Smoke drifted through the air, and a shadow of old age passed over Hiruzen Sarutobi's face. If only he hadn't been so radical back then, he would have gladly supported him as the Fourth Hokage.
But now the Fourth was gone too, and Tsunade had yet to emerge from her grief. As for Jiraiya, he knew him well—Jiraiya would never accept the title of Hokage no matter what.
Kakashi was still too young; his strength had plenty of room to grow. Yet placing the burden of Hokage on him now felt overly demanding.
Then again, who could truly carry the weight of Konoha?
He thought of Itachi. He had never seen someone so young with such power and sense of duty.
Yet this very person carried burdens he was never meant to bear. It could be said that Itachi was the one individual Konoha owed the most.
"Lord Third, your pipe has gone out."
Hayate Gekko observed the now-smokeless tobacco and gently reminded him.
"Oh? Has it now… I must've dozed off just now. By the way, where were we?"
Hayate shook his head. "I just came in a moment ago. Didn't you call me earlier?"
"Getting old really does dull the memory," Hiruzen patted his head lightly, then looked to his right. Kakashi, Might Guy, and Iruka all stood there as well.
Kakashi and Might Guy had been here the whole time, while Iruka and Hayate had just arrived.
"We already discussed Naruto earlier," Hiruzen continued. "Now I want to ask you all something—I'd like to know how Shiki Uzumaki is doing currently. After all, you know him best. And I'm well aware of the symbol etched into your backs—it's the Uzumaki clan's crest."
Chapter 138: Before the Battle
"Shiki is a good kid, but shouldn't we treat everyone equally?" Iruka expressed his concern first.
Among them, he had always been the most impartial toward the next generation.
But truthfully, none of them showed special favor—perhaps only influenced by personal feelings at times.
Especially Might Guy. Lee originally had no connection with him at all, yet Guy had treated Lee with the same affection he might show his own son.
It was simply because Guy had been moved by Lee's determination.
Of course, before talking about children, Guy needed to solve his own love issues first.
"No, Iruka, you misunderstood what I meant," the Lord Third put down his extinguished pipe. "The next generation of Konoha—the newly sprouting leaves—they're all full of hope. From the perspective of Hokage, I won't favor anyone. But when I'm simply an old man named Hiruzen Sarutobi, I can't help but remember those who've fallen—and hold greater hopes for those who follow."
Hiruzen paused briefly before picking up his pipe again—but without lighting it. He had grown accustomed to having it nearby.
"But within Konoha remains the legacy of the Uzumaki clan's forebears. I wish to stand in place of the Uzumaki clan and assess whether this descendant truly possesses the qualifications to inherit that legacy."
"As far as I'm concerned, Shiki Uzumaki is indeed a child worthy of my approval."
"Kakashi said seriously. He tended to be more solemn in front of The Third,
nothing like his usual self, who would often be found hugging a yellow book and reading intently.
"He was a true Youth-blessed child! If not for him being from a different class than Lee's, I definitely would've made him my student." Tears seemed to glisten in Might Guy's eyes as he clenched his fist tightly and shouted unabashedly, "Yet Youth isn't all pure sweetness — it sometimes carries regrets too. Shiki Uzumaki, all I can do is watch you walk your path of youth with no regrets from the perspective of an observer."
"Here we go again," Kakashi mentally shielded himself against Might Guy's passionate declaration about youth.
Although Iruka knew Might Guy, they weren't particularly close, so this was his first time witnessing Guy acting like this. He couldn't help but silently sigh at how many eccentric characters there were in this world.
However, seeing so many people speaking up for Shiki warmed his heart.
Thus, he raised his hand as well. "I have taught many children before, yet only two left me lasting impressions. One is Naruto, and the other is Shiki."
"Oh? Why so?"
"Naruto may clown around every day, but I understand him completely. He simply doesn't want others treating him like air and ignoring him. On the contrary, he always works really hard, hoping to gain recognition from others. Truthfully, he actually has natural talent for battle. And when someone needs protection from him, he'll risk his life without hesitation." As he spoke, Iruka recalled that day when Naruto tried protecting him by splitting into a thousand Shadow Clones in a fit of rage.
A smile full of nostalgia and hope curved the corner of his mouth.
"What about Shiki then?" The Third nodded satisfactorily as he listened. If that was the case, then Naruto truly inherited The Fourth's will.
Yet compared to The Fourth, an absolute prodigy, Naruto resembled more his mother Kushina's personality — always clowning around while maintaining that never-back-down expression he always wore.
"As for Shiki... I always feel like I haven't completely figured him out. However, as seniors Kakashi and Might Guy mentioned earlier, he is a child who never abandons his responsibilities no matter what happens. His mind works meticulously; he behaves nothing like ordinary kids usually do. Yet he effortlessly connects with peers his age and somehow makes them instinctively trust him. He's extremely gifted, diligently working as well. If only he didn't always stir up trouble, then he'd be perfect."
As Iruka finished his last sentence, it was clear he had emphasized these words intentionally. Apparently, memories between him and Shiki were flashing through his mind.
Hayate Gekko glanced at Iruka, then coughed twice covering his mouth slightly with his fist.
Then he said, "My opinion aligns mostly with Iruka's."
Hearing this, The Third simply fell silent instead.
Because their description increasingly reminded him of that brilliant genius who once blazed across the sky.
That golden flash still flickered vividly in his memory — yet the near-perfect man behind it was already gone.
Someone once said The Fourth seemed too gentle for a ninja, almost soft-spoken in demeanor.
But determining whether a man genuinely possesses masculinity isn't about how much arrogant boasting he does or how much suffering he inflicts upon others.
But more importantly, when people needed him, would he have the courage to step up and take responsibility?
Was that child, Shiki Uzumaki, truly as they had described him?
The Third was contemplating. It seemed his earlier question had already received some sort of answer.
If things were truly like that, then Shiki Uzumaki would definitely be among the best candidates for Hokage.
Of course, he was still younger than Kakashi. But he could become the next Hokage after Kakashi.
"Am I thinking too far ahead?" Hiruzen Sarutobi suppressed the smile forming on his face. No one could clearly predict the future.
However, Konoha now had someone capable of carrying the Will of Fire—this was undoubtedly exhilarating news.
"Hmm, hearing this makes me quite satisfied already. On the day Shiki Uzumaki becomes a Jonin, I'll hand those things over to him."
Five days passed in this manner. Anyone still remaining in the Forest of Death automatically forfeited their exam eligibility.
This exam had indeed eliminated more than half the participants, but Anko frowned instead.
"Tsk, this is giving me a headache. Why did so many people pass this Chunin Exam this time?"
Anko looked at the registry before her. A total of twenty-one names were listed there.
"Oh well, whatever. It doesn't matter to me anymore—I'll leave it to the others to sort out."
Saying this, Anko tossed aside the registry, kicked off her shoes in two or three motions, revealing feet wrapped in fishnet stockings. Actually, there wasn't even a hint of deliberate seduction—it was just standard ninja attire.
Then she flopped onto the bed and instantly fell into a deep, ungraceful sleep. But since it was her own room, no one else would see it.
Interestingly, her sleeping expression actually appeared somewhat cute.
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