Hot-Blooded Ruohuo!

Teacher Oki felt that his teaching career was truly coming to an end.

His student had done something incredibly serious.

Skipping class? Fighting? Not doing homework?

Heh...

The little brat had bombed the Hokage Office Building!

That was the place where the Hokage himself worked!

Upon receiving the notification, Teacher Oki rushed to the Hokage Office Building in a panic.

Looking at the charred, blackened walls, Teacher Oki broke out in a cold sweat...

It was Fire Style, no doubt about it.

Arriving at the Hokage's office, he heard a familiar voice before he could even step inside.

"That jutsu was taught to me by the Clan Head yesterday; I only just learned it..."

That voice was Ruohuo, no doubt about it.

So, this wasn't just some prank...

The meteor in Teacher Oki's heart finally came crashing down.

Perfect.

Twelve years of his teaching career had finally reached its end today...

"Oh? And was it also Clan Head Fugaku who taught you to shout 'Will of Fire' before unleashing your ninjutsu?"

"That, no. That was taught by Teacher Oki."

"???" A question mark hovered over Oki's head. Had he ever taught that?

"Teacher Oki said that the Will of Fire is the source of power passed down through generations of Konoha ninja."

"As long as the Will of Fire burns in one's heart, Konoha is invincible!"

Right, he actually seemed to have said that.

Not just seemed to, he definitely had, because that was the opening lesson of the mandatory course: History of Konoha.

"Teacher Oki is quite right." The Third's tone was satisfied.

Teacher Oki suddenly felt that his teaching career might still be salvageable.

"Actually, at first, I thought Teacher Oki was lying."

The corner of Oki's eye twitched.

"It wasn't until I used Fire Style against those two spies today that I truly felt the power of the Will of Fire."

"That jutsu is super difficult; I only learned it after activating my Sharingan, and before that, it was always a struggle to perform."

"When facing the enemy, I felt like my chakra increased, my hand seals became faster, and then..."

Spies? Enemies?

Teacher Oki was puzzled. Didn't Ruohuo bomb the Hokage Office Building?

How did it turn into facing enemies...

The Third voiced Oki's confusion as well.

"But little Ruohuo, why did you think those two ninja were... spies?"

It was clear that the Third was also perplexed.

Why was this child so fixated on the matter of "spies"?

So, what exactly had happened?

"Because they showed great hostility toward the Uchiha!"

Ruohuo's voice rose significantly.

"The Konoha Military Police Force is an important institution for maintaining stability in Konoha, and the duty of the Uchiha is to protect Konoha well!"

"Those two guys thought they were hiding it well, but when I showed them the application form, they still showed their true colors."

"Under normal circumstances, seeing the Clan Head's signature, they would definitely report it to Grandpa Hokage, right?"

"Hmm..." The Third responded thoughtfully.

"That's correct." Teacher Oki also echoed in his heart.

"But they didn't!" Ruohuo said excitedly. "They told me to leave immediately and wouldn't let me in no matter what!"

"That was definitely a sign of a guilty conscience. They must have been doing something unspeakable and were afraid of being discovered by me!"

"I, an Uchiha, hate evil with a passion. When encountering such a situation, of course, I had to be like a Fire Style infused with the Will of Fire—forging ahead!"

"Even though Grandpa Hokage wasn't kidnapped, those two must be bad guys!"

"Don't worry, Grandpa Hokage. When I go back and report this to the Clan Head, we'll drag them to the Konoha Military Police Force and definitely be able to interrogate them for information!"

"..." The Third fell silent.

This little guy's logic... was impeccable, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

No... it seemed that apart from his logic, everything about this little guy was off.

Take the idea of the Hokage being kidnapped inside the Hokage Office Building, for instance...

Without a wild imagination, one would never arrive at such a conclusion.

Moreover, the Third had reason to suspect that the child's understanding of the Will of Fire seemed to have some issues.

Perhaps it was just because he was still a child, after all...

He was getting old; he could barely keep up with this line of thinking anymore.

Knock, knock, knock.

Teacher Oki finally knocked on the office door.

"Enter," the Third replied.

Teacher Oki walked in and discovered that, besides Ruohuo and the Hokage, Lord Orochimaru was also present.

"Lord Hokage, Lord Orochimaru." Teacher Oki bowed in greeting.

"Hello, Teacher Oki," Ruohuo greeted him obediently.

"Oki, I asked you to come here because I wanted to understand this child's situation."

The Third got straight to the point, his tone gentle. "This child wants to apply for early graduation. What is your opinion?"

Oki was stunned. So, the Hokage wasn't going to hold him accountable for his negligence?

"Student Ruohuo's grades are excellent in every aspect."

Oki gathered his thoughts slightly and reported, "In yesterday's assessment, Student Ruohuo was first in the class."

"In regular combat tests, Student Ruohuo also ranks at the top, and his foundational ninja skills are very solid."

"Student Ruohuo is also the class monitor for the first-year class, and his classmates trust him deeply, but as for early graduation..."

Teacher Oki paused. "I think we still need to seek the opinion of Student Ruohuo's parents."

Oki's answer was very formulaic. Ruohuo felt he should have mentioned more about his "class popularity"—weren't those all bonus points?

"Is that so..." The Third glanced at the application form, which bore Fugaku's signature, personal seal, and official stamp.

It seemed the parent's desire for Ruohuo to graduate was quite strong, wasn't it?

"Very well, then arrange the early graduation examination for little Ruohuo," the Third said.

"Yes!" Teacher Oki acknowledged the order.

"Come this way, Chunin Oki."

Orochimaru gestured and led Oki out of the Hokage Office.

The Third looked at Ruohuo.

The little guy still had a serious expression on his face. In a daze, the Third felt as if he were seeing what an old friend looked like as a child.

They are both the type to take things so seriously...

The Third instinctively wanted to take a puff of his pipe.

But considering there was a child in the office, he pursed his lips and decided to hold back.

"Little Ruohuo..."

The Third set down his pipe. "Can you tell Grandpa, is applying for early graduation the Clan Head's idea, or your own..."

"It is my own decision, Grandpa Hokage," Ruohuo answered preemptively.

"I have already self-studied all the textbooks in the Ninja Academy; Teacher Oki has nothing left to teach me."

"I sought help from Clan Head Fugaku, and after he taught me all the Fire Style ninjutsu, he couldn't offer me much more guidance either."

"My talent is simply too great, Grandpa Hokage."

Ruohuo looked earnest. "So I think it is time to become a ninja and shine for the village!"

"Konoha needs me!"

Oki: I've heard that line before.

"Ho."

At this moment, the Third was truly surprised by Ruohuo's "passion" and "faith."

Although he had entered his twilight years, who hadn't once chased the scorching sun or run beneath the sunset?

"Little Ruohuo..."

"You've made Grandpa feel quite fired up!"