And just like that, a year passed.
On a bright, breezy morning, the sun had only just climbed into the sky. The entire village lay quiet beneath a thin morning mist, but sounds of combat rang out from Konoha's training ground.
Two figures, one large and one small, crisscrossed the training ground, closing in on each other one moment and breaking apart the next.
The clanging of weapons colliding stood out sharply in the quiet surroundings.
The two figures attacked each other with such ferocity that they seemed to be facing mortal enemies, showing not a shred of mercy.
"Kōki, always watch your enemy's movements. Anything that feels different could be the key to their attack. Like this." As he spoke, the larger figure suddenly blurred, unexpectedly appearing behind the child after standing directly in front of him.
The kunai in his hand swept toward the child's neck. The child failed to react in time and let the kunai slash across his neck.
But just after the kunai passed across Kōki's neck, a poof rang out, and his entire body turned into a log.
Kōki had used the Body Replacement Technique to evade Hiruzen Sarutobi's attack.
After the substitution, Kōki seized an opening in Hiruzen Sarutobi's attack, rushed out from his side, and raised a leg to kick him.
Yet just as Kōki thought he had succeeded, another Hiruzen Sarutobi abruptly appeared behind him and placed a rough hand on his head.
"Kōki, you're still too careless. You have to stay alert until you've succeeded. Even if your plan is ninety-nine percent complete, as long as that last one percent remains unfinished, something unexpected can still happen."
As Kōki attacked the figure behind him, the old man had, at some point, created an identical Shadow Clone that silently appeared behind Kōki.
But before Sarutobi finished speaking, the Kōki beneath his palm vanished into a puff of white smoke with a poof.
"Oh no, a Shadow Clone!"
The moment Hiruzen Sarutobi saw the Kōki beneath his hand disappear into white smoke, he realized something was wrong. But his lecture had distracted him slightly, and he failed to react in time.
A small, nimble figure rushed out from behind Sarutobi and swiftly plucked the bell from his waist.
Once the bell was taken from his waist, Hiruzen Sarutobi's body paused. He seemed about to make another move, but remembering that this was only a simple test, he relaxed in the end.
Looking at Kōki in front of him, he gave a helpless smile. "It looks like ordinary Genin are no longer a match for you, even without Wood Release, Kōki."
"It was only because you held back and weren't fighting seriously that I managed to steal the bell, Lord Hokage."
Despite Hiruzen Sarutobi's praise, Kōki Itō remained very modest.
This duel was Hiruzen Sarutobi's test of the results of Kōki's training over the past year, apart from Wood Release.
Hiruzen Sarutobi fought Kōki Itō at a Genin's level, while Kōki had to counter his attacks using methods other than Wood Release.
The reason Kōki was forbidden to use Wood Release was that Sarutobi knew his proficiency with it. In just one short year, Kōki had learned to use most Wood Release ninjutsu proficiently, including quite a few A-rank techniques, and had even mastered several S-rank ones.
It was only because his body had yet to fully develop and his chakra reserves were not yet large enough that he could not display Wood Release's full power.
But even so, it gave Kōki strength approaching that of a Jonin. If he poured every last bit of his chakra into it, his Wood Release ninjutsu could exchange a few moves with a Jonin. If the Jonin was careless, they might even fall to Kōki's Wood Release.
It could be said that Kōki possessed the strength of a Special Jōnin when he could use Wood Release. Thus, only by banning it could his level of training be properly assessed.
As for why Hiruzen Sarutobi had not used offensive ninjutsu during their fight, that was because he had his pride, too.
As the esteemed Third Hokage, the Shinobi World Professor, how could he have the nerve to use nature transformation techniques against a child who was restricted from using his full strength?
With his experience, he could handle ordinary Genin using only the simplest methods. The embarrassing part was that he had underestimated Kōki's strength and ended up slipping up.
"Lord Hokage, I got the bell just now. Didn't you say there would be a present if I got it? What is it?" Kōki Itō looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, his tone curious and expectant.
Faced with Kōki Itō's expectant expression, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help remembering their first meeting after Kōki awakened. Back then, Kōki had just woken up in his hospital bed, expressionless, his gaze cold and filled with deep wariness.
Now he had the temperament of a perfectly normal child. It pleased Sarutobi and further strengthened his resolve to send Kōki to the Ninja Academy.
He hoped Kōki could forge bonds at the Ninja Academy, truly embrace the Will of Fire, and become its inheritor, rather than a tool that could only use Wood Release.
Thus, Hiruzen Sarutobi told Kōki directly, "It happens to be time for new students to enter the Ninja Academy, and you've reached the right age to attend."
"I'm planning to send you to school so you can make some new friends your own age. After all, you can't keep spending all your time with an old man like me. Children should act like children."
The Ninja Academy was a preparatory training school for shinobi founded by the Second Hokage. It had been established to prevent gaps in the ranks of shinobi and to narrow the divide between clan shinobi and civilian shinobi.
Many outstanding civilian shinobi had been trained at the Ninja Academy before distinguishing themselves on the battlefield and standing above the rest.
"The children there are all around your age. I hope you'll make some good friends at school."
"After all, a child your age can't keep being alone forever. You need people your own age to spend time with."
"And don't underestimate the students there. There might be someone at the Ninja Academy who'll become a major figure in the Shinobi World someday."
Hiruzen Sarutobi answered with a cheerful smile, though inwardly he did not believe anyone in the entire Ninja Academy was more outstanding than Kōki Itō.
Much as he disliked admitting it, the current Ninja Academy students fell far short of Kakashi, let alone Kōki Itō. It seemed that after Kakashi graduated early, not a single student in the entire academy stood out.
There were some promising ones, such as his son Asuma Sarutobi, Gekko Hayate, and Kurenai Yuhi, but none were truly as astonishing as Kakashi. This left him somewhat worried about the village's future.
If Kōki could have heard Hiruzen Sarutobi's thoughts, he would probably have roasted him mercilessly. The Shinobi World's future big boss was currently at school, busy with romance, and he called that having no future?
"Is that so? I understand, Lord Hokage."
Though Kōki said that aloud, he was considering whether there was any need for him to while away his days at the Ninja Academy.
His current strength was not bad, but looking further ahead, the peaceful days would soon be over.
The Third Shinobi World War was about to begin. Once war broke out, even Ninja Academy students might be sent to the battlefield. Whether his current strength, approaching that of a Jonin, would be enough to survive the war was still a question. He would be better off making the most of his time to grow stronger.
But then again, if he really refused to attend the Ninja Academy, he had no suitable reason to persuade Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Kōki's brows furrowed slightly. He could only take things as they came for now. Perhaps things would take a turn later.
"Then, Lord Hokage, I'll report to the Ninja Academy on time tomorrow morning. I'll head back now." As he spoke, he waved to Hiruzen Sarutobi, then turned and left.
Watching Kōki Itō walk away, Hiruzen Sarutobi could only look at him with a smile before disappearing with a poof.
After all, as the village's highest leader, he did not have so much time to personally keep a child company. A Shadow Clone was enough to serve as a sparring partner for shinobi combat practice.