"A new mission?"
Inside the Hokage's office in Konoha.
Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't smoking. It wasn't good to smoke in front of children, so he smiled and nodded.
"That's right. A new mission."
"I don't know if you're aware, Hiroki, but Konoha has always faced a powerful threat."
Sarutobi Hiruzen explained, folding his hands on the desk. His eyes, usually carrying a hint of warmth, were now filled with solemnity. "You performed exceptionally well on your mission in the Land of Rain. No, 'exceptionally well' doesn't even begin to describe it. You changed the course of the war."
He paused, as if carefully choosing his words. "You brought an era to an end single-handedly. It's something even the First and the Second Teacher never fully accomplished."
Hiroki didn't speak. He just listened quietly.
He knew that the real point would come after all this buildup.
He had just completed the mission to kill or capture Hanzo of the Salamander, and now they were assigning him another one—and one that required a genius like him. It definitely wouldn't be a minor matter.
Sure enough, as soon as Sarutobi finished praising him, the old geezer continued, "But..." Sarutobi Hiruzen changed his tone, and the air in the office seemed to grow heavier. "The end of one threat often means that another, even greater one, is beginning to emerge. Hiroki, Konoha—
"No, the entire Land of Fire is now facing an internal crisis unlike any before."
He glanced at the crystal ball beside him. It showed a heavily guarded residence in Konoha, with a spiral-shaped tower.
"The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox."
When those words left the Third's mouth, Hiroki froze for a moment.
The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. Kurama?
Was this new mission connected to Uzumaki Mito and Kushina?
Hiroki furrowed his brows, which made Third