Giving You a Vest

"But······"

Katsuki sighed inwardly. Her mother had guessed wrong; it wasn't "but" after all.

"However, you acted without orders, which is against the rules." The Third Hokage tapped his pipe lightly on the corner of the table, his sharp, eagle-like eyes fixed on Katsuki. "While in retrospect, it was thanks to your recklessness that things turned out this way; if it weren't for you, the Cloud Ninja might have succeeded this time..."

"But the rules cannot be broken..."

"But there was no order for me to stay in the village. I was just taking a walk at night and happened to witness the Cloud Ninja's treacherous actions. As a Konoha Ninja, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing."

Katsuki spread her hands, widened her eyes, and looked at the Third Hokage with an innocent expression.

"Hey!"

The Third Hokage let out a soft, enigmatic chuckle, Teuchi the smoke in front of him. Perhaps feeling that the room was too smoky and visibility was decreasing too quickly, he stood up and opened the window. A warm, moist breeze blew in, making the room suddenly much cooler.

He sat down again, picked up his pipe, Third Hokage stared at Katsuki, a slight smile curving his lips.

He was actually in a good mood. The war with the Sand Ninja on the front line was at a stalemate, but with Sakumo in charge, he could at least get a good night's sleep. Although the Cloud Ninja had taken advantage of the situation in the rear and caused a lot of trouble.

However, by taking advantage of this opportunity, not only were the Cloud Ninja spies almost completely eradicated, but a group of geniuses and rising stars such as Katsuki, Minato, and Otoha also emerged. Their outstanding performance made him want to laugh out loud. These were the future of the village!

"What a sly one, completely different from your teacher's rigid nature. I can't understand why he would take on a disciple like you." The Third Hokage chuckled and scolded.

Dan Katō remained motionless. He knew that the 'teacher' referred not to him, but to Hatake Sakumo, who was overseeing the war on the front lines of the Land of Rain.

"No, I'm just trying to reason with you!" Katsuki gave a very 'simple and honest' smile, scratched her head shyly, and looked quite awkward.

"Grab your things and get to the front lines. Don't try to fool me. I'll let you off this time, but if something like this happens again... you'd better think twice. A ninja must eventually learn to follow the rules. Not every act of recklessness will bring the desired result. Rules are rules because they have a reason for existing, even if they have some flaws..."

The Third Hokage pulled a brand-new, light green vest from under the table, folded it neatly, and handed it to Katsuki.

Slightly bewildered, Katsuki took the vest, blinking hard. The slightly rough texture on his fingertips and the lingering smell of dye reminded him that what he held in his hands was real.

"This is······"

"Based on your performance, keeping you Genin for now would be a waste of your combat power. So, congratulations on your promotion to Chunin." Hiruzen chuckled, a pipe dangling from his lips, though his voice sounded a little strange.

I have a feeling something is off about it!

However, becoming Chunin is already quite good. Chunin are the backbone of the battlefield, having escaped the cannon fodder level of Genin, and have become squad leaders, leading Genin into battle.

"By the way, who else was promoted to Chunin this time?"

Katsuki, holding the vest, didn't immediately leave, but instead asked a question.

"Wait a minute, there's something else I forgot to give you."

The Third Hokage called out to Katsuki, who was about to leave as he opened the door. Mizuki rummaged in the drawer for a while before finally pulling out a green scroll, of standard size, tied with a red velvet cord.

"Here you go, this is your spoils."

The Third Hokage threw the scroll to Katsuki.

"This contains what the Yamanaka Clan extracted from the head of the Jonin you killed. They were busy catching spies these past few days and only finished organizing it yesterday. Take it back and study it at your own pace, or you can ask Sakumo for guidance when you get to the front lines."

"Understood, thank you, Lord Hokage."

Katsuki happily touched the scroll in her hand, then stuffed it into her sleeve. What a treasure!

Seeing Katsuki's beaming face, the Third Hokage picked up his pipe, chuckled twice, and waved Katsuki away.

"Duan, have you read that report?"

The Third Hokage stood by the window, his hands behind his back, his bright eyes reflecting the figure of Katsuki walking out of the building.

"I saw it."

"Any thoughts?"

"Hmm... I can only say it's unbelievable... I'm finding it hard to find the words to describe the astonishment I felt. I can't believe he's even human. Well... it's impolite to say this, but that kind of thing transcends the realm of humanity; it's simply unheard of."

Dan Katō smiled bitterly, recalling the words in the report, a look of bewilderment suddenly appearing in his eyes.

When he saw that report yesterday, he was completely shocked. If he hadn't worked with Uchiha No before and known that although No had a rather eccentric personality, he would never lie, he would have doubted the report's authenticity. He felt like No was playing a trick on him.

"Some."

"Huh? Um... I didn't hear you clearly, what did you say?"

The Third Katsuki disappear around the street corner, then turned around and looked at Dan Katō, who had a blank expression on his face.

"Yes, there is. It can heal wounds without Medical Ninjutsu or Hand Seals. My teacher, the First Hokage, had this power."

Dan Katō's pupils contracted sharply, and he stammered, unable to utter a sound.

Goodness!

The First Hokage! Why all the fuss? Why bring up the First Hokage all of a sudden?

Seeing Dan Katō's reaction, the Third Hokage gave a wry smile, feeling a sense of empathy. He guessed that when he saw the report submitted by Minato and Uchiha No, he probably felt much the same way Dan Katō was now.

The report was very detailed, focusing on the battle between Katsuki and Araki. Every detail was analyzed as thoroughly as possible, especially the observations made by Uchiha No under the Sharingan, which provided a very detailed description of Katsuki's monstrous vitality.

Upon first glance, the Third Hokage immediately thought of the First Hokage. He had witnessed Hashirama's terrifying vitality, comparable to that of Tailed Beast, a memory he could never forget. That towering figure was also the goal he pursued throughout his life.

"Lord Hokage, is there anything you need me to do?"

Dan Katō quickly composed himself, using his unwavering willpower to calm the ripples in his heart.

An approving gaze fell upon Dan Katō. The Third Hokage was very satisfied with his quick wit and perseverance, and his resolve became even stronger.

"... Once we're on the front lines, I need you to ensure Katsuki and Nawaki's safety, and then give them the maximum freedom to train them."