"Yes. That was Lightning Release: False Darkness."
Minato's pupils contracted instantly.
Though he'd suspected it, hearing Hiroki admit it so directly still packed a heavy impact.
Hiroki didn't give him much time to digest the shock. After all, from the moment he was captured, he'd prepared for village interrogation and thought through his explanations.
"After we were captured, I was carried on a Cloud ninja's shoulder the whole time." His voice was calm, as if recounting something unrelated to himself. "During that time, I... awakened my kekkei genkai."
"Kekkei genkai?" Minato repeated the words—currently the most reasonable explanation.
"Yes," Hiroki nodded. "An ability I don't even know how to describe. I could 'sense' his thoughts, like reading an open book. All his knowledge about ninjutsu, his combat experience—everything was clearly displayed before me. Lightning Release: False Darkness was something I 'read' from him."
This explanation was entirely true.
But Hiroki also concealed some information.
For instance, he did "read" it, but not through sensing—he simply opened the guy's brain folder and accessed his thoughts, ideas, and memories.
Minato frowned deeply, clearly processing this massive amount of information rapidly.
"So you learned a B-rank jutsu on the spot while being held captive?"
"You could say that," Hiroki continued. "And it was precisely because of my kekkei genkai that I had the ability to resist."
"At first I just played dead, looking for an opportunity. Later, I used the same ability to sense your chakra approaching. I tried to establish a mental link with you to transmit intelligence."
"I received it." Minato immediately confirmed this.
"But just then, the enemy captain detected my kekkei genkai's chakra. I was exposed and he was going to kill me, so I was forced to counterattack." Hiroki sighed. "So I didn't have time to wait for you. I could only use the jutsu I'd just learned and fight desperately before he struck. Honestly, I wasn't confident it would work."
"But regardless, I could only go all in and strike first."
...
"...According to Sawada Hiroki's statement, upon determining he'd been exposed and was about to be silenced, he could only choose to go all in and strike first."
In the Hokage's office, an ANBU ninja wearing a cat-faced mask recounted in an emotionless voice words almost identical to what Hiroki had explained to Minato.
Sarutobi Hiruzen listened silently, fingers rhythmically tapping the desk.
As Hokage, Sarutobi knew far more comprehensive information than Minato: Hiroki's responses during Minato's questioning, subsequent autopsy reports on the Cloud ninja, investigations into Hiroki's ancestry, his parents, his life trajectory...
But indeed, nothing problematic had been found.
Sawada Hiroki was born in Konoha to ordinary ninja parents who died on the battlefield. As for a kekkei genkai—that wasn't impossible. Hiroki's ancestors apparently did have blood ties to the Yamanaka clan, who specialized in mental secret techniques.
Though that was long ago, it didn't rule out the possibility of possessing such a bloodline limit.
Why did he know enemy village jutsu?—Because his kekkei genkai "read" and "copied" it.
Why could he communicate remotely?—Because his kekkei genkai could establish "mental links."
Why didn't he wait for reinforcements?—Because the enemy detected him, forcing counterattack.
Though some strange doubts remained, based on the ANBU investigation, all these answers could only point to "kekkei genkai."
Besides a kekkei genkai, what else could allow an eight or nine-year-old child to instantly kill two ninja—including a jonin—and critically wound another?
This explanation was seamless, leaving no flaws to find.
The Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded, accepting Hiroki's account.
But his old friend beside him seemed to have other views.
"A kekkei genkai that can copy others' jutsu and conduct long-range mental communication..." Shimura Danzo's hoarse voice emerged from the shadows, like sandpaper scraping.
"Hiruzen, this is a natural weapon! He must be placed under the strictest control! Hand him to me—only then can he unleash his maximum value as a tool!"
Here we go again.
Sarutobi sighed internally.
He knew his old friend too well. Anything with utilitarian value—person or object—Danzo wanted to transform into a tool in his hands.
But ninja weren't tools. Ninja were people.
As people, you had to consider other ninjas' emotions. After all, they couldn't be as powerful as the First Hokage who could warp the entire shinobi world's order through sheer individual might.
"Danzo, we can't do that." The Third stared at Danzo, voice deep and tone firm.
He looked at Danzo, eyes sharp: "He's still a child—a child who protected his comrades in desperate circumstances! He's a Konoha hero! Your so-called 'cultivation' would only turn him into an emotionless killing tool."
If even children who saved comrades joined Root, how could Konoha develop?
"Furthermore," Sarutobi paused, deliberately downplaying Hiroki's value.
"This kekkei genkai isn't as powerful as you imagine. According to reports, his mental link is extremely unstable and easily detected by sensory ninja—far inferior to the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques. That Cloud ninja apparently only noticed he was awake because of his communication with Minato."
"As for copying jutsu, isn't the Uchiha clan's Sharingan far more convenient?! They can copy jutsu with just a glance!"
"If you put him in Root today, what will the Uchiha think? What will the Yamanaka think? You can't just consider one matter's impact—you must consider the village's overall situation!"
Sarutobi stood and walked to the window, gazing at the Hokage Rock outside: "Konoha isn't just our Konoha! Konoha belongs to everyone!"
"Women's kindness!" Danzo snorted coldly, rising from the shadows. He didn't buy this rhetoric at all.
In his view, any weakness could be overcome through training, while potential was paramount. Kekkei genkai meant inherent superiority.
Besides, Sarutobi made joining Root sound like death, but in reality, which ninja clan except Uchiha didn't have members active in Root? He only used the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal to prevent them from revealing secrets—no other restrictions whatsoever!
Root was absolutely not a bad choice!
"Hiruzen, you're always like this! By your logic, if everyone just chanted about love and peace, Konoha would become the number one ninja village? Laughable!" Danzo scoffed. "You'll regret this! Hiruzen!"
"I am the Hokage, Danzo!" Sarutobi couldn't help retorting.
"Then what's your plan? The village needs fresh blood now. We can't only have Jiraiya and Orochimaru on the front lines!" Danzo sneered back.
Hearing this, the Third couldn't help frowning.
That was true. Since the Second's death, the shinobi world had entered brief peace. Because of this, from the Warring States period until now, Konoha had unusually entered leisure time with few low-intensity battlefields to temper people.
In the past, going to war at five or six years old was normal.
The Third thought for a moment, somewhat hesitant, but finally spoke: "Sawada Hiroki and Namikaze Minato—the strength they displayed in this incident far exceeds ninja academy student level. Keeping them in school would indeed be wasting time."
Danzo's eyes moved. He immediately understood Sarutobi's thinking.
He'd compromised after all.
"You mean... early graduation?" Danzo raised an eyebrow.
"Exactly," the Third nodded. "However, to satisfy everyone and more accurately assess their potential, we need to arrange a graduation examination. See what level they've actually reached."
I see—compromise, but not complete compromise.
He wanted to use the exam to buy time.
Danzo sneered inwardly. He knew full well that Hiruzen probably wanted to wait for his student Jiraiya to return and take these people—especially Sawada Hiroki—under his wing.
Still, that was actually a good idea.
Because Orochimaru also needed time to return to the village.
"Acceptable." Danzo sat back in the shadows, voice returning to calm. "Then the examiner selection needs careful consideration."
Once Orochimaru returned and took them as students, then gradually through contact, getting them to join Root to serve Konoha would be the best choice.
If they couldn't join Root... Danzo narrowed his eyes... such unstable threats needed to be eliminated somehow.