Morning dew from outside the Hokage Building still clung to the hem of Sarutobi Hiruzen's robes as he folded his arms across his chest.
His usually gentle, drooping brows rose slightly, and the smoke of half a century of war churned in his amber eyes—
Those eyes had seen the First, Hashirama, uproot trees into forests, watched the Second Hokage, Tobirama, establish the Ninja Academy, and witnessed three Ninja World Wars.
Whatever he had done in the past,
the authority of a man who had ruled Konoha for over thirty years was unmistakable.
As that gaze fell upon the still-childish Genin gathered in the arena, even the wind along the stands seemed to falter.
For an instant, his presence felt almost unreal to everyone. Gone was his familiar warmth and kindness; in their place stood defiance and dominance. Perhaps this was the Shinobi Hero's true face.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was pleased with their reactions.
As the host,
he had to intimidate these participants, lest those from the other great ninja villages stir up trouble behind the scenes.
Especially now that Orochimaru had shown himself.
That only heightened his sense of urgency. He cleared his throat, his voice carrying throughout the Arena and snapping everyone back to attention.
"Ahem... The Chunin Ninja Exams are a microcosm of war. Every Genin represents their nation's overall strength. In other words, how well the candidates perform affects politics and diplomacy to some extent."
But this grand performance—
"Grandpa Third, doesn't that make ninja nothing but tools?! That's not what ninja are to me! I won't accept it! Aren't ninja supposed to protect their comrades?!" Naruto couldn't stand what he was hearing and shouted.
He had openly contradicted and interrupted his own Kage.
Everyone broke into a cold sweat for him. Those from other villages sneered,