Teacher

"The exam is over! Sawada Hiroki, Namikaze Minato, and Uzumaki Kushina have demonstrated tactical acumen and teamwork far beyond their peers. They have passed the exam! Effective today, they are officially promoted to Konoha Genin!"

No one objected to the result.

Though the process had been unbelievable, the outcome was clear—Jiraiya's Shadow Clone had indeed vanished.

No matter what method they had used, forcing back the Shadow Clone of one of the Sannin was proof enough that they deserved to pass.

Even if each of the three had contributed a little differently, there was no doubt they all had at least the abilities of Genin.

"Oh, yeah! We did it!" Kushina was the first to react. She jumped up excitedly and threw an arm around Hiroki's neck. "You're amazing, Hiroki!"

Minato also breathed a sigh of relief. He walked over to Hiroki, his bright blue eyes full of curiosity and admiration. "Hiroki, that technique you used at the end... Did you create it yourself?"

Hiroki simply nodded, calm and offering no further explanation.

His gaze passed over the crowd and briefly met Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō's eyes across the viewing stands.

He knew the real "exam" had only just begun.

The Third had told him not to make the demonstration too dangerous. Hiroki still didn't know whether his new technique met that standard.

"You three, come with me to the Hokage's office." An Anbu Ninja appeared behind them like a ghost, his voice utterly expressionless.

The atmosphere in the Hokage's office was oppressive.

The three children hadn't arrived yet. For now, only the Third, Sarutobi Hiruzen, his student Tsunade, and Shimura Danzō were in the office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sat in the main chair, puffing on his pipe. Smoke curled around him, obscuring his expression.

Tsunade stood by the window with her arms crossed and anger written across her face. She was clearly still furious about Jiraiya's disgraceful behavior.

Shimura Danzō stood silently in the corner's shadows, as motionless as a statue.

It was obvious they were all waiting for someone.

The next moment—

The office door was suddenly shoved open with a bang, and a bedraggled figure came tumbling inside.

It was Jiraiya.

He was soaked from head to toe, with a few cabbage leaves still stuck in his hair. His face was bruised, and several washbasin-shaped marks stood out on it. He looked utterly wretched.

"Teacher! You have to get justice for me!" Jiraiya rushed to Sarutobi Hiruzen's desk, wearing a pitiful expression. "I... I was just pursuing my artistic inspiration when I was attacked by a group of kunoichi of unknown identity..."

"Shut up, you idiot!" Tsunade roared, punching the wall beside her. Cracks instantly spread across it like a spiderweb. "You still have the nerve to say that? You've disgraced the whole village!"

"I... I was trying to find inspiration!" Jiraiya shrank back and didn't dare look at Tsunade again.

Sarutobi Hiruzen massaged his temples in exasperation, then knocked his pipe against the ashtray and cut the farce short. "Jiraiya, let's get to the point. What do you think of those three children?"

At the mention of business, Jiraiya immediately dropped his usual goofy manner, his expression turning more serious than ever. He straightened up and fixed his gaze on Hiroki.

"Teacher, Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina are both rare talents with enormous potential." He began by praising the two of them.

Minato in particular was a child Jiraiya had watched grow up. His abilities, character, and talent were all exceptional.

But Hiroki was different.

If Minato was the sort of child who had matured early, then Hiroki was more like a seasoned ninja. His performance in the exam was unlike that of Minato and Kushina, who had tried to defeat Jiraiya head-on.

That kid had been aiming to pass the exam from the very start.

Jiraiya thought about how to describe Hiroki's talent.

After a moment, he spoke.

"Teacher, do you understand what I mean? Let's say we're facing an enemy. How should we defeat him on the battlefield?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded thoughtfully. "I see what you're getting at. You mean that Minato and Kushina are still focused mostly on how to make the best use of their own strengths."

"Right. But that kid Hiroki spends more time anticipating my next move and devising a strategy based on what he thinks I'll do." Jiraiya's expression grew serious as he spoke.

"That's the biggest difference between a seasoned ninja and a student."

Hearing such high praise, Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded with satisfaction and smoothly continued, "Since you admire them so much, I'll leave all three children in your hands. You can personally train them and form a new team."

Danzō let out a cold laugh but said nothing. Sure enough, Jiraiya said something shocking the next moment.

"No!"

Jiraiya refused without a moment's hesitation.

He looked troubled as he explained, "Teacher, I'd like to take all three of them on, but—but I've already promised to take two others as students."

One was Dekai, the son of an old friend. The other was a boy from the Uchiha Clan, whom the current clan head had asked him to take on. (Note 1)

"Then take Namikaze Minato," Danzō finally spoke from the shadows in the corner, his voice hoarse and cold. "Leave Uzumaki Kushina and Sawada Hiroki to me. Root can give them the most suitable training."

"Danzō!" Sarutobi Hiruzen slammed his hand on the desk and stood up, his voice stern. "I won't agree! Ninjas aren't tools of the village! Hiroki and Kushina are heroes of the village. They should grow up in the light!"

Danzō slowly emerged from the shadows, his single eye fixed coldly on Sarutobi Hiruzen. "Sentimental fool! Hiruzen, your so-called light will only make their dangerous abilities harder to control! Only those tempered by the harshest trials in darkness can become the sharpest blades protecting the village!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen furrowed his brows and asked quietly, "Did you arrange for Jiraiya's two students?"

"You know your student's character, don't you?"

Jiraiya gave an awkward smile, unsure what to say. In the end, he could only scratch his head sheepishly.

"..." Tsunade glared at Jiraiya.

"That still doesn't make it acceptable!" Sarutobi Hiruzen firmly rejected Danzō's proposal.

"Then you'll only end up with a dull weapon that wounds its own wielder!"

"I'm the Hokage!"

"I'm right."

Seeing that the two were about to fall into another endless argument, Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his anger.

He knew he couldn't let Hiroki fall into Danzō's hands, but Jiraiya couldn't take all three either.

He fell silent for a moment, then finally made a difficult decision.

"Here's what we'll do," he said slowly. "Jiraiya, take Namikaze Minato. As for Hiroki and Kushina... we'll wait until Orochimaru returns."

Jiraiya and Tsunade were both stunned by the proposal. Their teacher had compromised?

Orochimaru was working under Danzō right now!

A glint flashed in Danzō's single eye. Just as he'd expected, in the end, Hiruzen had chosen Orochimaru.

There were very few elite Jonin currently capable of keeping Sawada Hiroki and the future Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in check.

Hatake Sakumo didn't know Fuinjutsu, Jiraiya already had students, and Tsunade specialized in Medical Ninjutsu, so her ability to train the two was limited.

The other ninjas either weren't directly under the Hokage's faction and had their own agendas, or simply weren't well-rounded enough.

Orochimaru was the only suitable choice.

As for Koharu and Mitokado Homura? Hmph... Sarutobi didn't even trust them himself. How could he possibly let those two useless fools train anyone?

"Fine." Danzō retreated into the shadows and said no more.

Knock, knock, knock. Just then, someone knocked on the door.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sank wearily back into his chair.

"Come in," he said.

Sawada Hiroki entered first, followed closely by Minato and Kushina.

Sarutobi glanced at Danzō, who had slipped away at some point, then looked at the three children before him and sighed as he announced the decision they'd just made:

"Namikaze Minato, starting today, you'll train under Jiraiya. Sawada Hiroki and Uzumaki Kushina, you'll wait until Orochimaru returns from his mission before formally becoming his students."

Minato looked delighted, but when he glanced at Hiroki and Kushina, a hint of worry crept into his expression.

Kushina looked a little lost. She had never even heard of Orochimaru.

Sawada Hiroki's expression remained calm, but inside, a storm was raging.

Orochimaru!?

Before he could react, Sarutobi waved a hand, signaling that they could leave.

"Go back for now! I'll let you know when your teacher arrives!"

Huh, that was it? They were just going back? They weren't going to ask him anything more about his technique!? Hiroki froze.

"Don't slack off in the meantime! Orochimaru isn't exactly a kind teacher!" Seeing that Hiroki still hadn't left, the Third added this as a final nudge.

Hiroki breathed a sigh of relief. So he'd passed that whole "not too dangerous" exam after all...

But Hiroki, whose attention had been fixed on Sarutobi Hiruzen the entire time, failed to notice the little look Kushina gave him.