Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Shazo leave, his body trembling harder and harder.
Only when Shazo reached the door did the Third Hokage's trembling abruptly stop. He slumped into his chair as though all strength had drained from him.
Shazo stood by the door and said with a smile, "As expected, without Shimura Danzō, Lord Third Hokage would never commit such a vile act as attacking Konoha Ninja."
The Third Hokage took a deep breath and asked, "As the special authority holder appointed by my teacher, what do you plan to do next? Restore the Senju surname and run for the position of Fifth Hokage?"
Shazo chuckled. "Although I'm rather tall, I'm only fourteen this year. Becoming Hokage would be far too ridiculous."
"Of course, my next step is to take the Chunin Exams I already signed up for. I need to become an official Konoha Chunin."
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "Huh?"
Ignoring him, Shazo continued, "As for the Senju surname, since the Second Hokage erased my father's generation's surname, there's naturally no need to take it back."
The Third Hokage let out a huge sigh of relief. Finally able to relax, he asked with faint amusement, "Isn't it a bit too unfair for someone of your strength to take the Chunin Exams?"
"Besides, who in all of Konoha would dare examine a Wood Release ninja like you?"
Shazo smiled indifferently. "When I appeared before the Konoha Ninja, I disguised both my height and appearance."
"You, Third Hokage, were able to uncover my identity through my relationship with Uchiha Izumi. Others certainly won't find out so easily."
"As long as those in the know keep quiet, they won't know that I'm a Wood Release ninja."
After saying that, Shazo gently closed the Hokage office door and left the Hokage Building.
Everything he had said