Several hours earlier.
At that time, Fujiwara Kagemitsu had just arrived in Konoha.
After the carriage carrying Fujiwara Kagemitsu passed the guards' rigorous inspection, he entered Konoha once again.
The last time he had come to Konoha had been more than a decade ago, when the Second Hokage had died in battle and the Third had only just taken office.
He had lived here for two or three years then, personally witnessing the changes brought about by the Third's policies. But that young man had failed to grasp the essence of the Second Hokage's principles.
As a result, he had soon left Konoha and returned to the capital of the Land of Fire.
Now, coming to Konoha once more filled him with emotion.
The carriage wheels rolled over the hard ground, producing a dull rumble.
Fujiwara Kagemitsu lifted the carriage curtain and studied this place, both familiar and strange to him, with a scrutinizing gaze.
Upon entering Konoha, the first thing that came into view was, unsurprisingly, Kage Rock. Those enormous faces stood carved into the cliff overlooking the entire village, clearly visible from afar.
That youthful, sharp-featured face looked utterly out of place among the resolute faces of the other three Hokage carved into the cliff, like a child deliberately trying to look cool.
He really was young.
Even though he had long known that the current Hokage was a twelve-year-old child, Fujiwara Kagemitsu could not help but sigh when he saw the statue.
Far too young.
However, Fujiwara Kagemitsu did not underestimate the Fourth Hokage because of that.
He had grown up listening to his elders tell stories of true statesmen. He knew well that genuine politicians often possessed the ability to govern from a very young age.
History had never lacked extraordinary monsters.
With sufficient caution and