The Player's Appraisal and a New Arrangement

At dawn, the first ray of sunlight struggled through Konoha's dense canopy and fell upon the windowsill of the Hokage's office. Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, the tobacco in his pipe already burned out, leaving only a thin wisp of lingering smoke. Three reports lay on the desk before him.

The first was the official mission report from Owl, captain of the Shadow Guard. Its wording was rigorous and concise.

The second was the recorded testimony of Captain Tiger, Deputy Deer, and Rabbit, the medical ninja. This record was filled with terror and disbelief, especially its descriptions of the ability Yan had displayed—the power to "burn everything away." Though Captain Owl had polished the wording, the shock they felt still seeped through every line.

The third was a copy of a border deployment map from the Land of Fire, its edges marked by scorch burns.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze moved away from the charred deployment map and settled on the Shadow Guard captain's report. The final paragraph briefly noted that Uchiha En's abilities exceeded the scope of the reserve unit and recommended that he be assigned directly to the Shadow Guard. In private, Captain Owl had especially stressed that Yan's abilities should be "under the direct jurisdiction of the Hokage."

The old man's fingers tapped rhythmically against the desk. These three reports painted a Uchiha En far more "blazing" than he had imagined.

That child... was growing far too quickly.

"Old man, you're already working this early?"

The door creaked open, and Jiraiya sauntered in with Make-Out Paradise in hand as usual. He went straight to the sofa by the window, crossed one leg over the other, and sat down as though he owned the place.

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not look up, merely snorting. "You certainly have plenty of free time."

"Not at all. I've been losing sleep planning my dear disciple's future." Jiraiya smiled as his gaze casually swept over the reports on the desk. When he saw the deployment map with its scorched edges, his eyes froze for a moment. Then his attention shifted to the three reports, especially the recorded testimony.

Jiraiya's smile slowly faded. Though lecherous and unserious on the surface, he was exceptionally sharp beneath it all. He did not need to read closely to pick out the crucial details from those terrified words.

"Did... that Lava kid do this?" Jiraiya put down his book and straightened up, his tone losing its previous laziness and gaining a trace of seriousness.

Only then did Hiruzen Sarutobi raise his head and give Jiraiya a deep look. "You figured it out?"

"Who else in Konoha could make a mess like this?" Jiraiya countered, pointing at the testimony. "'Burn everything away,' 'extreme heat'... wasn't that the move he showed during the graduation exam? Only this time... he made a much bigger splash."

"Much bigger is an understatement." Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed and pushed Captain Tiger's report toward Jiraiya. "By himself, he eliminated a Hidden Mist rogue ninja at elite jonin level and saved the entire team. And he came out without a scratch."

Jiraiya picked up the report and skimmed through it quickly. His expression grew more solemn by the second. When he saw the line recommending assignment to the Shadow Guard, his brows furrowed tightly. "Old man, you're putting him in the Shadow Guard?"

"He has exceeded the ANBU Reserve Unit's ability to contain him." Hiruzen Sarutobi did not evade the question. "His power and his mind both surpass those of his peers. Even most jonin fall short of him. If he is allowed to move freely within the ANBU, it will cause unnecessary trouble sooner or later."

"Trouble?" Jiraiya scoffed. "Looks to me like you're afraid he'll become a second Danzo."

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not deny it. He simply picked up his pipe, relit it, and took a deep breath. Smoke spread across his face, obscuring his expression.

"Danzo has ambition, but his ambition remains within the framework of 'Konoha.'" Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was soft, carrying an indescribable weariness. "But Uchiha En... his strength lies outside the rules. His mind transcends worldly conventions. I cannot even be certain what 'Konoha' truly means in his heart."

Jiraiya fell silent. He recalled their first meeting in the Hot Springs District, recalled Yan's words during the graduation exam: "Protect those unremarkable moments from being crushed by war, from being used as bargaining chips by the ambitious—that is the Will of Fire as I understand it." He knew that Yan truly carried the Will of Fire in his heart, but that will was purer than anyone's—and more dangerous. It was not for a clan, nor for a village, but only for those "ordinary" moments.

"That is why the Shadow Guard is a good choice," Hiruzen Sarutobi continued. "He will answer directly to me. Every mission will be assigned by me personally, and every action will remain under my control. Only then can I better observe him, guide him, and turn him into Konoha's blade rather than a weapon that could lose control at any time."

"Guide him?" Jiraiya repeated the word meaningfully. "Old man, are you sure you can guide him?" He remembered Yan telling him he wanted to "set right the injustices of this world." How could a child capable of saying such things be guided so easily?

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not answer directly. He only looked out the window, his gaze distant.

"Jiraiya." He suddenly turned, his tone becoming solemn. "I need you to serve as the Shadow Guard's special training instructor and be responsible for guiding Uchiha En."

Jiraiya froze. He had never imagined Hiruzen Sarutobi would place such a burden on him.

"Me? You're joking, right?" Jiraiya raised a brow. "I'm not the kind of instructor who can sit still. My focus is still on training Minato and traveling abroad to gather intelligence."

"Minato has already graduated. You can bring him along." Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was calm, but it carried an unquestionable will. "Uchiha En's power far exceeds your imagination. He needs someone who can understand him and guide him. And you are currently the most suitable candidate."

Jiraiya fell silent again. He knew this was both a test from Hiruzen Sarutobi and a sign of trust. He himself was indeed deeply curious about Yan's "power beyond the rules." Even his sage arts perception could not fully penetrate that power, which was temptation enough in itself.

"Fine." Jiraiya finally shrugged, and his carefree grin returned. "Since you put it that way, old man. But I can't promise I'll turn him into the 'blade' you want. If he ends up becoming a 'volcano,' don't blame me."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled. There was a hint of a wily old fox's cunning in that smile.

"I want to see whether he will become a fine blade... or a living volcano."

His gaze turned to the window again, toward the Uchiha Compound. He knew Danzo must have received the reports as well and was reassessing the value of this "uninvited guest." And Fugaku... was probably overjoyed by the power this chess piece had revealed.

The pieces on the board were breaking free of their original paths one by one. And he, the Third Hokage, needed to take up the pieces again and guide this changing game.

[ Ding— ]

[ Achievement Unlocked: Mentor of the Three Ninja! ]

[ Current Evolution Progress: 70% ]

[ Observation Haki: Lv. 2 (Perception Radius: 1,000 meters!) ]

[ System Notice: The host has received personal guidance from Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Three Ninja. The "rule adaptation" dimension has increased substantially, accelerating fruit integration.]

Yan sat in the Windowless Stone Room, looking at the new achievement that had appeared on the system panel. Seventy percent. An Observation Haki radius of one thousand meters.

Mentor of the Three Ninja? Jiraiya?

A faint curve touched Yan's lips. He knew this meant that the training ahead would become more brutal—and more exciting. Jiraiya's involvement would bring him guidance on an even higher level, as well as... an unexpected ally.

He closed his eyes, and Minato's bright, sunlit smile surfaced in his mind.

"Light and shadow will officially go their separate ways from now on. But going separate ways does not mean being separated."

Yan softly repeated Minato's words. He knew that his path had completely diverged from the original story. But on this road, he now had more cards to play—and more things worth protecting.

And now, all he had to do was face the new challenges ahead and live out his own meaning in this ever-changing ninja world.