The top-floor office of the Hokage Building.
Warm golden sunlight spilled through the wooden lattice windows. A faint haze of smoke lingered inside. The atmosphere seemed peaceful, yet beneath it, hidden currents hung still.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat upright in the Hokage's chair, pipe in hand, his expression kindly and gentle-the God of the Shinobi World known to all, with the appearance of a benevolent elder.
Only in the depths of his eyes lay the reserve and caution forged through decades of political maneuvering.
Kakashi stood quietly to one side, as languid and casual as ever. His mask concealed his face and betrayed no emotion, while only the Sharingan in his right eye lay slightly dormant, quietly locking onto the boy entering the room.
Lin Chen stepped slowly into the office, his pace steady and his expression calm.
Facing one of the Shinobi World's strongest figures and Konoha's highest authority, he showed none of a boy's nervous unease, nor the swaggering arrogance of someone newly powerful.
Neither servile nor overbearing, he remained composed, as though he had merely come for an ordinary conversation.
Such a temperament was far too startling for a twelve-year-old.
"Lin Chen, please sit."
Hiruzen Sarutobi gestured with a raised hand, his tone warm and affectionate, without any of a superior's imposing pressure.
Lin Chen sat as instructed, his back straight and his expression untroubled. He quietly waited for what came next, neither asking questions first nor deliberately currying favor.
He understood perfectly.
After the Anbu's crushing defeat last night, the Third had already sounded out his limits and recognized that he could not be controlled. Today's summons was neither an interrogation nor a commendation. It was a probe, an attempt to placate him, and above all, a contest of maneuvering and control at the highest level.
First came favors, then restraints, and finally the slow boil that would lock him firmly into Konoha's game.
Having seen through every calculation, Lin Chen felt no stir within.
Want to use me? Fine.
If Konoha wants to bind me with resources, I'll use its platform, resources, and protection to grow stronger at a furious pace.
It's merely mutual benefit-not submission, much less control.
"I have seen your transformation of late."
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke slowly, his tone sincere. "Rising from the bottom of your class, displaying exceptional combat strength and a steady temperament-you truly are a talent Konoha sees once in a century."
"In yesterday's battle at the training grounds, you defeated Sasuke with his Sharingan activated and overturned the established order. That alone proves your talent far exceeds that of ordinary people."
His praise was heartfelt and earnest. An ordinary boy would already have been thrilled and overwhelmed with gratitude.
Yet Lin Chen merely nodded slightly and replied calmly, "Just luck."
Humble, but not servile.
Neither swollen with pride nor offering deliberately false disclaimers, he struck exactly the right balance.
A sharp glint flickered deep in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, and his heart grew increasingly grave.
Too composed.
He had defeated a genius and stunned the entire village, yet even faced with praise from the Hokage himself, his heart remained still, his emotions showing no fluctuation. Such a temperament was nothing like a twelve-year-old boy's. Instead, he resembled a deeply calculating veteran ninja who had survived countless battles.
"I dislike empty words, so I'll speak plainly."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's smile faded, and his tone turned serious. "Konoha has decided to activate its special-tier genius development program for you."
"From now on, you may freely consult Konoha's low- and intermediate-level Scrolls of Seals, receive twice the monthly resources allotted to elite students, and forgo routine, tedious training."
"At the same time, Kakashi will personally serve as your jonin instructor alongside his other duties."
Every sentence offered substantial benefits; every word promised exceptional treatment.
Kakashi glanced sideways. Even though he had expected this, he still felt a slight stir.
Never mind the students of his generation-even Uchiha Itachi and the prodigy Kakashi had never fully enjoyed such treatment in their day.
This was the highest level of consideration Konoha had ever afforded a new student.
Anyone else would already have lost themselves in wild delight.
Yet Lin Chen remained calm, without even a trace of surprise.
He knew that lavish treatment inevitably came with stringent restraints.
Sure enough, Hiruzen Sarutobi shifted the conversation slightly, a hint of veiled restriction entering his gentle tone:
"But greater ability brings greater responsibility. As a genius whom Konoha is making a priority of cultivating, you must strictly observe village regulations. You may not leave the village without permission or secretly collude with outside enemies. All progress in your training and all missions outside the village must be reported and recorded."
The rules appeared reasonable, but in reality, they meant comprehensive surveillance and confinement.
They would give him resources and status, but at the same time, his freedom, his movements-everything about him-would have to remain exposed to Konoha's gaze.
A slow boil, a perfect manipulation of the human heart.
At that moment, Kakashi watched Lin Chen intently, waiting for his reaction.
The Third also sat motionless, seemingly composed, but in fact awaiting the boy's response.
As long as Lin Chen nodded, he would be tacitly accepting Konoha's restraints, becoming a combat asset the village could control.
The office instantly sank into a silent contest.
After several seconds of silence, Lin Chen finally raised his eyes. His expression sincere and his tone gentle, he perfectly played the part of a kindhearted young genius who knew to repay kindness:
"Thank you for valuing me so highly, Lord Hokage."
"As a Konoha ninja, protecting the village and observing its rules are simply my duties. I will certainly train diligently and live up to the village's investment in me."
His words left no openings, his manner proper, humble, and courteous.
Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's taut nerves quietly eased a little, and a gratified smile appeared on his face. "Good! What a sensible child!"
To him, such a declaration already meant that Lin Chen was willing to be brought into Konoha's fold and placed under its control.
Only Kakashi, standing to one side, felt his pupils contract slightly as an inexplicable chill rose within him.
His Sharingan could see through falsehood. At that moment, he clearly saw that the chakra around Lin Chen remained steady and undisturbed, his emotions devoid of any genuine gratitude or excitement.
The boy's sincerity and humility were all an act.
He seemed to submit and accept, but in reality, his mind was perfectly clear as he coldly watched this clumsy attempt to win him over.
On the surface, he accepted everything; inwardly, he yielded nothing.
This boy is terrifying.
He isn't under anyone's control at all!
A faint, cold trace of amusement flickered through Lin Chen's eyes, unnoticed by anyone.
Submission? Loyalty?
The quicker I agree out loud, the more Konoha will lower its guard, and the more resources I can obtain.
Rules? Restraints?
I've already mastered Root's max-level secret stealth technique. Konoha's surveillance might as well not exist to me.
Want to keep an outsider penned up?
Dream on.
Starting today, I'll use my status as Konoha's special-tier genius to openly milk every resource the village has, using Konoha's accumulated reserves to nourish my own heaven-defying path.
"Since you have agreed, your privileges will take effect today."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction and waved a hand. "Later, you may go to the archive yourself and choose an intermediate-level ninjutsu scroll as a reward."
"Kakashi, sorry for the trouble, but I'll be relying on you to guide him from now on."
"Understood."
Kakashi nodded slightly, looking at Lin Chen with a complicated gaze.
In this contest, Konoha seemed to have seized the initiative and successfully brought a genius to heel. In truth, the boy before them had firmly controlled the tempo from beginning to end.
A short while later, Lin Chen bowed, calmly took his leave, and turned to walk out of the office.
Only after the boy's figure had vanished completely did the warm atmosphere in the room fully dissipate.
Hiruzen Sarutobi put away his kindly expression, his brows tightly furrowed, and spoke in a low voice:
"Kakashi, what do you think?"
Kakashi fell silent for a moment, then answered in an exceedingly grave tone:
"Lord Hokage, we have never truly had him under control."
"His obedience is false. Using our influence is his real aim."
"This boy's intellect, calculating nature, and methods far surpass those of every member of the Shinobi World's younger generation. Give him a little more time, and I fear no one in all of Konoha will be able to keep him in check."
Hiruzen Sarutobi tightened his fingers around his pipe, his expression somber:
"If we cannot keep him in check, we can only win him over."
"As long as his heart remains with Konoha, he will be an unparalleled blade. If he harbors other intentions..."
He left the sentence unfinished, but it brimmed with ruthless resolve.
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