Hiruzen Sarutobi had long pondered over the decline of Konohagakure's education system.
But what he didn't expect was to be lectured by the First Hokage himself.
And even more unexpectedly, the First and Second Hokage had such opposing views on the matter.
"I think that boy is quite impressive. While his moral boundaries are a bit low, his ideas are very good."
Late at night, in the ancestral home of the Senju Clan, Tobirama Senju nodded as he spoke.
"But the fact that he can even get along with that Uchiha brat—aren't the Uchiha a naturally evil clan? Besides Kagami, the rest of them..."
"Shut up, Tobirama! I've told you before, the Uchiha are comrades of the village!"
Before Tobirama could finish, his elder brother cut him off.
"And if it weren't for your policies, how would things have turned out this way?"
"Hmph, how is that my fault?"
Tobirama snorted in dissatisfaction.
"Didn't Minamoto say it himself? All the trouble was caused by that Obito Uchiha. He was the one who triggered the Nine-Tails incident!"
"But Minamoto also mentioned that it was because people in Konohagakure didn't trust the Uchiha. Monkey, tell me, wasn't it that brat from the Shimura Clan? Wasn't he your disciple?"
"Danzo went too far, but would this have happened without Obito Uchiha?"
"And if Danzo had shown trust, would it have escalated to this point?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt his scalp tingle. The two Hokage arguing was giving him a headache, and he couldn't help but glance at Tsunade.
Unfortunately, Tsunade seemed entirely uninterested, watching the scene as if it were entertainment. Left with no choice, Hiruzen had to intervene.
"Both of you, my teachers, there's no point in arguing over past events. Let's focus on the present!"
"You're also to blame, Monkey! What kind of Hokage have you been?!"
Before he could finish his sentence, both Hokage began scolding him.
"Let's not even talk about the Fourth Hokage's death. You couldn't even keep Danzo in check. What kind of Hokage are you?"
"Exactly! And you've turned Konohagakure's education into this mess. You bear a lot of responsibility!"
"Education? What's wrong with education? I founded Konohagakure's academy. How dare you criticize it?"
"If you had even slightly adhered to the direction I set, Minamoto wouldn't have turned out like this!"
"Your direction is outdated! Besides, I think he's great. He has the perfect mindset to be Hokage."
"So it's you! You're the root cause of Konohagakure's educational collapse, you bastard!"
Watching the two argue again, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed helplessly. But he had a way to deal with this.
"Both of you seem to agree that Minamoto becoming Hokage is a good idea."
"Hmm."
As expected, the mention of this topic made them pause. Hashirama Senju stroked his chin and said,
"Although his personality is quite similar to Tobirama's, he's the most outstanding candidate. With proper guidance, there won't be any issues."
"Tch, he has no issues at all—if anything, he's not ruthless enough."
Tobirama Senju shot a glare at his elder brother. He had a favorable impression of Kitagawa Minamoto.
After all, Minamoto's thinking was somewhat similar to his own, though even more ruthless.
Moreover, his abilities were also similar to Tobirama's, but far surpassed them in every way. How could Tobirama not feel pleased?
After all, Minamoto was a member of Konohagakure!
"If it's him, I'll fully support it."
"Koharu, Homura, and I share the same opinion. With the support of both of you, I believe things will go more smoothly."
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled as he spoke. Seeing that Hashirama still had more to say, he quickly added,
"But Minamoto still needs to continue learning, and we have more pressing matters to address."
"Indeed, the Impure World Reincarnation, as well as the issues with Sunagakure and Kumogakure."
Tobirama Senju nodded, pondering for a moment before speaking.
"Let's proceed according to Minamoto's suggestions. I think they're sound, and even the use of the Impure World Reincarnation should be considered."
"Hey, isn't that going too far?"
Hashirama Senju couldn't help but interject again.
"Do you have any idea how much trouble that technique has caused? And you still want to use it?"
"What trouble? Isn't it all for the sake of Konohagakure?"
"You bastard! Minamoto turned out this way because of you!"
"That's exactly the kind of personality suited to being Hokage."
"Konohagakure's education has been ruined by you!"
Watching the two argue yet again, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed deeply.
He hadn't expected that reviving the two Hokage would lead to them arguing over Kitagawa Minamoto.
But in a way, this was good—it at least proved that Minamoto was an excellent choice.
"Sigh, why hasn't anything started yet?"
The revival of the two Hokage had been kept completely under wraps. Meanwhile, Kitagawa Minamoto's life had returned to a semblance of normalcy.
However, with Deidara and Mei Terumi accompanying him, he felt a bit bored.
All the hosting duties had fallen on him, which was technically a task assigned by Konohagakure.
"It'll take some time. But honestly, the people Konohagakure sent seem pretty average, hmm."
Deidara stretched lazily, rubbing his chin as he spoke.
"That Naruto kid is destined to be eliminated by you. Sasuke seems decent, but the rest are just average. Didn't Konohagakure prepare well?"
"Deidara, you might want to tone it down."
Mei Terumi couldn't help but chuckle at his words. After a few days, everyone had gotten familiar with each other, and she knew maintaining good relations was beneficial.
"Be careful, or he might eliminate all of Iwagakure's participants. Then Lord Ōnoki would be furious."
"Tch, what does that have to do with me?"
Deidara snorted dismissively, but after some thought, he cautiously asked,
"Hey, hey, your Konohagakure isn't that petty, right?"
"Depends on my mood. If I'm in a bad mood, I might consider it."
Kitagawa Minamoto stroked his chin, then gave Deidara a mischievous smile.
"After all, Konohagakure is both the referee and a participant. We can do whatever we want."
"..."
A bead of sweat rolled down Deidara's forehead. He felt like something was off.
Even though he wasn't afraid of Ōnoki, this didn't seem like a good idea.
"Alright, let's drop this topic."
Mei Terumi wasn't sure if Kitagawa Minamoto was joking, but she decided it was better to change the subject.
"I heard Sunagakure has already surrendered, and Kumogakure seems to be preparing for war. What plans does Konohagakure have?"
"What about you?"
Kitagawa Minamoto raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile.
"Sunagakure's surrender wasn't surprising. They'll return the benefits around Iwagakure, and it seems we've also given you the Land of Waves.
As for preparations for war, we'll follow orders. Who knows, we might even act together when the time comes."
"Act together?"
Deidara's eyes lit up at those words!
He had been pondering how to divert Kitagawa Minamoto's attention, and a fight seemed like a good option.
His mind began to race, and after a while, he suddenly spoke up.
"What if we launched an attack during the preparation phase? Wouldn't that be better?"
"Hmm?"
Both Kitagawa Minamoto and Mei Terumi paused mid-step. Kitagawa Minamoto stroked his chin and said,
"In theory, that's true. Everyone assumes we're preparing for the exams and that nothing will happen until after they're over.
So, launching a surprise attack now could be quite effective."
Mei Terumi nodded in agreement but quickly shook her head.
"We'd also need to guard against their actions. If they make a move during this time, it would be hard for us to respond.
Moreover, the major villages are still mobilizing their forces, and it's not easy to reach the battlefield quickly."
"What if we sent an elite team to launch a raid?"
Deidara glanced around before speaking in a conspiratorial tone.
"For example, Minamoto, you, me, and Mei Terumi—we could go together!"
"Huh?"
Kitagawa Minamoto was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected Deidara to be so bold.
But suddenly, he found himself tempted.
"This..."
Mei Terumi was also taken aback by Deidara's suggestion. She hadn't expected him to be so reckless.
But considering he was Ōnoki's disciple, she held back from scolding him.
"Isn't that too risky?"
"I actually think it might work."
Kitagawa Minamoto stroked his chin, pretending to analyze the situation.
"Deidara can fly, so he could get us there quickly. Plus, attacks from the air would be relatively safe.
Additionally, he's skilled in Dust Release and explosive clay, capable of large-scale destruction. I could target their key figures.
And you could provide comprehensive support with Water Release. If something goes wrong, I can use Flying Thunder God to get us out. It does seem feasible."
"Well, when you put it that way..."
Mei Terumi was skeptical of Deidara but took Kitagawa Minamoto's words seriously.
After all, this was the man who had taken on three opponents at once and defeated both the Fourth Kazekage and the Fourth Raikage. He was undeniably a formidable ninja!
And the more she thought about it, the more it seemed plausible.
"Yes, exactly! That's what I was thinking!"
Deidara was visibly excited, practically bouncing with anticipation.
"I'll take you there. We'll destroy, raid, and provide support. The three of us can definitely handle it!"
"But we don't have the village's permission."
Kitagawa Minamoto sighed softly, shaking his head.
"Even though the potential rewards are great, the village probably prefers to play it safe."
"I agree."
Mei Terumi nodded thoughtfully, though she still felt something was amiss.
"No problem! We'll just go quietly."
Deidara patted his chest confidently, grinning as he spoke.
"You just need to get us out of Konohagakure. I'll use my clay bird to take us there. If anyone causes trouble later, I'll take full responsibility!"
"..."
Mei Terumi glanced at Kitagawa Minamoto's mischievous smile, then at Deidara's eager expression.
For a moment, she finally realized what had been bothering her.
"This doesn't seem right..."
Before she could voice her concerns, Kitagawa Minamoto sighed.
"If we succeed, the credit will be ours. But if we fail, you, as the main planner, will..."
"No problem, no problem, hmm!"
Deidara waved off the concern, speaking earnestly.
"This was my idea to begin with. If anything goes wrong, it's on me! If we succeed, it'll be our shared victory. No problem at all!"
"..."
Mei Terumi didn't know what to say. She realized that the heir of Iwagakure might be a bit too naive.
And the heir of Konohagakure...
Might be just a bit too cunning?
"What do you think?"
As she pondered, Kitagawa Minamoto turned his gaze toward her.
"I think it might be worth trying. Of course, it's understandable if you oppose it—it's quite risky."
"I..."
Mei Terumi hesitated, but before she could respond, Deidara peeked out from behind Kitagawa Minamoto, mouthing silently:
'You don't want this bastard to stay here and eliminate all the other candidates, do you?'
"..."
Mei Terumi fell silent for a moment before finally sighing with a smile.
"Let me think about it. Besides, now might not be the best time to act. But don't worry—
I won't say a word. And honestly, I'm a bit intrigued myself."
(End of Chapter)
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