Sarutobi's Probing

The atmosphere in the Ninja Academy classroom felt somewhat unusual the next day.

Whispers surged among the children like a tide, and their gazes drifted, deliberately or otherwise, toward the window-side seat at the back of the classroom.

Qianyu sat quietly there, looking a little tired. His left arm moved somewhat stiffly, but aside from that, he seemed no different from usual.

The children of the clans were well-informed and had clearly heard the rumors about "spies from another village infiltrating the village and attacking a lone student" the night before. What shocked them even more was that Cangshu Qianyu, the one who had been attacked, had actually returned alive.

During the break, several classmates who were usually fairly close to him could not help gathering around.

"Qianyu, I heard that last night..." one child asked cautiously, his eyes full of curiosity and lingering fear.

"Yeah, I ran into two assassins." Qianyu nodded, his tone calm, as though he were talking about someone else's trivial matter. "They were very strong."

"Then how did you..." Another child gestured vaguely, his meaning obvious.

Qianyu raised his eyes and swept his gaze across the faces around him—some worried, some probing—before it finally landed on Ino, who kept turning around from the front row with her lips tightly bitten.

He paused, then spoke in a voice just loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.

"Lord Hokage arrived in time and saved me."

"Lord Hokage?!" Low cries of surprise rose up. The children wore mixed expressions of "So that's what happened" and "As expected of Lord Hokage."

In the children's hearts, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was a symbol of strength and protection. With the strongest Hokage stepping in, this explanation perfectly dispelled their doubts.

It was not that Qianyu had been strong enough to fight powerful enemies—it was that Lord Hokage had protected the villagers as he always did.

Outside the crowd, Ino finally could not hold herself back and rushed over. Her golden ponytail was slightly disheveled, and tears filled her azure eyes. She grabbed the sleeve of Qianyu's uninjured right arm, her voice choked with sobs.

"Idiot! You... you scared me to death! Good thing... good thing you're okay..." Tears rolled down like beads from a broken string, and she paid no attention at all to the looks from the other students.

Qianyu froze for a moment. Seeing her reddened eyes and the genuine fear on her face, his heart softened slightly. He gently patted her shoulder.

"Yeah, it's okay now. Don't cry." He lowered his voice.

Just then, the light at the classroom door dimmed slightly.

Two ninja wearing animal masks and black bodysuits suddenly appeared there.

The cold aura radiating from them instantly silenced the noisy classroom. Every child, including Ino, who was still wiping away her tears, looked toward the door in astonishment and awe.

The leading ANBU fixed his gaze precisely on the back row. His voice came through the mask, calm and even, yet carrying unquestionable authority.

"Cangshu Qianyu. Lord Hokage summons you. Now."

All the whispers and curious gazes instantly turned into absolute silence and muted shock. Lord Hokage was personally summoning a student who had just been attacked? This level of attention...

Qianyu sighed inwardly. What was coming would come eventually. He slowly rose to his feet, gave the worried Ino a reassuring look, then nodded to Iruka-sensei, whose expression was equally grave. Only then did he walk steadily toward the classroom door and follow the two ANBU into the shadows of the corridor.

The door to the Hokage's office closed softly behind him, shutting out the sunlight and sounds of the outside world. The familiar scent of tobacco filled the air. Behind the broad desk, Hiruzen Sarutobi set down the document in his hand and looked up at him.

There was obvious fatigue on his face, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes seemed deeper than they had been yesterday. Seeing Qianyu, he pointed to the chair in front of the desk and said gently, "Sit, child."

Qianyu sat as instructed, respectful in posture, his eyes slightly lowered.

"Do your injuries still hurt?" the Third asked with concern in his voice.

"The medical team treated them very well. They don't hurt anymore. Thank you for your concern, Lord Hokage," Qianyu answered properly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and fell silent for a moment, as if choosing his words carefully. The only sound in the office was the faint crackling of burning tobacco. At last, he sighed. That sigh was filled with heavy apology and the helplessness of one in a high position.

"What happened last night was the village's oversight, and even more so my failure as Hokage. For a child like you to encounter such danger within the village... I am sorry."

He paused, his gaze falling on Qianyu's still slightly pale face. His tone became more solemn. "To express my apology, and to make up for the fright you suffered, I can grant you one request. As long as it falls within my authority and is reasonable, you may ask for it."

The Hokage's office was filled with the mild scent of tobacco, but Qianyu knew that beneath that gentleness lay an unfathomable test. The Third Hokage's offer to "make one small request" sounded like compensation, but in truth, it was a probing stone cast to test the waters.

Qianyu lowered his eyes, pretending to think seriously as his fingers unconsciously tugged at the faded corner of his clothes. A few seconds later, he looked up, his gaze clear and carrying a childlike embarrassment as he spoke softly.

"Lord Hokage, I... I don't really lack anything. The village gives me food and clothes, and I can go to school. That's already very good." He paused, his voice growing even quieter with a hint of awkwardness. "It's just... the old house I live in already leaked when it rained, and it got damaged again last night. Could you have it repaired for me?"

The request was plain, small, even somewhat shabby. It was nothing like what a child who had just displayed astonishing talent and survived a life-and-death crisis would ask for.

The fingers holding Hiruzen Sarutobi's pipe paused imperceptibly. He looked at the plainly dressed child before him, at his clean eyes, at the faint blush on his cheeks over asking for something as minor as having his house repaired. The taut string in Hiruzen's heart quietly loosened by more than half.

If the child had taken this chance to ask for powerful ninjutsu scrolls, rare ninja tools, or some sort of special privilege, that would have suggested someone was guiding him from behind the scenes—or that he himself was deeply calculating and had ulterior motives.

Or if he had acted excessively frightened or demanded a large amount of material compensation, that too might have revealed an unusual disposition. Only this slightly embarrassed yet utterly practical everyday need fit the image of a sensible, contented orphan who nonetheless lacked a sense of security.

A complicated emotion rose in Hiruzen's heart. There was relief and comfort, but mixed in was an even deeper guilt. Such a simple, contented, exceptionally talented child had nearly died last night because of the village's internal strife.

"Of course, child." Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was softer than before, carrying the kindness unique to an elder. "It is what I should do. I'll send someone over shortly to repair it properly and make sure it never leaks again."

He paused, leaning forward slightly as his expression turned serious and concerned. "However, little Qianyu, before the house is repaired, Grandpa needs you to promise me one thing."

"What is it, Lord Hokage?" Qianyu appropriately showed a trace of nervousness.

"About that power that emerged from your body by itself last night..." Hiruzen Sarutobi chose his words carefully, as though tending to a fragile sapling. "It is called Wood Release. It is a very, very special and very precious power."

"Before you fully master it and can protect yourself, promise Grandpa that you will not use it carelessly at school or in crowded places, all right?"

He looked into Qianyu's eyes, his tone earnest. "The more people who know about it, the more likely it is that someone with ill intentions will set their sights on you. I have already ordered everyone who knows about what happened last night to keep it strictly confidential. This is to protect you."

Qianyu nodded heavily, his face full of complete trust. "I understand, Grandpa Hokage! I won't use it carelessly!"

That "Grandpa Hokage" sounded natural and affectionate, smoothing even the wrinkles at the corners of Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes and temporarily dispelling the last trace of doubt in his heart. He smiled and waved a hand. "Good child. Go back to class."

After Qianyu left the office, Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered for a moment. "Bring Tenzo here."

A moment later, an ANBU wearing a mask and exuding a composed air dropped to one knee.

"Yamato, I have a mission for you." The Third Hokage's voice regained its usual calm. "After school today, go to the Ninja Academy and pick up a child named Cangshu Qianyu. Use your Wood Release to build him a sturdy, comfortable new house on the site of his old home."

Yamato raised his head slightly. A trace of surprise flashed through his eyes behind the mask, but he still answered in a deep voice, "Yes."

"Remember," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, drawing in a puff of smoke before slowly exhaling. His gaze beyond the haze was distant. "Build it with care. Let that child... see with his own eyes what kind of safe, warm home Wood Release can create. Let him naturally come to feel close to and long for that power."

Yamato instantly understood the Hokage's deeper intention: guidance, not coercion; attraction, not force. He lowered his head again. "Understood."

By the time Qianyu returned to the classroom, the morning lessons had just ended. The instant he pushed open the door, the previously noisy classroom fell abruptly silent, and every gaze snapped toward him.

"Qianyu! What did Lord Hokage want with you?"

"Did he praise you for being brave?"

"Did he give you a reward?"

The children crowded around him, chattering over one another, their curiosity practically overflowing. Though the children from the clans did not squeeze to the front, they still pricked up their ears, their eyes probing.

Qianyu scratched his head a little "sheepishly" and gave the explanation he had prepared. "Grandpa Hokage was just concerned about my injuries, and then... he said he'd send someone to fix my leaking roof."

"Huh? Just fixing your house?" someone muttered in disappointment.

"Lord Hokage is so kind!" Ino's eyes lit up as she happily spoke for Qianyu.

"As expected of Lord Hokage, personally looking into even such a small matter." Shikamaru lay sprawled across his desk and commented lazily, though it was impossible to tell whether he meant it sincerely or sarcastically.

Most of the children accepted the unremarkable explanation and were quickly drawn to some new amusement. Only Sasuke, seated in the front row, swept his gaze over Qianyu's profile like cold lightning as Qianyu passed by him. There was no curiosity in that look—only a trace of icy scrutiny and deep suspicion.

Last night's attack, the Hokage's timely appearance, and this morning's private summons—were they really just for "fixing the roof"? This Cangshu Qianyu definitely had secrets. And the Hokage and the village higher-ups seemed to be deliberately concealing something.

Sasuke withdrew his gaze. This was definitely not that simple.

Qianyu returned to his corner seat as though completely unaware of the surrounding discussion and Sasuke's scrutiny. He spread open the textbook he would need that afternoon, his expression calm.