The next day.
At the towering "Fire"-inscribed building in the heart of Konoha.
Inside the mission hall on the first floor, small groups of Konoha ninja gathered around the Mission Assignment Division's counters, waiting for the staff to assign tasks. Those who had already received their mission scrolls were discussing details with their clients.
Contrary to how it was portrayed in the comics, missions weren't exclusively handed out in the Hokage's office.
With Konoha's vast number of shinobi and the sheer volume of daily requests, leaving everything to the Hokage alone would be impossible.
To ease the burden, the Mission Assignment Division was established on the first floor to categorize missions and assign safer B- to D-rank tasks to chunin and below.
Only high-risk A- or S-rank missions—or those requiring jonin-level combatants—were personally assigned by the Third Hokage in his office at the top floor.
In truth, most ninja would only visit the upper floors twice in their lives for direct assignments from the Hokage.
The first was during their academy graduation, when team placements were decided.
If their assigned sensei was a special jonin or full jonin, they might get the chance to meet the Hokage in person.
The second was when high-risk missions required extra manpower—often as "cannon fodder." Of course, that opportunity might also be their last.
Many ninja joked that the two most glorious moments in their lives were their youth and their final moments before death.
—
"Hey, is that—?"
"It's her!"
"She's so beautiful—"
The noisy hall fell silent for a brief moment before erupting into whispers.
Ninja who had been clustered around the counters turned their heads toward the entrance, murmuring among themselves. Even the clients paused their negotiations, curiosity piqued by the sudden shift in attention.
When they looked, no explanation was needed—the source of the commotion was immediately obvious.
A girl, no older than thirteen or fourteen, stood there with skin like polished jade.
Her forehead bore mysterious purple markings, her eyes were covered by a black cloth, and her lips were a striking crimson. Despite the loose kimono she wore, her tall, curvaceous figure was impossible to ignore.
But what truly stood out was her silver hair.
Unadorned by pins or ribbons, the cascading curls seemed to glow under the sunlight, framing her like a divine aura.
"She's… unreal…"
The client—a merchant who dealt in antiques and jade—was utterly speechless. He had traveled to the capital, mingled with nobles, yet never in his life had he seen someone so breathtaking.
Forgetting his mission entirely, he craned his neck just to catch another glimpse of her.
If even a well-traveled man like him was stunned, the reactions from clients hailing from smaller villages were even more extreme. It wasn't until the girl ascended to the second floor and disappeared from sight that the crowd finally snapped out of their daze, exchanging looks of shared awe.
"My apologies, I got a bit distracted!"
"Understandable. No need to apologize."
The men chuckled awkwardly, an odd camaraderie forming between them.
"Hey, was that girl one of Konoha's ninja?"
"Not just any ninja—she's the strongest prodigy in Konoha's history: Hikari!"
The Konoha shinobi puffed up with pride as they boasted about their village's unparalleled genius.
Over the past few years, Hikari had frequently visited the Hokage's office. At first, her beauty had been striking but still within human limits.
But lately, she had become something else entirely.
Her appearance alone was mesmerizing, but what truly set her apart was the aura she carried—a mix of vitality, danger, and mystique, amplified by her reputation as Konoha's top talent.
When she stood there, it was clear she wasn't like ordinary people bound by mundane lives. She existed on another level.
So whenever she appeared, scenes like this were inevitable.
The villagers had grown used to it—so much so that recounting her feats had become second nature.
They reveled in the clients' awed reactions, savoring these rare moments of pride in their otherwise ordinary lives.
"Listen, between you and me—rumor has it she's the fifth Hokage in waiting!"
The boasts grew louder and more exaggerated, each trying to one-up the other with increasingly dubious "insider info."
Hikari felt secondhand embarrassment creeping in.
Channeling her Earth Release chakra, she hardened her shoes and the stairs beneath her, quickening her pace as she gracefully made her way to the third floor.
Over the years, people had remarked how her demeanor had softened, how her movements had taken on a noble elegance.
But only she knew the truth—if she let her malice, killing intent, or even just her speed run wild, the results would be catastrophic.
Sometimes, elegance wasn't a choice. It was a necessity.
—
Whoosh.
A gentle breeze pushed open the Hokage's office door as Hikari stepped inside.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, in the middle of reviewing documents, hastily stubbed out his pipe and flipped it upside-down on the desk.
"Don't wait until you've ruined your health before calling for a doctor, Hiruzen-sensei."
"I have faith in your medical ninjutsu," Hiruzen chuckled, waving away the lingering smoke. He hadn't expected her to arrive so soon—now he'd been caught red-handed.
Hikari sighed, summoning a breeze to sweep the smoke out the window.
Two years ago, when Hiruzen developed a lung condition, she had healed him and even used the Mystical Palm Technique to purge the tar from his lungs.
She'd assumed he'd quit smoking after that.
Instead, he'd taken it as permission to smoke even more.
"Medical ninjutsu isn't omnipotent. If you develop lung cancer, even I won't be able to save you."
"Don't worry. I've lived long enough," Hiruzen said dismissively, signing off on a thick report and tossing it onto a towering stack of paperwork.
"Take these away!"
"Yes, sir!"
Three ANBU operatives materialized from the shadows, gathering the files before bowing respectfully to Hikari. Only after receiving a nod in return did they vanish.
Click.
The door closed softly behind them—courtesy of the same tactful ANBU who always shut it during Hiruzen's meetings with Danzo.
These guards, having served the Third for years, understood Hikari's standing better than most.
To Hiruzen, she wasn't just another student.
She was his true successor—more cherished than the Sannin combined.
And while the Third's remaining years were uncertain, Hikari was a rising star. Respecting her now was simply good sense.
No one in the Hokage's office was foolish enough to underestimate her based on age. If anything, her youth only made her achievements more awe-inspiring.
—
"You called for me. What's the matter?"
Seeing that Hiruzen had dismissed all the ANBU, Hikari knew this wasn't a casual meeting.
"Any signs of your Kekkei Genkai illness resurfacing lately?"
Hiruzen's expression was uncharacteristically grave. The years had added new wrinkles to his face, deepening as he frowned.
That's it?
Hikari was puzzled.
He'd asked about her condition multiple times already.
Her Kekkei Genkai illness had been cured the moment she reversed the Eight Gates. If anything, her body had only grown stronger since then. Three years ago, when her Sage Body entered its second stage, she'd even informed Hiruzen that the issue was resolved.
"Thanks to you granting me the Forest of Death as a training ground, I've developed a technique to fully suppress the illness. It won't be a problem anymore."
Hiruzen studied her for a moment before relaxing slightly. "It's just… I haven't seen you training taijutsu lately. I thought the illness might have flared up again."
Ah.
Now she understood.
The truth was, most taijutsu had become meaningless to her.
Her physical control had reached a point where training was redundant—as long as she had enough chakra, her muscles strengthened on their own.
And aside from her shadow clones, no one could even serve as a sparring partner anymore.
A casual swing of her arm generated force measured in tons. A serious punch? Hundreds—if not thousands—of times stronger.
Add nin-taijutsu enhancements, and the numbers became incalculable.
Once, while testing her limits in the Forest of Death, she had activated all three state-enhancing techniques and unleashed a single punch.
Now, the Forest of Death was just… the Plains of Death.
"I stopped taijutsu training because I've been experimenting with new combat methods. It's not the illness."
She couldn't exactly explain the full truth, so she settled for a simplified version.
"I see. That's a relief."
Hiruzen visibly relaxed, his stern demeanor melting away.
"So, how do you like your assigned jonin instructor?"
"Predictable," Hikari replied dryly. She didn't even need to guess—she already knew who he'd assigned her to.
Her presence had already altered the original timeline significantly.
Take the Konoha 12, for example. Under her influence, they'd all become relentless overachievers.
Naruto and Sasuke, the original protagonists, had trained under Might Guy and Kakashi, respectively, and were now far stronger than they should have been at this point.
The others weren't far behind.
Sakura, the former top kunoichi in written exams, had initially struggled to keep up. But fate had a way of balancing things—she'd found her own path.
Two years ago, Senju Tōu, one of Hikari's subordinates in ROOT, had reported discovering a medical prodigy named Haruno Sakura during her hospital internship. He'd even requested permission to recruit her as his assistant.
Hikari, amused by the irony, had declined. Sakura's true potential lay with Tsunade, not ROOT.
With Sakura now training at the hospital, a spot had opened up in Team 7.
And given Hikari's existing ties to Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke, Hiruzen's decision was obvious.
—
"Did you call me here just to ask about these things?"
Hikari wasn't buying it. Hiruzen had been too busy earlier to dismiss his ANBU over trivial matters.
There was something else.
And he was clearly waiting for her to ask.
"Of course not."
Hiruzen smirked, pleased that he'd finally drawn her into the conversation. Reaching into his desk, he pulled out a sealed scroll.
"What kind of teacher would I be if I didn't give my prized student a graduation gift?"
Hikari's eyes sharpened as her visual prowess pierced through the scroll's outer seals.
"A few years back, Might Guy mentioned he wanted to gift you his tortoise summon—only for you to turn him down," Hiruzen said, unfurling the scroll to reveal rows of black names.
Most shared the same surname: Sarutobi.
And among them was Sarutobi Hiruzen himself.
"This is the Sarutobi clan's summoning contract with the Monkey Clan."
Hiruzen's voice brimmed with pride as he smoothed the scroll across his desk.
"The Monkey Clan's members possess bodies harder than steel, capable of transforming into the extendable Adamantine Staff.
"But their true strength lies in their intelligence. They speak human language, assume human forms, and can weave hand signs with all four limbs. They are, without a doubt, one of the strongest summon clans in the shinobi world."
His grin widened.
"And my personal summon is their king—Enma, the Monkey King!"
Hikari inhaled sharply.
She knew exactly how powerful Enma was.
In the original timeline, even Orochimaru—who had visited Ryūchi Cave and witnessed the might of the toads and slugs—had called Enma the strongest summon.
But raw power wasn't what interested her.
As a summon, Enma's strength was ultimately an external asset—nothing compared to her own abilities.
What she truly sought was the natural energy that likely saturated the Monkey Clan's territory.
And, perhaps, a Sage Mode distinct from the three great lands: Shikkotsu Forest, Mount Myōboku, and Ryūchi Cave.
Her Sage Body had been stuck at the second stage for a while now. Soon, it would advance to the third—but unlike Hashirama, her evolution was entirely different.
She doubted she'd achieve a perfect Sage Mode naturally.
If that happened, she'd need an alternative.
And now?
She might have just found it.