At the end of the long road, a dot appeared. As it grew larger in their sight, they could make out three enormous stone faces in the distance: Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, and Sarutobi Hiruzen. They were the stone sculptures of the successive Hokage, and the most important landmark of the Hidden Leaf Village.
Hatake Sakumo took off his mask. After greeting the two shinobi guarding the gate, he led Sato Hideaka in through the main entrance. The two of them followed Konoha's busiest avenue straight toward the village's political center: the Lord Third's office...
Along Konoha's bustling main street, children played and sang merrily, while adults smiled. People came and went in a constant, lively stream. The buildings were beautiful, packed closely together yet arranged in pleasing order. What a lively, prosperous scene.
Sato Hideaka looked all around at the thriving village, comparing it to the one he had lived in before. The difference between them was enormous. Perhaps this was exactly what Konoha's founder, Senju Hashirama, had hoped for: everyone living happily beneath the sun...
After notifying the guards at the Hokage Building, Hatake Sakumo brought Sato Hideaka to the Lord Third's office. An old man wearing a Hokage Cloak sat in the central chair, a pipe in his mouth. A few chairs and a wooden desk made up the simple office.
The Lord Third, Sarutobi Hiruzen, raised his head, his eyes cloudy. He took a deep drag from his pipe and said, "Sakumo, you're back. Is this the child with the Lava Release Kekkei Genkai?"
"Yes. His name is Sato Hideaka!" Hatake Sakumo nodded.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood and came over to Sato Hideaka. He patted the boy's head and asked kindly, "Child, when did you discover your ability to use lava?"
"I-I discovered it today, while I was training with chakra!"
Sato Hideaka looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen. He didn't want to tell him that he didn't have an innate Kekkei Genkai, but had used his talent to combine Earth and Lightning chakra natures. Such a talent was unheard of in the world of Naruto. It was simply too astonishing, and he didn't want to be dissected for research.
"Then, Hideaka, could you try it here?"
A bead of cold sweat appeared on Hatake Sakumo's forehead. He hurried forward and said, "Lord Third, using Lava Release in the Hokage's office might not be a good idea..."
"It's fine. He's only a child; it'll be all right." The Lord Third waved away Hatake Sakumo's objection. Using ninjutsu in the Hokage's office was certainly inappropriate, but the boy was just a child.
"Really? Here?"
Sato Hideaka looked around the office in confusion. From behind the desk, one could see Konoha at a glance. The decor was simple, and the place looked new, clean, and comfortable. He couldn't see any flaws. Did they really need him to use Hellhound in such a brand-new place?
What a waste. No wonder Konoha was so rich!
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded. "Go ahead. It'll be fine."
"What should I attack?"
A target?
Did he need a target?
Sarutobi Hiruzen was taken aback. Without thinking, he pointed at a wall. "The target can be that wall."
Sato Hideaka closed his eyes slightly. The earlier battle had drained most of his chakra and left him somewhat injured, but Yakushi Nonō had treated him, and he was already halfway recovered. A lightweight Hellhound should be no problem.
A scorching heat rose from his right arm. Dark red lava bubbled as it flowed. Sato Hideaka suddenly opened his eyes, then charged at the wall, his right arm covered in lava. He threw a powerful punch, and the red-hot molten rock took the shape of a hound...
Lava Style: Hell Hound!
The sturdy stone wall instantly blew open, its edges scorched black by the flowing red lava. The molten rock trickled down, and the hole continued to widen as the lava ate away at it... The wall was ruined, and the lava was slowly seeping into the wooden floor. The two rooms next to it probably wouldn't escape damage, either.
The pipe fell from Sarutobi Hiruzen's hand as he stared, dumbfounded. A few shadows flashed through the Hokage's office. Several Anbu wearing animal masks appeared out of thin air, their wary eyes fixed on the five-year-old Sato Hideaka. They were clearly tasked with protecting the Hokage.
Just as expected...
The corners of Hatake Sakumo's usually expressionless mouth twitched. He had anticipated something like this. Why hadn't the Lord Third waited for him to finish speaking? Why had he insisted on letting the office get wrecked?
Part of the orphanage wall had collapsed, and only half of the Root members' bodies remained, charred black. There was also a pit of cooled lava beneath a tree. The destructive power of this kid's Lava Release, combined with his age, was incredibly deceptive.
Who would have thought that a five-year-old could have such destructive power?
Sato Hideaka scratched his head and looked at the Anbu who had suddenly appeared, his face full of innocence. "What's wrong? Who are these uncles...?"
"N-Nothing. Ahem... That was a... very impressive technique!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen recovered his composure and covered his mouth to cough twice, easing the awkwardness. He waved his hand, and the masked Anbu quickly dispersed, vanishing from the Hokage's office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at the office, now damaged by the lava, and the corner of his eye twitched. His heart ached, but he suppressed his distress and coaxed Sato Hideaka, "Hideaka, would you like to go to school with children your age? You'll be able to play with friends, and you can learn all sorts of powerful ninjutsu..."
"Will I still get to see big sister Nonō?" Sato Hideaka looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen, his eyes shining with expectation.
"Of course!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen picked his pipe up off the ground. He paused for a moment, but still nodded and agreed.
At Sarutobi Hiruzen's nod, hope welled up in Sato Hideaka's heart. Yakushi Nonō was a Root intelligence operative. She had handed a child with a Kekkei Genkai over to the Lord Third. That was betrayal!
On the way to Konoha, Sato Hideaka had worried about what would happen to Nonō. He didn't know what she would face, but he knew she would have to face one person in particular... Shimura Danzō!
A ruthless hardliner who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals!
If the Lord Third could ensure that Yakushi Nonō stayed alive, Sato Hideaka had hope. With his unmatched talent, he could grow strong enough to defeat Shimura Danzō, then rescue Nonō from the darkness of Root.
Sato Hideaka nodded emphatically. "Mm-hmm. I want to go to school... I'll get stronger and protect big sister Nonō!"
"Mm. The Will of Fire means protecting others. Generation after generation, we protect the young saplings as they grow. When they become towering trees, they'll nourish the next generation of saplings. Sakumo, take Hideaka and get him settled. He can start school tomorrow!"
At the Lord Third's order, Hatake Sakumo led Sato Hideaka out of the Hokage's office. It was growing dark. Since he planned to stay here, they would need to prepare a house and furnish it with everything he needed. That would take quite a while...
A moment later, a shadow appeared in the Lord Third's office.
A man with a brooding gaze and a cross-shaped scar on his chin stepped out of the shadows. He glanced at the wall damaged by the Lava Release Kekkei Genkai and said coldly to the Lord Third, who sat at his desk, "Hiruzen, this child doesn't belong to Konoha. His talent needs to be handed over to Root if it's to be put to the best use."
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe and shook his head. "The value of a Kekkei Genkai lies in its bloodline. If he lives in the light and starts a family, Konoha will gain a Lava Release clan. That's what would serve our interests best."
"But what if he's a spy? A five-year-old child who's never been exposed to ninjutsu creates an A-rank technique and studies changes in the nature of Lightning chakra. Do you believe that?"
"I'll have the Anbu investigate. Also, Nonō is this child's bond, so she must not be touched..."
"She's a member of Root. How to handle her is my business!"
Shimura Danzō gave a cold snort and slowly disappeared into the darkness. He already knew how to break this stalemate. Yakushi Nonō, the person Sato Hideaka was attached to, was the key. As long as Root took control of Yakushi Nonō, it could control this five-year-old Lava Release demon!
Beneath the Hokage Hat, through the curling smoke, a faint smile appeared on the slightly aged face. It was inscrutable.