Konoha Hokage

Konoha Village in the Land of Fire was one of the most renowned ninja villages on this continent. Known as one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, it was a place that had cultivated countless legendary ninjas. The leader of the village was known as the Hokage, a figure who held status equal to the daimyo of the Land of Fire.

Although Ueno Kei had never stepped foot outside his own mountain village, he possessed a basic understanding of the five great nations of the world.

Of course, Ueno Kei's knowledge of the continent was limited to just that. As for what the Hokage or the Mizukage looked like or what they wore, Ueno Kei was completely ignorant. Therefore, he had no idea that the kind-faced old man standing before him was the very person who held the power of Konoha, the Third Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Ueno Kei gazed at the old man with clear eyes, tinged with a hint of wariness toward a stranger. Behind the old man stood the suspicious masked figure who had carried him earlier, accompanied by another masked individual.

Even though he knew that a worthless child like himself held no value to these people, Ueno Kei could not help but feel a sense of caution.

Furthermore, Ueno Kei could clearly sense a different atmosphere radiating from the old man, a feeling akin to an aura. This made Ueno Kei feel somewhat constrained and guarded as he faced these individuals.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Ueno Kei with interest. He could not explain why he had decided to pick up this child, only that when he saw Ueno Kei curled up at the base of the tree, a flash of pity had crossed his heart.

One had to realize that this Third Hokage was a man once known as the Shinobi Hero, a man whose hands were stained with blood; it was absolutely impossible for him to be overcome by excessive sympathy.

It could only be attributed to a fated encounter, coupled with the fact that the Third Hokage was now growing old, his heart softening compared to his younger years, which led him to order his personal Anbu to take the child along.

Indeed, the two individuals Ueno Kei deemed highly suspicious were the elite of Konoha, the Hokage's direct Anbu squad.

Now, as Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Ueno Kei—who appeared slightly fearful yet held his body straight, his gaze clear and devoid of any impurity—he found his fondness for the child growing.

The old man had lived for decades and had seen countless people; children like Ueno Kei were rare. Sarutobi Hiruzen firmly believed that the eyes were the windows to a person's soul.

"Little one, don't worry. I am a ninja from Konoha Village, and my name is Sarutobi Hiruzen. Child, it seems you are an orphan, aren't you? I intend to take you back to Konoha Village. What do you think?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke with a kind gaze. It was clear that Ueno Kei had been wary of them at first, and it was evident the child did not recognize their attire, so Sarutobi Hiruzen explained his background and purpose. As for his identity as the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt the child would learn of it in time; there was no need to deliberately introduce it.

Come to think of it, Konoha Village had a tradition of taking in orphans displaced by war, disasters, or bandits. As long as it was verified that these orphans were not spies from enemy villages, children with the aptitude to become ninjas would be trained. Even those without such aptitude would be given the necessary care to help them through their childhood.

It could be said that Konoha Village was quite humane in this regard, which was one of the reasons why Konoha continued to grow stronger, emerged victorious in the three Great Ninja Wars, and became the leader of the ninja villages.

Although he did not know the child's aptitude, the boy's eyes and temperament gave Sarutobi Hiruzen a glimpse of potential. With many reasons combined, plus a touch of what one might call destiny, Sarutobi Hiruzen decided to bring the child back to the village. After all, for the current Konoha, one more person didn't make much of a difference, did it? As for whether the child was a spy or something similar, Sarutobi Hiruzen found the notion laughable and did not care.

Of course, Sarutobi Hiruzen would not force anyone; everything depended on the child's own decision.

Opposite him, Ueno Kei's body trembled slightly upon hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's words. He looked at the three men with a shocked expression. They were ninjas from Konoha?

Ueno Kei stared at the trio in surprise. He did not doubt their identities; after all, from his appearance to his circumstances, he was nothing more than a worthless young child. They had no reason, nor the spare time, to deceive him.

If they were human traffickers, they would have stuffed him into a bag and sold him without a word, rather than speaking to him so kindly. Ueno Kei was simply amazed at his good fortune.

As mentioned earlier, Ueno Kei's knowledge of this world was only superficial, but that did not prevent him from knowing some common sense. For instance, he knew about ninjas, Konoha, and the Hokage.

Ueno Kei had heard his parents talk about Konoha's humane measures during their leisure time. He had even listened to his mother sigh while in her arms, saying how safe and wonderful life would be if they were villagers of the Land of Fire, or even better, Konoha Village.

After quickly running through his knowledge of Konoha in his mind, Ueno Kei's gaze became slightly more respectful as he studied Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others. It was obvious that these three were not ordinary figures in Konoha.

The old man leading them must be a big shot, Ueno Kei guessed.

Go to Konoha? That's a pretty good choice. I have nowhere else to go. For a child of only a few years to survive, finding a village to rely on is the most important thing. Thinking this, Ueno Kei's gaze gradually firmed.

Ueno Kei spoke up: "Ninja-sama, is your Konoha the Konoha Village of the Land of Fire? Can a child like me, who has nothing, really join such a village?"

Ueno Kei's voice was filled with a hint of deference, and one could clearly sense a trace of nervousness in him.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the frail child before him, his gaze softening even further. "Yes, that's right. It is the Konoha Village of the Land of Fire."

"As for whether you can join, child, you don't need to worry. Since I am bringing you into the village, there won't be any problems." Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed to sense Ueno Kei's nervousness, his tone becoming even gentler as he reached out to pat Ueno Kei on the head.

Hearing Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, Ueno Kei's heart gradually settled, and the clearly comforting touch made him feel even calmer.

Without hesitation, Ueno Kei bowed ninety degrees to Sarutobi Hiruzen and said, "Thank you very much, Sarutobi-sama. I am willing to go to Konoha Village."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded gently.

"Ling, carry the child. Let's go," Sarutobi Hiruzen commanded the Anbu behind him.

The Anbu on the left replied, "Yes."

He stepped forward and hoisted Ueno Kei onto his back. Ueno Kei did not offer any resistance; he knew that ninjas had their own ways of traveling, and he simply needed to comply.

Once Ling had Ueno Kei on his back, the three men and the child departed quickly, heading toward Konoha Village.

At this moment, Ueno Kei did not know what his future would hold, and Sarutobi Hiruzen did not know what kind of child he had brought back. But when the name Ueno Kei would one day shake the ninja world, the gears of fate would be traced back to this very moment!