"Huh?"
Suddenly, Xin turned his head toward the forest on their left. Noticing this, Minato immediately became alert.
Even Nawaki, who had been inhaling the fresh air with exaggerated enthusiasm, quickly adopted a serious expression and focused on the forest.
"It's one of our own, no need to be so tense," Xin said, patting them on the shoulder to ease their nerves.
"You've still got that strong sense, huh?" A voice from above said.
Sakumo Hatake, wearing his signature short-sleeved Hokage vest, leaped down from a large tree, landing steadily in front of Xin.
He motioned with his hand over Xin's head and smiled: "Time flies. It seems like you've all grown up."
"Sensei," Minato and Nawaki greeted him respectfully, lowering their guard.
"Are you on a mission, Sensei?" Xin asked casually, much more relaxed than the others.
Sakumo chuckled and nodded.
"Yes, the village has assigned me a mission. I didn't expect to run into you on the way. How have the shipping routes been lately?"
He couldn't disclose the details of the mission, and Xin didn't pry either.
"They've been quiet. We haven't encountered anyone from the Mist Village. It seems they've been avoiding the shipping routes," Xin explained.
"That's good to hear," Sakumo replied warmly, without any sense of superiority despite his seniority.
"After two months on duty, you must be tired. Head back to the village and rest. I'll be on my way now."
After finishing his conversation, Sakumo Hatake left decisively, disappearing in an instant with a Shunshin no Jutsu, vanishing before the eyes of the three.
"Oh right, if you run into that Kakashi kid at the village's training grounds, could you help guide him a bit? He's quite headstrong and doesn't get along well with other children."
But Minato and Nawaki clearly didn't pay attention to those words.
They stood staring enviously in the direction Sakumo Hatake had left, thinking:
That Hokage half-sleeve...
It was as if Sakumo Hatake was already seen as the next Hokage in their minds.
Both of them had dreams of becoming Hokage, but their ambitions seemed far off.
Not only was the Third Hokage still in his prime, but Sakumo Hatake and the three Sannin stood as towering obstacles on the path to their dreams, making it seem almost impossible to overcome.
"Snap out of it!!"
Xin called out to the two.
"Hokage half-sleeve, huh..." Nawaki muttered, clearly envious. "Wait, what was that he said about someone named Kaka-something?"
"..."
Xin thought it was best not to let Kakashi get too close to Nawaki. Otherwise, Kakashi might end up developing the same foolhardy personality.
...
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