Reporting It

Not long after Li Yao left, Minato appeared in front of the Hokage Building.

From the office building, the Third Hokage immediately noticed the genius boy with golden hair and a gentle smile always on his face.

The Third Hokage knew Minato's talent well.

He was a genius with ninja talent no less remarkable than that of his disciple, Orochimaru.

So he had always paid close attention to Minato. Seeing the boy come here instead of going home after school made him somewhat curious.

Had he come to pay his respects?

Heh... the Third Hokage thought, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"Little one, do you need something?"

Before Minato could approach, the middle-aged ninja on duty at the entrance to the Hokage Building smiled and asked him.

Minato subconsciously glanced in the direction of his friend's home, then stepped forward a few paces. With a solemn expression, he lowered his voice and said, "Uncle Domoto, my name is Minato. I'm a student in Class Three, Year Two at the Ninja Academy. I need to see the Hokage. Is that possible?"

Minato spoke clearly, quickly explaining both his identity and why he had come. He had even called the ninja on duty by name.

"How do you know me?"

Domoto asked in surprise, a measure of wariness rising within him. He was not some famous ninja whom any random child would recognize.

"I often heard Kogure say that you're a very powerful ninja. You also came to the academy to pick him up a few times, and I saw you."

Minato patiently explained. He knew that suddenly asking to see the Hokage would definitely make Uncle Domoto wary.

But he really was classmates with Uncle Domoto's son. That was a fact.

"So it's you."

Domoto put on a look of sudden realization. In truth, he was usually busy and had only gone to pick up his child from school twice.

And both times, he had been in a hurry. He had never noticed the child before him.

Still, Minato's explanation eased much of his suspicion.

"What do you need to see the Hokage for?" Domoto asked with a smile, without letting Minato enter.

The Hokage was not someone anyone could see whenever they wanted. What if it was an assassination attempt?

So even though Minato was his son's classmate and looked very young, Domoto still could not let him in to see the Hokage.

Especially since non-ninjas needed special approval or a familiar ninja to bring them along if they wished to see the Hokage.

Minato secretly grew anxious. He knew the procedure for meeting the Hokage, but he did not have time to find a familiar elder to take him there.

He had already determined that something must have happened to his friend, Kimura Yao. Any delay could lead to an accident. He had to inform the Hokage of the situation as quickly as possible. Only the Hokage's intervention could ensure his friend's safety.

So he had to see the Hokage as soon as possible.

After thinking for a moment, Minato suddenly lowered his voice. "Uncle Domoto, my friend and classmate, Kimura Yao—I'm certain he's been controlled by an unknown ninja."

"Mm..." Domoto's expression tightened. Minato's serious face did not seem to be faking it, and he became serious as well. "Minato, you know this is not something to joke about. If there's a spy in the village, that's no small matter."

"I'm serious," Minato explained. "I possess the ability to Sense Chakra Temperature Change. This morning, I noticed that the temperature of Yao's Chakra had changed. Combined with changes in some of Yao's daily habits, I concluded that he has already been controlled by someone."

A Chakra sensory ability!

Domoto was startled. Looking at the childlike Minato, he could not hide the shock in his eyes. At such a young age, Minato already possessed such precise Chakra sensing ability. It was clear just how incredible the boy's talent for Chakra control was.

In the future... wait!

This was not the time to marvel at the boy's talent.

If the boy's talent was real, then that kid named Kimura Yao had not merely been controlled. He might have completely become another person.

Because if he had merely been controlled, his Chakra temperature would not have changed.

In other words, a spy had truly infiltrated Konoha.

And that spy had most likely killed one of Konoha's children.

At that thought, killing intent erupted from Domoto's body before he immediately reined it in. Rising to his feet, he was about to report the situation to the Hokage.

Whoosh!

At that moment, an Anbu ninja wearing a white-and-red fox mask appeared in an instant, so fast it was like teleportation.

Even Domoto had not noticed him.

Only Minato reacted in that instant. His body moved instinctively—his knees bent slightly, his hands edged toward his pockets, ready to leap away and draw a kunai to fight at any moment.

"As expected of the genius valued by the Hokage!"

Seeing Minato's instant reaction, the Fox Masked Anbu Ninja's gaze narrowed. Minato had actually kept up with his Body Flicker Jutsu. What fast reflexes.

The Anbu ninja was shaken inwardly, and he could not help praising the Hokage's judgment. With reflexes like that, Minato already surpassed most ninjas in the Anbu.

The Anbu were people who regularly walked the line between life and death. Without quick reflexes, they simply could not survive.

For Minato to surpass so many Anbu ninjas in reaction speed showed just how extraordinary the talent of the boy named Minato Namikaze was.

It also made the Anbu ninja believe more of what Minato had said.

"Come with me. The Hokage wants to see you."

After saying that, the Anbu ninja gave Minato a deep look, then vanished with the Body Flicker Jutsu.

"Go on, little Minato," Domoto said.

From the Anbu ninja's words, he knew that the Hokage had already learned everything that had just happened, so he was not surprised.

The Hokage was always guarded by Anbu.

No one knew their exact number, but their sensory abilities were certainly powerful.

They were right in front of the Hokage Building, very close to the Hokage. Most likely, the moment Minato arrived, an Anbu ninja had already been watching this place.

"Thank you, Uncle Domoto." Minato then walked into the building.

"Follow me." A female ninja with a curvaceous figure emerged from within the Hokage Building and led Minato to see the Hokage.

Minato followed behind the female ninja, and the two soon arrived at the door to the Hokage's office on the second floor.

Knock! Knock!

After knocking, the female ninja called out, "Lord Hokage."

"Come in."

A magnetic male voice came from inside the room. It was impossible to tell whether the speaker was young or old, but the voice was full of strength.

The female ninja pushed open the door, and Minato followed behind her.

"Lord Hokage, I've brought him."

"Mm. You may leave."

The Third Hokage waved a hand. The female ninja withdrew, closing the door behind her.

She needed to avoid the conversation that followed.

Inside the office, the Third Hokage had already returned to the Hokage's chair. Two Anbu ninjas wearing masks and carrying swords on their backs stood behind him on either side. One of them was the Fox Masked Anbu Ninja who had gone to fetch Minato.

"Lord Hokage..."

Minato clenched his fists around the hem of his clothes, suddenly feeling nervous and uneasy.

This was his first time formally facing the Hokage.

The Hokage before him felt far more imposing than the one he had seen at the Ninja Academy entrance ceremony. For a moment, Minato even began to stammer.

"No rush. Take your time."

The Third Hokage wore a kind smile, and his calm demeanor eased Minato's nervousness somewhat.

After taking a deep breath, Minato carefully recounted everything about his interactions with his friend today, as well as all the reasons he had determined that his friend had been controlled.

As Minato spoke, the Third Hokage's eyes grew sharper and sharper, killing intent spreading through his heart.

Kimura Yao's father and mother had been personally selected by him to join the Anbu. For ten years, they had served him and Konoha diligently.

They had only died on a mission a few days ago, yet someone had already targeted the Kimuras' son. Unforgivable.

"Lord Hokage, please hurry and save Yao," Minato pleaded anxiously after finishing.

"How strong is your Chakra sensory ability?"

The Third Hokage did not respond to Minato's plea. Instead, wanting to assess the strength of Minato's Chakra sensing ability, he deliberately asked, "Can you sense how many ninjas are currently in the Hokage Building?"

"Twelve," Minato answered without hesitation.

There were six members of the Hokage's Anbu guard detail, two rotating guards in the duty room downstairs, three people in the secretary's office on the second floor, and one person at the archives room entrance—twelve in total. The moment he approached the Hokage Building, Minato had sensed the Chakra emanating from all of them.