Hiruzen saw Naruto's expression collapse at a visible rate, yet his eyes remained bright. He didn't seem to be acting, this desire to become stronger couldn't be faked.
"Then, could Grandpa Hokage give me two ninjutsu scrolls? I can learn on my own by following the scrolls. I promise I won't slack off."
Hiruzen did not answer immediately but asked back, "You said earlier that the person in your dream taught you to control Chakra. Didn't he teach you any other Ninjutsu?"
Naruto counted on his fingers. "No, he only taught me how to gather Chakra on the soles of my feet to speed up, condense it on my fists to increase striking power, and how to allocate Chakra more rationally during battle."
He paused at the last finger, and then his tone became a bit embarrassed. "Oh right, there was a Chakra ball. It's about gathering Chakra in your hand, making it spin, and compressing it into a ball."
"But he only told me the theory of it. I tried it myself many times, but it just disperses after spinning. I can't compress it at all. That thing is too hard. I haven't even grasped the basics yet."
Hiruzen confirmed it. Minato had indeed left the theoretical knowledge of the Rasengan for Naruto in the seal.
This technique was an A-rank ninjutsu created by Minato, inspired by the Tailed Beast Ball, and was also one of Minato's signature Ninjutsu.
The fact that Naruto could describe the principle of this technique proved that he had indeed triggered Minato's Chakra.
Hiruzen looked at Naruto and made his final judgment.
Naruto had not been manipulated. All of his changes stemmed from the Chakra left behind by Minato and his own hard work.
As for the composure Naruto now displayed, which far exceeded that of a Genin of his age, it was only natural for a child who had gone through a life-and-death battle in the Land of Waves and had been taught by his father's Chakra to no longer be as brainless as before.
Hiruzen nodded. "Alright. I will have someone deliver the ninjutsu scrolls to your residence later. Just wait at home."
Hearing this, the smile on Naruto's face instantly brightened. "Thank you, Grandpa Hokage."
He waved vigorously at Hiruzen, then leaped down, his white trench coat billowing in the wind.
With a few bounds, he landed on the nearest rooftop, and then leaped toward his apartment.
Hiruzen stood at the top of the Hokage Rock, watching Naruto's receding figure.
Behind him, a masked Anbu stepped out and knelt on one knee, awaiting instructions.
Hiruzen said, "Continue Naruto's Anbu guard detail without any adjustments."
"Yes."
The Anbu responded and disappeared.
—
Naruto returned to his apartment, Negative Emotions Sensing silently spreading out.
The two Anbu responsible for monitoring him were still guarding their usual spots, and there were no signs of the apartment being rummaged through.
He took off his trench coat, changed into casual home clothes, and then stood by the window, pulling the curtain open just a crack.
...
Meanwhile, in the Hokage Building office.
Hiruzen stood in front of the window, blowing out a puff of white smoke.
In the shadows on the other side of the office, a tall figure leaned against a bookshelf piled high with scrolls. His long white hair reached down to his waist, and he wore a forehead protector with the character for "Oil" printed on it.
"What do you think of that child, Jiraiya?"
Jiraiya stepped out, crossing his arms over his chest, his usual cynical expression put away.
"He is very much like Minato. Not just in appearance, but also in his posture when walking, his tone of voice, and his decisiveness when making decisions."
"Minato was the same at his age. He looked more innocent and carefree than anyone, but every step he took was precisely calculated."
"This child has a bit more sharpness than Minato, and a bit more composure. He knows what he wants."
Hiruzen nodded. "Danzo's people have approached me more than once, demanding to raise Naruto's surveillance level. He has always viewed the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki as Konoha's strategic weapon, believing that Naruto should be under stricter control within Root."
"But Naruto just stood before me and said with his own mouth that he wants to gain everyone's acknowledgment and become the Hokage who protects Konoha."
"Minato left him the Rasengan in the seal, advanced applications of Chakra, and even the last words a father wanted to say to his child. I plan to have you guide him for a while."
Jiraiya was quiet for a good while. He recalled the news he occasionally received from Konoha's intelligence network while traveling around the Land of Fire: the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, the loser of the Ninja Academy for six consecutive years, living alone in an apartment.
"Very well. I originally planned to visit him in a while, but since you've spoken up, old man, I'll move it forward."
Jiraiya walked to the office door. "But old man, don't expect me to take over your job. A position like the Hokage doesn't suit me. I'm much better suited to being a carefree writer gathering material."
"I'm going to wander the streets to gather some material."
Then he quickly vanished, leaving Hiruzen standing alone in the office, staring at the still-swaying door in silence for a long time.
He had intended to pass the position of Hokage to Jiraiya. Looking at the entirety of Konoha, among the current Jonin, only Jiraiya and Tsunade had the strength to bear the heavy burden of Hokage.
However, Tsunade had been wandering abroad for years with no news, and Jiraiya absolutely refused to take the position.
Kakashi did have the aptitude, but he was still young, and his strength and experience still needed time to build up.
Asuma and Guy were excellent squad-leading Jonin, but they were still a step short of the comprehensive qualities required for a Hokage.
The entire Konoha had suffered a severe blow to its vitality after the Third Great Ninja War, resulting in a clear gap in the talent pool, a gap that had not been fully filled even now.
"Anbu." He called out.
An Anbu wearing a cat mask appeared in the center of the office, kneeling on one knee with his right fist pressed against the floor.
"Hokage-sama."
"Go to the archives room and retrieve these two scrolls."
Hiruzen quickly wrote down the names of two techniques on a note with a brush, then picked up a square box specifically used for Hokage orders from the desk, handing it over along with the note.
"Once sealed, deliver it to Naruto's apartment. Hand it to him in person at the door. No need to present it formally, and no signature is required. Deliver it tonight."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
The Anbu received the box with both hands and vanished from the office.