Hiruzen Sarutobi understood in his heart, and the smile of a kind elder reappeared on his face, and he said in a gentle tone:
"Lin Ze, I personally recruited you into ANBU. I know you are a good boy who values bonds and inherits Will of Fire."
"Protecting your companions and protecting Konoha's seedlings is exactly what Will of Fire embodies. I am very pleased that you can think of Orphanage's companions."
What he said was very beautiful, full of Hokage's style and mind.
But Lin Ze didn't care deep down.
'Will of Fire? That's really nice to say. I'm afraid I'm even more gratified that I finally found a bargaining chip that can clearly control me, right? The so-called fairness is just a weight that can be adjusted at any time in the eyes of senior officials.'
He can be sure that Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed so readily not just because of the so-called "Will of Fire" or pity for talent.
This is more like an investment, or a bundle.
Use a seemingly insignificant promise packaged with "reasonable" reasons in exchange for his deeper sense of belonging and control.
From now on, the future security of Yumi and Ayumi depends on the thought of Hiruzen Sarutobi and indirectly on the "performance" of Lin Ze.
Hiruzen Sarutobi does disdain to use inferior means to threaten directly, but that does not mean that he will not use more sophisticated methods to make you willingly wear the shackles.
A "weak spot" that is actively handed to you and needs to be carefully maintained by you is often more effective than a direct threat. Just like he defaulted to his son Asuma to perform safer tasks, some rules are never changed only for specific people.
'Old Fox...'
Lin Ze cursed secretly in his heart, but he had to show gratitude on his face.
"Thank you Lord Hokage! I am deeply grateful!"
"Hmm."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded with satisfaction, as if he enjoyed this feeling of being kind to others:
"Serve the village well, Lin Ze. You have great potential. You will definitely become an important pillar in protecting Konoha in the future. The village will not treat those you value badly."
The implication in these words is already quite obvious.
I can make an exception for you, but you have to show the corresponding value, otherwise just ask anyone and agree. Can you still do this project Konoha?
"Yes! My subordinates will do their best to fight for Konoha!"
Lin Ze immediately expressed his loyalty and his tone was decisive. At this time, the attitude must be sufficient.
"Very well, go ahead."
Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand and picked up the files on the table again, as if he had just dealt with a trivial matter.
"My subordinates resign."
Lin Ze saluted again, then turned around and left Hokage Office with a steady pace.
It wasn't until Hokage Building walked out and felt the dazzling sunshine outside that Lin Ze slowly let out a breath.
The purpose was achieved, Yumi and Ayumi were at least officially guaranteed to be safe.
But Lin Ze's heart was not at all relaxed. Instead, it was as if a heavier stone had been placed on him. He used a clear weakness in exchange for a temporary promise that needed to be redeemed with continued loyalty and value.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's reaction was both expected and unexpected.
What was expected was that the other party would use this to tie him up, but what was unexpected was that the other party did it so naturally and so "generously" that it was almost impossible to find fault with it, and even put on a layer of "fairness" and "tinder".
'Is this what politicians do?' Lin Ze thought silently.
'Well, at least at this stage, the goals are the same. He needs my power to fight for Konoha, and I need his power to protect the people I care about. The so-called fairness has always been charity given by the strong to the weak.'
This was an unspoken deal.
And he has no other choice for the time being.
Lin Ze looked up at the iconic Hokage Rock of Konoha, and his eyes stayed on the statue of Hiruzen Sarutobi for a moment.
'It seems that until I have the strength to break all the rules, I have to continue to have fun with this "Shinobi Hero".'
'And from the current point of view, Konoha, except Danzo, is at most just on normal guard against me, which is not unacceptable. As long as I don't rebel against the village, they are not in danger.'
Shaking his head and suppressing these calculations for the time being, Lin Ze decided to reply to Orphanage to tell everyone the good news, which would at least make them feel at ease for a while.
As he walked back along the street, a familiar voice with a hint of surprise came from the side.
"Lin Ze?"
Lin Ze followed the sound and saw Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma and Rei Uesugi turning from another street. They looked like they had just returned from a mission.
Kurenai Yuhi had a smile on his fat baby face, and Asuma still looked cool, but the grass root in his mouth was replaced by a cigarette at some point. Rei Uesugi looked curiously at the direction of Lin Ze and Hokage Building behind him.
"Red, Asuma, Ling." Lin Ze stopped and said hello, "The mission is over?"
"Yeah! A simple C-Rank escort mission."
Hong Xiao ran over, approached Lin Ze and said with a smile:
"What about you? Did you just come out from Hokage Building? Do you have a mission?"
Lin Ze was now wearing the ANBU uniform, with the Aoda Mask still on his face. Only then did he react and took off the mask, revealing a slightly delicate face with steady eyes.
"Well, let's report something to Lord Hokage."
Lin Ze responded vaguely without elaborating.
Asuma glanced at him and said in a cool tone:
"ANBU is troublesome and mysterious."
Rei Uesugi lightly touched Asuma with his elbow to signal him to stop talking nonsense, and then said to Lin Ze with a smile:
"Ignore him. He accidentally stepped into the water during the mission today and is unhappy."
"Hey! Ling!"
Asuma glared at Rei Uesugi in anger.
Lin Ze looked at the interaction between the two, and his heart moved slightly.
'Huh? Asuma and Ling... this feeling is a bit subtle. I didn't pay much attention to it before, but now it seems that Asuma's attitude towards Ling is much better than that of others, and Ling seems to care about him quite a lot.'
It seems that when he flaps his little butterfly wings, Asuma's attention turns to the cheerful and straightforward Rei Uesugi of the same team.
This is interesting.
"Lin Ze, have you eaten?"
Kurenai Yuhi didn't notice Lin Ze's distraction and warmly invited:
"It's lunch time. Do you want to... go to my house for dinner? Mom made a lot of delicious food today!"
When she said this, her cheeks were slightly red, and her eyes were full of expectation and a little embarrassed.
"Wow!"
Rei Uesugi immediately made a cheering sound and bumped the red head with his elbow:
"Hong, you are very proactive! Have you wanted to invite Lin Ze for a long time?"
"Ling! What nonsense are you talking about!"
Kurenai Yuhi's face turned redder, and he covered Rei Uesugi's mouth in embarrassment.
Asuma shrugged aside, with an expression like "women are really troublesome", but he didn't object.
Lin Ze looked at the two girls fighting, then looked in the direction of Kurenai Yuhi's house not far away, thought for a moment and nodded:
"Okay, I'll excuse you then."
He happened to also want to relax a little, and since he hadn't been popular for a long time, he might as well have a chat.
More importantly, the psychological game I had with Hiruzen Sarutobi just now requires some daily routine to dilute the tension.
"Really? That's great!"
Kurenai Yuhi immediately became happy, his eyes sparkling.
Rei Uesugi winked at Asuma and smiled like a naughty kitten.
Asuma sighed helplessly, "Let's go, let's go, I'm starving."