041 Have You Seen Konoha at 4 AM

Hokage Residence.

Four in the morning.

Hiruzen Sarutobi got up from the spacious bed. Biwako was already busy in the kitchen.

As Konoha gradually grew stronger, it seemed that the various indicators of his body as Hokage had begun a second phase of growth as well.

The most obvious signs were his unusually abundant energy and noticeably increased appetite.

Sitting at the dining table, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the steaming spread of food and felt quite satisfied.

There was meat, eggs, and milk, and the food had all been prepared to his taste.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a bite of rice and a bite of meat. His table manners were fairly proper, but he ate with the speed of a whirlwind sweeping away fallen leaves.

"Sit down and eat with me, Biwako..."

Biwako tucked back her slightly damp hair, served herself a small bowl of porridge, and quietly sat beside Hiruzen Sarutobi, watching him feast with smiling eyes.

What people who cooked loved most were appreciative diners like Hiruzen Sarutobi.

She was not hungry. She had gotten up to cook because, as his wife, she could not allow her husband to go without a hot meal.

Hiruzen worked so hard for the village. If she could not even manage something as small as this...

Biwako felt that neither the Will of Fire nor her duty as a virtuous wife would forgive her.

"Hiruzen, slow down. There's more..."

Biwako said with an amused smile, "Your appetite is even better than Shinnosuke's was when he was growing up. You're getting stronger and stronger too..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised a brow. "Really?"

Biwako shot Hiruzen Sarutobi a look. The Hokage really had no sense of propriety in private.

"Is that Forbidden Technique you used to restore your body really safe?" Thinking of this, Biwako grew worried again.

"It's fine. It's a fusion technique based on the Yin Seal and Teacher Tobirama's notes. It won't harm my body..." Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a laugh.

For something that was difficult to explain, the most convenient solution was to wave it off and pin it on the Second Hokage.

Besides, he was known as the Professor of Ninjutsu. Wasn't it perfectly normal for him to know a few techniques?

Interestingly, Biwako's expression visibly relaxed when she heard "Yin Seal."

But when Senju Tobirama's name was mentioned, her brows unconsciously furrowed again.

"Don't cling to stereotypes!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head with a laugh as he prepared to finish off the last few eggs. "While some of Teacher Tobirama's techniques really do leave a deep impression, they aren't all like that."

Biwako naturally took the eggs over and carefully peeled them, nodding as though she understood.

As long as he was all right, that was enough...

"By the way, Hiruzen, will this technique keep making you younger?" Biwako joked. "Will people eventually call us a young husband and old wife...?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head.

"Most likely not. Even if it does, I'll use the Yin Seal to keep myself at the prime of life."

That line of thought had nothing to do with Biwako's comment. It was about maximizing the Hokage's Authority.

As a leader, appearance and bearing were important as well, because they were the public's first direct impression.

Younger was not always better. Too much was as bad as too little.

A composed, powerful man in his prime naturally gave people the impression of being reliable, experienced, and strong.

That was the optimal choice for him.

The Yin Seal was also a technique Hiruzen Sarutobi had genuinely begun working to master.

For Lord Hokage, whose physical limits were slowly rising, a technique capable of regulating the flow of his meridians and gathering and storing everyday Chakra was simply too suitable.

It was essentially an artificial reserve energy supply.

"Lady Mito adopted that child with Wood Release and named him Yamato."

"You can visit Lady Mito for me more often. After all, she's getting on in years, and women have common topics to talk about in that regard."

Hiruzen Sarutobi cleared his throat. "If the two of you get along well, it won't just help me as Hokage. She might even give you some pointers!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was confident he could master the Yin Seal.

But he had no idea how much time and effort it would take to help Biwako master it...

Rather than that, it would be better to let Biwako give things a try with Mito Uzumaki...

This would kill two birds with one stone. Biwako visiting Mito was, in essence, a form of Wife Diplomacy—she would help Hiruzen Sarutobi maintain good relations with Konoha's "Empress Dowager."

And if Biwako could become a little younger because of it, Hiruzen Sarutobi would naturally be delighted.

Who wouldn't want their wife to become prettier?

At that, Biwako's eyes lit up. She nodded and said, "I understand, Hiruzen!"

"I'm done eating." Hiruzen Sarutobi changed into a black casual outfit meant for training.

The Hokage Hat and Haori were certainly imposing, but their wide sleeves and flowing robes did hinder training. He did not usually like wearing them.

"Let's give it our all today too!"

After seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi off, Biwako happily hummed a little tune as she cleared the dishes and prepared breakfast for Asuma and Shinnosuke as well.

About half an hour later.

Asuma emerged from his bedroom, still bleary-eyed.

He took a deep breath and vigorously rubbed his face.

After seeing how hard his father worked for the village, how could he, as his son, fall behind?

Especially lately at the Ninja Academy.

Hatake Kakashi, the genius who had just enrolled, had already declared that he planned to graduate early and become an official ninja as soon as possible.

If Asuma did not work hard, wouldn't he be disgracing his father?

"Eh, Mother, you're up so early? What a lavish breakfast!"

"Should I go wake Father up? Or should I let him rest a little longer? He's so tired..." Asuma muttered enthusiastically to himself.

"Your father left to train about half an hour ago..." Biwako smiled mischievously and said softly, "You're the last one in the family to get up, Asuma."

"Your brother went to work too. He's in the Anbu, so he has to patrol the whole village."

No way!

Asuma's eyes went wide.

The title of "the last person in the family to wake up" struck him like a bolt of shame lightning, reducing him to crackling white ash. Even his hair seemed to carry the hopeless scent of something burnt.

"You're still a child, after all. You're at the age where you need to grow..."

"Just eat more, sleep more, and train seriously. Don't compare yourself to your father and brother..." Biwako said with a smile.

Asuma nodded reluctantly.

Who would have thought that the Hiruzen Household was filled with so many early-rising heroes...

But another thought arose in his heart.

Hmph, even if he could not compare to Father, could he not compare to his classmates at the Ninja Academy?

He would spread the story of how hard his father worked throughout the Ninja Academy and put pressure on everyone!

At the thought of his classmates' expressions, Asuma suddenly felt much better, and a smile appeared on his face.

Meanwhile, in Konoha.

Standing atop a tall building.

Fine currents of electricity coursed over Hiruzen Sarutobi's body. This was his daily required training, using the unique principles of Lightning Release Chakra Mode to draw out the talents hidden within his body.

It was painstaking work, advancing inch by inch every day.

As he overlooked all of Konoha, he also took the opportunity to inspect the guard posts during his training.

Oh?

Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart stirred.

He spotted an interesting sight.

Not far away, Namikaze Minato was out on his morning run, with Hatake Kakashi furtively following behind him.