Meeting the Third Hokage

"This guy..."

"He's actually worried about me."

As he walked away, a wry smile appeared on Yun Xi's face, and he pushed the chaotic thoughts in his mind aside for the moment.

He began to seriously consider what would happen next.

According to the original plot of Naruto, Uchiha Itachi would return to the village after completing this mission and initiate the Uchiha Clan Downfall plan after teaching Uchiha Sasuke his final shuriken training.

Looking at the situation as a whole, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, did not seem to realize this, still believing that he could resolve the matter through negotiations.

But in reality...

He couldn't...

"Could it be that the Third Hokage wants me to get involved in this?"

Suddenly, a strange thought surfaced in Yun Xi's mind.

After all, in the original story, Uchiha Itachi suffered immensely between Danzo and his clan, and he had no allies...

But now, everything was completely different.

There was an extra person—himself...

"Is this the variable?"

Yun Xi muttered to himself...

"No!"

"The Third Hokage only mentioned Uchiha Itachi's name; he would never guess that my relationship with Itachi has reached the level of an alliance."

"So..."

"Is there something else he wants me for?"

After some deliberation, Yun Xi still couldn't figure out why the Third Hokage would ask to see him at such a tense time.

However, Yun Xi wasn't panicked.

At the very least, whether looking at the original plot or the current situation, meeting the Third Hokage definitely wouldn't be a dangerous affair!

Thinking of this, Yun Xi stopped hesitating. He glanced at the Hokage Office Building in the distance and walked straight toward it...

Meanwhile, at the Root Division.

In the shadows, Danzo slowly stepped out from the darkness. The two Root Division Chunin in front of him immediately lowered their heads, full of respect.

"How many days has Uchiha Itachi been out of the village..."

Danzo looked down at the two men, asking in a seemingly casual tone.

"It has been a few days," the Root Division Chunin replied immediately.

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

Hearing his subordinate's answer, a trace of gloom flashed across Danzo's face.

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

After muttering to himself, Danzo wiped the contemplative expression from his face and continued to ask his two subordinates in a cold, emotionless voice: "When Uchiha Itachi returns to the village, have him come see me. That matter cannot be delayed any longer..."

"Yes!"

Upon hearing Danzo's order, the two Root Division Chunin became serious. Just then, another black figure suddenly appeared in the darkness.

Without hesitation, the figure went straight behind Danzo and spoke in a faint voice: "Lord Danzo, just a moment ago, the Hokage sent Anko Mitarashi to summon Yun Xi to the Hokage Office Building..."

"Yun Xi?!" Danzo was stunned upon hearing the name.

Seeing this, his subordinate immediately explained: "The brat you had us monitoring before..."

"So it's him..."

Danzo nodded, a look of inexplicable confusion on his face, and muttered to himself: "That good-for-nothing..."

"Why would that old man Hiruzen want to see him..."

At this moment, a flicker of doubt crossed Danzo's weathered eyes.

After pacing back and forth for a long time, Danzo spoke again: "Ignore him, just keep monitoring him. That guy is nothing but an insignificant piece of trash. The most important thing right now is to keep watching the Uchiha clan..."

"Understood!"

The three subordinates in front of him spoke in unison.

Danzo merely waved his hand, signaling for them to leave.

The Root Division ninjas came and went quickly.

The moment Danzo finished waving his hand, the three men vanished instantly, and Danzo disappeared back 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 sense of inexplicable helplessness. After a casual complaint, he went upstairs and arrived at the door of the Hokage's office.

Seeing the door was unlocked, Yun Xi knocked lightly and spoke up: "Grandpa Hokage, are you in there? If you are, I'm coming in."

"The door isn't locked, come in."

As Yun Xi's knock echoed, a heavy, aged voice reached his ears.

"Alright!"

Without hesitation, Yun Xi pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The moment he entered, Yun Xi felt a powerful aura radiating from Sarutobi Hiruzen, who sat quietly behind the Hokage's desk.

Even though there were only the two of them in the office, Yun Xi felt an inexplicable sense of suppression.

"Whew!"

Taking a deep breath, Yun Xi barely managed to steady himself before immediately asking, "Grandpa Hokage, is there something you needed me for today?"

Disguise.

That was Yun Xi's method.

Although the character of the Hokage was often criticized in the original story for being overly merciful, even saintly.

Before his first term as Hokage, he had let Danzo go after an assassination attempt.

When his own student, Orochimaru, was discovered conducting human experiments in Konoha, he had allowed him to escape as well.

Sarutobi Hiruzen had done many such things.

But...

Yun Xi would never be foolish enough to believe that someone who could become the highest authority in a village would only act in such a way.

At least, that wouldn't be the case for an ordinary Konoha civilian...

That was why Yun Xi intended to use feigned ignorance and his young age as a disguise.

He hoped to lower the guard of the man known as the Professor of the Ninja World...

But...

As a strange smile flickered in the Hokage's eyes, Yun Xi realized that this plan was likely useless...

"Yun Xi."

"Hmm?"

Seeing the Hokage take the initiative to speak, Yun Xi was momentarily stunned, then asked with a confused tone, "What is it, Grandpa Hokage?"

"I heard that you haven't been attending the Ninja Academy lately?"

The Hokage didn't immediately reveal why he had summoned him, choosing instead to ask why Yun Xi hadn't been to the Ninja Academy for the past half-month...

"This..."

Clearly, the Hokage's question caught Yun Xi off guard.

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

Why hadn't he gone to the Ninja Academy?

Because Yun Xi had forgotten!

From the very first day he transmigrated, Yun Xi hadn't even considered the fact that he needed to attend the Ninja Academy.

Coupled with his encounters with Uchiha Itachi, Danzo, and the others, Yun Xi had cast the matter to the back of his mind...

How am I supposed to answer this...

In an instant, Yun Xi felt an inexplicable pressure weighing on his heart...