Chapter 60
Flares lit up the night sky on the fourth night, and another team forfeited. They were quickly extracted from the forest, with a medical team—handpicked by Tsunade herself—waiting for them.
Smoking his pipe, Hiruzen relaxed in his chair, watching it all from the tower. This time, he chose a different room from the other jōnin. He knew that the last time he spoke with them, he had nearly made a terrible mistake he couldn't afford to repeat.
And since there was still plenty of work to be done, he couldn't be around them, especially not around the Kumo jōnin. He couldn't even think straight around them, consumed by the question of what they were planning.
It took all his self-control not to have them kidnapped and tortured until they confessed to everything. Of course, that would've ended horribly. And Hiruzen didn't need another headache.
"Were there any serious injuries?" Hiruzen asked Tsunade as she arrived.
"A concussion and a few broken bones are as serious as it gets," she replied, her nose twitching at the smell of Hiruzen's pipe smoke.
"Good."
As much as Hiruzen wanted to torment some of the other villages, he wished no harm on the children. Especially not now, with Konoha's diplomatic relationships strained. Even if it was expected for genin to get injured or die, Hiruzen still hoped to avoid giving anyone a reason to harbor ill will toward Konoha.
He will do everything in his power to make sure that the other villages won't have any pretext to start a conflict with Konoha. Even if it is unavoidable, he won't be the reason for it. And in the long run, the higher morale stand will help Konoha.
Especially now, when one of the village's former shinobi killed a daimyo of another country. Damn that Orochimaru, he owes Hiruzen a lot of money. Well, hopefully it will be the last he hears of him.
"Have you been smoking all day?"
"I won't waste time explaining myself. People hear what they want, after all," Hiruzen replied, taking another puff.
"Why do I even bother with you?"
"We do, or we don't. There is no why."
Tsunade gave him a look that conveyed helplessness and regret. Like she has made a massive mistake that she can't fix anymore. Hiruzen had no idea what was going on in her head. So, he decided to say something more serious to distract her.
"Time passes quickly. Sometimes, it moves too fast for me to even enjoy it. One moment, it feels like the world is resting on my shoulders. The next, I wonder if it's not me holding the world back."
Hiruzen looked down, watching Shisui bait another team into Iruka's trap, with Yamato closing in to finish them off. They worked efficiently—conserving energy, avoiding serious injury, and focusing solely on eliminating the enemy. They had already surpassed his expectations.
If they continued to perform this well, they'd certainly be promoted by the end of the exams. Soon, Shisui would surpass most jōnin. His name would be feared. The same went for Yamato, too.
However, Hiruzen feared that some unsavory people would try to get their hands on him sooner or later. His Wood Release Jutsu was one of a kind. Once revealed to the public, Hiruzen feared how other villages would react and how some shinobi would like to get rid of Yamato before he became a problem.
But someone like Shisui didn't need Hiruzen. Shisui was a member of the Uchiha clan, so no one would be surprised by him. And they would rather deal with, like most shinobi deal with the Uchiha clan, by not getting in their way.
This village didn't need him either. His decisions only seemed to spiral Konoha's stability further out of control. And yet, because of his reputation and history, they refused to let him go.
The village was being held back by his continued rule. Others—more capable shinobi—could do far better. But they wouldn't admit it. It was frustrating to see them unaware of their worth. And making them blind while looking at what Hiruzen was doing.
"That makes twenty-four left in the forest, as the last day approaches."
"How sad," Hiruzen replied. "The hunters are all that remain. And now, they'll become the hunted."
It was the last night when many would be taking it easy, believing all that was left was to eliminate the remaining genin. But that wasn't the point of the test. It wasn't about dominance—it was about survival. They had survived each other. Now, they would have to survive Tsume and the ANBU.
The last sixteen who endured would go on to the final test. The rest would have to return home without getting what they came for. At a time like this, any victory and an opportunity to show was important, and they just wasted it. Well, it was that kind of world, where the weak couldn't complain.
But there would likely be fewer than sixteen. Hiruzen had ordered not to restrain their strength while hunting, knowing full well that even with the best care, broken bones took time to heal. A month might not be enough for all of them. Still, he could be wrong about their conviction.
"Hokage-sama," Fugaku appeared silently beside him.
"Is there anything to report?"
Hiruzen hadn't even registered Fugaku's arrival; he was just that out of it all. For all he knew, the Uchiha had been there the whole time and simply chose to speak now. He was more surprised by Tsunade's expression than anything else.
"Nothing. No patrols found anything at the borders, nor were there any suspicious reports from within the Land of Fire. Everything is quiet and normal."
"A man can hide himself, but not his intentions," Hiruzen muttered. Fugaku frowned and turned to Tsunade, who shook her head. "Continue your work. It's never wrong to be cautious."
Whatever Kumo was planning, Hiruzen would make sure it failed. If things went south, he had Fugaku and Jiraiya ready to deal with their Jinchūriki. Hiruzen himself might not be able to fight anyone from Kumo, but he was fast enough to save lives.
And that's all that mattered. As long as he could get people out of danger in time, he didn't care how ugly the fighting got. With Tsunade, even those on death's door could be saved.
Still, just thinking about the political fallout gave Hiruzen a headache. He took another puff of his pipe, eyes fixed on the scene below. He wished he could be one of the genin—just worrying about surviving another day. That would be preferable to the thousand burdens he carried.
"I envy them," Hiruzen said. "They don't even realize they have liberty. They can't even comprehend how much time they have. Nor do they feel how much the village loves them. Living in ignorance and sweet dreams. They have everything I don't."
"I think I'll take this," Tsunade reached for the tobacco pouch on the table.
Though she was closer and already standing, Hiruzen was far faster. He caught her wrist before she could grab it, looking at her blankly. He said nothing, but hopefully she would understand that one should not mess with others' things.
"I'd give up on that," Fugaku whispered to her. "I tried once. Almost lost my hand."
Only after Tsunade relented did Hiruzen release her wrist and return to his seat, as if nothing had happened. They were just worried about his health; he knew that. But smoking felt like the only thing keeping him sane. They wouldn't understand.
He could only glare until they gave up. They could nag all they wanted once they became Hokage. Until then, they could worry in silence. It wasn't like he had much time left anyway to worry about smoking.
He just wanted to enjoy what little time he had, but responsibility never allowed that. Knowing the future made everything heavier. Just the thought of what would have happened to the Uchiha clan if he hadn't interfered made him shiver.
Even now, the Uchiha weren't viewed favorably. But thanks to Hiruzen's trust in Fugaku, they were at least respected. And if the Hokage trusted them, others couldn't openly object.
But because of that, the Hyūga clan was acting up. Hiruzen had to admit—they had better public relations than most clans, despite still practicing slavery and being just as arrogant as the Uchiha in many ways.
It was disappointing. With their wealth and reputation, they could've enjoyed their privileges quietly. But no, they couldn't stand other clans getting ahead. They even thought they could threaten Hiruzen.
In their minds, they weren't defying him. They were showing him their worth. So full of themselves, they couldn't imagine Hiruzen looking down on them. It was impossible to understand a man's mind.
"Inform me if there are any accidents or if anything noteworthy happens. I've seen enough," Hiruzen told Tsunade. "Oh, and I almost forgot. Itachi's birthday is coming up, right? What does the kid like?"
"You don't need to be too concerned. Just remembering his birthday is already enough."
"Fugaku, shut up," Hiruzen snapped. "Tsunade, what do kids like these days? Toys? Books? Candy? Maybe a pet?"
"Hokage-sama, I'm sure he doesn't need any of that."
"Shut up, Fugaku," Tsunade echoed. "I heard he's a smart kid. It would be nice to surprise him. A pet sounds delightful. As a child, I always wanted a cat."
"You're right. Pets are cute and teach responsibility," Hiruzen nodded. "Fugaku, what kind of animal does Itachi like?"
"I'm not sure."
Both Hiruzen and Tsunade gave him disappointed looks, clicking their tongues in disapproval. Even Hiruzen, who had two children unexpectedly land in his care, took the time to learn what they liked.
At least Fugaku had the decency to look ashamed. Hiruzen couldn't believe how badly he had been as a father. It seemed Hiruzen had to take some action. He didn't want Naruto growing up to be anything like Fugaku. As much as Hiruzen respected Fugaku's skills and dedication to the village, his personality sucked.
Now that he thought about it, Itachi seemed fond of crows. Giving him one as a pet wouldn't be a bad idea. Maybe even a summoning contract. It is never too early to learn, after all, hopefully, Itachi will like it.
"Well, I'll return to my work if there's nothing else," Fugaku muttered, clearly unable to endure their disappointed stares.
"Don't you dare miss your son's birthday," Hiruzen warned. "I don't want to drag you into it."
"Ahem. I'm not sure what you take me for, Hokage-sama."
"A deadbeat dad who doesn't even know what his children like," Hiruzen answered.
"An irresponsible man who leaves everything to his wife," Tsunade added.
Fugaku vanished into the shadows without another word. And just like that, Hiruzen decided to leave as well. He had seen enough. Shizune would report anything worth knowing.
He already had a sense of who would survive. Now he needed to match them against each other in ways that would benefit him the most. His genin had to shine—and the matches had to be unpredictable so he could bet on the outcomes and profit since he knew Kumo's genin strength, while Kumo clearly didn't know Konoha's.
Other villages couldn't be allowed to stand out too much either. Nothing was fair in this world. And he needed everyone with even a bit of political or financial power to have their eyes on Konoha's genin—to know that Konoha had the best shinobi.
So even if prices for their services rose astronomically, clients could only grumble—not complain. Hiruzen would bleed those rich bastards dry, down to their last ryo if he had to.
A.N. No excuses this week, just had a lot of work to catch up to. Sorry for being late.
As always, thanks for reading and supporting me, so I can continue writing without any concerns, and if you want more, up to 7 more chapters and 28 chapters in total with all my other stories, you can support me on pa treon. com \ ironwolf852.