In the Hokage's office on the third floor.
"The Hokage is inside," a cold voice from an Anbu wearing a fox mask indicated. As soon as the words were spoken, the Anbu turned and left without lingering for even a moment.
Shinji raised his hand and gently knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's steady voice came from inside the room. Shinji pushed the door open and entered.
Walking up to Hiruzen Sarutobi, he gave a slight bow. "Lord Hokage, Uchiha Shinji reporting."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded with a smile, gently tapping his pipe clean in the ashtray before casually placing it upside down on the desk.
The Anbu had already reported the incident in the Uchiha Clan Territory to him. As soon as he received the news, he immediately rushed back to the office and ordered someone to find Shinji.
Only after seeing with his own eyes that Shinji was safe and sound did Hiruzen Sarutobi's anxious heart finally settle.
"Shinji, I'm glad you're alright," he sighed in relief. "Otherwise, that girl Tsunade would definitely come after this old man to settle the score."
Shinji smiled and replied, "You're too kind, Lord Hokage. I'm perfectly fine."
Even standing before the Third Hokage, Shinji remained relaxed, showing no trace of nervousness or arrogance.
The improvement in his strength had given him immense confidence and self-assurance.
Hiruzen Sarutobi observed the composed and calm Shinji before him, inwardly nodding in approval.
At such a young age, he possessed such strength, along with a steady demeanor—neither fawning nor arrogant. His temperament alone surpassed that of many of his peers.
Leaning back slowly in his chair, Hiruzen's expression softened into one of paternal warmth as he initiated casual conversation with Shinji.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Shinji clarified one thing from their conversation.
That day, when Tsunade reported his condition to the Hokage, Orochimaru had also been present.
No wonder Orochimaru knew he had mastered Storm Release and even launched a surprise attack on him tonight.
After a moment of contemplation, Shinji understood Orochimaru's intentions: he coveted his bloodline and cells for research purposes.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was also feeling a headache coming on.
"That Orochimaru, causing trouble for me again."
After a moment, the old man looked up and spoke earnestly:
"Shinji, would you be willing to join my direct Anbu unit?"
Shinji was slightly taken aback, thinking to himself: This is clearly an offer of support!
Join the Anbu?
The Hokage's direct Anbu unit was responsible only to the Hokage himself, consisting of elites among elites. It required not only strength but also absolute loyalty and trust.
Being able to join meant having close access to the Hokage and even protecting his safety.
Had he gained Hiruzen Sarutobi's complete approval?
Shinji looked at the old man before him with mild surprise.
He knew that although Hiruzen Sarutobi's methods tended to be soft, he held little prejudice against the Uchiha.
In the original story, Shisui and Itachi had also been part of his direct Anbu unit.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was likely the person among Konohagakure's higher-ups who least wanted to see the village and the Uchiha become adversaries.
Unfortunately, he was advanced in years, his decisions growing increasingly conservative, and he had people like Danzo dragging him down.
Shinji thought for a moment before finally shaking his head gently.
"I'm sorry, Lord Hokage, but I cannot join the Anbu."
Hiruzen Sarutobi was visibly stunned, his face filled with confusion.
He personally extended the invitation for Shinji to join the Hokage's direct Anbu force. In his view, this was an honor no one would refuse.
"Why?"
Shinji's expression remained calm as he smiled and explained, "I want to stay with my original team. I still want to carry out missions with Kurenai Yuhi and Asuma."
"Once I join the Anbu, our team will be completely disbanded."
Hearing Shinji's explanation, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in understanding, then smiled with relief.
Valuing his comrades and caring for his team—this child truly possessed an excellent character.
He didn't want the team to disband, did he?
A trace of guilt suddenly welled up in Hiruzen's heart.
Recently, he had argued with his son Asuma, who had even begun to consider leaving Konohagakure.
If Asuma truly left, their team would ultimately disband anyway.
"Asuma still needs more experience. In terms of maturity, he is far behind Shinji."
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed softly, tapping his fingers on the desk.
After a moment of silence, he finally thought of a solution that would satisfy both sides.
"Shinji, I will publicly announce that you have officially joined the Hokage's direct Anbu force."
"But you don't need to stay by my side. You can continue carrying out missions with your original team."
"You'll just hold the title of an Anbu member. This way, it will help you avoid a lot of trouble."
In his plan, even if Asuma left, Shinji, with this status, could seamlessly integrate into the Anbu system.
For such a talented individual, he couldn't help but feel inclined to nurture him.
Shinji looked at the Hokage before him, who already showed signs of exhaustion and aging, and sighed inwardly.
No matter what, Hiruzen Sarutobi had genuinely cared for him.
With things having reached this point, he really couldn't refuse any longer.
Shinji nodded and said, "If that's the case, I can accept it. Of course, if the Hokage has any tasks for me in the future, please feel free to assign them."
"Good!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed heartily.
The Anbu ninja who delivered the message had already reported to him that Shinji had managed to briefly clash with Orochimaru without being defeated. Such strength was more than worthy of being entrusted with important responsibilities.
Just then, two sets of hurried footsteps echoed from the corridor outside.
The next second—
Boom—!
The office door was violently kicked open.
Tsunade strode in, her long hair loosely draped over her shoulders instead of her usual neat twin tails.
It was clear she had rushed here immediately after receiving the news, without even taking the time to tidy her appearance.
As soon as she entered, Tsunade's gaze locked firmly onto Shinji. She rushed forward, her hands instinctively checking him over with urgency, her voice filled with anxiety:
"Shinji, are you alright?!"
Shizune followed closely behind, her face equally filled with concern as she looked at him.
Shinji felt a warmth in his heart.
He could clearly sense the genuine care in their hurried arrival.
"I'm fine!" he said softly with a smile. "Tsunade-sensei, I've worried you."
Tsunade suddenly felt a wave of dizziness.
The young, handsome face before her slowly overlapped with a figure deep in her memories.
Once, someone had also smiled and softly said to her, "Sis, you've worked hard."
Nawaki!
Unconsciously, she raised her hand and gently touched Shinji's cheek, her lips trembling slightly, unable to utter a single word.
"Ahem."
Hiruzen Sarutobi deliberately coughed twice, pulling Tsunade back to reality from her daze.
Tsunade snapped back to her senses, quickly withdrawing her hand, her expression slightly awkward.
The next moment, shame and worry intertwined into a surge of anger. She turned and rushed to the table, slamming her palm heavily on its surface.
Suppressing her rage, she hissed in a low voice, "Old man, what exactly is going on with Orochimaru?!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's headache grew even worse.
Truly, without comparison, there is no harm.
Both were students, yet Tsunade's pupil Shinji was steady and reliable, almost never causing any worry.
Then look at his own three disciples—Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya—each more troublesome than the last, showing not an ounce of reverence for their teacher.
Meanwhile, in a hot spring somewhere in the Land of Hot Water, Jiraiya, who had been unjustly implicated, was soaking in the water, pricking up his ears to eavesdrop on the sounds from the neighboring women's bath.
A few faint, crisp female voices drifted over, making his heart itch with anticipation.
Just as he was about to lean closer to hear more clearly, a sudden chill swept through his entire body.
"Achoo!"
Jiraiya sneezed violently, goosebumps rising all over his skin.
"Someone must be cursing me!"
He immediately stood up. "Forget it, I'll skip the peeping for now. I need to hurry back to Konohagakure."
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