The Third Hokage Clashes with Danzo

Skipping grades was as easy as playing around for Chiyue. There was no difficulty at all.

Minato handled his side just as easily.

The two successfully skipped grades as they had wished.

Though Minato had done it in a somewhat muddled state.

Still, the result was good.

Once everything was over, Minato rubbed his head of blond hair and wondered:

What exactly did I do?

I got carried away and went to apply for the grade-skipping assessment.

Chiyue did it for Sister Mikoto, but what did I do it for?

Was it to be a third wheel?

The impact of skipping grades and repeating grades was no small matter. Even the Third Hokage was alerted.

It was perfectly reasonable for Chiyue and Minato to skip grades.

As long as they passed, the teachers could not stop them.

Uchiha Mikoto wanted to repeat a grade and truly did not wish to graduate. There was nothing the teachers could do; they still had to approve it.

But Kushina was different.

After all, her identity was sensitive.

Left with no other choice, Kamimura Ichiki went to report the matter to the Third Hokage.

As for how it would be handled, that was the Third Hokage's business.

There was no need for a mere teacher like him to worry about it.

"Kushina, why do you want to skip grades?

"You only transferred into the second year less than two months ago. It is still a little too early for you to skip grades now."

Kushina was called to the Hokage's Office, and the Third Hokage felt that he needed to ask her personally.

"Hokage Uncle, my friends have already applied to skip grades, and they passed their assessments. Starting tomorrow, they will be attending classes with the upper years. I don't want to be left behind alone."

Kushina looked at the Third Hokage with a pitiful expression.

Her clan had been wiped out. Her people were either dead or scattered, leaving only her to come to Konoha and become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

She was watched wherever she went.

She had finally made two friends, Chiyue and Minato, only for both of them to apply for the assessment together and skip ahead to the upper years.

It felt as though she had returned to that dark time when she had first arrived in Konoha, with no family to rely on and no one in the world.

Every Jinchuriki was lonely, except Uzumaki Mito.

After all, no one dared point fingers at her, not even the Hokage throughout the generations.

Unfortunately, there was only one Uzumaki Mito.

And Kushina was not Uzumaki Mito.

"Child."

The Third Hokage rose from his chair, walked over, crouched down, and grasped Kushina's shoulders. "You came to Konoha, integrated into Konoha, made your own friends, and found people you cared about. That makes Hokage Uncle very happy."

It was important to make a Jinchuriki integrate into Konoha and feel a sense of belonging.

That was why the Third Hokage had always opposed Danzo's proposal.

He felt that keeping the Jinchuriki under strict control was not the best approach.

The contradiction was that they wanted the Jinchuriki to feel a sense of belonging toward Konoha, yet imposed restrictions on the Jinchuriki everywhere.

That was the Third Hokage's typical double standard.

"So Hokage Uncle agrees to my application to skip grades?"

"..."

The smile on the Third Hokage's face stiffened. He said with a bitter smile, "But after skipping grades, you may not be able to keep up with your studies. The extra lessons afterward will keep you very busy, and you will not have much time to spend with your classmates."

"I'm not afraid!"

Kushina shook her head firmly.

As long as she could skip grades and stay in the same class as Chiyue and Minato, she was not afraid no matter how exhausting it would be.

"The Third Hokage agrees."

"Go on, study hard and get along well with your classmates."

"That's great! Thank you, Hokage Uncle."

Kushina left happily.

The Third Hokage rubbed his forehead and waited for his old partner to come give him trouble.

"Hiruzen!!"

Sure enough, Danzo's voice rang out moments later, exactly as it always had.

Any time there was the slightest disturbance in the village, Danzo would receive the news immediately and then storm into the Hokage's Office.

"I told you long ago that the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki cannot be allowed too much freedom."

"Danzo."

The Third Hokage looked up at him. "The Jinchuriki is also a person. If you want her to integrate into Konoha and treat Konoha as her home, she needs bonds of her own. You cannot possibly fail to understand that."

"Hmph."

Danzo had nothing but disdain for such so-called bonds. "The Jinchuriki should be kept under control. Hiruzen, have you grown old?

"Are you going to let the Jinchuriki run wild with those little brats?"

The Third Hokage's expression darkened as well. He said stiffly:

"Danzo, I am the Hokage. I will handle how the Jinchuriki is arranged. I do not need you to worry about it."

"..."

Danzo, who had been so forceful just moments ago, caught his breath. The Third Hokage's words—I am the Hokage—left him completely speechless.

"I hope you will not regret today's decision."

With a cold face, Danzo turned and walked out of the Hokage's Office.

The Third Hokage raised an eyebrow and did not take it to heart.

As long as Danzo gained nothing from him, he would not dare act recklessly in secret.

At this time, the Third Hokage was still the Shinobi Hero and had not yet grown old. Danzo did not dare stretch his hand too far.

This situation would continue until after the Shinobi War.

After the war ended, Danzo could practically be described as doing whatever he pleased.

A complete madman.

"Are you out of your mind?"

Tsunade dearly wanted to pry open Kushina's head and see whether something had short-circuited in her brain.

Chiyue and Minato applied for the grade-skipping assessment. Why did you go along and join the commotion?

Were your grades even good enough?

"I think she is."

Nawaki crossed his arms and nodded in wholehearted agreement. "Uchiha Mikoto repeating a grade has already exceeded everyone's expectations.

"That Yagami Chiyue is completely insane.

"Kushina, you'd better stay farther away from him."

Uchiha Mikoto was the girl everyone lined up to pursue.

And what happened?

She repeated a grade because of Yagami Chiyue!

This was fucking ridiculous!

Just because she had promised as a child while playing house that she would marry him, she was going to follow him into this nonsense?

Why was there not a girl as pretty, cute, and gentle as Mikoto saying she wanted to marry me?

Jealousy is making me split apart!!

Aaaah!! I'm so pissed.

"Get lost!"

Tsunade shot her younger brother a glare. "Why are you butting into Kushina's business?

"You have the nerve to talk about others?

"If your sister hadn't swallowed her pride and gone to Orochimaru, would he have accepted you?"

"Sis!! Can we not bring that up?"

As the First Hokage's grandson, Nawaki's goal was to become a shinobi as strong as his grandfather and become Hokage.

Having to use connections was already humiliating enough, yet Tsunade was bringing it up to lecture him.

I have pride too, you know.

But Nawaki truly wanted to become Orochimaru's disciple, so he had begged Tsunade to help introduce him.

With Tsunade's help, Orochimaru decisively lowered the assessment difficulty by just a tiny little bit, allowing Nawaki to pass smoothly and become his disciple.

"Go, go. Adults are talking. Why are children interrupting?"

Tsunade did not buy that act. She waved him away in disgust, telling Nawaki to get lost already.

After driving Nawaki off, Tsunade grabbed Kushina and asked seriously, "Kushina, do you like Yagami Chiyue?"

"???"