A Happy Miya and a Grinning Third Hokage

Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth twitched when he saw Miya take the money and try to slip away.

"Am I really that unwelcome?"

Speechless, Hiruzen looked at Miya's departing back and hurriedly called out:

"Miya, don't leave yet. I have something else to say to you."

Hiruzen's reaction was exactly what Miya had expected. He had personally delivered the captured Miyayama Uemon to the Hokage building for the sake of the show about to unfold.

Otherwise, Miya would never have come to see that lousy old man Hiruzen!

Was Rin Nohara no longer appealing? Or was Kurenai Yuhi no longer beautiful?

Without some purpose, who would spend time alone with an old man? Hiruzen wasn't an elder Miya had to show filial respect to.

Delighted inwardly, Miya turned around and asked Hiruzen with feigned impatience:

"Something else?"

"If you have something to say, hurry up."

"But don't even think about getting your hands on this money. I still need to buy presents for Rin and Kurenai!"

Hiruzen nearly choked on Miya's last sentence.

Buying presents, and for two girls at that?

He was already up to no good at such a young age!

What was more, the impatient look on Miya's face made Hiruzen angry just seeing it.

Still, as the village's highest leader and the Third Hokage, Hiruzen had at least that much tolerance.

Besides, he needed Miya right now.

So Hiruzen smiled at Miya and spoke in a negotiatory tone:

"Miya, have you given any thought to what I said last time about graduating early?"

When Miya heard Hiruzen bring up early graduation again, he was immediately delighted.

That's what I've been waiting for. If I don't take you for everything I can, my name isn't Miya.

Miya, who had long since decided how to respond, raised a hand and refused:

"No, I haven't thought about it."

"I'm doing just fine at the Ninja Academy. Nothing beats that."

Hiruzen couldn't see any sign of interest in early graduation on Miya's face. Before he could speak, he heard Miya mutter in disgust:

"Old man, has anyone ever told you how sleazy you look when you smile like that..."

"Like one of those nasty old men in the village who trick kids out of their candy."

Hiruzen was furious. Absolutely furious.

Miya's words made Hiruzen so angry that his breathing hitched, his expression froze, and he turned to stone on the spot.

Seeing Miya nodding vigorously with an utterly serious expression only made him angrier.

This little bastard was infuriating.

Sleazy? Sleazy my ass. This is kindly. Do you understand what kindly means?

And what did he mean, a nasty old man who tricks kids out of their candy?

I'm the dignified Third Hokage. Can't I afford a piece of candy?

Who knows what the Ninja Academy is teaching him? He has no respect for me, the Third Hokage, at all. A brat like this ought to be strung up and given a good thrashing.

The Konoha Ninja Academy could be said to have caught a stray for no reason.

Konoha Ninja Academy: "I'm not taking the blame for this. You're the principal! If anyone's to blame, it should be you first."

Hiruzen heard the Ninja Academy's excuses, spat out a mouthful of blood, and died.

Considering that Miya was still a child, Hiruzen didn't make too much of it. He put away his smile and coughed twice.

"Ahem, ahem."

Hiruzen would never admit that he had coughed because he was angry.

"Miya!"

"If you graduated early and became a Genin, think how impressive you'd look in front of your classmates, how much face you'd gain!"

"Don't you agree?"

Changing his tone, Hiruzen spoke earnestly.

But Miya's next words nearly made Hiruzen choke with anger again.

"No!"

"I'm already impressive at school. If you don't believe me, go and ask around."

"Tell me who dares say I'm not impressive."

As he spoke, Miya even held up his little fist.

His meaning was obvious: if anyone dared say no, his little fist would pound them.

Well, that route was blocked too.

Luckily, Hiruzen had prepared plenty of material to persuade Miya to graduate early.

I'm the Hokage himself. I can't persuade you to graduate early?

I refuse to believe it!

When one plan failed, Hiruzen came up with another and continued:

"Miya, there isn't much useful knowledge the Ninja Academy can teach you anymore."

"If you graduate early, how about I find you a powerful teacher to give you individual instruction?"

Given Miya's strength and talent, Hiruzen would never let him slip through his fingers unless he was blind.

Miya already had the strength of a Special Jōnin at such a young age. What would he be capable of in a few more years?

In the future, he was sure to be an ace!

Hiruzen had no idea that Miya had grown even stronger. Even against an Elite Jonin, he wouldn't be afraid in the slightest.

When it came to close-quarters combat, Taijutsu ninja were unquestionably number one, and Miya happened to be a Taijutsu ninja.

A Taijutsu ninja with cheats.

"No."

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going."

"I still have presents to buy for Rin and Kurenai so I can give them to them when I go back to school tomorrow!"

Having refused Hiruzen again, Miya immediately pretended to leave, without giving Hiruzen even the slightest bit.

As soon as he turned around, Miya made his stomach growl with hunger.

"Grrr~~"

Although Hiruzen couldn't see his face, Miya still put on a long-suffering expression.

With acting skills like that, he could definitely have won an Oscar for best actor back in the day—and more than one, at that.

Seeing Miya about to leave again, but hearing the sound from his stomach, Hiruzen stopped trying to persuade him to graduate early and switched to an indirect approach.

"Are you hungry? Haven't you eaten yet?"

"How about I treat you to barbecue?"

"I know barbecue is your favorite."

Having finally lured Hiruzen in, Miya turned around happily and urged him on without ceremony:

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"If you're treating me to barbecue, I'm definitely eating my fill."

"Hahaha..."

Seeing how happy Miya was, Hiruzen laughed too, though he felt a little bitter inside.

Remembering how much Miya had eaten at school, Hiruzen felt that there was no way around spending a fortune today.

But seeing Miya so happy, Hiruzen still felt he had a chance to persuade him to agree to graduate early.

"All right, let's go!"

Hiruzen rose from the Hokage's seat and took Miya toward a barbecue restaurant in the village.

"Let's go, let's go eat barbecue!"

Walking beside Hiruzen, Miya wore a delighted smile. Only now, in Hiruzen's eyes, was he behaving the way a child should.

Hiruzen still didn't know that he was about to fall into the huge pit Miya had prepared for him.

For now, Hiruzen, who thought he had found the right way to persuade Miya, was still standing there grinning foolishly at the happy boy!