In the Hokage residence building, Sarutobi Hiruzen stood by the window, looking out at the village people from his office.
Today was an eventful day for him because it was the first day of the circus live performance, which he had planned and arranged with the village's high council a long time ago. In the morning, the atmosphere around him was lively, with many civilians excited for the shows.
The village had been experiencing high levels of tension for many months, and the council needed to find a solution to appease the people. The Daimyō, who rules over the Land of Fire, recommended an expedition team that performed a circus.
They were very rare near the Land of Fire, so the council decided to give it a shot, and it seemed to be working quite well.
After a few moments of enjoying the scenery, Hiruzen sat at his desk and examined the details of the competition report assessment in a leisurely manner.
Before assigning a Jōnin rank to oversee their training, he needed to evaluate six additional ninjas with potential from the contest, as well as the regular last-year students at the academy and some individual students specifically recommended by their sensei.
The students recommended by their sensei weren't required to join the competition.
Academy sensei evaluates a student's readiness, taking into account not only their strengths but also other factors. If they think the individual boy or girl is ready, they can make a recommendation.
This was not a normal time after all; their village's strength had significantly decreased as a result of several events. To replenish their strength, they needed new, fresh ninjas with a good temperament who could learn and follow orders.
As he looked through the report, one young kid's name caught his eye as he muttered, "Muranaka Hikaru."
Hiruzen carefully considered the boy, recalling that the academy senseis had visited him three weeks ago at his request to update him on any potential students.
Flashback: Three Weeks Ago
In a horizontal line, many academy senseis stood on top of the Hokage residence building, showing respect. One by one, they reported each student's progress as requested, highlighting any potential for early graduation.
However, one academy sensei not only made a report, but he also surprised the other senseis nearby with a peculiar situation.
"Report, Sandaime-sama," Takayama Koji began when it was his turn. "There is a student in my class that I initially wanted to recommend for early graduation."
While smoking his pipe, Hiruzen nodded and said, "Speak."
Koji hesitated for a few moments before continuing, "But the boy denied my recommendation as he thought he wasn't ready."
To his surprise and that of the nearby senseis, Hiruzen raised his eyebrows at the report. This was the first time someone in the village had denied the chance to become a shinobi.
For each of them here, being one has always been an honor.
Hiruzen thought for a few moments and asked, "Then why do you still recommend the boy?"
Koji carefully organized his thoughts and said, "It is because of his talent—not in his strength but in his ability to assess situations."
"He knows when to give up or attack; his chakra control is excellent enough to perform the Academy Three jutsu without any issue, and the timing of each application is well thought out."
After taking a few moments to catch his breath, Koji continued, "Since the academy reopened, he has improved the most in class in only six months."
"This may be due to his parents' tragedy following the Nine-Tails Fox's attack, which caused him to mature significantly."
Koji glanced at the Sandaime and concluded, "I think he is ready."
"What is the boy's name?" asked Hiruzen, curious after letting all the information sink in.
"Muranaka Hikaru."
Hiruzen nodded, contemplated for a while, and said, "I'll talk to the boy first to see what's going on; then I'll decide later."
Back to present
Hiruzen also thought about the recent conversation he had with the child and said quietly, "The boy is indeed a good seedling, but his commitment to the village is somewhat lacking."
"His Will of Fire hasn't shown enough in his traits and character, unlike his parents, who fought through two Shinobi World Wars."
Hiruzen thought about the peculiar situation for a long time before inscribing a few words on a scroll and calling the nearby Anbu, saying, "Inform the messenger to send the message to Tanzaku Town; he may still live there." He paused a little and asked, "You know who I want to send it to, right?"
The tiger-masked Anbu nodded, accepted the scroll, and immediately flickered away.
There is only one person in Tanzaku Town who has a relationship with the village, besides Tsunade-sama and Shizune. If the Third Hokage uses "he," then it could only be him.
Hiruzen sighed in relief, got out of his seat, and lit his pipe while thinking.
'I hope he returns from his retirement to support the boy.'
...
After his morning run, Muranaka Hikaru, accompanied by his sister Ayako, arrived at the show on the outskirts of the village.
A large banner welcomed everyone at the entrance gate, with the circus's name, "The Great Animal Circus," written on it. Its vibrant colors and fluttering banners drew crowds from every corner of the village. A symphony of cheery music greeted the siblings as they walked through.
Many civilians were walking around having fun, excited to see the different animals, and enjoying their time at the venue with their families and children.
'The circus is surely lively,' Hikaru thought as they made their way through the crowd to the main stadium for the main event. Some ninja children were also visible in the vicinity, standing in line to get inside. Both siblings hurried and queued up in line with the others.
The main stadium was like a huge dome tent that could hold a basketball court with more than three hundred people inside.
Once it was their turn, a man with a bright smile and a mustache asked, "Tickets, please."
Ayako quickly pulled out two tickets, gave them to him, and inquired, "May I ask when the show starts?"
The man exclaimed, "Ah," before lifting two fingers and saying, "In twenty minutes. You should hurry inside and find some seats with a nice view before others do."
"Thanks!" said Ayako as she brought Hikaru along with her in a hurry.
They took a few minutes to find their seats and waited with anticipation. Given that this was his first time attending, Hikaru was curious about what the performers had to offer.
Observing the area, he could see that the seats were arranged in a half-circle, with a large curtain on the opposite side and a central area reserved for the performers. There were numerous props scattered throughout the middle of the area.
Hikaru could also see many people, from young to old, sitting around them, waiting for the main event to start. This truly brought joy to his heart. If only they were in a normal world, or after the conclusion of the Fourth Shinobi War, things would look much better than they are now.
They were still in the midst of fighting between the villages during this time.
This event in front of him was just a rare entertainment event introduced during a difficult time, mostly for civilians.
Hikaru showed a bitter smile as he contemplated his current situation: 'I might as well enjoy the show now, knowing fun time will be over soon.'
After conversing with his sister for a few minutes, the time for the show began. The audience fell silent as the light began to dim. A sudden spotlight illuminated the center area, and a visible man wearing a hat with a monocle appeared in a flashy costume adorned with feathers.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the grand circus!" Aruaru, the expedition team's showmaster, spoke with a voice loud enough to fill the dome.
He waved for a few moments, greeting the audience and introducing the team. A parade of animals emerged from behind the curtain next to him, led by his assistants. Cheerful music played to enhance the atmosphere.
The mammals were introduced first. As the show unfolded, everyone in the vicinity was filled with sounds of awe and excitement. Even Hikaru found himself captivated by the scene.
They showcased a variety of entertaining activities, such as rhinos running around, squirrels spinning on top of a plate under a stick, white bears walking on a balloon, zebras jumping through a loop, birds flying around in sync with the performer's motion, and even kangaroos boxing.
Everything seemed ridiculous, but he found it entertaining.
Hikaru thought, 'Amazing,' as he pursed his lips. However, he could hear his stomach rumbling and felt the urge to relieve himself. Turning to face his sister, he said, "I'll be back; I need to use the restroom."
Ayako nodded slightly, her attention still fixed on the performance. She was also having a wonderful time watching the show. Hikaru excused himself and walked through the crowd to find a place to take care of his business.
After asking the nearby staff and following their instructions, he strolled past numerous people who were waiting for the next round of the show and arrived at his destination.
While he was cleaning himself in one of the rooms, he heard a child's voice inside one of the restroom doors.
"Tou-san! (dad informally), I saw a bird I had never seen before inside one of the tents," the boy exclaimed excitedly.
The old man then responded, "Keep it quiet; don't speak too loud; we're not at home."
The boy asked, "Do you know which bird it is? It has a golden-colored feather." A few seconds later, he added, "It has many papers around the bird cage with many drawings; it looks really cool!"
The boy then started to describe where he found the bird, which was in one of the tents.
"Forget about it; there are many strange animals in this world." The old man interrupted the boy before dragging him out of the restroom with him.
"You're boring."
Hikaru chuckled lightly at the boy's remark. He agreed with the old man, saying there are many strange animals in this world, but papers with many drawings piqued his interest.
"A seal? I wonder what it's for."
As he was heading back after finishing, he noticed a small tent standing alone among many other tents nearby, with no one around. Colorful patterns adorned the tent, forming a rainbow shape similar to how the boy just described how it looks.
After looking at the tent for a few moments, he couldn't help but be curious and walk toward it.
After confirming that no one was looking at him, he entered.
The small tent, filled with numerous bird cages, appeared empty, except for one in the upper left corner, which caught his eye with a bird inside. It had dark brown feathers, lighter golden-brown plumage on its nape, some small white spots on its tail, and markings on its wings.
"A golden eagle?" Hikaru whispered, uncertain of the bird's species. Even though he didn't know if this bird existed in this world, anything seemed possible after seeing all the animals in the performance.
As if the bird heard his words, it suddenly raised its head and looked at him. Hikaru could only respond with a smile and a small wave while attempting to examine the seal paper surrounding the bird cage from a distance. However, just as he was hesitant whether to take a closer look or not, he heard a word.
"Help."
Hikaru paused and turned to locate the word's source. His eyes locked onto the eagle, which was also looking at him.
'Did I just hear something?' Hikaru thought, but before he could say anything, the eagle in front of him spoke again in a childish voice. "Can you help me?"
Hikaru's mouth dropped open as he witnessed something unbelievable.
A bird could actually talk.