The little sun appeared

Hatake Ziyan stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi and said, "A misunderstanding? Now you remember to call it a misunderstanding? Weren't you so sure you were in the right just now? Now that the situation has turned against you, it's a misunderstanding?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled bitterly and said nothing more.

Now that Hatake Ziyan had the chance, he felt he wouldn't be satisfied without giving him an earful. He continued, "You lived through the Warring States Period, didn't you? Don't you know that strength rules this world? Even if I killed you, what could Konoha do to me? Even if the entire Shinobi World became my enemy, do you think anyone could kill me?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi could only keep smiling placatingly, hoping this formidable man would calm down and spare him. He certainly couldn't win a fight, and now he didn't even have right on his side. Even if he died, he doubted anyone would make an enemy of Hatake Ziyan to avenge him.

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi remain silent, Hatake Ziyan lost interest and withdrew his aura. "For the sake of the training ground you prepared for me, I'll let this slide this time! Now get lost!"

The instant Hatake Ziyan withdrew his aura, Hiruzen Sarutobi stumbled forward. After steadying himself, he bowed to Hatake Ziyan, then immediately turned and left. He didn't even ask whether Orochimaru would be all right, fleeing as though running for his life.

Watching Hiruzen Sarutobi retreat into the distance, Hatake Ziyan said to Orochimaru, "Looks like your teacher doesn't treat you all that well! He didn't even ask what I would do to you!"

Something flickered in Orochimaru's eyes, but then he smiled indifferently. "You must be joking, Lord Ziyan. If you wanted to attack me, my teacher couldn't stop you anyway. Why bother asking? Just to make himself miserable?"

Hatake Ziyan didn't discuss the subject with Orochimaru any further. Turning to the three children, he said, "That's all for today! Go home and think carefully about what you did wrong today! Dismissed!"

With that, Hatake Ziyan left first.

After Hatake Ziyan left, the three children went their separate ways as well.

After leaving, Hatake Ziyan didn't go home. Instead, he went straight to Root's lair.

"Who's there!" As soon as Hatake Ziyan appeared, the Root ninja surrounded him and shouted.

Hatake Ziyan ignored the lackeys surrounding him and addressed Danzo, who was seated. "Danzo, is this how you treat your guests?"

Hearing his voice, Danzo hurriedly ordered the men blocking his view to move aside and saw who had come.

"Lord Ziyan, what brings you here? All of you, stand down!" Danzo hurriedly barked at the Root ninja.

At Danzo's command, the Root ninja immediately withdrew, leaving only Danzo and Hatake Ziyan in the room.

Danzo personally brought Hatake Ziyan a chair. Once Hatake Ziyan sat down, he stood respectfully before him.

"Danzo, didn't I tell you not to send anyone to follow me or my disciples?" Hatake Ziyan looked at Danzo with a smile.

Looking at the smiling Hatake Ziyan, Danzo's heart pounded. He forced a smile and said, "I... I didn't send anyone to follow you?"

Hatake Ziyan continued smiling at Danzo. "Really? I'll give you one more chance. Think carefully!"

Hatake Ziyan's stare made Danzo's skin crawl. Finally, he steeled himself and said, "Lord Ziyan, I really didn't send anyone to follow you..."

Hatake Ziyan flicked a finger. A small sliver of wood instantly pierced the wall and lodged between the brows of a Root ninja in the next room.

The Root ninja fell to the floor with a thud, twitched twice, and stopped breathing.

Danzo stared at the small hole the sliver of wood had pierced through the wall. Smoke still rose from it, caused by the intense friction. Sensing one person's presence vanish from the next room, he trembled.

Hatake Ziyan continued smiling at Danzo as though he hadn't just killed someone. "Since you didn't send anyone to follow me, this man must have acted on his own. I dealt with this disobedient subordinate for you. You don't blame me, do you?"

After speaking, Hatake Ziyan looked at Danzo with an innocent expression.

Danzo wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Of course not! I should thank you for dealing with this disobedient subordinate, Lord Ziyan! I suspect Hiruzen Sarutobi must have led him astray. Otherwise, he couldn't possibly have followed you without authorization!"

Hatake Ziyan raised his eyebrows. He hadn't expected the scapegoat Hokage to shift the blame onto Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hatake Ziyan had only come to complete his system mission. Now that he had given Danzo a scare, there was no need to waste any more words on him.

Hatake Ziyan nodded and said to Danzo, "In that case, I won't disturb you while you assign your subordinates their missions!"

Hatake Ziyan stood and left the dark sewer.

Seeing that Hatake Ziyan hadn't attacked him, Danzo let out a long breath of relief, then dropped into the chair Hatake Ziyan had just occupied.

The Root ninja quickly approached Danzo. He glanced up at them and said, "No one is to breathe a word about what happened today. Otherwise, you can go pick out your own burial plot!"

"Yes, Lord Danzo!" the Root ninja answered in unison.

"All right, go! Clean up the corpse next door!" Danzo said with a wave.

"Yes!"

After leaving Root, Hatake Ziyan was in an excellent mood, humming a tune as he walked down the street.

Just then, Hatake Ziyan saw a child approaching him, with golden hair and a forehead protector tied around his forehead. Although his face was still a little immature, it was easy to tell who he was.

As the boy walked along, he responded with a smile to everyone who greeted him, giving people the feeling of a warm spring breeze.

He really lives up to being the little sun! That warmth is truly infectious! Hatake Ziyan marveled inwardly.

This was none other than Minato Namikaze, who would one day become the renowned Yellow Flash!

For now, though, he was still a little kid who had yet to grow up.

"Sir, do you know me?" While Hatake Ziyan was lost in thought, Minato Namikaze had reached his side. Looking at the man who kept staring at him, he asked the question.

"Huh?" Only then did Hatake Ziyan realize he had been staring at Minato Namikaze without thinking. "You're that little brat, the Perverted Toad's disciple, aren't you?"

Hearing Hatake Ziyan's words, Minato Namikaze immediately stopped smiling. He looked at Hatake Ziyan and said, "My teacher is Jiraiya the wild gallant, one of the renowned Konoha Sannin, not some Perverted Toad!"

Holding back his laughter, Hatake Ziyan said, "He's always peeping into the women's baths. If that isn't pervy, what is? And aren't his summons toads? So what's wrong with calling him a Perverted Toad?"

Minato Namikaze's little face immediately reddened, and he argued in a quiet voice, "My teacher said he was gathering material, not peeping!"