The Crying Child Gets the Milk (Please Support with Monthly Tickets, Follow-ups, and Recommendation Votes)

The next morning, Taichi arrived at the school early and found Teacher Yamada to ask for leave. Yamada looked at Taichi in surprise. It was his first time encountering someone asking for leave on just the second day of school, but considering Taichi's usual performance, he readily agreed.

After getting approval, Taichi did not waste any time. The moment he left the school, he headed straight for the Hokage Building.

This was Taichi's first time visiting the Hokage Building. Though the bustling building did not seem particularly tall compared to the rest of Konoha, it carried a sense of solemnity against the backdrop of Hokage Rock in the distance.

The moment Taichi entered the Hokage Building, a Chunin called out to him. "Hey, kid, this isn't a place for a brat like you who isn't even a Genin."

Taichi looked over at the voice and saw that it was a staff member. Unfazed, he stepped forward and asked, "I want to see Hokage-sama. Could you tell me how to get there?"

"Kid, do you think you can see the Hokage whenever you feel like it?" the Chunin said impatiently.

"Then please help inform him that Lady Tsunade's disciple, Taichi Matsushita, wishes to see Hokage-sama regarding an important matter," Taichi said calmly.

The Chunin stared deeply at Taichi, as though trying to see through his gaze and determine whether he was telling the truth.

"Wait here." With that, he turned and headed down the stairs.

"Thank you!"

Watching the Chunin's departing back, Taichi began looking around. This was the Mission Hall—the place where ninjas accepted missions. Even so early in the morning, many ninjas had come to hand over or receive missions, showing just how prosperous Konoha was. After all, a ninja village survived on missions.

About ten minutes later, the Chunin reappeared. "Come with me. Hokage-sama will see you!" He led Taichi to the door of the Hokage's Office. "It's here. Go in yourself."

After the Chunin left, Taichi took a deep breath and steadied himself. Success or failure would be decided in this one move.

Knock, knock.

"Come in."

Taichi pushed open the door. The first thing he saw was the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, smiling at him.

"Tsunade's disciple," the Hokage teased.

Taichi's little face reddened, and he said awkwardly, "I'm sorry, Hokage-sama. I had no choice but to use this method in order to see you." As he spoke, he bowed in apology.

"Haha, it's fine, it's fine. I know about you and Tsunade. Although she hasn't formally accepted you as her disciple, she truly has been raising you as her successor. So there's nothing wrong with calling yourself her disciple," the Hokage said with a smile.

"Really? I always thought I just hadn't done well enough yet~" Taichi said with false modesty.

"You've already done very well," Hiruzen Sarutobi affirmed.

"School only started yesterday, didn't it? Why did you want to come see me today?" Hiruzen Sarutobi ended the small talk and asked about the real matter.

"It's like this, Hokage-sama..." Taichi told the Hokage every detail of what had happened yesterday.

"Since I'm a student at the Ninja Academy, and Hokage-sama is the principal of the school, that makes me Hokage-sama's student too. So if I'm going anywhere, I definitely need Hokage-sama's approval!" Taichi said sincerely.

After listening, Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent. He picked up the pipe beside him and began puffing away. Soon, smoke obscured his face.

"Taiichi, don't concern yourself with this matter. From now on, just focus on attending the Ninja Academy," Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice sounded after a while.

"Understood, Hokage-sama. I will follow your arrangements," Taiichi said without hesitation. Obedience was the name of the game.

"Then go back for now." Hiruzen Sarutobi began dismissing him.

Taiichi left the Hokage's Office as instructed, not forgetting to gently close the office door behind him.

The instant Taiichi left, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression darkened. "Danzo, you are openly defying my orders."

After leaving the Hokage's Office, Taiichi went to the Training Ground in the small forest. Danzo's arrival last night had truly provoked him.

Especially when faced with Danzo's attack, he had felt utterly powerless. That made him even more desperate to improve his strength, but that was impossible. Strength was never something that could be gained overnight; it required accumulated effort over time.

Unfortunately, what Taiichi lacked most right now was time. For the moment, he could only make up for it by training even harder and building up his daily progress.

Looking at his Attribute Panel, Taiichi regained his confidence. He already had such a huge advantage—what was there to be dissatisfied about? As long as he trained step by step, one day he would grind Danzo into the ground. With that in mind, Taiichi put aside all distractions and began practicing each exercise one by one.

Konoha Root Base.

"Danzo-sama, Hokage-sama has arrived. He is currently in the hall." The ninja who had entered the office with Body Flicker knelt on one knee and reported.

Strange. Why would Hiruzen come here? Danzo thought to himself.

Unable to figure it out, he could only rise and head for the hall.

"Hiruzen, it has been a long time since you visited Root." Before he even arrived, Danzo's sinister voice carried over.

Footsteps drew nearer through the cold, damp corridor. Hiruzen Sarutobi's Hokage cloak brushed past droplets of water condensed on the walls. The candles in Root's hall flickered all at once when Danzo entered, stretching his shadow across the dim walls.

"Since when did the Hokage need to personally inspect a rat hole?" Danzo's cane struck the floor with a dull thud, while three subordinates wearing Wild Boar masks silently followed behind him.

Hiruzen took off his cloak and draped it over his arm, twirling his pipe around his fingers. "Yesterday, the Medical Team sent over three poisoning reports. The symptoms were exactly the same as those of the Rain Ninja test subjects who disappeared last month." He stopped five steps away, just avoiding the shadow of the iron chains hanging from the ceiling.

"For Konoha's future, necessary sacrifices..."

"Including laying hands on children from the Ninja Academy?" Hiruzen's suddenly raised voice made the iron candle stands hum. His fingers clenched around the pipe until they turned white, ash falling in flakes onto the flame-patterned lapel of his robes. "Now you're even trying to bring six-year-old children into your 'Root'?"

"His talent can only be fully realized in Root..."

Bang!

The sound of the pipe shattering against a stone pillar sent the creatures hiding in the darkness scurrying away.

"Teacher Tobirama founded the Ninja Academy because he didn't want children going to war. What you're doing now goes against his original intentions!"

"Don't mention Teacher Tobirama to me. I am the one who truly inherited his will. Hiruzen, you are too weak—when it comes to Taichi Matsushita, when it comes to the Uchiha, and when it comes to the other ninja villages," Danzo said darkly.

"You always use your tender lies to raise savage beasts, and when they grow up enough to tear open your throat..."

"I am the Hokage!" Hiruzen suddenly roared, his chakra surging hard enough to extinguish more than half the candles overhead in an instant. In the darkness, only the flames of rage in his eyes remained. "Teacher Tobirama chose me, not you!"

The Wild Boar masks reached for their sword hilts, but Danzo raised a hand to stop them. Yet that gesture clearly provoked Hiruzen Sarutobi even further. Was this Konoha's Root, or Danzo's Root? They even dared draw blades against the Hokage himself.

Danzo's voice continued. "Just wait until Cloud Village puts a blade to that brat's throat..."

"Enough!" Hiruzen grabbed his cloak and turned away, unwilling to continue arguing with Danzo here. "This is the end of the matter concerning Taichi Matsushita. Do not go looking for him again. Besides, he is already studying under Tsunade and Jiraiya. You don't want your laboratory smashed up, do you?" Hiruzen Sarutobi issued his final warning.

The thunderous slam of the iron door shook dust from the walls. Danzo drove his cane deep into a crack in the stone. "Damn it!" But when he thought of Tsunade, Danzo had no choice but to give up. There was no need to provoke a conflict with Tsunade over someone without any special talent.