Chương 28: The Third Hokage and the Celebration

The graduates gradually dispersed, and Zhen's group prepared to head out for their meal. At that moment, a middle-aged man of modest height emerged from the integrated classroom, followed by several Academy teachers, including Inoue Kuroiwa. This man was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. At this time, the Third was roughly fifty-five years old—not yet the frail, elderly figure of Zhen's memories.

Though his expression was one of kind benevolence, one could still discern the imposing aura of the legendary "Shinobi Legend" of days past. This was Zhen's first close encounter with the ultimate authority of the Hidden Leaf; during the previous enrollment ceremony, he had been too far away. When one sees the Hokage, one does not simply turn and leave; that would be a grave breach of etiquette.

"Hokage-sama!" the group greeted him with respectful bows.

"Good, good. Hohoho," the Third nodded cheerfully, looking at each of them with grandfatherly affection. His gaze lingered for a few extra moments on the faces of Dongye Zhen and Uchiha Shisui. He knew Shisui, of course; as the descendant of his old friend Kagami Uchiha, the boy was a permanent fixture on his observation list. As for Dongye Zhen...

"You must be Dongye Zhen. I remember you are the child of Jiro and Hui. You are a fine boy as well."

"Eh? Hokage-sama knows me? You even know my parents—that's amazing!"

"Haha, indeed I do. I even knew your grandfather and uncle. They were heroes of the Leaf. Especially your mother; her medical ninjutsu is of a very high caliber."

"I am grateful for your recognition, Hokage-sama. They are the role models I strive to follow."

"By the way, Zhen... why didn't you graduate early like Shisui? I recall you were the top scorer of your entrance exam. Inoue-sensei even recommended you to me."

"Hokage-sama, I feel my strength is still lacking. My father once said that only by becoming powerful can one better protect their comrades and contribute to the defense of the Leaf. Therefore, I wish to train for another year. As the saying goes, 'sharpening the blade does not hinder the harvest.'""Sharpening the blade does not hinder the harvest? A simple yet philosophical way to put it." The Third Hokage moved past the topic with a light touch and asked, "And where are you all headed?"

"I'm treating Hayate and Shisui to a meal to celebrate their graduation. Hokage-sama, why don't you join us?"

"Oh, a celebration? A wonderful idea. But this old man won't intrude; I'd only make you all feel constrained. Go on ahead."

"Understood. Goodbye, Hokage-sama!" The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The group bowed respectfully and departed together.

"Kuroiwa," the Hokage said, his voice dropping as he looked at the teacher.

"What is your honest assessment of this student of yours?" Inoue Kuroiwa lowered his head respectfully.

"His thoughts are mature, his strength is formidable, and his mastery of shinobi theory is rock-solid. He prefers to operate according to his own plans. Furthermore, over the last six months, I've noticed something interesting: even when Zhen spars with Shisui, his performance remains consistently stable. It's as if, in his eyes, even someone as strong as Shisui is no different from any other classmate. Sometimes... I even feel that if I were to face him myself, I might be far from his match."

The Hokage looked surprised.

"Oh? Such high praise? For even you to feel inferior is rare. He is a truly exceptional talent—perhaps a genius on the level of Kakashi or Minato."

"I apologize, Hokage-sama. It was my failing that I couldn't convince him to apply for graduation."

"No, no. There is no fault here. Your teaching results are excellent. A year earlier or later makes little difference. Let him stay in school and build more bonds with his peers; that is a good thing!" The Third Hokage, in terms of personal charisma and approachability, was top-tier. If one ignored the darker political theories, he was a very decent Hokage. As for Danzo Shimura, he wouldn't dare poach students from the Academy.

The school was the Hokage's territory; the children inside were being educated in the purest form of the Will of Fire—it was the Hokage's natural power base, and he would never allow another to touch it. Moreover, Dongye Zhen was a "straight red" commoner from a heroic lineage, with living parents and healthy friendships. There was little room for darkness in his heart, making him not Danzo's "type." Thus, the typical "Danzo-stole-my-student" drama wouldn't be happening to Zhen.

It was almost a slight disappointment—one could hardly call themselves a genius in this village without Danzo trying to kidnap them at least once. Inside Yakiniku Q, business was booming. Normally, the place wasn't this crowded at lunch; truthfully, it wasn't a cheap place to eat. But today was a day for enrollment and graduation. Many people chose this spot—either to celebrate a child's entry into the Academy or to toast a friend's graduation.

While eating, Zhen asked, "Hayate, Shisui, now that you've graduated, what are your plans? Will you be joining a standard three-man squad?" Gekko Hayate was direct.

"I'll probably be part of a normal squad. My father hasn't mentioned any special arrangements for me." His father, Unmi Gekko, was a few years older than Zhen's parents. He used to be a Tokubetsu Jonin, but word was he had recently been promoted to a full Jonin. The war had taken a heavy toll on the village, with many Jonin lost; naturally, those vacancies had to be filled.

The high command and the major clans didn't care much about Chunin or Genin, but a "Registered Jonin" status was the focus of their political tug-of-war. Registered Jonin were automatically led by the Jonin Commander, a position with immense power. Who held more seats directly influenced the proposal and execution of village policy. There were many shinobi with Jonin-level strength, but the number of those with the actual rank and official registration remained constant.

In the future, Naruto's ninja registration number would be 012607 upon graduating at twelve. Does that mean Konoha only produced ten thousand-odd ninja in sixty-three years? Obviously not. The large and medium clans—Uchiha, Hyuga, Sarutobi, Ino-Shika-Cho—all had many members trained internally who were never officially registered with the village. After Hayate finished, they all looked at Shisui. Shisui looked a bit unhappy.

"As for me, I'll likely spend some time training with my clan seniors, and then I might join the Military Police Force." He actually wanted to be like everyone else—to join a normal squad, follow a sensei, and make new friends. But that was clearly unlikely. Because he frequently hung out with Zhen's group, learning, competing, and pushing each other, his strength was even greater than it was in the original timeline. For a genius like him, the Uchiha clan was loath to let outsiders handle his development.

As for someone like Obito Uchiha, he was already considered a "dead weight"; the proud Uchiha elders had no expectations for him, so they let him build bonds with villagers as a way of "recycling waste." Zhen thought for a moment and said, "That's fine. It's wartime; other nations are scattering spies everywhere. Internal village security is vital, and that falls under your clan's jurisdiction."

"But I want to go to the battlefield. Our comrades are risking their lives to protect Konoha, yet most of my clan stays behind. I feel... it isn't right."

"Not right" was an understatement. Shisui was putting it gently because of his personality. Being young, he could feel something was wrong but couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. Walking through the village, he saw the glares from villagers—especially those who had lost family in the war—whenever they saw the crest on his back. Shisui wasn't a thick-headed fool like Obito; he was incredibly precocious and sensitive. He felt it all. It was just that some things were not meant for someone his age to know.

Yugao and the others didn't know what to say, and while Zhen understood the situation perfectly, he wouldn't dare speak out. In his previous life, speaking out of turn got you a beating; in the Shinobi World, it could cost you your life.