"Lord Third, I just developed it today when I took Naruto to the training ground."
"This jutsu is called the Rasengan."
Hagoromo told him without the slightest hesitation.
Then Chakra swirled up in his hand, and in an instant,
a sphere of deep blue Chakra appeared in his palm.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had been perfectly calm, but when he saw Hagoromo use that nostalgic, seal-free A-rank Ninjutsu right in front of him,
his pupils contracted instantly, and he froze, staring at Hagoromo.
It was as though he saw that heartening figure in Hagoromo.
"The Fourth..."
Hagoromo watched Hiruzen Sarutobi stand there in a daze as the Chakra escaped from his palm and the Rasengan gradually faded.
As soon as he dismissed it, Hagoromo seemed to sense something and looked toward a large window in the Hokage's office.
A presence there had just been breathing heavily.
It seemed their composure had broken for an instant, causing their presence to leak out.
"Hagoromo."
Before Hagoromo could investigate further, Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted his thoughts.
Hagoromo turned to look at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was staring at him in disbelief.
"Yes, Lord Third?"
"Who taught you that jutsu?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi clenched his pipe between his teeth and looked straight at Hagoromo as he spoke.
He was wondering whether, if the Fourth wasn't still alive, his student Jiraiya might have returned.
"Lord Third, I only started training in it today, but I'd studied a lot of material on it beforehand."
Hagoromo answered truthfully. After all, he really had trained in it in front of Naruto today.
If the Third wanted to know, although the Anbu assigned to follow him hadn't come too close to the training ground at the time,
they would inevitably have sensed the Big Ball Rasengan.
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned at that.
He puffed on his pipe, sending out clouds of thick smoke.
After all, Hagoromo's words contained a great deal of information.
He had only started training in it today, but had consulted a great deal of material beforehand.
Hiruzen knew about the latter. Hagoromo often went to Konoha's library and consulted a great deal of material.
Most of it had been about the Fourth Hokage, too, but at the time, Hiruzen Sarutobi had simply thought Hagoromo admired Minato Namikaze.
"Hagoromo, could you tell me more?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi finally spoke after a long while.
Hagoromo understood, of course, and explained everything one detail at a time.
He also mentioned that the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had once demonstrated the Rasengan at the Ninja Academy.
After all, Minato Namikaze had only just become Hokage at the time, and he could be said to have been more popular than Hiruzen Sarutobi at the Ninja Academy.
Hagoromo had only been in fifth year then, and had been fortunate enough to see it once.
When Hagoromo finished speaking, the Third looked at him squarely.
He wondered whether he had been too negligent, or whether the Anbu he'd assigned simply weren't up to standard.
After seeing it once and spending years compiling information,
Hagoromo had deduced the Fourth Hokage's signature Ninjutsu and recreated it step by step.
Had he really grown so old and blind that he hadn't recognized such a genius?
After the Fourth had created this Ninjutsu, even Jiraiya had only learned it by discussing it with him step by step, and even then, it had taken him a long time to master.
"Hagoromo, do you know how unrealistic what you're saying sounds?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone was flat as he stared straight at Hagoromo.
"Lord Third, both Lord Fourth and you
have always been my goals. For Konoha's sake, no matter how unrealistic it seems, I have to try."
As Hagoromo spoke, he gazed intently at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was momentarily dazed by his words.
He saw in Hagoromo the vigor a young man should have, and the thoughts in his heart instantly vanished.
"Good! Good!"
"This is the true meaning of passing on the Will of Fire. You've done well, Hagoromo."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, full of gratification.
He also regretted his earlier negligence, which had caused Konoha to miss out on a genius.
"Hagoromo, let's leave it there for today. I'll come find you tomorrow."
Having thought things through, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke to Hagoromo.
"Yes, Lord Third! You should get some rest early too."
Hagoromo bowed first. Of course, he knew things wouldn't end there.
Whether it was Danzo, the other two Konoha elders, or even the Third himself,
a series of tests would come his way afterward.
But all of this was what Hagoromo wanted. After all, if he kept hiding,
he would never be able to explain the growth in his strength.
As for Danzo's backup plans, Hagoromo believed that as long as the leverage he displayed could attract Hiruzen Sarutobi,
nothing would happen, no matter how much Danzo stirred things up.
On the contrary, with the system's teaching rewards, perhaps soon,
Hagoromo would be able to deal with that gutter-dwelling pest without Sasuke having to lift a finger.
Long after Hagoromo had left the office, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his office chair, lost in thought for a long time.
"Kakashi, what do you think?"
After thinking for a long time, Hiruzen Sarutobi asked.
As soon as he spoke, a masked Anbu appeared in the Hokage's office using the Body Flicker Technique.
He was the same Anbu who had appeared before Hagoromo at the Ninja Academy.
After dropping to one knee in greeting, Kakashi removed his mask, stood, and looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Lord Third, I've already looked into what Chunin Sawada Hagoromo just said again."
"It's all true. I even asked classmates from his year."
"Lord Fourth... did demonstrate the Rasengan at the Ninja Academy, and more than once."
Having said that, Kakashi fell silent.
It was as though nothing could draw his attention.
"Whew—"
After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally let out a long breath.
Everything Kakashi had said brought Hiruzen Sarutobi to a decision.
Konoha had lacked a signature powerhouse for a long time, and since Sawada Hagoromo had such talent,
it couldn't be wasted. But...
Thinking of Naruto, the Third fell somewhat silent.
After all, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was not merely a fighting force for Konoha, but also a means of deterring the other ninja villages.
If he transferred Hagoromo away, Naruto had only just begun to show signs of opening up.
At that thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Kakashi, who stood before him, and said:
"Kakashi, do you still not want to leave the Anbu?"
After all, even if he wanted to assign Hagoromo elsewhere later, Kakashi was the only person best suited to observe him.
"Lord Third..."
Kakashi opened his mouth, but even after a long moment, he couldn't get a word out.
"All right. But if I want you to observe Sawada Hagoromo later, I hope you'll be ready."
Seeing Kakashi like that, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded.
He had made his decision.