July 14, noon, Hokage's office.
Hiruzen sat upright behind his desk, quietly listening to Iruka's somewhat anxious report while reviewing the piles of official documents.
"...In short, Lord Hokage, I believe we should have a jōnin proficient in genjutsu take a look at Kiyosumi's symptoms. His performance this morning was simply too abnormal."
Hiruzen stopped writing, set his pipe aside, and asked calmly, "How does this Shiba Kiyosumi usually behave?"
"Normally, he is serious and meticulous in everything he does. Although he is a little rigid, he has always been responsible and passionate toward his colleagues and students."
"Hmm..." Hiruzen did not react much. Instead, he first soothed Iruka's anxiety. "I already know about Kiyosumi's situation. I will send someone to handle this matter. As for you, don't take on too much of a mental burden. This matter is not insignificant, but neither is it as serious as it could be."
Iruka was somewhat surprised by Hiruzen's extraordinary calmness, but he did not let his confusion show. Instead, he nodded at him. "Yes, Lord Hokage."
He turned and left the office.
Hiruzen lit his pipe again and fell into thought.
The Third Chunin Ninja Exams were approaching. The wealthy families and nobles, ninja clans, and ninja villages of various countries were all heading toward Konoha. The number of people in the village had more than doubled compared to normal.
At a time like this, it was not unusual for a Konoha teacher to be "sabotaged." In fact, "how to deal with foreign spies" had always been a hot topic repeatedly debated among Konoha's upper echelon.
Hiruzen did not want to escalate the matter. During this period, he had already clashed with Danzo several times over the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki issue, while the ANBU and Root had been constantly rubbing against each