Testing Chakra

The meal was over. Qingyun did a little of his daily training, and before long, it was dark.

When he woke up, Qingyun immediately went to find the Third Hokage.

The Third Hokage pulled off his Hokage robes and then went with Qingyun up to the rooftop.

The view from the rooftop was beautiful. It overlooked all of Konoha, and Hokage Rock was visible too.

"Qingyun, I haven't taught you anything since taking you on as my student. You don't blame me, do you?" The Third Hokage didn't get started right away. Instead, he suddenly took out a pipe and took a few puffs.

"Of course not... To be honest, I've been building up my mission record lately. I heard that missions, strength, and everyone's evaluations are all important for promotion," Qingyun said.

"Oh? It seems you really do know your stuff. You complete your missions quickly, and the quality is high. So I hope you'll take on more difficult missions and build up a record of higher-level assignments."

"By the way, Qingyun, I want to ask you a few questions."

Curious about what the Third Hokage wanted to ask, Qingyun replied at once, "Of course, Teacher. Go ahead."

"What is your dream?" the Third Hokage suddenly asked, looking at Qingyun.

"My dream..." Qingyun hadn't expected the Third Hokage to suddenly ask him that.

Qingyun thought it over carefully. His dream was obviously to become the top dog in the Shinobi World, surpass the so-called Sage of Six Paths, defeat Kaguya, and protect the entire Shinobi World.

Naruto and Sasuke were the original protagonists, but Qingyun certainly wasn't going to let them have such dazzling debuts. He would become a pivotal figure all on his own.

So Qingyun answered at once, "My dream is peace in the Shinobi World. I want to change this world."

The Third Hokage was taken aback. "That's a truly lofty dream."

Qingyun's dream was even greater than becoming Hokage. The Third Hokage had already achieved that, but changing the entire Shinobi World would be no simple matter.

"Though it won't be easy, I believe you have a chance of achieving it." The Third Hokage smiled faintly. "I heard Principal Ikkaku say that you predicted a war would break out within ten years. Why do you think that?"

Seeing that the Third Hokage meant to test him, Qingyun replied, "Teacher Sarutobi, the First Shinobi World War and the Second Shinobi World War broke out because of conflicts of interest between nations."

"Now, Iwagakure and Kumogakure both champion military expansion. Sunagakure is poor and has no usable land, while Konoha remains relatively neutral. But even so, it can't avoid being invaded by other countries."

"Small countries struggle between the great powers, and all these factors lead to one outcome: war. War is inevitable. It's only a matter of time; all it needs is a spark."

"Of course, there probably won't be a war anytime soon. At least not for another five years," Qingyun predicted.

The Third Hokage was deeply shocked. Qingyun was only four years old, yet he had such a clear-eyed grasp of the Shinobi World's situation. It showed that he was no ordinary child.

"If you were Hokage, what would you do?" the Third Hokage asked.

"I wouldn't dare..." Qingyun knew that standing out too much could attract trouble. He couldn't presume to guess what the Third Hokage meant. What if the Third Hokage was only testing him?

But Qingyun was overthinking it. No matter how exceptional or gifted he was, he was still just a child.

"Go on. It's all right. I want to know what you would do," the Third Hokage said earnestly. Only then did Qingyun let down his guard, sure that the Third Hokage wasn't testing him.

"Then I'll offer my humble opinion."

Qingyun continued, "If I were Hokage, first I'd do everything I could to win the support of our country's Feudal Lord."

"Only with the Land of Fire's backing could Konoha devote itself fully to the battles ahead to defend the village."

Qingyun had chosen his words carefully. He spoke only of defending the village, not invading other countries, because he didn't know which way the Third Hokage currently leaned.

"Of course. What else?" the Third Hokage asked.

"Once we have the Feudal Lord's support, we should quickly reform Konoha's economy and military so the village can develop rapidly. Konoha is currently known as the strongest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, but in reality, both the number and quality of our ninja are well behind Kumogakure's—and even Sunagakure's."

Qingyun continued, "Since we know war is coming, we should prepare in advance and invest heavily in training ninja. The village could even build some Duel Arenas to improve their strength."

"The great clans should also contribute their strength. After all, without Konoha, they'd be left without a home." Qingyun had hit the nail on the head.

The Third Hokage smiled, seeming quite pleased. "Qingyun, I underestimated you. I thought you were only a combat genius, but it turns out you have your own ideas about politics and military affairs too. I'm very pleased."

"Your ideas about cultivating new talent align perfectly with Konoha's Will of Fire."

"Qingyun, now I want to ask you: do you think you can become Hokage someday?" the Third Hokage asked.

Qingyun thought for a moment. "Do you want me to tell the truth or lie?"

"The truth, of course." The Third Hokage thought Qingyun was such an earnest child.

"Of course I want to. A capable Hokage could make life better for everyone, keep them from being bullied, and even change the balance of power in the Shinobi World. And I don't think you have to become Hokage to earn the right to change the world. You have to be able to change the world to earn the right to become Hokage."

The Third Hokage pondered his words briefly, then nodded again. "In that case, I hope you'll take your training more seriously and work even harder. I believe you'll become one of the strongest contenders for Hokage."

"You have a long road ahead of you, but if war comes, as you said, I hope you'll make a name for yourself in battle."

The Third Hokage's praise was already high, and his expectations for Qingyun were great. Even his beloved student Orochimaru and Jiraiya's beloved student Minato had never received such high praise.

"Enough talk. Qingyun, since I'm the Hokage, I'm extremely busy and can only spare time to teach you a few things. The rest of the time, you can go to White Fang. His strength is among the best in the Shinobi World," the Third Hokage said frankly.

"Let's try this first." The Third Hokage took out a slip of paper, and Qingyun recognized it at a glance.

"Is that Chakra Induction Paper? Does it reveal your chakra nature?" Qingyun had never tested his own chakra nature.

"That's right. It's Chakra Induction Paper. Let's see which nature your chakra leans toward. Gather a little chakra in your hand." The Third Hokage handed the paper to Qingyun.