This child, tempered by the Third Great Ninja War, had actually grown this strong already?
Even under our pressure, he remained completely unmoved. It had not affected him at all...
As they watched the thoughtful-looking youth slowly approach, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura both could not help having the same thought. A trace of surprise gradually appeared on their otherwise impassive faces.
This child truly brings an extraordinary surprise every time we meet him! Along with that surprise came a heartfelt sense of admiration.
But this child has committed such an act... No matter how much he surprises us, we cannot let it slide.
Yet following that admiration came an even heavier thought.
To be honest, when they heard yesterday that the child named "Taki Chiba" had returned, they had nearly leaped from their seats in the advisors' chamber. An unfamiliar joy had risen in their hearts.
Then, after that joy, it felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from their hearts. A crucial problem that had long troubled them had been thoroughly resolved with this child's return.
Another promising seed capable of carrying Konoha forward had not been destroyed by the chaos of war. Even they could not help losing their composure somewhat.
After all, Taki Chiba's return was simply too important to Konoha.
It even concerned Konoha's continued existence—or, to put it bluntly, the matter of the Fifth Hokage succeeding the Fourth Hokage.
Although the Third Shinobi World War had produced Minato Namikaze, the ideal candidate for Fourth Hokage, they could no longer find a suitable prospect for the Fifth Hokage after him.
Originally, there had been two outstanding prospects in the village.
They had not worried too much about successors. It was precisely because of this that the Third Hokage Sarutobi had felt at ease