Asuma: My Hokage Father

"...All right."

Nohara Rin thought for a moment, then relented. "But Obito, you have to listen carefully later. Don't disturb the others. If you disrupt the class like you do at school and keep everyone from learning properly, I'll get mad."

"Yes!"

Obito pumped his fist, then eagerly agreed. "I'll definitely listen properly! See you tomorrow, then!"

"Oh, right. We're leaving at eight thirty tomorrow morning. Don't be late."

"Got it!"

Obito finally skipped away.

Mikami Yu and Nohara Rin exchanged a look, both letting out faint sighs. Then they nodded goodbye and headed back to their own homes.

After entering, Mikami Yu greeted his mother, Mikami Aoi, told her a little about what had happened that day, then hurriedly washed up and threw himself onto his bed, sprawled out like a starfish.

"Today really was a fulfilling day."

"Transformation Technique, Clone Technique, Substitution Technique, and Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu... Good night. Sweet dreams."

[Transformation Technique: Mm, get a good night's sleep, little Mikami.]

[Transformation Technique Favorability +1]

The next morning.

The sun shone brightly.

Screech—!

A Ninja Hawk beat its wings as it flew over Konoha, arriving at the railing of the Hokage Building's rooftop.

An Anbu was already waiting. He stepped forward, removed the secret letter from the Ninja Hawk's leg, handed it to the Intelligence Division to decipher, and then delivered the resulting intelligence to the desk in the Hokage's office.

"Good work."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who did not yet look all that old, nodded as he accepted the document and quickly scanned it.

"The Land of Lightning again... It seems those Hidden Cloud fellows have been getting restless lately."

"How is Minato's side doing?"

Hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's question,

the Anbu wearing a dog mask immediately lowered his head and replied, "Reporting to the Third Hokage, Lord Minato has already led his team into Hidden Cloud territory and made contact with the informants there. If nothing unexpected happens, he should bring back the intelligence within the next few days."

"Good. Report to me the moment there is news."

After issuing his orders and waiting for the Anbu to leave, Hiruzen Sarutobi lit his pipe and took several deep puffs.

It had been six or seven years since the end of the Second Shinobi World War.

For the Shinobi World, which had been out of the Warring States Era for less than fifty years, such a long period of peace was rare.

And the various clues that had surfaced over the past few months had allowed Hiruzen Sarutobi—who had lived from before Konoha's founding to the present and experienced two Shinobi World Wars—to catch the scent of something unusual.

"Could it be..."

Was a new Shinobi World War about to begin?

Hiruzen Sarutobi irritably exhaled a ring of smoke, rubbed his brow, then casually picked up another report. It had been sent over by the Konoha Ninja Academy that morning: a report on the routine examinations. He had been too busy with official duties to read it yet.

"I wonder how that brat Asuma has been doing lately..."

"Let's see. The top student in this examination is... Mikami Yu?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi had some impression of that name.

Not for any other reason, but mainly because this child named Mikami Yu had a remarkably thorough understanding of the Will of Fire. In particular, the short essay he had written during last semester's final exam had lavished praise on Konoha's upper leadership, centered around Hiruzen Sarutobi. It had greatly pleased Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hmm... It was only slightly worse than Asuma's essay from two years ago, "My Hokage Father."

But precisely because he had noticed Mikami Yu before, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew that the child's strengths and weaknesses were severe. While he consistently ranked first in the grade in academic classes, he often ranked outside the top ten in practical combat, leaving his overall score around fourth or fifth.

In other words...

If Mikami Yu could raise his practical combat ranking into the top three, then his overall score would basically be a secure first place.

Unfortunately, he could not.

There had been precedents for this type of student.

After graduation, they generally went into work leaning toward clerical duties, such as signal decryption in the Intelligence Division or teaching at the Ninja Academy. A small number with stronger scientific aptitude went to the Konoha Research Institute to assist Orochimaru with experiments.

But this time...

"Has a profound understanding of the Three Techniques and employs them skillfully. Possesses sharp tactical thinking. Independently improved the hand-seal formula of the Substitution Technique... Suspected to possess talent for Space–Time Ninjutsu?"

Oh?

Such a high evaluation?

After all, Space–Time Ninjutsu was no common technique.

It was a ninjutsu even more powerful and rare than the Five Elemental Ninjutsu, or even conventional Yin–Yang Release. In the decades since Konoha's founding, only two people had truly achieved outstanding mastery in this field: the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, and Jiraiya's disciple, Namikaze Minato.

The latter had become a Jonin in his teens through his mastery of the Flying Thunder God, and now he was even beginning to earn the title of the Yellow Flash. What it would mean if another talent like that emerged went without saying.

However...

"The principles behind the Substitution Technique and Space–Time Ninjutsu are not the same. Being good at the former does not mean he can learn the Flying Thunder God..."

"But since Oki and Himura both said so, I can consider taking some time to meet this child and see whether he truly has the potential to become an outstanding ninja."

That was what Hiruzen Sarutobi thought.

At the same time.

The Hyuga family compound.

Kaimon Hyuga washed his face, looked at his slightly weary reflection in the mirror, and finally stepped out of his house before heading to the nearby home of his cousin, Hizashi Hyuga.

"Kaimon, you're here."

Hizashi Hyuga, around seventeen or eighteen years old, was practicing the Gentle Fist in the courtyard. The wooden training dummy opposite him was already covered in dents and pits.

Seeing this, Kaimon Hyuga did not approach immediately. Instead, he waited nearby until Hizashi Hyuga stopped, then promptly handed him a towel and bowed in greeting. "Good morning, Brother Hizashi."

"Morning. What is it? Are you having trouble with your training again? Tell me."

Hizashi Hyuga wiped away his sweat and spoke casually.

As cousins from the branch family, Hizashi Hyuga and Kaimon Hyuga were very close. They often discussed training problems together. Since Hizashi Hyuga was a few years older and had become a ninja first, he usually took on the role of teacher.

So naturally, he assumed his younger cousin had come to ask another question.

But in fact...

"...I really do have something troubling me."

Kaimon Hyuga pursed his lips and asked, "Brother Hizashi, tell me... Under what circumstances would the Byakugan fail to identify an enemy right in front of it who had used the Transformation Technique?"

"?"

Hizashi Hyuga froze for a moment. "What do you mean?"