June, in the 36th year of Konoha.
The climate in the forest began to feel a bit muggy and irritable.
Shiraishi had been out of the village on a mission for three months.
During this time, he encountered a total of eleven waves of enemies. Apart from the five jonin he faced in the first month, the Sand Village troops he encountered afterward were all very weak in combat.
Sometimes, Sakumo, a jonin, didn't even need to intervene. He just needed to stand by as a deterrent, and Shiraishi and his two teammates would coordinate to wipe out enemies several times their number.
As the number of battles increased, Shiraishi and his two teammates accumulated more combat experience, and their coordination improved significantly.
To research new tactics, Shiraishi gathered materials on the spot, searching the wilderness for ingredients to make smoke bombs.
Fortunately, when he left, he had sealed some simple small instruments in a scroll. During his rest periods, Shiraishi would take them out to make smoke bombs.
Sakumo was already accustomed to this kind of behavior.
If Ruri and Ayane focused on accumulating raw power, then Shiraishi was undoubtedly the most knowledgeable and quick-witted among the three.
Sakumo greatly admired his ability to maintain a calm and unagitated mindset for learning and self-improvement even amidst war.
Thus, Sakumo proposed special training for Shiraishi.
He offered to teach Shiraishi some practical sword-fighting techniques.
In the fields of medical ninjutsu and research, he couldn't help Shiraishi, but as a jonin skilled in swordsmanship, Sakumo felt he could teach Shiraishi sword techniques to give him some combat ability.
This way, with Ruri and Ayane, the overall combat power of the three would significantly increase.
Shiraishi was slightly surprised by Sakumo's offer of special training, but he didn't refuse.
When he had nothing to do, he would practice swordsmanship with Sakumo.
His weapon was a standard issue ninja sword, slightly longer than the White Fang short sword, but in terms of chakra conductivity, it was several levels inferior to the White Fang short sword.
After all, ordinary weapons cannot conduct chakra with nature transformation; they are easily broken when encountering refined weapons that can conduct chakra.
In the afternoon, when the sun was strong.
"Hey, remember not to peek, okay?"
Ruri and Ayane held clean new clothes, and to prevent anyone from peeking while they bathed, they specifically came over to remind him.
Shiraishi assured them, "Don't worry, you two go ahead. I'll watch over Sakumo-sensei even if it kills me."
"I was talking about you, not Sakumo-sensei."
"..."
No matter how perverted he was, he wouldn't peek at twelve-year-old girls bathing.
Ruri's wary, perverted-looking gaze hurt Shiraishi's feelings a bit.
"It's fine if Shiraishi-kun peeks, because I'll make sure Shiraishi-kun can no longer be a qualified man, physiologically speaking."
Ayane smiled gently, as if implying something.
While it made people feel as if they were basking in a spring breeze, it also sent shivers down their spines.
Watching Ruri and Ayane leave, Shiraishi sighed and said, "Seriously, what time is it? And they still want to take a bath. It's not like we're out camping."
"There's no helping it. These past few months, we've either been fighting or traveling. It's good to let them relax a bit. Besides, this place is very close to a Konoha outpost, making it safer than other areas."
Sakumo added from the side.
Shiraishi could only nod, agreeing with Sakumo's view.
A gentle breeze rustled through the dense forest, carrying with it a somewhat irritating heat.
In this situation, Shiraishi even felt like taking a peaceful nap under the shade of a tree.
"Is the situation on the front lines still unclear?"
Shiraishi sat under the shade of a tree, taking out his water bottle to drink.
"Ah, even with Orochimaru and the others, the opponent is the Third Kazekage himself, so it's not that easy to win."
Sakumo also sat down and said to Shiraishi.
Although the quality of Konoha ninja on the front lines was generally superior to that of Sand Village ninja, the lack of a decisive, powerful ninja on the level of the current Kage was the reason for the stalemate on the front lines.
"In this situation, if the Hokage-sama were to appear, he might be able to turn the tide of battle in an instant."
Sakumo shook his head at Shiraishi's opinion and said, "Konoha is different from the other four ninja villages. The Land of Fire is located in the center of the continent, surrounded by four great nations. There are too many things to consider. The Hokage personally rushing to the battlefield is an emergency situation that would only occur as a last resort."
"It's not easy being Hokage, either..."
"Indeed, after all, he is the Hokage."
"Sakumo-sensei, have you ever thought about becoming Hokage?"
Shiraishi suddenly asked.
Since there was nothing else to do, he hoped to talk about something interesting to pass the time.
Sakumo gave a wry smile and said, "Forget it, spare me. I'm not cut out to be Hokage. I don't understand politics at all."
"That's not true. The calls for Sakumo-sensei to become Hokage are even louder than for the Sannin."
"Even so, the Hokage-sama is still in good health, and I've never considered that question."
Shiraishi nodded in understanding.
The Third Hokage's reputation in Konoha Village was indeed very good. According to Ruri, even the Uchiha clan had a harmonious relationship with the Third Hokage, and they had good business dealings with each other.
It could be imagined that the Third Hokage was very broad-minded.
But... how many years could this broad-mindedness and courage last?
The Third Hokage was already forty-six this year. If he continued to serve as Hokage for another ten years, it would be time for him to retire and hand over the position.
The older people get, the more things they worry about.
The ambitions of youth would become increasingly difficult to fulfill with age.
The Uchiha's Police Force held more power than the Hokage's direct Anbu.
This was both a sign of trust in the Uchiha and a warning and admonition to them.
The Third Hokage didn't care now because his strength was sufficient and his prestige was great enough that even if something unexpected happened with the Uchiha, he was confident he could resolve it, even if it meant using force.
But this confidence could not last forever.
Therefore, selecting a new Hokage within ten years to replace the Third Hokage was the true path to a strong Konoha Village.
At that time, Sakumo would only be in his early thirties, the golden age when a ninja's power was at its peak.
His strength at that time would probably be even greater than it was now.
With his reputation, strength, loyalty, and character, even if he himself didn't want to be Hokage, everyone would find ways to pressure him into becoming Hokage.
"In any case, if Sakumo-sensei were to contend for the position of Hokage, he would surely bring new ideas to the village."
"You, I already said I'm not interested in being Hokage. I think my current life is very good. Because once you become Hokage, you can't go out on missions often like this and fight alongside your comrades in the village."
"What a shame..."
Shiraishi sighed.
"I'll go find something to eat. There's not much food left in my backpack. The task of being their escort is up to you."
"Understood."
Watching Sakumo's retreating figure, Shiraishi watched for a while before averting his gaze.