The Rōran Mission

He has always held high hopes for Minato Namikaze.

Minato is young and promising, with outstanding abilities.

Moreover, Minato was deeply loved and supported by the villagers, and his reputation was at its zenith in the village.

What's even more remarkable is that Minato doesn't have a powerful family backing him, which makes him relatively easier to control.

However, things took a completely different turn than he had initially envisioned.

From the moment the decision was made to appoint Minato as Uchiha Kōki's teacher, everything began to change silently.

He thought Minato would obediently carry out his orders, but in reality, Minato not only disobeyed him, but also grew closer to the Uchiha Clan!

Especially after Koki returned to the village after completing his mission, Minato frequently traveled between the Uchiha Clan Compound, which had become his second home.

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt incredibly anxious.

He watched helplessly as Minato gradually deviated from the path he had set, no longer the pawn who obeyed him and was manipulated at will.

At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi with remorse, wishing he could slap himself twice—how could he have picked up such a Taiseki only to have it smash into his own foot?

With things having come to this point, there was no other way but to quickly adjust his strategy, replan the game, and hurry to find a successor who was more obedient and compliant than Minato to take his place.

His gaze fell on Jiraiya.

Although Jiraiya was his disciple and had a somewhat unrestrained and unruly personality, he still felt confident in controlling him.

After careful consideration, he made up his mind to pave a path for Jiraiya to the Hokage throne.

But— Hiruzen Sarutobi examined the newly delivered intelligence report in his hand again, his brows furrowing deeply.

According to this intelligence, Jiraiya actually has a close relationship with Koki in private!

He simply couldn't understand what unique charm Koki possessed that could captivate so many people, even including Jiraiya, on whom he had placed such high hopes.

Koki became a sudden intruder, completely disrupting his carefully planned and arranged strategy.

He has always maintained a high degree of vigilance and caution towards the Uchiha Clan.

And now, this sense of threat has become even stronger.

Looking back, Danzo once suggested to him: to completely wipe out the Uchiha Clan in one fell swoop to eliminate future troubles.

He did not adopt the suggestion at the time, believing it to be too extreme.

But now it seems that perhaps we should have listened to Danzo's advice back then.

Despite Danzo ruthless methods and actions that often sparked controversy and discontent, Danzo's views on the Uchiha Clan seemed to have some merit.

Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi fell into deep thought...

He had to deal with external threats, such as the crisis brought about by Orochimaru's betrayal, as well as resolve internal power struggles and the problem of succession to the Hokage Position.

He recalled Koharu and Yan, who had been his right-hand men, fighting alongside him and overcoming difficulties together.

Now that they are no longer by his side, he feels a deep sense of loneliness and helplessness.

"Danzo, Koharu, En, I really miss you all." Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed softly.

Now, he has no choice but to rely on himself.

Suddenly, the power went out, plunging the room into complete darkness. Only outside the window, lightning flashed and thunder roared, like the fury of demons and their claws tearing through the night sky.

Lightning flashed, like a sharp blade slicing through a dark curtain. Pale, blinding bolts of lightning pierced through the windowpane, glancing across Hiruzen Sarutobi's face in the darkness before disappearing in an instant.

The rumbling thunder was like a stampede of ten thousand horses, shaking our eardrums. The gale raged, and the windows shook violently under the onslaught of wind and thunder, emitting a terrifying symphony of crackling sounds, as if trying to break through the thin barrier and wreak havoc on everything inside.

In the darkness, the tables, chairs, and filing cabinets became hazy shadows.

Lightning flashed across the night sky once more, briefly illuminating a corner of the room. Hiruzen Sarutobi sat silently in the darkness, his body taut like a fully drawn bow, ready to be released.

Minato strode confidently into the office and asked, "Lord Hokage, what are your orders?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his head, his gaze piercing through the darkness, and slowly said, "Minato, you've come."

He handed a piece of intelligence to Minato, saying gravely, "Take a look at this."

Minato took the intelligence report, his expression immediately turning serious as he carefully read through it.

As he read on, his expression grew increasingly serious, his brows furrowing.

The intelligence revealed that beneath the town of Rōran, near the Land of Sand, lies a massive energy crystal, signifying boundless Chakra.

This discovery will surely cause a huge upheaval in the ninja world, attracting covetousness and competition from various forces.

"... Minato, this is the mission outline. You, Akimichi Chōza, and Shibi Aburame will depart at dawn tomorrow for Rōran to investigate this matter."

Hiruzen Sarutobi understood that this matter was not of immediate urgency, but for the sake of the overall situation, he had no choice but to Minato to carry out this mission.

Minato performed exceptionally well in the Third Shinobi World War, earning countless honors and prestige.

He worried that Minato's attendance at the upcoming important meeting might bring unpredictable changes and affect his plans for the Hokage succession and other related projects.

"I understand. There's one more thing, Third Hokage." Minato stepped forward. "For this mission, I'd like to bring Uchiha Kōki along."

"What are your considerations?" Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly.

"Although Koki is young, she is an excellent ninja."

Minato solemnly explained, "He demonstrated extraordinary wisdom and courage in previous missions, and his maturity and strength far surpass those of his peers. I believe he will also shine in the mission to Rōran."

Hiruzen Sarutobi silent for a moment, his mind in turmoil.

"All right."