Asuma returned to the Hokage Office and gave Hiruzen Sarutobi a complete account of his trip to Peach Paradise.
"...Old man, that's how it is. That Qingtian is Lin Ze's Summoning Beast, and they signed their contract a long time ago. From what I saw, he gets along very well with Lin Ze. He can talk, too, and he's highly intelligent."
Although Asuma felt a little disappointed, his tone was fairly composed.
"Lin Ze..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand paused slightly around his pipe as the intelligence on Lin Ze from the past few years flashed through his mind.
At the Battle of Kikyo Pass, he had fought Sunagakure's Scorch Release Pakura to a draw.
On his mission to the Land of Lightning, he had been surrounded by two squads of Kumogakure ANBU Jōnin, yet had ultimately broken out alone and returned. Although he claimed it had been luck, escaping a force like that was no easy feat.
Combined with Nara Luhong's assessment of Lin Ze a few years ago...
Hiruzen Sarutobi reached a conclusion that left even him somewhat shaken-
Lin Ze probably already possessed Kage Level strength! His growth had far exceeded Hiruzen's initial expectations.
But the thought of Nara Luhong brought an involuntary trace of sorrow to Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart.
That wise former head of the Nara Clan, an important adviser of his, had unfortunately fallen in battle during a fierce clash with Kumogakure not long ago.
Moreover, he had died at the hands of the Third Raikage, who had suddenly appeared on the battlefield for some unknown reason.
Was it the commotion Lin Ze caused in the Land of Lightning that drew the Third Raikage's attention?
Hiruzen Sarutobi instinctively linked the two events, but he had no evidence.
He merely felt that ever since Lin Ze had displayed