Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, was finally home, exhausted from the village's never-ending demands. It had been a long, draining day, filled with stacks of paperwork and endless bureaucracy. In the quiet of his study, he held his old pipe and gazed out the window at the street. Stars shimmered in Konoha's night sky.
He wondered if the next generation would feel this same weariness. He let out a long sigh of relief.
"I'm just too old for this," he mumbled to himself.
Just then, a burst of excited noise echoed down the hallway. "Grandpa!"
A smile spread across Hiruzen's face. Only one person was that full of life. Konohamaru, with his usual boundless energy, rushed over and threw himself into his grandfather's arms.
Hiruzen stroked his hair. "Oh, Konohamaru... are you still awake? I thought you'd be in bed by now."
"Grandpa, I have a request!" Konohamaru said, his voice surprisingly serious as he pulled away. "I want Mitsuro-sensei to train me!"
Hiruzen's eyebrows shot up. "Konohamaru, Mitsuro-sensei is already your teacher. He teaches you at the Academy."
"No, that's not what I mean." Konohamaru continued with a fiery passion. "I want him to train me privately. I have to become a strong ninja right away!"
Hiruzen looked at his grandson with a gentle smile that deepened the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. "You're still a child. What's the rush?"
Konohamaru's determined gaze met his grandfather's. "Naruto-niisan is getting stronger and cooler every day... I can't let my rival get ahead of me! I have to get strong!"
Hiruzen put a hand on his head, his voice weary but full of love. "Getting strong doesn't happen so fast. You have to be patient and work hard."
"But Grandpa!"
Seeing the pure determination in his little grandson's eyes, Hiruzen relented. "Well, why don't you ask Ebisu to teach you? He's a powerful ninja too."
"No! Mitsuro-sensei! He's better!"
Hiruzen sighed. "Alright, Konohamaru." He put his hand on his grandson's head and gently ruffled his hair. "I'll talk to Mitsuro tomorrow about doing some private tutoring with you. But remember not to bother him too much, okay? He's a very busy man."
Konohamaru let out a scream of joy and hugged Hiruzen again. "Thank you, Grandpa! I love you!"
Hiruzen chuckled in response. "Oh, Konohamaru... are you really that happy about it?" He stroked the boy's head, a proud and satisfied smile on his face. As he watched his grandson, he thought to himself that perhaps this new generation would build a better future for the village after all.
..
A chilling silence hung over the dense forest on the outskirts of Konoha. Not a single bird could be heard, and even the wind passed softly through the trees, as if respecting the hush. In the heart of this quiet stood a two-story wooden building with a sign above the door that read: "Mountain Cabin." The entire cabin was surrounded by thin wires and strings of bells, making every movement a noisy event. The smell of dampness and old wood was thick in the air, mixed with the pungent scent of old paint.
Deep within a dimly lit, humid room, the walls were covered with dozens of paintings; neglected but vibrant portraits, eerie landscapes, cloudy skies, and disjointed faces. Under the flickering candlelight, shadows danced across the paintings, making the faces seem to come alive.
In the center of this world steeped in art and darkness, a small girl sat on a worn wooden chair. Her knees were pulled up to her chest, her arms locked around them, and her long, straight hair hung down one side of her head as she stared into the void.
From behind his crow mask, Mitsuro stood perfectly still in the darkest corner of the room. His voice, calm and deep, was made even more menacing by the mask. "Have you made your decision?"
The girl trembled slightly. She took a deep breath but didn't look up. She whispered so faintly it was barely audible, "Do you promise... I'll be free?" A deep uncertainty hung in her voice, as if freedom was a concept she had lost years ago.
Mitsuro ran his hand over one of the canvases. "Child, you still have a lot to learn, but freedom is an illusion." His tone shifted slightly, as if he was trying to make her understand that freedom was something far more complex than she imagined. "But I can promise you'll have a better life than you do now. And I promise that if you have a dream, I will do everything in my power to help you achieve it."
These words, like tempting promises, echoed in the darkness and sparked a glimmer of hope in the girl's heart. She finally raised her head, tearing her eyes away from the paintings. Her eyes were filled with a mix of doubt and fear, a blend of hatred and hope.
"What do you want in return?" she asked, her voice shaking.
"Your talent," Mitsuro answered without a moment's hesitation. "I want to use that unique talent of yours to achieve my own dream."
The girl shrugged her shoulders. "I don't have any talent. It's just a curse... a curse no one wants."
Mitsuro's shadow trembled for a moment. He was silent for a second, then said in a calm, thoughtful voice, "People call powers they can't control a curse. But when they learn to use them, that curse becomes a blessing."
"Can you control it?" the girl asked.
"Me? Not at all!" Mitsuro let out a short, honest laugh. "But you can!"
"How are you so sure?" she asked, a flicker of hope replacing the initial despair in her voice.
"I have faith. Do you know in what?"
"No, in what?"
"In you." Mitsuro's response was definitive.
"Can you make me get my revenge?"
"I can... but is that what you want?"
"No, I don't want revenge. There's no one I'm really mad at."
"But I can make you a promise. I will make sure you become far stronger than the people who thought you could never be a ninja. You'll become someone who makes them tremble just by looking them in the eye."
The girl's eyes began to shine in the dim light. Her voice was now firmer as she asked, "When are you taking me out of here?"
Mitsuro smiled in the shadows. "In due time. You'll know when the time is right."