"I hope you'll all keep Kōki's Wood Release a secret. The war has already begun, and no one knows what changes news of Wood Release's appearance might bring to it. We should keep it hidden for as long as we can."
"Also, I hope you can give Kōki one of your Flying Thunder God Kunai. If he ever encounters a danger he can't withstand, I hope you can save his life in time." A trace of pleading showed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes as he spoke. This was a selfish wish of his, too.
"No problem, Lord Hokage."
Hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's request, Minato Namikaze agreed without a second thought.
He, too, was delighted that Wood Release could reappear in Konoha, and hoped it could take Konoha to new heights.
Minato took a specially made kunai from his pocket. The words "Sword of Shinobi Love" were inscribed on its handle.
He placed the kunai in Kōki's hand and said, "Kōki, if you encounter a crisis you can't withstand, channel chakra into this kunai. Then I'll come to save you."
"All right. Thank you, Senior Minato." After accepting the kunai, Kōki thanked Minato.
Hiruzen Sarutobi continued speaking to Minato. "Minato, today happens to be graduation day at the Ninja Academy. I have someone rather special here whom I need you to take under your wing."
"He's Kakashi Hatake, the son of Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo. His father's death had a tremendous effect on him."
"After he graduated, his principle of disregarding his comrades and putting the mission above all else made everyone who teamed up with him dislike him. Now, no one is willing to form a team with him." As Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke, he handed Minato Namikaze three ninja photographs.
"Besides Kakashi, the other two are Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara. They were both Kakashi's childhood companions. I can tell they still care about him, and I believe they can work with you to change his outlook."
Looking at the three people Hiruzen Sarutobi had assigned him, Minato Namikaze felt a wave of pressure. A member of the Uchiha Clan, a genius descended from a distinguished family, and a civilian girl-putting these three together looked like a recipe for endless trouble.
Yet as he looked at the three ninja photographs in his hand, he inexplicably felt that the three youngsters were quite well matched. A strange premonition suddenly arose in his heart: his team would make him proud.
"Yes, Lord Hokage. I'll do my best to change Kakashi."
After receiving Minato's agreement, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, then asked Kōki, "Kōki, your team is gone. What do you plan to do?"
"I'll leave everything to your arrangements, Lord Hokage."
Kōki no longer minded. His supervising teacher was gone, and so were his teammates. He could go anywhere now.
"In that case, I hope you'll join the Anbu. It would suit you better as you are now," Hiruzen Sarutobi suggested to Kōki.
The Anbu, whose full name was the Special Assassination and Tactical Squad, had been founded by Konoha's Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. Because of the special nature of their missions, its members wore white animal masks during operations, and the nature of their missions and all other information were kept classified.
The Anbu answered directly to the Kage, who issued all its orders. The unit contained multiple squads of four or five members, with squad leaders relaying orders and leading their execution. During missions, members were addressed by code names.
It could be said that everyone who entered this unit was an elite, someone deeply trusted by the Hokage.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had two reasons for wanting Kōki to join the Anbu. The first was to conceal Kōki's identity. Although he had already ordered Minato and the others to maintain secrecy, Wood Release would be exposed one day. Keeping Kōki's identity well hidden would also serve to protect him.
The second was that Kōki's current strength made him unsuited to joining an ordinary team. Entering the Anbu would instead give him more opportunities to hone himself.
"All right, Lord Hokage. I have no objections."
"Lord Hokage, these are the remains of Teacher Uehara, Katsuto, and the others. I hope you can help me return them to their families."
Kōki remembered that Mamoru Uehara and the others' remains were still with him. Wanting to let them be laid to rest first, he handed Hiruzen Sarutobi the scroll containing their bodies.
"Lord Hokage, I hope the coffins I made for them won't be damaged. They're the only things I could make for them." Afraid that someone who did not understand would ruin his plan, Kōki specifically made this request to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Don't worry. No one will tamper with your comrades." Hiruzen Sarutobi was very pleased that Kōki cherished even his comrades' remains, and made him a promise on the spot.
With Hiruzen Sarutobi's promise, Kōki breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. There would be no problem now. Once he obtained a forbidden technique capable of resurrecting the dead, he could bring Mamoru Uehara and the others back to life.
He planned to visit Sunagakure once his strength reached Kage Level and see whether Chiyo had developed a forbidden technique for resurrecting people. If she had, he would simply steal it.
As for whether that might have any harmful repercussions, Kōki did not care about all that.
Anyone who stood in his way was an enemy. At this thought, a trace of ruthlessness flashed through Kōki's eyes.
"Kōki, you've just lost your comrades. Take the next few days to rest."
Seeing Kōki's gloomy expression, Hiruzen Sarutobi thought that, since he had just lost his teammates, he should be given a few days off to relax his mind and ease his emotions.
"But Lord Hokage, on the battlefield..."
"It's all right. The war won't end in a day or two. Just get some proper rest. Once you've recovered, I'll have someone take you to report to the Anbu."
Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's serious expression, Kōki stopped insisting. He really did need to sort out his thoughts.
His teammates' sudden deaths, his own strength, and the path he should take in the future-there were many things he needed time to think about.
There was also the question of what he should do if his future attempt to resurrect Katsuto and the others failed. He had to prepare several backup plans.
At the same time, Kōki also thought that the surest way to resurrect someone was to become a person who controlled life and death, like the Sage of Six Paths.
But the Sage of Six Paths' realm was not so easily reached. From the time of the Sage of Six Paths until the current Third Shinobi World War, only the now-elderly Madara Uchiha had come closest to the realm of Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths. Even he was still one step short.
With his own talent, he could at most reach Hashirama Senju's level, still falling far short of Madara Uchiha.
Thus, he still needed to build up more, then climb upward step by step. As for whether he could ultimately become someone like the Sage of Six Paths, Kōki himself could not predict it.
Perhaps he could, perhaps he could not. But even if he truly died on the path of evolution, he would have no complaints or regrets.