Hiruzen Sarutobi's Popularity at the Ninja Academy Reassured Tobirama

"Hey! You stuck-up Kakashi, you saw me, didn't you? Stop trying to look so cool!"

Just as Seisui Uchiha's gaze landed on Kakashi, Obito Uchiha suddenly jumped up and shouted, drawing the attention of everyone present as he pointed at him:

"Lord Obito is going to prove to you today that I am the true genius!"

"How boring..." Kakashi merely glanced at Obito before returning his attention to the book in his hands.

Seisui watched this scene and nodded slightly.

Just as he had expected, Kakashi really wasn't interested in Obito at this moment.

Having entered the Ninja Academy at five and graduated to become a Chunin at six, a genius with his head in the clouds—even if lonely—would not be swayed by a hot-blooded idiot in less than a year.

So, it's only after Hatake Sakumo dies that the lost, youthful genius will actively seek out companions in his solitude... Seisui felt he had found the node where this bond originated.

"Obito, don't bother Kakashi... he seems to be our final exam proctor..." Rin Nohara whispered, gently tugging at Obito, who looked somewhat awkward after being ignored, and pulled him to the side.

"Kakashi, my fated rival!" Following Obito, Might Guy made a flashy entrance. With an even louder voice and more exaggerated posture, he shouted at Kakashi with great spirit:

"I'm applying for graduation this year, Kakashi! Let's settle this once and for all!"

Kakashi looked up again, squinting his eyes as he sized up the muscles already beginning to take shape on Might Guy, and gave a slight nod.

"Hey, hey! Kakashi, why are you only nodding at this taijutsu freak? What's that supposed to mean!" Seeing this, Obito began shouting again.

Rin Nohara stood behind Obito with a helpless expression and sighed.

For a moment, the scene descended into chaos, with discussions erupting everywhere.

"Hey, isn't that Kakashi Hatake? Why is he here..."

"I don't know, but he's wearing a proctor's uniform. Could he be back to serve as a teacher?"

"Sigh, he really is the genius who graduated at six. While we're still worrying about the final exam, this guy is already an impressive Chunin."

Seeing this, Asuma Sarutobi, standing beside Kurenai Yuhi, first sighed, then commented in a tone of disdain and worldly wisdom:

"That guy Kakashi is back; it must be something the Third Hokage arranged on purpose. It's nothing more than a boring and shallow trick to use his current achievements to motivate the others..."

After speaking, Asuma cast a subtle glance at Kurenai Yuhi, hoping to see a reaction from his crush to his sharp critique.

Surely such mature and insightful words would make her look at him with newfound admiration?

Asuma thought this to himself, keeping his expression tight and striking a pose of feigned profundity.

But contrary to his expectations, Kurenai Yuhi's eyes lit up, and she looked at Asuma with pleasant surprise: "So it was an arrangement by the Third Hokage? As expected of the Hokage, he really knows how to liven up the atmosphere..."

"Whenever Kakashi-kun isn't around, everyone seems so lacking in motivation..."

Asuma's expression stiffened, his eyes drifting away involuntarily as he let out a disgruntled "tch."

This scene was also caught by Seisui, who smiled and said to the white-haired Hokage within him: "How about that, Tobirama... This is the Ninja Academy you founded, and everyone here is the future of Konoha."

"Did you see? That's the son of the Third Hokage; he really is a rebellious youth..."

"Don't call me Tobirama, kid. I'm older than your great-grandfather!" Tobirama Senju rejected Seisui's overly familiar address with annoyance, but the curious expression on his face remained honest.

He looked greedily at the sights of the Ninja Academy.

As the Second Hokage and the first principal of the Ninja Academy, Tobirama Senju held a special affection for the children of Konoha.

During the early days of Konoha, the sentiment that resonated most deeply was what Hashirama Senju had said: "Establishing a village is about ensuring our children can be born into peace and grow up freely until the age where they can taste fine wine."

Scanning the vibrant students of the Ninja Academy, Tobirama Senju's gaze turned gentle yet firm, and he thought to himself: "It seems the Monkey and Danzō have done well..."

"The children are generally happy and relaxed, and they hold reverence for the Monkey in their hearts. With the people so united, it seems that even with the appearance of a little monster like Seisui Uchiha, the Uchiha Clan won't be able to take Konoha!"

"Very good, very good!"

Seisui watched the changes in Tobirama Senju's expression with a smile.

In the current Konoha, before Hatake Sakumo was persecuted, before Orochimaru defected, and before Madara Uchiha laid his hands on Obito, the village was indeed as solid as an iron plate, unshakable.

But despite the seemingly powerful Konoha, internal strife in the future was already destined to happen.

Orochimaru would likely get involved with Shimura Danzō, drawing the attention of the Third Hokage.

Hatake Sakumo's prestige had already caused substantial damage to the inheritance of the Hokage's master-disciple system, making the Konoha leadership wary.

Perhaps at this very moment, Madara Uchiha was also closely monitoring the scene through White Zetsu, having locked onto Obito.

The gears of fate had long since begun to turn; they just hadn't yet emitted the click that signaled collapse.

"Quiet, you noisy brats! I hope your performance in a moment is as eye-catching as your voices!!" Iruka Umino, a veteran Chunin of Konoha and the person in charge of this final exam, clapped his hands forcefully to signal the students to shut up.

"I hereby declare that this semester's final exam has officially begun!"

"The first subject is live combat! This time, we are adopting a full lottery system. Starting from the first student drawn, we will proceed in a tournament format. If you can win three consecutive matches, you will be awarded a perfect score!"

Iruka Umino paused, cleared his throat with a mysterious tone, and said in a deep voice: "Furthermore, students who achieve a perfect score can apply for a live graduation assessment on the spot with the proctor sent by the Third Hokage, Chunin Hatake."

"If you perform well, Chunin Hatake will submit a report for you, and you will have the chance to gain the attention of the Third Hokage!"

As soon as Iruka Umino's voice fell, the entire Ninja Academy turned into a boiling ocean. The atmosphere was incredibly heated, and many students looked at Kakashi with eyes full of fighting spirit.

That was the Third Hokage, after all!

If he managed to catch his attention, wouldn't that mean he might have a chance to become the Hokage in the future?

Seisui's expression remained unchanged, but the corner of his mouth couldn't help but twitch.

This felt far too familiar; it was just like a meet-and-greet between a star athlete and their fans, where a good performance could earn you a one-on-one...

It had even been upgraded—perform well in the one-on-one, and you could move on to a trial for the Konoha Team, earning the attention of Manager Hiruzen.

"Alright then, tell me, are you ready?" Iruka Umino pressed his hands onto the lottery box and shouted, his gaze slowly sweeping across every Ninja Academy student present.

"We're ready!" The synchronized shout echoed across the training ground.

But no one noticed that the moment Iruka Umino's gaze briefly met Seisui's, the Double Tomoe Sharingan hidden behind Seisui's black contact lenses began to spin quietly...

Update complete!