Hokage Speech, Just Want to Lie Flat!

Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly finished reviewing the information on the new students at the Ninja Academy.

Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha...

The files for these promising descendants of the clans had been set aside separately.

This selection was made purely from the perspective of the clans.

These individuals required special attention, and there would be specific arrangements made when selecting their jonin instructors in the future.

As for the children from ordinary ninja families, any who showed exceptional performance would be handled separately.

This was the method Hiruzen Sarutobi used to maintain control over the clans through the Ninja Academy.

Soon, Hiruzen Sarutobi shifted his attention to the file of Sasuke Uchiha.

Lately, the Uchiha clan had been making too many moves.

However, drawing on his past experiences with Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha, a smile appeared on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face.

What did it matter how many geniuses there were?

As long as the younger generation of every clan was under his control, these clans would sooner or later become entirely subservient to the village.

His goal, Hiruzen Sarutobi's goal, was to achieve the total unification of the clans within the village.

That was something even his own teacher had never managed to accomplish...

Before long, the new students gathered on the playground.

On the high platform, the figure in the Hokage robe already stood tall.

Though his stature was not particularly imposing, he gave off a sense of reliability.

"Is that Lord Hokage?"

"So cool! I want to wear that outfit one day too!"

"I... I will definitely become the Hokage!"

"Lord Hokage is the best person in the village..."

The group of newly enrolled children could not help but discuss him.

Most of their words were filled with admiration for the Hokage.

Even some of the children from ninja clans looked on with a hint of longing in their eyes...

After all, he was the strongest in the village—the Hokage!

"Naruto, why aren't you saying anything?"

"That's the Hokage!"

"Didn't you keep shouting that you wanted to become the Hokage?"

Sasuke gently nudged the distracted Naruto and teased him.

"Huh?"

"Well, I do want to become the Hokage!"

"I..."

Naruto did not continue, and it was clear that his spirits were low.

It seemed that little Naruto was troubled by something specific...

Sasuke did not speak.

He knew that Naruto was no fool.

Bubin's words from yesterday must have had an effect...

Hiruzen Sarutobi, it wouldn't be so easy for you to brainwash Naruto this time.

"Where the leaves dance, the fire also burns..."

"The reason Konoha is able to stand as one of the five great ninja villages is because of the Will of Fire!"

"And you are all inheritors of the Will of Fire; you will carry this flame and lead Konoha's..."

As the chatter among the crowd reached its peak, Hiruzen Sarutobi began his speech.

From the very first sentence, it was clear he was a veteran at indoctrination.

Sasuke despised the theory that the village was one's home and that the village stood above all else.

After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi allowing Minato to die during the Nine-Tails Rebellion was the greatest irony of the Will of Fire.

The Third Hokage did not sacrifice himself, letting the younger Fourth Hokage take his place instead.

Of course, not many people knew about these things.

Moreover, the image of the kindly old man that the Third had cultivated was indeed very deceptive.

At the very least, it was quite popular among this group of brats.

Even Naruto, who had just begun to harbor doubts about the Hokage, wore a goofy grin on his face at this moment...

The speech lasted for over two hours.

If not for the trauma of having endured the school principal's "just a few brief words," Sasuke reckoned he truly wouldn't have been able to hold out.

"Clap, clap, clap..."

As a round of applause erupted, Sasuke joined in, then prepared to leave.

"Uchiha Sasuke, the Hokage wants to see you in the principal's office."

Just then, his homeroom teacher, Iruka, appeared before him.

"Hmm?"

Sasuke fell into a brief silence.

However, he didn't refute the request and followed Iruka away from the area.

"Sasuke's been called over by the Hokage!"

"Could it be that the Hokage has already taken notice of Sasuke's excellence?"

"Sigh, it's a pity he's so close with that demon fox; otherwise, he'd be absolutely perfect!"

"But, he's just so handsome..."

The chatter of the group of fangirls had no effect on Sasuke.

After all, his mental age was nearly thirty; why would he have any interest in kindergarteners?

If he were to have any interest, it would be in someone like Mei Terumi or Lady Tsunade...

Of course, that was a story for another time.

Inside the Ninja Academy principal's office.

"Sasuke, is it? Back when you were born, Fugaku came to me and said he wanted to name you after my father."

"I never expected that in the blink of an eye, you'd be this grown up."

"And, just like Itachi, you possess exceptional talent."

"Itachi often praises his younger brother in front of me, you know."

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke with a kindly expression.

Upon hearing this, Sasuke couldn't help but inwardly curse that old man Hiruzen for being truly wicked.

Having finished hoodwinking Itachi, he was now preparing to use Itachi as a starting point to hoodwink him as well.

"Old man... no, Your Excellency Hokage!"

Just as Sasuke was contemplating how to respond to Hiruzen without appearing impatient or disgusted, a goofy voice rang out in the room.

That's right—upon learning that the Hokage was the very same old man who cared for him, Naruto didn't want to miss this chance to interact with Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Therefore, when the crowd dispersed, he had followed along.

"Naruto, why haven't you returned to your classroom?"

"Now is the time when you need to study hard."

Hiruzen Sarutobi maintained his kind and amiable demeanor.

"I want to become the Hokage in the future; that is my dream!"

"So, I wanted to come and ask you, is it possible for me?"

Naruto looked a bit nervous.

"That is a very fine dream, but to become the Hokage, you must train very hard."

"Keep at it, Naruto."

"By the way, Sasuke, what is your dream?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi feigned encouragement before immediately shifting the topic back to Sasuke.

Naruto also looked at Sasuke with a curious expression.

He knew that Sasuke was very strong.

In the future, he might just be the most formidable rival to his own path to becoming Hokage.

At the thought of this, a look of burning passion appeared in Naruto's eyes.

"Me?"

"I just want to slack off and be able to eat my fill every day, that's all."

Sasuke spread his small hands and stated his dream.

"..."

"..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Naruto were both rendered speechless for a moment.

"Itachi specifically mentioned that you are very diligent in your training."

"Surely this training isn't just so you can slack off in the future, is it?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi attempted to dismantle Sasuke's facade.

After all, what kind of person who intends to slack off would train so arduously?

"So that when I am slacking off, I have a strong enough body to enjoy life."

"And also, so that I won't be easily killed by others."

Sasuke tilted his head back, an innocent smile blooming on his face...