Meeting the Third Hokage

"That guy..."

"He really is worried about me."

As Yun Xi left, a wry smile appeared on his face. Then he temporarily pushed the jumbled thoughts from his mind.

He began seriously considering what would happen next.

According to the original Naruto storyline, Uchiha Itachi would return to the village after completing this mission. After giving Uchiha Sasuke one last shuriken lesson, he would begin his clan's extermination plan.

Looking at the whole affair, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't seem to realize this. He still believed he could resolve the matter through negotiations.

But in reality...

He couldn't...

"Could the Third Hokage want me to get involved in this?"

A strange idea suddenly came to Yun Xi.

After all, in the original story, Uchiha Itachi was caught between Danzo and his clan, with no allies at all...

But things were completely different now.

There was one more person...

"Is this the variable?"

Yun Xi murmured...

"No!"

"The Third Hokage only mentioned Uchiha Itachi. He definitely wouldn't know that Itachi and I have already become allies."

"So..."

"Does he want me there for something else?"

After thinking it over, Yun Xi still couldn't figure out why the Third Hokage would summon him at such a tense time.

But Yun Xi wasn't worried.

At least, judging from both the original storyline and the current situation, meeting the Third Hokage definitely wouldn't be dangerous!

With that, Yun Xi didn't hesitate any longer. He glanced at the Hokage Office Building in the distance and headed straight for it...

Meanwhile, at Root Division headquarters.

In the darkness, Danzo slowly emerged from the shadows. The two Root Division Chunin standing before him immediately lowered their heads, full of respect.

"Uchiha Itachi has been out of the village for several days..."

Danzo looked down at the two men before him and casually asked his subordinates.

"It's been several days," one of the Root Division Chunin replied at once.

"Sending Uchiha Itachi on a mission at a time like this..."

Hearing his subordinate's answer, a shadow crossed Danzo's face.

"Hiruzen, what exactly are you trying to do..."

After murmuring to himself, Danzo's thoughtful expression faded. He continued in a flat, emotionless voice, "When Uchiha Itachi returns to the village, have him come see me. That matter can't be delayed any longer..."

"Yes!"

At Danzo's order, the two Root Division Chunin immediately straightened up. Just then, another dark figure suddenly appeared from the shadows.

Without hesitation, he came up behind Danzo and spoke in a hushed voice. "Lord Danzo, just now, Lord Hokage sent Mitaraishi Anko to summon Yun Xi to the Hokage Office Building..."

"Yun Xi?!" Danzo froze at the name.

Seeing his reaction, the subordinate quickly explained, "The kid you had us watch before..."

"So it's him..."

Danzo nodded. A hint of puzzlement crossed his face as he muttered, "That good-for-nothing..."

"Why would that old Hiruzen go see him..."

A flicker of confusion crossed Danzo's weathered eyes.

He paced for a long while before speaking again. "Don't worry about him. Just keep watching him. He's nothing but an insignificant failure. The most important thing now is to keep an eye on the Uchiha Clan..."

"Understood!"

The three subordinates standing before him replied at once.

Danzo merely waved a hand, signaling them to leave.

Root shinobi came and went quickly.

The instant Danzo waved, all three men vanished. Danzo, too, disappeared into the darkness...

"I didn't realize the Hokage Office Building was so far away..."

Looking at the building before him, Yun Xi felt a little exasperated. After a casual complaint, he went upstairs and stopped outside the Hokage's office.

Seeing that the door was unlocked, Yun Xi knocked softly and called out, "Grandpa Hokage, are you in there? If you are, I'm coming in."

"The door's unlocked. Come in."

As Yun Xi knocked, a deep, elderly voice reached his ears.

"Coming!"

Yun Xi didn't hesitate. He pushed open the door and walked inside...

The moment Yun Xi stepped in, he felt a powerful presence radiating from the Third Hokage, who sat quietly behind his desk!

There were only the two of them in the office, yet Yun Xi felt an inexplicable pressure bearing down on him.

"Whew!"

After taking a deep breath, Yun Xi managed to steady himself. Then he immediately asked the Third Hokage, "Grandpa Hokage, did you need something from me today?"

A disguise.

That was Yun Xi's approach.

Although the Third Hokage had always been criticized in the original Naruto story for being too kind, even a little saintly,

before he first became Hokage, he had spared Danzo after Danzo tried to assassinate him.

When his student Orochimaru was caught conducting human experiments in Konoha, he had let him go, too.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had done plenty of things like that.

But...

Yun Xi would never be foolish enough to believe that someone who had become the highest authority in a village would only ever do things like that.

At least, he wouldn't act that way toward an ordinary Konoha civilian...

That was why Yun Xi planned to use his unassuming nature and young age as a disguise.

He hoped it would lower the guard of the man known as the Shinobi World Professor...

But...

When an odd smile flashed in the Third Hokage's eyes,

Yun Xi realized that his plan probably wouldn't do him much good...

"Yun Xi."

"Hmm?"

The Third Hokage spoke first, and Yun Xi froze. Then he asked in a confused tone, "What is it, Grandpa Hokage?"

"I heard you haven't been going to the Ninja Academy lately. Is that right?"

The Third Hokage didn't tell Yun Xi why he had summoned him. Instead, he first asked why Yun Xi hadn't been to the Ninja Academy during the past half month...

"Uh..."

The Third Hokage's question clearly caught Yun Xi off guard.

He hadn't expected the Third Hokage to ask him something like that!

Why hadn't he gone to the Ninja Academy?

Because Yun Xi had forgotten about it!

From the very first day after transmigrating, it hadn't even occurred to Yun Xi that he was supposed to go to the Ninja Academy.

Then he'd run into Uchiha Itachi, Danzo, and the others, and the matter had slipped even further from his mind...

"How should I answer that..."

In an instant, Yun Xi felt a strange pressure well up inside him...