Neji blinked. "M-Me? I failed the chakra leaf test yesterday."
"Even so."
Neji walked slowly, bowing with a clumsy stiffness. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a single leaf, and placed it on his forehead. It wobbled. Fell.
Laughter.
Hiruzen raised his hand. "Not every shinobi begins with control. Some begin with intent."
Intent? You mean narrative. You're turning me into an example of growth. Another layer to your speech.
Externally, Neji smiled sheepishly. "I'll keep training harder, Lord Hokage."
"Good. Never give up."
The tension in the academy classroom had just started to settle. The students who had been laughing at Neji Hyuga's latest failure now sat straighter, still grinning, but quieted by the presence of the Hokage himself. Neji stood at the edge of the crowd, silent, his usual fake smile subdued into a look of vague interest.
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"I heard you've all begun learning the basics of what it means to be a shinobi. Sparring, chakra control, history… failures and progress." He smiled again, eyes twinkling. "That's good. That's how it should be."
He took a step closer to the front row and asked, "Tell me… what do you all want to become?"
Hands shot up with varying levels of eagerness. Hiruzen pointed to a boy from the Shimura clan.
"I want to become a powerful jonin like my uncle!"
A girl from the Kurama clan added, "I want to master genjutsu and become an elite guard of the Hokage!"
Another voice chimed in. "I want to be like the Third Hokage! Like you!"
Hiruzen chuckled. "That's very kind."
Then his tone changed, subtly deepening, weaving warmth with gravity.
"You see," he said, "being strong is not enough. Being fast, clever, skilled in ninjutsu… that too is not enough. A shinobi must have something more. A purpose. A fire."
He turned slightly, eyes narrowing with nostalgic sharpness as he began the speech that had, over time, shaped generations.
"There is a flame that burns in the heart of every true shinobi of the Hidden Leaf. It is a will that transcends bloodlines, surpasses talent, and endures through pain, loss, and sacrifice. We call it the Will of Fire."
The room fell still.
"The Will of Fire is what makes this village more than just buildings and walls. It is what binds the Uchiha and the Senju, the Nara and the Yamanaka, the Hyuga and the Aburame. It is what brought peace after the Warring States era, and what led to the founding of this village."
Neji, inwardly, bit the inside of his cheek. Bullshit. Outwardly, he blinked slowly and nodded in awe. Wow.
Hiruzen continued.
"It was this will that guided the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, as he stood against Madara Uchiha to protect what he believed in. It was the Will of Fire that pushed the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, to give his life for this village… for his child, and for your future."
The room was spellbound now. Even the bullies who had laughed at Neji leaned forward.
"And it is this will," Hiruzen said, voice deep and ringing, "that I see in the eyes of the shinobi who have grown under my watch. I saw it in Itachi Uchiha, when he chose to protect peace at the cost of everything. I saw it in Shisui Uchiha, when he entrusted me with his final wish. I saw it in Minato when he took the mantle of Hokage with humble determination."
Neji stared at the man, a master manipulator dressed in the skin of a kindly grandfather. You've turned gods into martyrs and called it love.
"You are young," Hiruzen said now, voice gentler. "Your paths are still unknown. Some of you will become great warriors. Some will become teachers. Some may die young, others may grow old. But if the Will of Fire burns in your hearts… you will always be part of something greater than yourselves."
He reached into his robe and produced a book—"Shinobi History: Flames of Unity." On its cover was the name of a fictional author, a loyal figurehead from the past, supposedly a child of the Will of Fire.
"This book," he said, "is part of your curriculum now. In it are the stories that shaped our village. Read them not as mere history, but as proof. Proof that love, sacrifice, and unity can stand against anything."
He then looked directly at Neji. Just for a second. That warm, knowing, gently manipulative gaze.
Neji bowed his head. "I'll do my best to uphold the Will of Fire, Hokage-sama."
The Hokage nodded approvingly, then turned back to the class.
"You are the leaves of the next generation. From you, the next forest will grow. Protect each other. Learn from one another. And never forget: the Will of Fire lives in each of you."
The class clapped, some with genuine reverence, others with nervous confusion. A few had tears in their eyes.
Sasamoto Orui stepped forward. "Thank you for your time, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen smiled and offered a slow wave. "Grow well, little ones."
As he exited, his shadow seemed taller than his form—like a monument walking away.
Once the door closed, murmurs burst out like steam. "He was so cool!" "I want to be Hokage too!" "Did you see how wise he looked?!"
Neji leaned against the wall, listening with narrowed eyes. "He's good," he murmured to himself. "Too good."
Rock Lee clapped him on the back. "That was amazing, huh, Neji?! You're going to be like him someday, I know it!"
Neji smiled at Lee. "Sure. Someday."