What were the three clan heads doing here?
Hiruzen Sarutobi was genuinely puzzled.
Still, he instructed his guards to allow the three in.
Not long after, Yamanaka Inoichi, Akimichi Chōza, and Nara Shikaku walked into the office.
"Shikaku, Chōza, Inoichi—what brings you all here today?" Hiruzen greeted them warmly.
Even Kakashi couldn't help but tense up a little. These three weren't just any clan leaders—they were the backbone of Konoha. Their families carried enormous weight, often enough that even the Hokage had to give them face.
"Uncle!" Nagi greeted Yamanaka Inoichi respectfully as he stepped inside.
"Hokage-sama, I heard Nagi was in danger, so I rushed over as soon as I could," Inoichi said seriously.
"It's fine, Uncle," Nagi replied calmly. "It was just some people in the village misusing the Hokage's name. I handled it."
His explanation was smooth, but the genuine concern Inoichi had shown didn't go unnoticed by Nagi.
However, Hiruzen and Kakashi had fixated on something else entirely.
"You two know each other?" Hiruzen asked in surprise. For something so significant to have escaped his notice—even under his administration—was unthinkable. Perhaps he'd been relying on his crystal ball a bit too often lately…
"Of course," Inoichi replied without hesitation. "Ino's talked about Nagi so many times—such a fine young man. Over time, we got to know each other."
Nagi nearly let out a laugh. All he'd done was give in to Ino's constant pleading and help tutor her once. She certainly hadn't told him she'd already confessed her feelings to her father.
And Ino… was the Yamanaka clan's only daughter.
"Yeah, last time Nagi visited the Yamanaka household, Inoichi kept saying he wanted Nagi as his son-in-law," Shikaku added with a smirk.
"Uncle, I haven't made any decisions about that yet," Nagi said helplessly.
But Inoichi didn't mind in the slightest. "No problem! I've got plenty of patience. I can wait."
He had already made up his mind—Nagi was going to be part of the family. His daughter was beautiful, and Nagi was exceptional. It was a perfect match.
"By the way, who was it that tried to hurt Nagi?" Inoichi's expression darkened. He'd gotten word from Ino that someone had targeted him, but now that he saw Nagi safe and sound—and even respected by the Hokage—it didn't quite add up.
"This was originally classified," Hiruzen began, "but I trust the three of you." He finally revealed what had truly happened: Nagi had awakened the Senju clan's kekkei genkai—Wood Release.
"What? You mean to say Nagi awakened Wood Release?!" Inoichi was stunned, unable to believe his ears.
"It's true," Kakashi chimed in. "And not only that, he also defeated two elite jōnin who attacked him."
Inoichi took a deep breath, utterly floored.
He was only a teenager—already awakened Wood Release—and defeated two elite jōnin? His future son-in-law just kept delivering one shock after another!
"Wait, that means Nagi has Senju blood!" Shikaku suddenly realized.
"Correct," Hiruzen nodded. "Given past integration policies, the Senju clan's bloodline has long been mixed among the civilian population. It's no surprise that someone could awaken it."
"Even so," Inoichi said grimly, "I won't forgive the ones who tried to harm him. They'll be punished severely."
Originally, Hiruzen had wanted to downplay the incident. But with the heads of the Ino–Shika–Chō trio publicly supporting Nagi, he couldn't ignore it anymore.
"Well then, Nagi—what do you think?" Inoichi asked, turning to him after a pause. After all, they had come here entirely for Nagi's sake. And since he had subdued the attackers himself, his opinion mattered greatly.
"I don't have any objections," Nagi replied casually.
He had no injuries, hadn't suffered any losses—in fact, he'd gained quite a bit. Not only had the experience improved his combat awareness, but he'd also managed to wring a Wood Release training manual out of that tight-fisted old Hokage.
All in all? A solid win.
As for the two Root members... Nagi decided to let them go.
Not out of kindness—but because one of them was a Yamanaka. With Inoichi showing him so much concern, there was no need to put him in a difficult position.
But Nagi wasn't exactly the forgiving type.
This debt? He'd be collecting it from Danzo.
Danzo: ?
Whatever. What's one more debt?
By the time everything was said and done, the afternoon was already rolling in.
After leaving the Hokage's office, Nagi waved to Inoichi and the others.
"Hey now, Nagi—don't be a stranger," Inoichi said warmly. "Come by for dinner sometime, alright? Ino's mentioned you plenty. She really wants you to come eat with us."
"Got it, Uncle," Nagi replied.
Yup. Inoichi was still determined to make him his son-in-law.
But Nagi wasn't giving up on his bigger goal: Ino? Tsunade? He wanted both!
With the day winding down, Nagi figured he'd grab some Ichiraku Ramen before heading back.
What he didn't expect… was that by the time night fell, his name had already spread throughout every major clan in Konoha.
Hyūga Clan.
"What? You're saying the Third Hokage personally received a boy who awakened Wood Release?!"
Hiashi Hyūga stood up in disbelief.
Everyone in Konoha knew what Wood Release meant—invincibility.
Anyone who awakened it was destined to be like the First Hokage… unmatched.
"What a pity," Hiashi murmured.
The Hyūga clan had missed their chance to build a relationship with him.
"Father! Father, I'm back!" a mischievous voice called out from the main hall…
[End of Chapter]