The Third Hokage's Ultimate Move

"There's this shameless old geezer who not only fools children and fails to give them what he promised, but is also a huge pervert."

"I'm looking for a chance to catch him off guard and whack him over the head a few times, so he won't keep preying on the village's future flowers."

Well, well. So this was what Miya had been waiting to spring on Hiruzen Sarutobi?

With Miya mocking him both openly and subtly and exposing his shortcomings like that, no matter how shrewd Hiruzen Sarutobi was, he wasn't dumbstruck... Yeah, right!

"Heh heh..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's dry laugh was painfully awkward. His eyes were full of helplessness and bitter amusement.

Now he finally understood that Miya was still hung up on the barbecue and wasn't going to forget it anytime soon.

"Um, Miya..."

"Don't say it. Don't even think about it. I don't agree."

One look at Hiruzen Sarutobi's twitching mouth and earnest expression, and Miya immediately understood that Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted him to do something. So, before Hiruzen Sarutobi could say it, he shut him down.

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

"Miya, stop right there! I'm not finished!"

Miya showed him no regard at all and turned to leave. His attitude nearly made Hiruzen Sarutobi's nose twist with anger.

"But I've already heard enough!"

Without any intention of stopping, Miya shot back at Hiruzen Sarutobi with his back turned.

"Miya, stop."

"I'm now assigning you a B-no, an A-rank mission in the name of the Hokage. You must take part in this year's Chunin Ninja Exams."

Thinking quickly, Hiruzen Sarutobi changed the rule that participation in the Chunin Ninja Exams was voluntary and assigned it to Miya as a mission, hoping to get him to take part and carry out the plan to deter other nations.

"Ch-Chunin Ninja Exams?"

Miya stopped in his tracks, a half-smile on his face. He turned and saw Hiruzen Sarutobi blinking at him, and it all clicked.

No wonder Hiruzen Sarutobi had let him graduate early. He had taken an interest in Miya's strength and hoped he would show what he could do in the upcoming Chunin Ninja Exams.

"That's right! Miya, listen to me..."

"Not going!"

Before Hiruzen Sarutobi could finish, Miya put on a look of disgust and spoke.

"Uh..."

"W-why?"

"As long as you pass the Chunin Ninja Exams, I'll make you a Chunin. Doesn't that tempt you?"

His expression stiff, Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at Miya in bewilderment as he asked.

"Too much trouble. Why would I go?"

Miya was set on getting something out of Hiruzen Sarutobi and wasn't about to be stupid now. Did it matter whether he was a Chunin or took part in the Chunin Ninja Exams?

Not one bit!

What mattered was making Hiruzen Sarutobi pay.

Seeing that Miya wasn't giving him any face, Hiruzen Sarutobi promptly changed his approach, earnestly and painstakingly appealing to his emotions and reason:

"Miya, the village is surrounded by danger right now. Do you want to see the village you love fall into peril? As a ninja of the village, how can you not step forward?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression and tone, cajoling and coaxing him... honestly...

He made it sound as if Miya didn't love the village and wasn't willing to do anything for it if he refused.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had no shame left!

Given the current situation in the Shinobi World, Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't speaking without reason. Tensions between Konoha and the various ninja villages were escalating, and all it would take now was a spark to set off a large-scale conflict, or even a war.

That was why Hiruzen Sarutobi badly needed a chance to flex Konoha's muscles before the entire Shinobi World, and the upcoming Chunin Ninja Exams were the best choice.

He had long since sent invitations to the Chunin Ninja Exams to the ninja villages that had signed peace treaties and mutual defense alliances with Konoha.

If Miya took part in the Chunin Ninja Exams this time, he had no confidence at all that he could display Konoha's overwhelming strength to the entire Shinobi World.

Miya, who was only eight this year and already had Jonin-level strength, was the perfect representative. As long as Miya acted according to his plan during the Chunin Ninja Exams, he could loudly announce to the entire Shinobi World:

Look, this is one of Konoha's Genin. If you want to take us on, do you have the strength?

In short, Hiruzen Sarutobi intended to make Miya an iconic figure for Konoha, a model Genin, and a representative whose image would deter the world's many nations and ninja villages.

Without Miya, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't pull this plan off.

As for the village's other Genin, did they have Miya's strength?

No!

Without Miya, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't do a thing.

But...

No matter what Hiruzen Sarutobi said, Miya's answer was the same.

Not going!

"Phew-"

"Phew-"

"This brat is driving me mad! Why won't anything get through to him?"

After talking for nearly ten minutes and nearly running his mouth dry, Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at Miya, feeling helpless.

Miya had acted as if he were leaving earlier, yet he was still standing there now.

Wasn't the meaning obvious?

Did Miya really think a man who had become the Third Hokage was an idiot?

Huh???

He wasn't an idiot; he just schemed too much!

He wanted the horse to run without feeding it its fill!

So Miya listened attentively but refused to act without a reward. Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi talked himself hoarse, Miya had just one move.

Meet every change by staying the same.

Hadn't he assigned participation in the Chunin Ninja Exams to Miya as a mission?

The mission's A rank was a little low. Bump it up a notch to S rank!

And the mission reward needed a little bump too.

Mm! That was it!

Miya was so clever. No wonder he was so lovable!

"Are you finished?"

"Then I'm leaving!"

"Bye-bye!"

Miya made to leave again, making Hiruzen Sarutobi so angry he was practically breathing fire.

Those smooth, unhesitating movements, as though he were leaving without taking a single cloud with him, nearly drove Hiruzen Sarutobi—the outstanding politician and Third Hokage who had just displayed his eloquence to the fullest-to death with anger.

Miya's answer was so simple! He gave no reason at all, just two words—not going.

If it had been someone else who dared disobey his orders, Hiruzen Sarutobi would certainly have given them a good lesson in what a Lord Hokage was.

But faced with a child like Miya, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who knew he was in the wrong and felt guilty, really didn't have much of a solution.

After all, he had done something inhuman before and owed Miya too much!

If word got out, he, the dignified Third Hokage, would have no face left!

His emotional appeal had no effect on Miya at all, Hiruzen Sarutobi lamented inwardly.

Do I have to use force against Miya? Threaten him? Wouldn't that end up backfiring?

Feeling helpless, Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a mournful sigh.

"Sigh..."

He could only bring out his ultimate move-indulging Miya.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes shifted. He coughed twice and said to Miya:

"Ahem."

"Miya, what exactly are your conditions?"

"As long as you're willing to take part in the Chunin Ninja Exams and bring glory to Konoha, everything is negotiable."