"Alright, I'll go prepare then."
Rin smiled brightly and immediately disappeared from the rooftop.
Kaede, after all, was the Hokage, while she was one of the elite Anbu captains and head of the medical division. This time, Kurenai would most likely shamelessly follow along. With three top leaders leaving Konoha at once, some special arrangements were definitely necessary.
Kaede stood with his hands behind his back, eyes sweeping over countless buildings in Konoha. A sapphire glint sparkled in his gaze as he spotted Might Duy and Might Guy jogging through the village. Seeing Might Duy drenched in sweat, a rare tired expression on his face, Kaede muttered:
"Ah... my youth... is nearly burned out..."
"How can a man give up so easily? Dad, keep burning your youth!!"
Might Guy shouted loudly, grabbing Might Duy's arm and pulling him forward, ignoring the stiff stares from bystanders.
Kaede's gaze shifted again, landing on the Ninja Academy where some classes were in session while others sparred on the open training grounds.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, stood on the stands, inspecting the students' training.
The Ninja Academy had nearly tripled in size, now accommodating children from Kumogakure and Sunagakure, all being instilled with Konoha's Will of Fire.
No doubt, Sarutobi was effective, at least in spreading the Will of Fire and "brainwashing" the kids from other villages, transforming them into believers in Konoha's ideals.
Looking toward the training ground, Kaede happened to see Naruto and Sasuke squabbling.
The two most popular students in their class: one proudly growing as the Fourth Hokage's son, the other untouched by clan extermination yet still utterly hostile.
"I'm going to become Hokage... I won't lose to you!"
Naruto, battered and bruised, gritted his teeth and threw a punch at Sasuke.
Sasuke, equally breathless, didn't back down.
"Your power stands no chance against the Uchiha clan's might!"
Bam! Bam!
Their fists collided, distorting both their faces. Then both were hurled several meters apart, landing hard and unable to get up.
The Chunin instructor sighed, declaring:
"Naruto and Sasuke, draw!"
"Next match: Hinata Hyuga versus Kiba Inuzuka."
Kiba's face immediately fell.
"Why do I have to fight a girl?!"
"Because there's an odd number of girls," Shikamaru muttered weakly nearby, resigned to waiting through the last few rounds. "If I'd known, I would've just skipped class instead of standing here. I thought the early rounds would be quick..."
"Please, do your best."
Hinata timidly stepped up.
Someone outside whispered, "Hinata's from the prestigious Hyuga clan. Don't underestimate her just because she's a girl, or you'll lose."
Kiba reluctantly took the stage,
"You go first..."
With Hamura's chakra seal still active, Hinata's growth was slow. Thanks to the chakra and Kaede's influence, Hinata's training under Hiashi wasn't overly harsh.
She was soon defeated by Kiba.
"Kiba wins," the instructor announced.
Kaede watched thoughtfully. Activating his Rinnegan's power, he scanned Hinata's body. He noticed the chakra sealed within her hair, isolated from her body and now nearly comparable to a tailed beast's power.
"It's about time..."
Kaede whispered to himself.
Hinata was almost ten years old, an age when, during wartime, many had already graduated to Genin, some even Chunin.
At ten, her body could begin controlling and absorbing the chakra.
Suddenly, Kakashi appeared behind Kaede.
Kakashi approached and asked,
"You said the operation starts in two days. Why suddenly go on vacation now?"
"Just a whim. Nothing to worry about. The original plan remains unchanged."
Kaede glanced at Kakashi and patted his shoulder,
"You're a qualified Anbu captain now. Learn to handle things independently."
Kakashi was speechless.
This was about annexing Iwagakure and unifying the Land of Earth!
It involved deploying thousands of Konoha ninja, war strategy, preparations, hardly anything trivial.
"Oh, wait."
"Don't go yet."
Kaede stopped Kakashi from disappearing into the Kamui Mangekyo vortex.
"Go to the Ninja Academy and tell Hinata to come to my office after school."
"Hinata? The Hyuga clan's young lady?"
Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
"I thought she was only ten?"
Kaede tilted his head, feeling something off about Kakashi's words.
Though Kakashi had grown steadier over recent years and lost his sharp tongue, he still sometimes said things that sounded normal but felt a bit odd.
Suppressing the urge to strangle Kakashi, Kaede watched him vanish into the black vortex with a sigh.
Kaede thought of Sasuke. Despite his cold and aloof demeanor around others, he was still an adorable little brother in front of his older brother Itachi.
=============
A short while later,
Inside the Hokage's office.
Kaede sat behind his desk, looking at Hinata standing before him.
"Has your father ever told you about the power within you?"
"Power? What power?"
Hinata looked puzzled.
Kaede stood and walked to her side, gazing at a strand of hair.
"Seems Hiashi hasn't told you... well, I'll explain."
"You carry part of the chakra of your ancestor, Otsutsuki Hamura. This chakra is very strong and hard to control. When you were very young, I sealed this power within you."
Kaede extended his hand.
Hinata, stunned by the sudden revelation, hadn't yet fully processed it. Then she saw Kaede's fingers glide through her hair.
Zhi!
The sealing jutsu on Hamura's chakra was briefly released, and a surge of chakra erupted like a wild storm, swirling outward in all directions.
Kaede raised his right hand, forcibly suppressing the massive chakra, then flicked his fingers to reseal it.
Though brief, the tremendous chakra made Hinata tremble violently, drenched in sweat. She staggered, nearly falling backward.
Kaede lifted his left hand, supporting Hinata's body with a chakra cushion, setting her gently on a nearby sofa.
"How do you feel?"
"Can you sense it? That's the power sealed inside you."
Hinata's chest heaved heavily. After nearly half a minute, she barely caught her breath. Shaking, she looked at Kaede.
"Hokage-sama..."
"Don't be afraid."
Kaede smiled kindly.
"The seal was because you were too young to control it then. Now, I'll begin teaching you how to manage this power. Your vacation starts tomorrow, right? Spend it training with me."
Hinata's eyes widened slightly, still catching her breath, staring blankly at Kaede.
She was gentle by nature, but nearly ten now and old enough to understand what training under Kaede meant.
For any ninja, it was almost an honor, it meant gaining Kaede's recognition!
Though her vacation was basically over, she undoubtedly preferred training with Kaede.
"Tell your father."
"Oh, and you don't need to call me Hokage-sama anymore. Just call me Teacher Kaede."
Kaede smiled gently and returned to his desk.
In the original storyline, Hinata was Kurenai's student. Now that Kurenai probably wouldn't lead a class anymore, becoming Kaede's student seemed to be fate's twist.
As for Kurenai's other two students, Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino...
Well...
They weren't as cute as Naruto and Sasuke. Go play, you two.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria