Waiting for Him for a Long Time

Inside the Hokage Building.

The Third Hokage wore a radiant smile.

"What do you think, Minato?"

"Flawless, Lord Third. He is a true inheritor of the Will of Fire. Seeing such an outstanding junior rise to prominence is truly gratifying."

The Third nodded in satisfaction, even puffing on his pipe slightly faster.

"The rising new generation, brimming with vigor, a perfect inheritor of the Will of Fire..."

The Third Hokage's heart beat faster. This was the feeling of being moved.

Such an exceptional descendant had even defeated Kakashi, along with the words he carried...

"Come to think of it, I still have some of his exam answers..."

The Third Hokage opened a drawer and shared these impeccably written, tightly reasoned, interconnected essays with Minato.

Honestly, the Third Hokage had praised them when he read them before, and now Minato could not help but marvel at them as well.

"Minato, are you interested in taking Genitsu as your disciple?" the Third Hokage suddenly asked.

Minato froze, then showed an awkward expression. "I've just taken Kakashi as my student, and I haven't studied Genitsu's Kekkei Genkai much either..."

"I see. I understand. I'll give it some more thought. You've worked hard, Minato. I'll also leave the matter of forming a new genin team to you. I hope you can help Kakashi emerge from his shadow as soon as possible."

The Third Hokage nodded, then began considering arrangements for Genitsu.

Among the current Kage-level powerhouses... there were him, the Sannin, and Minato. Oh, Kushina counted as one too.

That meant he could only choose from among the Sannin...

"Should I have Orochimaru take him as a disciple? No, better wait a little longer..."

In the office, the Third sank into thought.

Konoha had only just begun to settle down from the fervor surrounding Minato and the others' return.

But soon, explosive news spread without prompting, sweeping across Konoha at an astonishing speed.

"Hey, I'll tell you a secret. Don't tell anyone, okay? Hatake Kakashi, the White Fang's son, got beaten up!"

"W-What?! Kakashi, the greatest genius in history, got beaten up? That has to be fake, right?"

"Idiot, of course it's real! I saw him limping home. Half his face was swollen, and his mask could barely cover it!"

"I'll tell you a secret, but don't tell anyone! Kakashi got beaten up. After an intense battle, Kakashi was defeated in a single move..."

"I'll tell you a secret. Kakashi got instantly defeated!"

"Huh? Didn't Kakashi collapse on his own before even fighting?"

"Moron, how could that be possible? It must have been because that guy named Genitsu was too strong, so Kakashi lost."

"Shiranui Genitsu... an incredibly remarkable genius has appeared..."

As time passed, more and more people learned that a super genius capable of matching, or even surpassing, Kakashi had appeared.

Konoha produced geniuses one after another, greatly boosting morale. The older generation had the Hokage, the middle generation had the Sannin, and below the Sannin was Minato.

Now, even the new generation was brimming with talent, filling everyone with hope.

The atmosphere throughout Konoha underwent a subtle change. That powerful confidence seemed capable of suppressing everything.

Genitsu's classmates from the same graduating class were undoubtedly the group most shaken by this.

They understood far better than those gossiping villagers just what kind of existence Kakashi was. Yet that top student had actually lost to Genitsu...

"That growth is insane."

"Damn it, he only spent two months on the battlefield! I could do it too if I went! I want to go to the battlefield too and kill enemies for the village!!"

"That's right! If Genitsu and the others can do it, so can we!"

Some spies also began moving in secret.

"Code A-5: Konoha's super genius, Shiranui Genitsu, has defeated Hatake Kakashi."

"He is a genius who has surpassed Kakashi. He should be closely monitored."

"Dispatch an assassination squad..."

Pieces of information spread quietly. Konoha's intelligence division and ANBU had plenty to do, taking the chance to flush out a batch of spies.

By the time this news reached Genitsu's ears,

Genitsu stared at the deeply uneasy Genma and fell into deep thought.

How had it gotten twisted into this mess?

"I swear, I only told Aoba and the others! I specifically told them not to spread it around, but who would've thought... What a bunch of disloyal bastards!" Genma gritted his teeth in hatred.

Damn it, hadn't they agreed to keep it secret? They were all liars!

"This sort of thing is unavoidable. After all, the news of Genitsu-san defeating Kakashi is far too shocking. The flames of youth have thoroughly ignited, and the brilliance they bloom with cannot be concealed."

Might Duy wore an apron as he skillfully worked a wok and ladle in his hands.

At first, Genitsu had accepted quite a few of his missions, specifically calling him over to cook.

The food unexpectedly tasted rather good.

The group sat around a table on tatami mats and began this simple dinner.

"The injuries on your body are fine, right?" Genitsu asked, picking up some food with his chopsticks.

Genma fell silent for a moment, then said softly, "The injuries are nothing. Thank you for what happened during the day..."

"Don't worry about it. If Kakashi hadn't gone too far, I wouldn't have stepped in," Genitsu said calmly.

Might Guy said, "But Genitsu-san, is the wound on your shoulder really all right?"

Riiip!

Genitsu tore off his shirt in one motion. "It's already completely healed."

The others stared in astonishment.

The wound in his shoulder, where the White Fang tanto had pierced through him, had mostly healed.

That terrifying recovery ability was enough to make their hearts race.

"Even the Uzumaki Clan might not compare to that kind of regenerative ability..."

Might Duy's gaze was incredibly profound.

How terrifying. Just where would Genitsu's growth ultimately lead him...?

After dinner, everyone left one after another.

"Genma, let me give you a piece of advice. You may be the clan head, but there's no need to place the burden of an entire clan on yourself alone."

"Genitsu, actually, you're more suited than I am to become..."

"No. This is your responsibility."

Genitsu saw off Genma, whose face was filled with complicated emotions.

He only hoped that this guy could truly understand some things.

After all, Genma would become a member of the Fourth Hokage's Guard Platoon in the future and learn a rudimentary version of the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Time passed. These few days of rest were merely preparation for the arrival of a great number of new missions.

Genitsu finally remembered that he had not seen Teacher Shibi for quite some time, so he set off to visit the Aburame Clan.

"Honestly, I was wondering what I'd forgotten..."

Genitsu stood outside the Aburame Clan compound.

A man dressed in a tight bodysuit that covered him from head to toe had been waiting there for a long time.

Aburame Shikuroo.