Testing the Waters

Konoha.

The sky was clear, and the streets were packed with people.

On one street, several children were playing ninja. Among them was a five-year-old boy named Matsushima.

Matsushima was Ize's youngest grandson and the one he loved most.

Every child in Konoha dreamed of becoming Hokage, and Matsushima was no exception.

The children took turns playing the Hokage and defeating enemy ninja.

Now Matsushima seemed to have truly taken on the role. Brimming with confidence, he shouted, "I'm the Hokage of Konoha! I'm here to defeat you bad guys!"

He took off running, but the children playing the villains vanished ahead of him in the blink of an eye.

The moment Matsushima rounded the corner, a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan appeared before him, slowly turning in midair.

One glance was enough. The Mangekyō Sharingan's Pupil Power seized the boy's mind, leaving him dazed and completely under Fugaku's control.

In an instant, Fugaku planted a stream of suggestions deep in Matsushima's mind through Genjutsu. They would influence him without his realizing it.

They would keep him thinking about asking his grandfather to take him shopping in the village and buy him tasty treats.

The influence would last for some time, then gradually fade if he went too long without another dose of hypnosis from the Mangekyō Sharingan.

The eyes vanished without a trace. Matsushima slowly collapsed to the ground.

One of his playmates ran over and gave him a hard shove. "Matsushima! Matsushima! Wake up!"

Matsushima opened his bleary eyes and looked around. "Oh no! The bad guys got away! As Hokage, I have to defeat them!"

"You fell asleep while chasing them. If you become Hokage, you'll just be the Sleeping Hokage."

"No time to talk. I have to catch the bad guys!"

Matsushima turned to chase after his