Konoha F6

"Hey, hey, hey, Danzo! Did you see that? Master was smiling at that kid!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi kept shaking the companion beside him, trying to make him tell him that none of this was real!

Danzo fought down his dizziness and spat out, "Stop shaking me, Hiruzen! I'm about to throw up my breakfast!"

Seeing that Danzo was nearly shaken unconscious, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally let go apologetically.

But he still couldn't understand why their usually strict Master was being so gentle today—and not even toward him!

"So it's him."

Kagami Uchiha muttered softly from the side, but Hiruzen Sarutobi still caught the faint sound.

He hooked an arm around Kagami's shoulders and said righteously, "Kagami! Do you know something? Spill it!"

Kagami Uchiha looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was acting like a living clown, and smiled helplessly. "He's Torikaze, Lord Hokage's disciple."

Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly felt that he would have been better off remaining in the dark.

Anything was better than learning news like this.

Hiruzen Sarutobi slumped to the ground and said dejectedly, "Since when did Lord Hokage take on a disciple? How did I not know?"

Kagami Uchiha smiled. "Yesterday. More than half of Konoha knows already."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked toward the companions around him, but all he received were confirming nods.

Kagami then asked, "Come to think of it, don't you all know the Windcloud Clan?"

At Kagami's words, the others suddenly remembered that the boy was actually from the Windcloud Clan.

Only Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura still looked utterly confused, because they were civilians.

Danzo explained, "The Windcloud Clan is an ancient family. No one knows where they originated."

"Their line has always passed down through a single heir. Their members excel at controlling clouds and mist, and every one of them is powerful. Few people dare provoke them."

Hiruzen Sarutobi perked up again and nodded as he added, "Also, I heard that the previous clan head, Windcloud Mountain, failed to learn their clan's Secret Technique, so the Windcloud Clan had no choice but to join Konoha."

Torifu Akimichi, who was eating snacks nearby, was rather interested in this person who shared his name.

He occasionally chimed in with his own thoughts.

"Then does that mean this kid has already learned that Secret Technique or whatever?" Utatane Koharu asked.

"Why?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes widened roundly. He had no idea why Koharu would say that.

Utatane Koharu was speechless. She rubbed at the twitching corner of her eye with one hand. "Seriously, Hiruzen? You're the Young Clan Head of the Sarutobi Clan! How can you not understand something this simple?"

At those words, Hiruzen Sarutobi sprang to his feet like a carp flipping out of water. "I don't like the sound of that! How could I not know? I was just livening up the atmosphere!"

Just as everyone waited for his brilliant insight, he stammered and failed to produce a single complete sentence.

Hiruzen looked resigned. "Fine, I really don't know. Tell me."

Seeing that Hiruzen Sarutobi did not seem to be pretending, Danzo said, "For Lord Hokage to accept a six-year-old child as his disciple, the child must have something extraordinary about him. Otherwise, Lord Hokage wouldn't take on a disciple for no reason."

"That's all?"

"Hah, and you still didn't understand something that simple!" Koharu mocked from the side.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face turned bright red, but he still stubbornly insisted, "Tch, I was pretending. How could I not know? I was just testing you all. Congratulations, you passed!"

The others all had Black Threads across their faces, but without Hiruzen Sarutobi, this group would probably be gloomy and lifeless all day long.

"Monkey! Why aren't you lot over here yet?"

Hearing Lord Tobirama call for them, they immediately jogged over, afraid that Master would get angry and punish them.

"Master, Lord Hokage, good morning!" Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others greeted respectfully.

Tobirama merely nodded, while Hashirama smiled broadly and said, "Good morning, children."

After sweeping his gaze over everyone present, he asked, "Kagami, why didn't your sister come?"

Only then did Kagami suddenly remember that he seemed to have forgotten his sister.

He apologized, "Sorry, Lord Hokage. We were competing to see who could reach the mountaintop first, so I..."

Hashirama Senju helplessly covered his face. Even Kagami, who had always been serious and conscientious, could make such a mistake?

They were still teenagers, after all—far too easily fired up.

Sure enough, before long, a figure appeared over the edge of their sightline, her face full of resentment.

Kagami guiltily turned his head away, not daring to meet Chisato's eyes.

Chisato was furious, but Lord Tobirama and Lord Hokage were both present.

She could not make a scene, so she could only let her brother off this time!

"Alright, now that everyone is here, let's get acquainted. We'll start with Torikaze."

Torikaze stepped forward and offered a warm smile. "Hello, everyone. I'm Torikaze, chief of the Windcloud Clan. Please treat me well."

"Hello, everyone. I'm Uchiha Chiri, Kagami's younger sister. Please advise me."

Next came the introductions from Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others. Torikaze considered himself fairly familiar with them.

Taking this opportunity, Torikaze carefully observed each of their appearances.

They were quite different from how he knew them in their old age.

Hiruzen Sarutobi wore a Konoha Headband and introduced himself with great care.

His eyes gleamed, while the gazes of his companions carried faint admiration.

At a glance, it was clear that he was the leader of this squad.

Danzo spoke in a steady tone with clear logic, and he looked like an intelligent man at first glance.

The contrast between him and Hiruzen Sarutobi was striking. Worth mentioning was that he did not yet have a scar on his chin.

Mitokado Homura wore glasses and did not seem particularly remarkable. If he were thrown into a crowd, one might not even recognize him.

What Torikaze had not expected was that Utatane Koharu had actually been a great beauty in her youth.

Her hair was styled in twin buns, yet she still possessed a certain heroic air.

Torifu Akimichi had nothing particularly notable about him, with the standard build of a fat man.

But since Lord Tobirama had accepted him as a disciple, he must have had some real skill.

Finally, the one who took center stage was Kagami Uchiha. From the expressions on the others' faces, it was obvious that Kagami had a very good relationship with them.

He was composed without being stiff or old-fashioned, and his kind, humble manner always made others feel at ease.

With dark blue hair and the standard handsome Uchiha face—

If he were at the academy, he would surely captivate countless young girls.

Torikaze had now truly met all of Konoha's future rulers.

For the moment, he would not comment on their virtues and flaws in old age, but in their youth, every one of them brimmed with vitality.

Each of them shone like the rising sun, radiating confidence from head to toe.

"Alright! Now that everyone knows each other, you can slowly get to know one another better in the days ahead," Hashirama Senju said boisterously.

He then turned his gaze toward the village, and Tobirama and the others followed suit.

The view from here was wide open, allowing them to overlook the entire village.

People beginning their morning work, children on their way to school... everything was in full view.

"After all, Konoha's future will surely be entrusted to all of you!"

Upon hearing those words, an indescribable feeling welled up within them.

Perhaps it was because of the Lord Hokage's trust, perhaps because of their deep love for the village, or perhaps for countless other reasons.

But regardless of why, at that moment, a seed called Konoha was planted in their hearts.

One day, that seed would take root, sprout, and grow into a towering tree that covered the sky.

"Where the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire burns on!"