Konoha.
The desolate streets.
Kin and White Fang walked into the village.
There were few pedestrians on the road.
Apart from the guards at the gate respectfully greeting,
"Hello, Lord White Fang,"
there was none of the enthusiastic welcome from before. Even the streets of Konoha were much quieter than usual.
"Your popularity didn't last long,"
Kin remarked beside him.
Last time, if he hadn't run fast, he might have been trampled.
The fervent residents had left him terrified.
However, compared to the past, the difference was stark.
"After all, this isn't a time for celebration,"
White Fang shook his head, unbothered by this.
The previous enthusiasm had been needed to boost morale.
The battle reports had been announced to the villagers first.
With most of the village's ninjas deployed, the residents had been restless, affecting Konoha's stability.
Naturally, a victory needed to be celebrated.
Even if the higher-ups didn't want it.
Gazing at the Hokage's office in the distance,
"I remember Sarutobi Hiruzen once said, it's not about being acknowledged after becoming Hokage, but being acknowledged by everyone that allows one to become Hokage."
"Lord White Fang, do you want to become Hokage?"
Kin's voice was calm, yet tinged with temptation.
White Fang's eyes swept over the bleak village.
In the distance, there was a small, renovated building, but most were aged, dilapidated wooden houses.
He'd heard that before the war, the Hokage had wanted to renovate Konoha's structures.
But after the war broke out, there had been no further news.
He remembered his childhood, when Konoha's streets had been bustling with activity.
Now, the desolate streets were sparsely populated, with only a few people wrapped in clothes hurrying past.
The smiles of the past were gone.
This was because of the war.
Yet even during the First War, the village had never looked like this.
He knew well that this had something to do with the current Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
But he didn't believe he could do better than Hiruzen.
So, did he truly have the right to become Hokage?
Who in the village didn't want to be Hokage? He was no exception.
But.
White Fang smiled and shook his head, his expression uncharacteristically gentle.
"I just want to protect the village. As for becoming Hokage… forget it."
For a moment, his face betrayed a hint of melancholy.
He didn't explain further.
Kin watched as a distant wind blew fallen leaves past.
He raised his hand.
A snowflake landed on his palm.
"It's snowing."
The reason no longer mattered.
Because winter was bitterly cold.
Hokage's Office.
"Lord Hokage."
White Fang knelt on one knee. Sarutobi Hiruzen sat in his chair, puffing on his pipe and exhaling smoke slowly.
The hierarchy was clear and orderly.
But there was always someone who wouldn't adhere to such decorum.
"Old man! Hurry up!"
Uchiha Kin slammed his hand on the table.
"Cough, cough." Hiruzen choked on his smoke, coughing repeatedly as he looked helplessly at Kin.
In all his years as Hokage, the only one who had dared to be so rude was Tsunade.
Now, Uchiha Kin had joined the ranks.
How dare he?
Though he wouldn't do anything to Kin over it.
Hiruzen took a steadying breath.
Kin, meanwhile, couldn't care less. He had no intention of maintaining superficial niceties.
It was meaningless and exhausting.
No matter how well he behaved, he was still an Uchiha—these people would never stop targeting him.
And if he acted poorly, their treatment of the Uchiha clan couldn't get any worse.
So why bother exhausting himself to keep up appearances?
If it weren't for the fact that only he and White Fang had completed this mission, making his report indispensable, he would have gone home long ago.
"You've done well on this mission. It will count as an S-rank completion for you. Uchiha Kin, you may now prepare for the jonin exams."
Hiruzen couldn't help but sigh inwardly—the Uchiha truly produced geniuses too easily.
"Jonin exams, huh."
Kin scratched his head.
To become a jonin, even with the lowered requirements during wartime, one still had to take an exam.
At this time, promotion to jonin required two conditions: first, having battle achievements, and second, passing the written exam.
The exam's content was extremely complex.
"I got it," Kin waved dismissively.
He didn't think he could pass the jonin exam. He knew the scope of the test.
Ninjutsu knowledge made up one-third, while combat command, intelligence gathering and transmission, interrogation, and the Will of Fire made up another third. The final part covered various intelligence about other villages.
He was confident he could ace the ninjutsu portion, but the rest? He'd barely studied any of it. After all, he'd focused solely on his own strength.
"Your mission will be added to your ninja record. You may leave now if there's nothing else."
Hiruzen just wanted to get rid of Kin. Seeing his attitude was grating on his nerves.
Rubbing his temples, he could barely maintain his smile.
"Then I'll head back first."
Kin couldn't care less about what Hiruzen thought.
He strode out of the Hokage's office with a swagger that defied all familial respect.
Watching Uchiha Kin leave, Hiruzen's smile finally faded completely. His expression turned cold as he looked down at the silent White Fang.
"What do you think of Uchiha Kin?"
White Fang remained silent.
About Uchiha Kin, he couldn't voice his thoughts.
Some things, if spoken aloud, would only push matters toward the worst possible outcome.
Hiruzen shook his head, helpless in the face of White Fang's reticence.
"You've done well on this mission against Kumogakure."
He hadn't expected that Kumogakure, still recovering, would dare to join the war.
Fortunately, White Fang had repelled their first wave of forces.
And they'd even sent a jinchūriki.
That could have caused the village a lot of trouble.
"Last time Iwagakure breached our front lines, many of their ninjas infiltrated the Land of Fire, causing significant losses. Sunagakure's offensive isn't strong, but it's kept Tsunade tied down. As for Kirigakure… it's a long story."
Reading these reports gave Hiruzen a headache.
On the battlefield, Konoha held the upper hand, so there was no need to worry about frontline defeats.
But the Iwa-nin causing havoc within the Land of Fire were a real problem.
And now, Kumogakure was preparing to join the war.
The biggest issue Konoha faced now was simple:
They were out of people.
Everyone who could be deployed had already been sent out.
There were still plenty of top-tier fighters—himself, Danzo, and White Fang here.
But without a ninja force, they could easily be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
"Can you hold off Kumogakure?"
"Sakumo."
White Fang looked up at Hiruzen, whose face was obscured by smoke.
The Hokage's meaning was clear: he wanted him to lead the handful of ninjas at the border outposts to block a potential large-scale assault from Kumogakure.
Their numbers wouldn't even exceed fifty.
And none of them were jonin.
Yet White Fang nodded.
"I can."
It was just a matter of fighting to the death to hold the line.
Besides, he still had Uchiha Kin, that little treasure.
It might not be impossible.
Hiruzen exhaled a ring of smoke.
His expressionless face gave nothing away.
"I'm counting on you, Sakumo."
...
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(End of Chapter)