Kakashi's Will, Naruto's Idea!

It was much as Shimura Danzō had described.

At this moment, after receiving the Anbu report for the day, the wrinkles on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face seemed to have folded over themselves countless times.

Coupled with the changes the Uchiha Clan had made over this period, Hiruzen Sarutobi was even more convinced of his decision.

The Military Police Force was no longer as arrogant, overbearing, or dismissive of others as it had been before.

In the process of carrying out their duties, they now prioritized the safety of ordinary citizens, and their attitude toward other ninja had also become significantly more amicable.

With such initial results, how could Hiruzen Sarutobi possibly listen to any of Shimura Danzō's so-called "Uchiha threat theories" anymore?

"Reduce the surveillance on the Uchiha."

"Over the next year, if they truly have become guardians of the Will of Fire..."

"Then, some of the structures within the village will be due for a change."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the report in his hands.

Lately, things had been going so smoothly that it felt almost unreal.

The biggest problem, the Uchiha Clan, had begun to transform on its own.

Moreover, their level of obedience toward the village—and toward Hiruzen Sarutobi—had reached an unprecedented height.

Of course, behind these smooth, positive developments, there were also points that left Hiruzen Sarutobi feeling quite dissatisfied.

That was Shimura Danzō.

That man remained obstinate about wiping out the Uchiha Clan.

If such a powerful fighting force could not be used for one's own ends, then perhaps eradication would be acceptable.

But now, even after changes had occurred, that fellow Danzō was still persisting!

This forced Hiruzen Sarutobi to recall those events from the past.

After the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, had sacrificed himself, whether it was at the Daimyo conference or the high-level meetings within the village, that man had made his desire to become Hokage clear.

He had even constantly belittled Hiruzen Sarutobi, pinning the blame for the Nine-Tails Rebellion and the Fourth Hokage's sacrifice squarely on him.

If not for the fact that Hiruzen Sarutobi's foundation was deep-rooted at the time, and that the major clans still supported him, he might have been impeached and removed from office back then.

In the worst-case scenario, Hiruzen Sarutobi would have simply vanished from the village.

Even though Hiruzen Sarutobi had employed Shimura Danzō and indulged some of the excessive actions of the Root Organization over the years, his guard against Shimura Danzō had always remained...

"Hatake Kakashi."

At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly called out.

"Hm?"

Hatake Kakashi looked puzzled.

One had to understand that, under normal circumstances, Hiruzen Sarutobi would address him by his codename.

But today, he had used his actual name.

"You should get used to this name."

"You won't be staying in the Anbu for much longer."

"When the time comes, both you and Tenzō will leave the Anbu to take on other duties."

"For now, I am going to assign you a special mission."

After Hiruzen Sarutobi finished speaking, Hatake Kakashi left the Hokage Office.

Returning home, Hatake Kakashi took off his mask.

Looking at the unfamiliar reflection in the mirror, his expression was somewhat vacant.

"I am persisting in protecting what I must protect."

"Obito, Rin..."

Hatake Kakashi fell into deep thought.

At the same time, he reflected on what Hiruzen Sarutobi had said today.

Even though the things he had once only speculated about were now confirmed, Hatake Kakashi's emotions were still stirred.

Perhaps, very soon, he would no longer be acting as an Anbu, but as Hatake Kakashi...

Uchiha Compound, inside Sasuke's room.

"Naruto, tomorrow's trial might be dangerous."

"When the time comes, the moment you encounter danger, you must run away immediately. Do you understand?"

Sasuke spoke directly.

"Yeah!"

"If you tell me to run, I'll definitely bolt!"

Naruto nodded earnestly.

"Uh..."

Sasuke looked mortified.

How was this guy giving the exact same answer as that disciple under the Old Celestial Master?

"You know I won't run."

"So, you must have something else you want to tell me, right?"

Naruto scratched his head, a goofy grin spreading across his face.

"Yeah."

"Once we're outside the village tomorrow, even though we'll have our team leader's protection, there are so many of us students."

"Orochimaru, an S-rank missing-nin from Konoha, has attacked me before."

"I have a feeling he won't let this opportunity pass."

"Plus, the Root Organization's resentment toward us Uchiha means they might make a move as well."

As Sasuke spoke, his headache grew worse.

This situation really seemed incredibly dangerous!

As members of the Konoha Military Police Force, the Uchiha were not allowed to leave the village when they weren't on missions.

Therefore, once he was outside, Sasuke would lose the protection of the Uchiha.

Orochimaru, Danzo, Mizuki... [the latter being an afterthought].

Trying to escape from the clutches of those guys was a mission on a purgatory-level difficulty.

Coupled with the emergency mission on his system panel flashing with constant red alerts, it was clear just how dangerous this was.

"Actually, I have a way to keep you safe, Sasuke."

At that moment, Naruto suddenly spoke up.

"Hm?!"

Sasuke looked at Naruto with curiosity.

Could it be that this Chosen One was finally starting to shine?

"If you do it like this, then..."

Naruto whispered his plan to Sasuke.

At first, Sasuke thought Naruto was joking.

But then, a mechanical, synthesized electronic sound rang out, and Sasuke froze.

[Ding, congratulations to the host for completing the mission: Threat from Root.]

[Rewards obtained: Physique +10, Foundation Talent +10, Chakra Refinement Speed +50%, Mysterious Treasure Chest.]

Looking at the mission completion notification on his system panel and the energy surging through his body, Sasuke firmly believed in Naruto's status as the Chosen One.

Only Naruto's unique train of thought could come up with an idea like that.

He might even be able to maneuver things properly with this...

"Thank you, Naruto!"

"I'll cover your ramen for the next month!"

"However, I need to do a few things during this trial, and I need your cooperation."

"Also..."

Sasuke began to explain his own plan to Naruto.

This wasn't just for his own sake, but for Naruto's as well.

"Alright, whatever you say, I'll do it!"

Naruto nodded earnestly.

It had to be said, this kind of sincere friendship really put Sasuke at ease.

Especially with Naruto's simple-minded loyalty; once he gave his word, he would never betray it...

"Let's keep refining our chakra tonight. Let's see who gets hungry first—whoever lasts longer wins."

Sasuke finished speaking and immediately sat down to begin refining his chakra.

"You're cheating!"

Seeing this, Naruto also began to refine his chakra.

In the past, it had taken Naruto until he was over ten years old to understand what chakra even was.

Furthermore, he had often mispronounced it as "char-ton-la."

Now that he had begun chakra refinement alongside Sasuke, the innate talent belonging to Naruto's body also began to slowly reveal itself...