Inside the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi had already started his new day's work. However, the wrinkles between his brows were deeper than usual; he had too many worries recently. There was the ongoing Chunin Exams, Orochimaru's sightings within the Village, and Jiraiya's deliberate avoidance of the Hokage position...
What weighed even heavier on his heart was the intelligence Gekkō Hayate had brought back at the cost of his life not long ago—the Hidden Sound Village and the Hidden Sand Village seemed to be secretly plotting a conspiracy against Konoha, and the target was clearly him... and Naruto!
The intelligence indicated that the leader of the Hidden Sound Village was likely Orochimaru, who had already infiltrated Konoha.
Assassinate himself? Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep puff from his pipe, slowly exhaling the smoke. He did not fear death; he had already made peace with sacrificing himself for Konoha decades ago when he first stepped onto the battlefield.
What truly worried him was who would inherit the Hokage position after he fell.
He had indeed stayed in this position for too long... He knew that in other Villages, some might mock him behind his back for clinging to power... But the truth was, the current Konoha genuinely couldn't find a next-generation Hokage capable of bearing such a heavy burden.
After Minato Namikaze's untimely death, among the former 'Konoha's Three Ninja,' one had defected, and two had been away from the Village for extended periods.
As for the Jonin in the Village now... his son Asuma and Kakashi were still some way off from the 'Kage' level in terms of strength... And Might Guy... just thinking about the future where all Konoha Ninja might wear green jumpsuits and shout 'Youth!' gave him a headache.
It was precisely for this reason that when Jiraiya returned to the Village this time, he was so eager to push his former disciple into the Hokage position; he was almost the most suitable and convincing candidate at the moment.
The second thing that worried him was the'seizure of Naruto' mentioned in the intelligence. This was the core issue that made the Third Hokage most anxious and puzzled! Seizing a Jinchuriki? This was usually an extreme measure taken only during full-scale wars to weaken the enemy's strategic power!
He couldn't understand why Orochimaru, or rather the force behind him, would target Naruto at this time. But no matter what, the thought of the danger Naruto might face and the disaster it could trigger left the Third Hokage feeling mentally and physically exhausted, so much so that early in the morning, his entire Hokage office was already shrouded in the thick smoke rising from his pipe.
"Old Man, I advise you to smoke less. I wouldn't want you to collapse in this chair before you even retire."
Hearing that familiar yet somewhat irreverent voice, the Third Hokage turned his head, his gaze meeting Jiraiya, who had nimbly climbed in through the window and landed steadily.
"I thought you'd hide until the Chunin Exams ended, which would have saved me the trouble of having to go to the Konoha Village Gate, or even Mount Myōboku, to catch you afterward..."
The Third Hokage tapped his pipe, and ashes fell. "Also, can't you just use the main entrance?"
Jiraiya grinned, patting the dust off himself, and said nonchalantly, "I was wondering why I hadn't seen any Anbu members on the streets lately. Use the main entrance? That doesn't suit my style."
After a brief silence, the Third Hokage took a deep puff from his not-yet-extinguished pipe, choosing to cut straight to the chase.
"...You specifically came to see me because of Naruto, didn't you?" Through the crystal ball, he had long known that Jiraiya had been inseparable from Naruto recently; Jiraiya's appearance now was not merely for casual chat.
The playful smile on Jiraiya's face receded slightly. He walked to the desk, leaned his hands on the surface, and bent his body slightly forward.
"Old Man, you... are planning for Naruto to become the future Hokage, right?" His voice deepened slightly. "But you should know better than anyone how the villagers in the Village currently view that child, shouldn't you?"
The Third Hokage's eyes dimmed upon hearing this, and he slowly put down his pipe completely.
"This is indeed my responsibility; my hesitation back then created the current situation... Precisely because of this, I don't know, given the current strained relationship between the villagers and Naruto... to rashly reveal his true identity as the Fourth Hokage's son..."
Human nature is utilitarian; people often only feel guilt for past shortcomings when they urgently need someone.
He feared that if Naruto's lineage were revealed now, it might not immediately overturn prejudice but instead provoke an even stronger backlash, placing greater pressure on Naruto. He wanted to make amends, yet he also feared that his decision would once again harm the child. He was caught in a deep dilemma.
"But, Naruto is not the kind of person who would turn a blind eye to the suffering of others," Jiraiya said with an unconcealed pride in his tone. He straightened his back, his gaze fixed intently on the Third Hokage.
"Indeed, the attitude of the Konoha villagers is troubling. However, even if Naruto himself no longer cares about those cold stares, when danger strikes and others need help, he will still step forward without hesitation and choose to save people."
Jiraiya's voice became more steady and powerful. "Old Man, do you know what level of strength Naruto has truly reached now?"
Without waiting for the Third Hokage to ponder deeply, Jiraiya confidently threw out the answer.
"If we're just talking about strength... the current Naruto is probably as strong as Minato and Kushina combined."
"At least, much stronger than you and me right now."
The Third Hokage's pupils contracted slightly. He knew Jiraiya and understood that he would never speak carelessly about such matters. Moreover, he had already witnessed with his own eyes, through the crystal ball, Naruto's astonishing ability to control the Nine-Tailed Chakra. Yet, hearing such a direct and shocking assessment, he still found it hard to believe, and his fingers gripping the pipe tightened unconsciously.
"In any case," Jiraiya's tone returned to his usual carefree manner, "let Naruto face what comes next himself. I believe in him; he will not disappoint us."
Finally, Jiraiya took a deep breath, closed his eyes, recalling the events of these past years. A moment later, he reopened his eyes, his gaze devoid of any hesitation.
"And I, too, will never repeat your mistakes, Old Man. After the Chunin Exams, the position of the Fifth Hokage, leave it to me."
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