Sarutobi Shinnosuke stared in shock at his father.
Seriously? A single test paper, written by some brat from the Academy, had actually moved the Hokage of Konoha this much? And worse—this wasn't just any brat. This was an Uchiha kid.
Unbelievable.
What the hell did that paper say? Shinnosuke watched as his father's face shifted from stern, to delighted, and then to sorrowful. He couldn't help leaning closer.
"Father… Father…"
Only after Shinnosuke whispered several times did Hiruzen finally snap out of his memories. His gaze drifted reluctantly away from the framed portrait of Tobirama on the wall. He glared at his impatient eldest son, then solemnly handed over Uchiha Seiji's exam like it was some national treasure.
"You're the ANBU Commander—tell me. Could you write this kind of essay on the Will of Fire?"
Shinnosuke accepted the paper skeptically… but one glance and his pupils shrank. He immediately straightened, reading with full attention.
He couldn't help it. Seiji's answers were a perfect fusion—Hiruzen's heartfelt words from his own imagined death, woven seamlessly with Tobirama's childhood teachings. Together, it wasn't just "the Will of Fire." It was practically "the Flame of Fire" itself.
"Seiji… worthy of being Uncle Kagami's heir," Shinnosuke muttered. "Father, this essay should be spread throughout the village. We can even refine some of these lines into slogans—it'll deepen the shinobi's understanding of the Will of Fire."
He paused, then added with a strategist's eye: "Every hidden village has its spiritual pillar. We have the Will of Fire. Iwagakure has the Will of Stone. Short, memorable, easy to spread—Seiji's words could reshape how Konoha teaches its ideals."
Hiruzen nodded firmly. "Do it, Shinnosuke. This is worth spreading."
He retrieved Seiji's paper, marked a perfect score without hesitation, then hesitated again. He wanted to add something more personal.
Finally, he wrote:
[I'm overjoyed to see the Will of Fire shine so brightly in your hands. May Konoha's love take root in your heart and blossom into something radiant.]
Still, he shook his head, unsatisfied. "No. I'll speak to him in person soon. This child… he must be protected."
His voice turned grave. "The Uchiha hawks are getting bold. Obito's already been tainted. But Seiji—Seiji is Kagami's blood, a true inheritor of the Will of Fire. He could be the key to resolving the Uchiha's future."
Shinnosuke nodded silently. He understood. Words could deceive, yes—but to capture the Will of Fire with this much weight? That wasn't a lie.
"Alright. Time to finish the rest," Hiruzen said with a chuckle. "Can't let myself show favoritism."
He flipped through the remaining exams. Scores went up and down, but he didn't bother with any more lengthy comments. Eventually, only two papers were left.
"What a long night," Hiruzen muttered, stretching his back. "But worth it—witnessing these children grow…"
He picked up the next test. "Inada Kojiro. Civilian kid, by the looks of it."
Then his face twisted.
Shinnosuke glanced at him curiously. Since Seiji and Obito, no paper had shaken his father this much.
Hiruzen squinted, his expression growing stranger by the second—equal parts approval, annoyance, and a flicker of anger.
"…This brat actually thinks he can teach me how to be Hokage? Doubting village policy, demanding I 'correct' myself? Who raised this kid?"
Suppressing his temper, Hiruzen checked the attached combat report. If Kojiro was a genius, maybe he'd cut him some slack.
The results were awful.
"Paper-pushing trash!" Hiruzen snapped. "A child who can't master basic ninjutsu dares to lecture me on governance? He even has the gall to 'instruct' me on how to be a better Hokage!"
If Tobirama himself had written those words, Hiruzen would've bowed his head, admitted his flaws, and thanked his teacher. But coming from a no-name Academy brat? Absolutely not.
"Utter nonsense!"
He slammed his palm on the desk, seized his red pen, and scrawled across Kojiro's paper:
[Overreaching, arrogant, and shallow! The Will of Fire is not your toy for empty words. Learn to be a shinobi first—that is your true priority!]
Final score: a merciless zero.
Shinnosuke skimmed the paper and shrugged. "Unlucky kid. If a regular teacher graded it, he'd just get scolded. But running into my father? Tough luck."
Then came the last paper. And if Kojiro had already ruffled feathers, this one practically lit a bonfire.
The author? Sarutobi Asuma.
The rebellious son hadn't held back. His essay was all-out war: calling the Will of Fire a lie, branding his father a hypocrite, and outright declaring that Hiruzen had no idea what the Will of Fire truly was.
Sharp, blunt, merciless.
Even Danzō wouldn't dare roast him like this.
"Oh, so that's how it is, huh?" Hiruzen snarled, yanking open a drawer.
Shinnosuke blinked, bewildered, as his father grabbed a leather belt and stormed out of the Hokage's office, muttering curses under his breath.
Left behind, Shinnosuke peeked at the exam, then covered his face. "This family is doomed…"
And yet, he couldn't help but grin.
"Asuma, you brat—you love stealing my cigarettes, don't you?"
With a satisfied smirk, Shinnosuke picked up the smoking pipe Hiruzen had left behind and lit it for himself.