After dealing with Danzo, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
But the work of a Hokage is never-ending.
That afternoon, after finishing his official duties, he did not go straight home. Instead, he went alone to the Konoha Memorial Stone.
The black stone monument stood quietly in the setting sun, covered in a dense array of names.
Each name had once been a vibrant life, each had burned itself out to protect this village.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze swept over the names, his heart filled with a mixture of emotions.
His father's name, Sarutobi Sasuke, was also there.
And his teacher, Senju Tobirama. Although his teacher's body had been laid to rest, as was tradition, his name would also be carved here, to be revered by future generations.
"Sensei..." Sarutobi Hiruzen murmured in his heart, "Do you see? Konoha is still here. I will protect it."
He reached out and gently brushed a fallen leaf from the stone.
Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a figure.
On the other side of the Memorial Stone, a boy who looked to be no more than ten years old was very seriously wiping a name on the stone with a damp cloth.
The boy had striking silver-white hair, wore a well-fitting ninja uniform, and had a neutral expression on his face. His movements were meticulous.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze froze.
Hatake Sakumo.
The future "White Fang of Konoha."
Why was he here?
In Sarutobi Hiruzen's memory, there wasn't much recorded about Sakumo's father. He only knew that he was also an excellent ninja who had died in the war.
It seemed the name Sakumo was wiping was his father's.
A thought stirred in Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind.
He remembered very clearly the tragic future he had seen for Hatake Sakumo in the simulator.
This hero, whose fame once surpassed that of the Sannin, ultimately committed suicide after being ostracized by the village for "abandoning a mission to save his comrades."
And this tragedy, in turn, deeply warped the values of his son, Kakashi, turning that gifted boy into a cold, "mission-first" machine for a very long time.
"Comrades" versus "the mission."
The ultimate dilemma that ran through the world of Naruto, and the source of its tragedy, began with the still-tender youth before him.
Since he had run into him today, he couldn't just pretend he hadn't seen him.
Sarutobi Hiruzen collected his thoughts and slowly walked towards the boy.
Hearing the footsteps, Hatake Sakumo stopped what he was doing and turned around.
When he saw clearly that the person approaching was the Third Hokage, his small body immediately stood ramrod straight, and he bowed respectfully.
"Lord Hokage."
His voice was clear, with a quality unique to a young boy, but his tone, like the expression on his face, was unnaturally calm for a child.
"Am I disturbing you?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked gently.
"No, Lord Hokage," Sakumo said, shaking his head.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze fell on the name he had just been wiping—Hatake Kenjin.
"Is this your father?"
"Yes," Sakumo nodded, a hint of imperceptible pride in his eyes. "My father was a great ninja."
"Mm, I've heard of his deeds," Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded. "During an S-rank mission, to ensure that intelligence could be brought back to the village, he single-handedly held off three Iwagakure jonin and died fighting. He was a true hero."
Hearing the Hokage himself acknowledge his father's achievements, a flicker of emotion finally crossed Sakumo's face.
"Lord Hokage, what kind of ninja... do you think my father was?" he suddenly asked, as if he desperately wanted a more definitive evaluation from the village's supreme leader.
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked into his expectant eyes, knowing the crucial moment had arrived.
He did not answer immediately, but instead shook his head.
Sakumo was stunned.
Sarutobi Hiruzen turned and pointed to the massive Memorial Stone, covered in names.
"Sakumo, look at these names."
"Every single one of them was a hero who died for the village. Some to complete a mission, some to protect their comrades, some to defend civilians."
"The strength of the village is not because of how many S-rank missions we've completed, nor is it because of how many enemies we've killed."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice became deep and powerful.
"It is because when a comrade is in danger, there are those who are willing to extend a hand without hesitation. It is because when the village is threatened, there are those who are willing to step forward and stand at the very front."
"Completing the mission is important. But protecting one's comrades is even more important."
Sakumo was a little bewildered.
The education he had received since childhood, the impression his father had left on him, was always that "the mission is absolute."
For the sake of the mission, one could sacrifice anything, including oneself.
But now, Lord Hokage was telling him that comrades were more important than the mission.
This clashed violently with everything he had ever known.
"Lord Hokage, I... don't quite understand," Sakumo said honestly.
"It's alright if you don't understand," Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled. "It's hard to understand through words alone. How about this, Sakumo? I challenge you."
"A challenge?" Sakumo's eyes lit up.
To be able to cross hands with Lord Hokage was a tremendous honor.
"That's right." Sarutobi Hiruzen picked up a leaf from the ground, turned his back to him, and gently placed the leaf on the center of his back.
"The rules are simple."
"Without harming me, you must take this leaf from my back. If you do, you win."
"As long as you get the leaf, or it falls to the ground, it counts as your win."
Sakumo's brow furrowed.
Without harming Lord Hokage?
What kind of rule was that? Wasn't a ninja duel about defeating the opponent?
"What? No confidence?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice came.
"No!" Sakumo's eyes instantly sharpened.
He drew the short sword from his back. It was a small-sized tachi, its blade glinting coldly in the setting sun.
"Please instruct me, Lord Hokage!"
The moment he finished speaking, Sakumo's figure vanished from the spot.
So fast!
Sarutobi Hiruzen praised him inwardly.
As expected of the future White Fang of Konoha, to have such astonishing speed and explosive power at this age.
A cold glint of light came from his left, aimed straight at the leaf on his back.
Sarutobi Hiruzen shifted his body slightly to the side, avoiding the blade.
His first strike having missed, Sakumo didn't linger. With a tap of his foot, his body made an incredible turn in mid-air, and the blade stabbed again from another difficult angle.
His swordsmanship was sharp and precise, every strike aimed only at the small leaf, without a single wasted movement.
However, it was as if Sarutobi Hiruzen had eyes in the back of his head.
No matter how swift or unpredictable Sakumo's attacks were, he could always dodge them with the smallest of movements, just in the nick of time.
His body seemed weightless, sometimes like a willow catkin in the breeze, sometimes like a fish in water, causing all of Sakumo's attacks to hit empty air.
The more Sakumo fought, the more his heart trembled.
He felt as if he wasn't facing a person, but an insurmountable mountain, a bottomless sea.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't touch him at all.
"No... at this rate, my stamina will run out!"
A look of determination flashed in Sakumo's eyes.
He took a deep breath, focusing all his chakra into his feet.
"Here goes nothing!"
He pushed his speed to the absolute limit, his figure becoming a white flash of lightning, instantly appearing behind Sarutobi Hiruzen.
This time, he didn't use his sword, but reached out his hand, grabbing directly for the leaf.
An opening!
This was the moment Sarutobi Hiruzen had been waiting for.
He deliberately slowed down by half a beat, revealing a huge flaw.
A flash of joy appeared in Sakumo's eyes. His fingertips were about to touch the leaf.
However, just at that moment, his pupils contracted violently.
He realized that if his hand made contact, then due to inertia, it would inevitably slam into Lord Hokage's back.
With his strength, he would definitely injure Lord Hokage.
That would break the rule!
What should he do?
Take the leaf and win? Or follow the rule and give up this golden opportunity?
In that split second, Sakumo's mind went blank.
His body's instincts made the choice for him.
He abruptly pulled his hand back.
Because of the forced stop, his body lost its balance, and he fell to the ground in a heap.
The leaf remained, safe and sound, on Sarutobi Hiruzen's back.
"Huff... huff..." Sakumo lay on the ground, panting heavily.
He had lost.
A gentle hand landed on his head, ruffling his hair lightly.
Sarutobi Hiruzen turned around with a smile and took the leaf off his back.
"You lost, Sakumo."
Sakumo lowered his head, his face full of frustration.
"But," Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice sounded again, "you made the right choice."
Sakumo's head snapped up.
Sarutobi Hiruzen crouched down, handed him the leaf, his gaze incredibly serious.
"Remember this feeling today, Sakumo."
"No mission is more important than the life of a comrade."
"This is the true Will of Fire."
These words, like a clap of thunder, exploded in Sakumo's mind.
He looked at the leaf in his hand, then at the smile of the young Hokage before him.
He seemed to... understand something.
He clenched the leaf tightly in his palm and, looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen, nodded heavily.
"Yes! Lord Hokage!"
Seeing the seed that had been planted in the boy's eyes, Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled with satisfaction.