remained as steady as stone.
"Jiraiya concealed his identity and deliberately refrained from using his signature ninjutsu," Hiruzen continued, "but even so, defeating him that easily isn't something an ordinary jōnin could manage."
At that, Hiruzen let out a long sigh, his eyes full of admiration.
"Kizaru really is an astonishing child."
"Why did Jiraiya attack Kizaru?" Danzō asked at once.
Compared to Kizaru's strength, that was the part he cared about more.
Hiruzen took the initiative to answer plainly.
"That part is my fault. I told Jiraiya that Orochimaru intended to accept Kizaru as his student. That fool got curious after hearing all the talk about Kizaru's talent, disguised himself as a shinobi from another village, and launched a sneak attack just to test the child's strength."
"A sneak attack?"
Danzō's expression turned even colder.
His anger rose immediately.
"Attacking a comrade from the same village is grounds for punishment, Jiraiya."
"I've already taught him a lesson," Hiruzen said quickly, cutting in before Danzō could continue. "He was beaten badly by Kizaru. Multiple fractures. He's still lying in the hospital."
"What an idiot," Danzō said with open disgust.
"Young people are always too impulsive," Hiruzen said with a sigh, smoothly steering the conversation elsewhere. "That's why we old men have to keep watching over them and guiding them properly."
This time, Danzō actually agreed.
He nodded faintly.
"That's true. For the sake of the village's younger generation, we old men can't stop yet."
Once the topic shifted there, the atmosphere eased immediately.
The two old foxes fell into one of those strangely familiar conversations only they could have—one line from Hiruzen, one from Danzō, each speaking in turn as they reminisced about the past, about the hardships they had endured, and about everything they had contributed to the village over the years.
And naturally, before long, the conversation turned toward criticizing the current generation.
Compared to what they had gone through in their youth, the children of today had it far too easy.
"Today's children still need more... tempering."
"Exactly. Each generation is softer than the last."
With those final remarks, the discussion came to a close.
After reminiscing for a while, Danzō's temper had calmed considerably, and even looking at Hiruzen no longer made him quite as irritated as before.
"Kizaru is planning to challenge me tonight," Danzō said. "Come and watch, Hiruzen. Consider it a look at your student."
Hearing that, Hiruzen—who was already brimming with curiosity about Kizaru—naturally agreed without the slightest hesitation.
"Hahaha! Fine, I'll be there tonight," Hiruzen said with a smile. "I want to see for myself just how strong that child really is."
"Tonight at eight," Danzō said. "At the clan training ground. I'll be waiting."
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