Sorry, Hinata, Only You Can Help Me with This Training

After everyone had left, only Hiruzen Sarutobi and Kanami remained in the arena.

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled kindly. "I watched your match. You're quite capable."

Kanami smiled along with him. "Thank you for the compliment, Lord Hokage."

"Neither arrogant nor impatient. Your temperament is excellent as well."

Kanami nodded on the surface while cursing the old fox inwardly for beating around the bush.

After nodding like mad for what felt like forever, he finally endured Hiruzen Sarutobi's endless stream of flattery.

The kindly smiling Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly turned serious.

"Kanami, do you know of the Will of Fire?"

Will of Fire my ass. I still had to roast a wild boar for Hinata!

Kanami said without any change in Mū's expression, "I know a little."

Hiruzen Sarutobi patted Kanami's shoulder, his aged eyes forcing out a trace of the feeling of a hero in Dusk.

"The Will of Fire: wherever Konoha's leaves dance, the fire endures. Its light will not go out. It will continue to illuminate the village and allow the newly born leaves to sprout and grow."

"And you are one of those newly born leaves."

Hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, Kanami clenched his teeth and balled his fists.

Otherwise, he was afraid he would punch that fake old wrinkled face.

With the things he had tacitly allowed Danzo to do, wasn't he afraid the fire would grow too large and burn him to death?

Though he really was about to die soon anyway.

Noticing Kanami's trembling clenched fists and widened eyes, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed inwardly.

He could enter the right state from just one sentence. Even I must feel ashamed before his Will of Fire.

"Good. I knew I hadn't misjudged you. I can already see the Will of Fire you carry."

Huh?

"Why don't you take another careful look?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand. "There's no need. You're polite, virtuous, and powerful. These are all manifestations of your Will of Fire."

"Join the ANBU and become my direct subordinate."

After pulling me along for so long, you've finally shown your true colors, haven't you?

Kanami said awkwardly, "I'm only a Genin who just graduated from the Ninja Academy. This..."

That was exactly why he had to be recruited right after graduation. How else could they brainwash him and instill the Will of Fire once he grew older?

Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed lightly. "The Chunin Ninja Exams assess overall ability, and the final decision rests with the Hokage. I highly recognize your abilities. You are now a Chunin."

Kanami despised him even more.

Wasn't that how you tricked Kakashi Hatake into joining the ANBU when he was only in his teens?

"Thank you for recognizing me, Lord Hokage. Since I've become a Chunin, I must strive to become a Jonin from this very moment onward!"

Kanami put on an earnest expression beyond Mū's measure.

"Very good!"

With a pipe in his mouth, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked thoroughly gratified.

"Lord Hokage, I can't wait to train! Every second I spend without training is an insult to the Will of Fire!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Kanami used the Body Flicker Technique to appear at the exit, then turned and left without looking back.

He still had to roast a wild boar for Hinata.

Only Hiruzen Sarutobi, whose face had gone stiff, remained behind.

After Kanami's figure disappeared, an old man leaning on a cane and wrapped in bandages slowly emerged from behind a statue. It was Shimura Danzō.

"Hiruzen, have you gone senile? You're letting a brat like that join the ANBU?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not get angry at his words.

He said blandly, "Haven't you also been expanding the ANBU's ranks lately?"

"The people I recruit are loyal to Konoha."

"Loyal to a Konoha that includes you, Danzo, perhaps."

Hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's blunt words, Shimura Danzō walked out of the arena with a dark expression.

When he reached the exit, he spoke in a low voice with his back to Hiruzen Sarutobi. "Hiruzen, you will regret this."

"Danzo! Don't forget that I am the Hokage!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi called him out without any courtesy.

Their eyes narrowed at the same time, each gaze filled with dissatisfaction toward the other.

"You won't live much longer, Hiruzen."

Danzo swore viciously to himself.

He paused for only a second before leaving with a cold expression.

By dusk, Kanami found Hinata and the others at the training ground as expected.

Kurenai Yuhi and the others had really gotten hold of a huge wild boar.

Unlike last time, when they had only dry food, they had also prepared a pile of seasonings and some light snacks this time.

Kiba Inuzuka's sharp sense of smell was the first to notice Kanami.

He turned around excitedly and shouted, "You're finally here! We've been waiting for you!"

"Kanami!"

Everyone turned toward Kanami in unison, the joy in their eyes sincere and completely undisguised.

Kanami's heart warmed.

Was this what it felt like to have family?

Having family was great... my ass.

After Kanami ran over, touched by their welcome, he realized they had gathered around because they were waiting for him to use Fire Release to roast the huge wild boar.

Feng Hua said, "We deliberately left the most important step to you. Aren't you touched?"

"I'm truly blessed to have all of you."

Kanami helplessly shook his head at their expectant wide eyes, overwhelmed by Mū.

He then formed hand seals and spat small fireballs from his mouth, igniting the branches and firewood they had prepared beforehand.

During the exam, he had gained much finer control over his chakra. Now, he would no longer accidentally produce something enormous.

While eating snacks, everyone curiously asked why Hiruzen Sarutobi had singled Kanami out and kept him behind.

"What did Lord Hokage say to you?"

"Nothing much. He said I didn't need to take the exams and could become a Chunin directly. He also asked me to join the ANBU, but I refused. What I hate most is pulling strings."

Fūka cast a scornful glance at him.

The Hokage personally invited you to join the ANBU, and you refused?

"Bullshit. Who would believe that?"

She turned to Kiba Inuzuka. "Do you believe him?"

Kiba hurriedly shook his head. "No."

Kanami shrugged.

He knew that even if he told the truth, they would not believe him.

The image Hiruzen Sarutobi had built in their hearts was far too lofty. They simply could not believe he would do something like that.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they chatted for a while before leaving separately.

Under the night sky, only Kanami and Hinata remained.

"Will this really help with training?"

Hinata blinked, looking somewhat bashful.

Kanami said with a serious expression, "Really. I wouldn't lie to you."

Hinata nodded slightly. "Is it also true that it won't hurt?"

Kanami nodded and patiently said:

"It might hurt just a tiny bit, but that's also part of the path one must take in training."

"Alright, come on."

Hinata bit her lip.

Though she was extremely unwilling, she still did as Kanami instructed.

She stretched out her fair little hand and touched Kanami's muscular skin.

"Ah, so cold."

The moment he felt the chill of Hinata's hand, Kanami could not help crying out.

"Maybe we should forget it..."

Kanami looked at her with a serious expression.

"Sorry, Hinata. Only you can help me with this training."

Seeing him emphasize it repeatedly, Hinata knew he was serious.

"Then I'm starting."

Hinata narrowed her eyes to slits, turned her head away, grabbed Kanami's arm with both hands, and pulled hard backward.

Crack.

A dislocation sound immediately came from Kanami's arm.

Hinata's expression changed, and she hurriedly released him.

"Kanami! Maybe we should forget it. The training method recorded on this scroll doesn't seem normal..."

Kanami bared his teeth in pain and shook his head.

"Continue, Hinata."

The Expansion Jutsu was a clan secret technique, so he had no way to obtain it. He could not possibly miss Misumi Tsurugi's ability again.

He already possessed Cellular Activation, an ability that could harden his body. If he acquired Misumi Tsurugi's ability as well, he would reach the very pinnacle of the Ninja World.

The two of them busied themselves in the dark for an entire night.