Here's @riojiyo131, your trusted writer.
You can now get early access to Chapter 62 of Re: Naruto Uzumaki on my Patreon. You can also read up to Chapter 11 of Naruto: Satoru Senju.
patreon.com/riojiyo131
-----------------
"Only two days?" The Hokage slowly removed his pipe, his gaze fixed on Kakashi Hatake, who stood before him without his ANBU mask.
"Truth be told, Hokage-sama, Satoru managed to copy the Chidori after watching it only once. It took him merely two days to fully master it..." Kakashi reported, "although I must admit, it took me several months to reach that same level," the last part barely audible, as if he would have preferred to keep it to himself.
"A truly... extraordinary talent." The Third Hokage leaned back in his chair, letting out a long, thoughtful sigh.
Kakashi remained silent for a moment before speaking again.
"I suspect Satoru is already very close to my current level, Hokage-sama."
The statement made Hiruzen raise his eyebrows, clearly surprised.
"And he's only six years old..." Hiruzen murmured thoughtfully.
"He comes from a formidable lineage. We cannot ignore the blood running through his veins, Hokage-sama."
Satoru wasn't just the son of Tsunade Senju, the Slug Princess, one of the Legendary Three Sannin.
He was also the great-grandson of Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, recognized as the strongest shinobi of all time.
His great-grandmother had been Mito Uzumaki, a powerful kunoichi from the Land of Whirlpools, an expert in Fūinjutsu, and the first Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi.
On top of that, Tsunade's granduncle, Tobirama Senju, had been the Second Hokage.
Thinking of Tobirama, Kakashi couldn't help but notice the physical resemblance Satoru shared with him.
"And the true purpose of your mission? Have you managed to instill the Will of Fire in him?" Hiruzen asked, his tone now more serious.
Kakashi lowered his head slightly and replied frankly:
"I'm afraid not, Hokage-sama. Despite my efforts, I haven't been able to pass on that ideal to him. Satoru is an extremely intelligent child, much more than he lets on, but... I simply haven't had enough time to achieve a significant shift in his perspective."
Hiruzen nodded slowly.
"Then I will grant you more time. Stay by his side. Teach him everything you know. The village cannot afford to waste such talent."
Kakashi couldn't suppress a shadow of frustration: just when he thought his mission was about to end, the Hokage piled more work onto him.
"Hokage-sama... Satoru has requested to learn the Rasengan. I request your permission to teach him the technique."
Kakashi wasn't sure what else he could teach Satoru that would present a real challenge if the Hokage refused.
Kenjutsu lessons would start soon, but even that didn't seem like it would take long for the young prodigy to master.
Then, an idea crossed his mind.
"Hokage-sama, if I may, I would like to enlist the support of a few members of my squad to help instruct Satoru."
Hiruzen frowned at him.
"What exactly are you planning, Kakashi...?"
The Hokage's piercing gaze seemed to cut right through him. Hiruzen already suspected that Kakashi was trying to partially dodge the workload by delegating it to his subordinates.
"Satoru has shown a particular interest in kenjutsu. I believe that one of my subordinates, Yūgao Uzuki, would be a much more suitable instructor in that specific field."
"In other words," Hiruzen responded, his voice calm but firm, "you want to delegate your responsibilities to the rest of Team Ro."
Kakashi gave a nervous smile, which was all the answer Hiruzen needed.
After a long drag on his pipe, Hiruzen nodded.
"I'll allow it."
"I also wish to report something important that I didn't include in the written report, Hokage-sama," Kakashi lowered his voice.
Hiruzen immediately paid close attention. He knew that anything Kakashi chose not to put in writing must be of critical importance.
"Something you could only tell me in person...?"
Kakashi nodded.
"Satoru has awakened the Wood Release, Hokage-sama."
The pipe fell from Hiruzen's hands, hitting the desk with a hollow thud. His eyes widened in shock.
"The... Wood Release, you say?"
Hiruzen knew better than anyone what that meant. He had witnessed the First Hokage's power firsthand as a child.
And while Yamato, one of his ANBU under Kakashi's command, also possessed the Wood Release, he was the result of one of Orochimaru's twisted experiments.
Satoru, on the other hand, had inherited it naturally.
Without a doubt, Satoru would become one of Konoha's great pillars in the future.
If the Will of Fire didn't take hold in Satoru... should he consider other ways of tying him to the village?
Hiruzen pondered, thinking about methods used in the past when circumstances demanded it.
"I remember doing something similar with Jiraiya's student, Minato."
The memory of Minato, the Fourth Hokage, surfaced, and an involuntary sigh escaped his lips.
Minato, a leader beloved by all, had died six years ago during the Kyūbi attack. His tragic death had forced Hiruzen to reassume the Hokage title — something he had hoped to avoid.
"With Minato, the Will of Fire had already taken root in him, but even so, I considered it necessary to further tie his fate to Konoha through Kushina Uzumaki," Hiruzen reflected.
It wasn't that he didn't love Minato.
No. His affection for the boy was genuine.
But Konoha was bigger than any individual, and the village's stability —its future— depended on decisions like these.
Now, he faced the same dilemma with Satoru.
"Should I bind him to the village somehow, perhaps by pairing him with a young and promising kunoichi, just like I did with Minato?"
The moral dilemma remained the same, but the circumstances were different.
Was Satoru truly the kind of leader Konoha would need, or just another talent that had to be shaped with a firm hand?
Hiruzen shifted his gaze toward Kakashi, with a smile that, while warm, was unmistakably strategic.
"Seems like from now on, you'll have even less free time, Kakashi. I want Yamato to join Satoru's training and help him develop his Wood Release."
Kakashi smiled behind his mask. "Understood, Hokage-sama."
"As for the Rasengan, teach it to him as well. I have no qualms about investing in someone who could become my successor in the future."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.
"Are you planning to make Satoru your successor, Hokage-sama?"
Hiruzen looked at him with a mix of wisdom and resolution.
"Satoru comes from a prestigious lineage, one that traces back to Konoha's founders — to Hashirama Senju himself. Not only that, but he has also inherited the First Hokage's Kekkei Genkai. His talent is remarkable, even at such a young age, and he possesses a unique Dōjutsu, as you mentioned in your report.
The boy has a promising future, Kakashi. With proper guidance, he will become a great Hokage."
Kakashi, though always cautious, couldn't help but be swayed by the Hokage's words.
"By the way, Kakashi... How did you discover that Satoru possessed the Wood Release? Was it him who showed you?" Hiruzen asked with a hint of doubt.
He couldn't help but question how Satoru, a child abandoned by his mother, a boy who had grown up on his own with no one by his side, had managed to develop such deep trust in Kakashi —someone he had only known for a few days.
Kakashi, thoughtful, took a moment before answering.
"Truth be told, it was Satoru who showed it to me, Hokage-sama..."
Once again, Hiruzen was surprised by the response.
Even Kakashi didn't fully understand why Satoru had trusted him enough to share such crucial information.
Especially considering that Satoru had deliberately chosen to withhold important details about his Dōjutsu, the Rokugan, keeping that information to himself.
Satoru was well aware that there were people in the village he couldn't trust.
Moreover, Satoru knew perfectly well that Kakashi was there to watch him on the Hokage's orders, and that anything he learned would be reported.
What exactly was Satoru's plan?
Kakashi still had no clue.
"It happened recently, actually, when Satoru managed to master the Chidori... Everything happened so fast..." Kakashi began recalling that incident, just the morning before.