Jingu Forest Field Hospital

Even at midnight, the Hokage's office was still brightly lit.

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, ran his fingers over the mountain of scrolls and documents beside him, with no intention of resting.

...Ever since taking on the heavy responsibility of leading the village, Sarutobi had grown accustomed to this busy life.

Compared to the days when he had followed Lord Tobirama and focused solely on improving his personal strength, the complex, tedious work of day-to-day administration now consumed a great deal of his energy.

So much so that the Third Hokage had to keep extending his working hours, making sure he kept both his personal combat strength and the village's internal affairs in hand—and kept them both in good shape!

With this superhuman work ethic, Sarutobi Hiruzen could even multitask, sparing some attention for the education of Konoha's next generation.

As he listened to Nara Motonari's report, the increasingly imposing Hokage merely raised his eyes a little, cutting off the other man.

"Motochika, we've known each other for a long time. There were many reasons I entrusted Team Five to you, but the fundamental reason was that the Advisory Council, myself included, believed you were capable of handling the job.

"So when it comes to Team Five's education, you can make your own decisions. You don't need to feel constrained by anyone's status. At this critical time, I don't want anyone using any excuse to claim special privileges in the village."

The Third Hokage's words were brief. Boiled down, they were nothing more than the usual platitudes about "the leadership's trust" and "treating everyone equally."

But much of that lofty talk was just for show. After all, if things really were fair and impartial, those three members of Team Five would never have been put on the same team.

But Nara Motonari was no seventeen- or eighteen-year-old hothead, full of youthful indignation.

He didn't resent this kind of "saying one thing and meaning another" in the slightest. In fact, he even felt a measure of sympathy for the Third Hokage...

—Being the person in charge came with tremendous power and naturally inspired envy. But as a responsible leader, from the day he took the Hokage's seat, Sarutobi Hiruzen had to separate himself from his former identity, setting aside the bonds of family and affection in favor of an iron will.

Set aside the utopian fantasy of absolute fairness. If Hiruzen weren't Hokage, then with the Sarutobi Clan's influence, a genius like Erina, so skilled in incantations, could have stayed safely behind the scenes, far from the deadly battlefields! There would have been no need for this needless arrangement of appointing Nara Motonari as a team leader to protect the three little ones.

What's more, Hiruzen could have done as certain powerful figures in the village did now: protected the fighting strength of his entire clan with lofty-sounding words, stood aside, and watched the outcome with a smile!

But reality had never had any "what ifs."

Like any other privileged class, the Sarutobi Clan had gained supreme glory from the Hokage Position, but the price it had paid was just as heartrending.

"Lord Sarutobi, I'm not deliberately praising Erina. I'm simply reporting the current state of their training in the most straightforward terms. In terms of a ninja's potential, Miss Erina does indeed have the brightest prospects of the three, and her future development is the most promising."

"But according to Anbu's report, that child named Yamada Soji not only perfectly fended off tonight's surprise attack, but even used his Kekkei Genkai to turn the tables and deal you a heavy blow." The Third Hokage didn't look up. He simply took a file from the neat stacks of documents on his desk.

"This child was discovered by Tanaka Masanari a year ago. Later, he used extracurricular training to study Medical Ninjutsu at Konoha Hospital. Uchiha Fugaku's injuries half a year ago finally healed with his help... Don't you think this young man seems to have even brighter prospects than Erina?"

"With all due respect, Lord Third Hokage...

"Yamada Soji's abilities so far are indeed exceptional. But aside from Medical Ninjutsu and his bloodline techniques, he falls far short of Miss Erina in foundational areas like Taijutsu, ninjutsu, genjutsu, and chakra reserves."

Nara Motonari picked up the file Hiruzen had singled out from the desk. Looking at the photograph on its cover, taken when young Soji registered as a ninja, he still stood by his earlier assessment.

"I'm sure you know that ninjas of this age are improving rapidly in every skill.

"Experience, technique, and even combat awareness can all be made up for through training, but innate ninja talent is the one thing that's hard to change.

"What's more, Yamada Soji's Kekkei Genkai seems to be an isolated case of it awakening after a generation. He lacks instruction in a corresponding tradition, and the advantages of having a single secret technique will soon run out...

"Once people figure out what he can and can't do, the many problems that have been concealed will gradually become apparent."

"Motochika, talent isn't nearly as simple as it seems." At that, the Third Hokage finally set aside his work for the moment and interrupted Nara Motonari's report.

"Although his basic stats aren't ideal, that boy has a level of worldly maturity and quick, perceptive intelligence far beyond his years."

"I don't deny that, but..."

Before Motochika could finish, Sarutobi Hiruzen cut him off again. "I'm not talking about his people skills. I mean his ability to develop and learn ninjutsu."

The Third Hokage lifted his chin slightly, indicating that Motochika should take a closer look at the file in his hands.

"You may have seen the secret techniques Yamada Soji performs using his bloodline, but there's something I need to make clear. Neither the Filth-Licking Technique, which helped Fugaku cling to life, nor the Rain Woman's Heart Technique, which gave you such a hard time, nor even the special Glass Wire those techniques rely on came from a clan tradition. They were all the product of Yamada Soji's own research..."

Sarutobi lowered his voice, but every word rang clear. "The boy won't turn twelve for another half a month. And only a year has passed since his bloodline awakened."

"...!?"

Nara Motonari was dumbfounded.

As an important member of the Nara Clan, he knew that inheriting a tradition and creating something new were two entirely different undertakings...

Every secret technique was a precious legacy that senior practitioners had left to their descendants after years of study and experimentation.

Even an experienced jonin like him usually only adjusted existing secret techniques to suit his own strengths.

As for blazing a new trail and founding his own style, most people probably hadn't even considered it...

Yet according to Lord Hiruzen, not only had Yamada Soji taken the most difficult path, he had already developed two new techniques within a year, each serving a different purpose and both remarkably complete!

A talent like that was less enviable than it was frightening...

The worldview he had built over many years made him instinctively unwilling to believe something so absurd could happen.

But when Nara Motonari's gaze met the Third Hokage's, he finally confirmed the Hokage's claim through that silent exchange.

By then, the surprise on Motochika's face had gradually faded, replaced by a hint of bitterness and self-mockery.

"Just hearing about it gives me the creeps... What an extraordinary person."

He again brushed a hand over the side of his face where he'd been struck earlier, and the emotions hidden in his words grew even more complicated. Nara Motonari hadn't gone all out during the surprise attack, but judging by the situation now, his own student probably hadn't shown all his cards either...

"Lord Hokage, I'm starting to think I might not be up to the job of serving as Team Five's jonin leader..."

"There's no need to worry. Even if Yamada Soji is a rough diamond, he still needs guidance and the tempering of the battlefield at this stage. To keep him from going astray, there's no one better suited to teach them than you."

The Third Hokage allayed Motochika's concerns and continued, "The construction plan for the Jingu Forest Field Hospital is a perfect opportunity. I hope the four of you—teacher and students alike—will use this mission to truly become a team. It will greatly benefit the inheritance and development of the Will of Fire."

"All right. I'll do my best..."

Nara Motonari left, clicking his tongue in discomfort, but Sarutobi Hiruzen, seated behind his desk, didn't immediately turn to other matters.

—In truth, the report he had just given Nara Motonari wasn't complete.

Leaving aside its analysis of the boy's personal abilities, the Anbu, directly under the Hokage, had also discovered the countless threads linking Soji and Inoue Hisahide.

For Hiruzen, who was gradually becoming more of a political animal, the contents of this report were even more puzzling than the ninjutsu development abilities mentioned earlier.

At one point, he had even seen a shadow of Teacher Tobirama in Soji...

"An anomaly."