In an instant, the entire Hokage's Office fell into a silence so deep a pin drop could be heard.
Whether it was Namikaze Minato or Hatake Sakumo, both watched the protagonist at the center of the storm from the corners of their eyes. Though they knew it was unlikely, they were equally prepared to act at any moment.
Shimura Danzō sat to one side with his eyes closed, resting.
Orochimaru folded his arms and looked at the young man who had suddenly appeared before him with great interest.
Only Uchiha Yayoi unconsciously clenched her fists. Though she still tried to control her expression, a trace of unease clearly radiated from her.
Sahara Mizu's expression did not change.
From the moment he had encountered Ash Soil inside the Hokage Building, he had already prepared himself for this scene.
"Phew."
Sahara Mizu let out a long breath. His expression suddenly became extremely calm as he met Sarutobi Hiruzen's imposing gaze directly, without the slightest fear.
"Of course, that was also because you neglected your duty."
"Lord Third."
The moment they heard those words, everyone present could not help but change expression.
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen himself had not expected that answer.
"Mizu?!"
Uchiha Yayoi, standing beside him, immediately grabbed his sleeve, trying to stop what he was about to say.
However, Sahara Mizu seemed like an accuser who had completely thrown caution to the wind, refusing to yield an inch.
"Just as the documents on your desk state, the Sahara Clan has followed Lord First's ideals since my grandfather's generation. We joined Konoha Hidden Village as shinobi. My grandfather was a shinobi, my parents were shinobi, and my sister and I are shinobi as well!"
"During the First Great Ninja War, my elders fearlessly followed the Second Generation's and your orders to the front lines. They returned to the village as martyrs, having given their lives for Konoha."
"But what did we, the children of those who sacrificed themselves, receive?"
Under his control, his heartbeat accelerated continuously, and his eyes seemed to gradually redden under the surge of emotion.
Like a real fifteen-year-old in the throes of rebellion, completely consumed by emotion and seemingly unable to control himself, he stepped toward the plain desk before him.
The Anbu guards at his side immediately appeared, intending to stop him, but Sarutobi Hiruzen waved them off.
Sahara Mizu's voice continued.
"From the time my parents died when I was five, the compensation paid into our temporary account was only one-third of the mandated amount. The village's limited meat rations meant children our age could not even fight to get any, while orphaned children from shinobi clans in the same situation could receive full support and complimentary training equipment under their clans' protection."
"Only after I passed the Ninja Academy selection did we gain basic food security. But aside from the compensation, we received only seven taels per day. Until she was three, my sister, who was still an infant, survived on rice porridge bought with that money."
"Children in the same circumstances as me would sometimes simply abandon their younger siblings by the roadside, leaving them to be adopted or starve to death."
"Even the village-run orphanage would not accept infants incapable of caring for themselves—because places were limited and there was simply not enough staff."
"It was not until I graduated from the Ninja Academy at ten that I received my deceased parents' estate."
"However, because our house had been damaged in the war, repairs alone consumed over ninety percent of the money in that bankbook."
"Only children like Minato-kun, who were naturally intelligent, capable of managing themselves, and displayed extraordinary talent from a young age—or children like Uzumaki Kushina, who was probably from some noble family—could receive adequate living support and training conditions."
Namikaze Minato froze upon hearing that.
Sahara Mizu's slow steps finally brought him directly before the desk. Looking down at Sarutobi Hiruzen seated in his broad chair, his voice instead became calmer and calmer.
"Even so."
"Konoha still kept my family alive. I still sincerely love this village and am willing to give my life for it."
"But."
"I do not want my last remaining family member to experience, while she is still young, the same difficult years I endured trying to keep our family afloat."
"Now, Yukie has finally become a mature shinobi as well."
"I think she should be capable of living on her own."
"So, it is time for me to give everything I have for Konoha."
With that, Sahara Mizu seemed to resign himself as he lowered his head slightly, awaiting judgment.
Shimura Danzō's brow immediately twitched.
Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at him from the corner of his eye.
The entire Hokage's Office fell into another kind of silence.
However, the heavy, terrifying pressure from before had already vanished without anyone noticing.
Bang!
"How could such a thing happen?!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly slammed the desk, his roar immediately echoing through the room.
"Investigate it thoroughly! It must be investigated thoroughly!"
Then, with a sigh that seemed filled with regret, he said, "The orphaned children of martyrs suffered such unjust treatment. This is a matter that affects the entire village."
"Lord Mizu, you should have told me sooner!"
Even his form of address had become far more intimate.
Heh.
Sahara Mizu said nothing, merely maintaining his bowed posture.
There was not a trace of fabrication in what he had just said. It was all true.
Worse still, quite a few of those orphans had been brought into Root to become members of the suicide squad.
It was simply that—
Those capable of reaching the Hokage would naturally not have gone through such things.
And those incapable of reaching the Hokage certainly could not say such words.
Naruto might have wandered in and out of the Hokage's Office in the original story as though it were a restaurant, but that was treatment reserved for the Konoha 12, Jinchuriki, children of prominent families, and gifted test-takers.
Besides, when Sarutobi Hiruzen said he did not know, did that truly mean he did not know?
Sahara Mizu could not say.
Of course, he did not care either way.
The image he had crafted now was already enough to transform him from an unnoticed nobody into the village's next major propaganda focus.
Three generations of shinobi, a Good Child of Konoha.
A pure and proper pedigree!
Having suffered injustice and hardship since childhood, yet still wishing to give everything for the Will of Fire.
Incomparably loyal!
With such a clear stance and such a tortuous past—
Forget passing Sarutobi Hiruzen's test. He would have been allowed through even a hundred tests.
This was a matter of wartime propaganda needs, as well as political stagnation needs!
As a mature politician, Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind raced through the matter. He immediately realized how to turn adversity into advantage while ruthlessly suppressing Shimura Danzō's arrogance.
If he did not smack his little brother down every few days, the man would immediately start pushing his luck.
The key lay in Sahara Mizu, standing before him!
"Lord Mizu."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's tone softened further as he said kindly, "Regarding what happened to you, your sister, and all the orphaned children of Konoha's martyrs, the village will certainly give you an explanation."
"For the next few days, stay home and get some proper rest."
"The village will first conduct a merit assessment for your achievements this time. In addition, we will carry out a special evaluation of your abilities, so that we can assign you an appropriate rank."
He stood and patted Sahara Mizu's shoulder with the manner of an elder, speaking earnestly.
"I saw that in your Ninja Academy graduation exam, you wrote that your dream was 'to become Hokage,' correct?"
"Young people like you are Konoha's true future."
Sahara Mizu finally could not hold it together any longer. He tried to force the corners of his upturned mouth back down. His voice trembled faintly, as though the grievances that had accumulated for so long had finally erupted.
"Yes!"
"Lord Third!"
What a scene that perfectly embodied the Will of Fire.
Your kindness, my filial devotion.
How heartwarming.
Hatake Sakumo quietly watched the scene, equally moved. A faint shimmer seemed to flicker in his eyes.
Uchiha Yayoi let out a long breath of relief.
Shimura Danzō and Orochimaru remained calm, as though they felt nothing about it.
Only Namikaze Minato.
He looked at Sahara Mizu, whose expression stirred with emotion as he suppressed his intense feelings, his body even trembling slightly.
Yet what instinctively surfaced in his mind was the scene he had personally witnessed when he first arrived, along with that shuddering sense of danger that seemed to seep into the depths of one's heart.
For no apparent reason, a subtle sense of discord arose within him.
He knew very well how outstanding his own talent was.
Whether in intellect or aptitude, Namikaze Minato considered himself far beyond his peers.
Yet Sahara Mizu had hidden beneath his nose for so long without letting him sense even the slightest abnormality.
Was this man truly the person everyone now saw before them?
A faint urge to investigate quietly arose in Namikaze Minato's heart.
After the group left.
The doors of the Hokage's Office closed, and even Orochimaru departed with them.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had just been full of kindness and satisfaction, immediately changed expression and looked coldly and sternly at Shimura Danzō standing nearby.
"Danzō, do you have nothing to say?"
Shimura Danzō remained composed. "That money was not spent on me. It was all a necessary cost paid for Konoha."
Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately flew into a rage and shouted.
"Bastard!"
"I allocated funding to the orphanage not so you could divert it to Root!"
Shimura Danzō did not yield in the slightest. He had no intention of relinquishing even this bit of financial authority, and raised his voice as well.
"What do you know? Even if orphans without self-control receive money, how much of it can they spend on anything meaningful? It brings no positive benefit to Konoha at all! Isn't feeding and housing them enough?"
"Only by selecting the talented among them for Root can they provide Konoha with intelligence, spies, and foreign bases!"
"Do you think Root's many annual gains from abroad come for free?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen grew even angrier. "No meaning? What do Namikaze Minato and Sahara Mizu, two geniuses of the same generation, represent? How many geniuses like them have been buried in the orphanage and in your hands throughout Konoha?!"
Shimura Danzō sneered. "They are merely a lucky minority."
"Since Konoha's founding, how many Orochimarus and Jiraiyas has the entire village produced?"
"Root is the safeguard that secretly maintains Konoha's security."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression suddenly became calm, and even his tone lowered. "In any case, the Sahara Mizu incident must be resolved immediately."
"As the price, Konoha Orphanage and its related financial system will be placed under the Anbu."
"If you want to select people in the future, report it to the Anbu first."
"Also, bring out the director of Root financial management department. He will be responsible for this matter."
Shimura Danzō froze upon hearing this and stared at him intently, seemingly never expecting Sarutobi Hiruzen to make such a big issue of it.
Wasn't it just an orphan suffering a little injustice?
Noticing his silence, Sarutobi Hiruzen said coldly.
"Did you not understand?"
Shimura Danzō said nothing and turned toward the door.
Only when he was about to leave did he pause slightly and snarl.
"Hiruzen, you will regret this."
Sarutobi Hiruzen paid him no mind and replied calmly.
"Danzō, I am the Hokage."
Before you continue