Third Hokage

At the end of the long road, a point appeared. As this point grew larger in their line of sight, three massive stone faces could be seen from afar: Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, and Sarutobi Hiruzen. These were the stone carvings of the past Hokage, and the most important symbol of Konoha.

Hatake Sakumo removed his mask and, after greeting the two guards at the gate, led Sato Hideaka through the main entrance. The two walked directly along the most bustling main street of Konoha, heading toward the center of political power in Konoha: the office of the Third Hokage.

Along the way, on the prosperous main street of Konoha, children played with songs and laughter, adults wore smiles on their faces, and the crowd was dense and ceaseless. The buildings were magnificent, standing in orderly rows, creating a scene of lively prosperity.

Sato Hideaka looked left and right, observing this thriving village and comparing it to the village he had been in before. There was indeed a vast difference between the two. Perhaps this prosperity was exactly what the founder of Konoha, Senju Hashirama, had hoped for—everyone bathed in the sunlight, living happily.

After reporting to the guards at the Hokage Building, Hatake Sakumo brought Sato Hideaka to the office of the Third Hokage. Inside the office, an old man wearing the Hokage Cloak sat in the center chair, puffing on a pipe. A few chairs and a wooden desk made up the simple office space.

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, raised his head, revealing cloudy eyes. He took a deep drag of his pipe and said, "Sakumo, you've returned. Is this the child who possesses the Lava Style: Hell Hound Kekkei Genkai?"

"Yes, his name is Sato Hideaka!" Hatake Sakumo nodded and said.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up, walked over to Sato Hideaka, patted his head, and said with a kind expression, "Child, when did you discover your ability to use magma?"

"Just today, I discovered it while practicing chakra today!"

Sato Hideaka looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen. He did not want to tell Sarutobi Hiruzen that he did not actually have an innate Kekkei Genkai, but had instead synthesized it by combining Earth and Lightning chakra attributes. Such talent was unheard of in the world of Naruto and far too shocking; he did not want to be sliced open for research.

"Then, Hideaka. Could you try it out here?"

Upon hearing this, Hatake Sakumo felt a bead of cold sweat on his forehead. He quickly stepped forward and said, "Lord Third, using Lava Style in the Hokage Building... I'm afraid that wouldn't be very appropriate!"

"It's fine, he's just a child, it doesn't matter." The Third Hokage waved his hand, cutting off Hatake Sakumo. Although using ninjutsu in the Hokage office was inappropriate, he was, after all, just a child.

"Really, here?"

Sato Hideaka looked around the office in confusion. Behind the desk, one could see Konoha just by turning their head. The overall decor was minimalist, looking brand new and tidy. It seemed perfectly fine; was it really necessary to use Lava Style: Hell Hound in such a pristine place?

What a waste. Konoha is truly wealthy and imposing!

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and said, "Right here, it's no problem!"

"What should the target be?"

A target.

Does it need a target?

Sarutobi Hiruzen was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously pointed to a wall and said, "The target shall be that wall!"

Sato Hideaka closed his eyes slightly. The previous battle had consumed most of his chakra, and his body had suffered some damage, but thanks to the treatment from Yakushi Nonō, he was already half-healed. If it were just a lightweight Lava Style: Hell Hound, it should be no problem.

A scorching aura rose on his right arm. Dark, red-streaked liquid magma bubbled with intense heat. Sato Hideaka opened his eyes abruptly, dragging his magma-covered right arm, and dashed toward the wall, throwing a fierce punch. The crimson lava transformed into the shape of a hound...

[Lava Style: Hell Hound]!

The sturdy stone wall was instantly breached by a large hole. The edges of the hole were charred black by the flowing crimson lava, and the scorching magma dripped down. The hole continued to expand as the lava relentlessly eroded the stone. A wall was ruined just like that, and the magma slowly seeped into the wooden floor; it was likely that both rooms would not be spared.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's pipe fell to the ground, and he stood there dumbfounded. Several dark shadows flashed through the office, and Anbu members wearing animal masks appeared out of thin air. They looked at the five-year-old Sato Hideaka with vigilant eyes, clearly the security personnel responsible for the Hokage's safety.

As expected... just as I thought!

The corner of Hatake Sakumo's perpetually stoic face twitched. He had anticipated this situation. Why didn't the Third Hokage wait for him to finish speaking? Why did he have to let the office be destroyed like this?

A portion of the orphanage wall had collapsed, and the Root members were left as half-charred corpses. With the magma pit under the tree, the destructive power and age of this brat's Lava Style were incredibly deceptive.

Who would have thought that a five-year-old child could possess such terrifying destructive power?

Sato Hideaka scratched his head, looking at the suddenly appearing Anbu members with an innocent face: "What's wrong? Who are these uncles... what's going on?"

"N-nothing. Cough, cough... This technique is... very impressive!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's face returned to normal. He covered his mouth and coughed twice to ease the awkward atmosphere. With a light wave of his hand, the masked Anbu members quickly dispersed and vanished from the Hokage office.

Glancing at the office destroyed by the magma, Sarutobi Hiruzen's eye twitched. His heart ached, but he suppressed the pain and said to Sato Hideaka in a seductive tone, "Hideaka, would you like to go to school with friends your own age? As long as you go to school, you can play with friends and learn many powerful ninjutsu..."

"Then can I still see Sister Nonō?" Sato Hideaka looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"That, of course!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had just picked up his pipe from the floor, paused for a moment, but still nodded in agreement.

Receiving the nod from Sarutobi Hiruzen, a glimmer of hope surged in Sato Hideaka's heart. Yakushi Nonō was an intelligence operative for Root. She had handed a child with a Kekkei Genkai over to the Third Hokage—this was betrayal!

Sato Hideaka had started worrying on the way to Konoha. He didn't know what situation Yakushi Nonō would face, but he knew she would inevitably have to face one person: Shimura Danzō!

A ruthless, cold-blooded man who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals!

As long as the Third Hokage could ensure Yakushi Nonō survived, Sato Hideaka had the hope of using his peerless, world-class talent to grow strong enough to defeat Shimura Danzō and rescue Yakushi Nonō from the darkness of Root.

Sato Hideaka nodded fiercely and said, "Yes, yes. I am willing to go to school... to become stronger and protect Sister Nonō!"

"Good. The spirit of Konoha is protection—protecting the growth of young saplings generation after generation. When the sapling grows into a towering tree, it will provide nutrients for new saplings. Sakumo, take Hideaka down first, get him settled, and he can start school tomorrow!"

Receiving the Third Hokage's order, Hatake Sakumo led Sato Hideaka out of the Hokage office. It was already getting dark. Since he planned to live here long-term, he would need to prepare a residence and daily necessities; these things were very time-consuming...

A moment later, a dark shadow appeared in the Third Hokage's office.

A man with a gloomy gaze and a cross-shaped scar on his chin stepped out from the shadows. He glanced at the wall destroyed by the Lava Style Kekkei Genkai and said coldly to the Third Hokage sitting at the desk, "Hiruzen, this child does not belong to Konoha. His talent needs to be handed over to Root to be utilized to its fullest potential."

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe and shook his head, saying, "The value of a Kekkei Genkai lies in bloodline. As long as he lives under the sun, gets married, and starts a family, Konoha will gain a new Lava Style clan. That is in the best interest of the village."

"But what if he is a spy? A five-year-old child who has never been exposed to ninjutsu, yet created an A-rank ninjutsu and researched the nature transformation of Lightning chakra—do you believe that?"

"I will have the Anbu investigate this thoroughly. Also, Nonō is a bond for this child, so she cannot be touched..."

"She is a member of Root; how she is handled is my business!"

Shimura Danzō snorted coldly and slowly faded back into the darkness. He already knew how to break this stalemate, because Yakushi Nonō, who held the bond with Sato Hideaka, was the key to breaking the situation. As long as Root controlled Yakushi Nonō, they could control this five-year-old Lava Style brat!

Beneath the Hokage Hat, the slightly aged face wreathed in smoke revealed a faint, inscrutable smile.