Illness strikes suddenly, but departs gradually.
Sarutobi Hiruzen felt that he was probably aging; a slight cold had infected him, but he could tough it out. Still, he held a thermos filled with ginger tea to warm his hands.
The old man removed the "Binocular Technique" and leaned quietly against the chair, lost in thought... The image of Roy's clear and sharp eyes vanished from the crystal ball on the corner of the table without the flow of chakra.
"Have you seen enough?" The boy's words still echoed by his ear.
Not enough... that was Sarutobi Hiruzen's answer to the boy. Young people don't understand the mindset of the elderly, being an Hokage responsible for countless ninja lives... Is there anything more delightful than seeing talented younger generations rise in the village?
Unfortunately... this was a tough one... an Uchiha rebel.....
The old man shook his head, flipped open the drawer, and pulled out the scroll.
The scroll was stamped with Roy's name, containing all the intelligence related to him, spread open, and at the end, he added a sentence....
[The next Konoha White Fang... [Lightning Style] not weak.....]
Sarutobi Hiruzen cast the pen in frustration, thinking of his own useless son... compared to Fugaku, as a father, he felt an unspeakable sense of defeat,
"Knock... knock... knock....." At this moment, a knock on the door interrupted Sarutobi Hiruzen's thoughts.
The old man calmly put the scroll back in the drawer and said without emotion: "Come in."
"Creak~" The door of the Hokage's office opened, and two figures entered, one with blond hair, one with black hair, one young and cheerful, one serious and rigid, both wearing green Jonin vests, bowed and greeted: "Hokage-sama."
"Here you are... Minato... Fugaku..." Sarutobi Hiruzen donned a smile and gestured for them to sit down.
Across the desk, a piece of intelligence was passed over.
As the third war intensified, becoming more fierce, the front line was tight, and more support was needed.
Sarutobi Hiruzen lit a cig and inhaled a puff, "Ta-da~" He said: "Jiraiya has sent word, Cloud In and Stone In discovered a large number of troops, two days ago, I already sent Orochimaru north to deal with Stone In,"
"Leaving Cloud In,"
Sarutobi Hiruzen gazed deeply at Namikaze Minato: "Minato, I'll leave it to you."
Namikaze Minato's blond hair fluttered in the wind as he carefully examined the intelligence in his hand, focusing particularly on two individuals, smiling slightly: "Leave it to me."
Ai and Kirabi should be that rampaging battlefield AB combo... against Cloud In, speed... is the primary element, just... he's fast!
This allocation seems to have no problem.
Namikaze Minato kept the intelligence close, tucked into his pocket, knowing this means another tough explanation to Kushina, luckily... the man glanced at the silent Uchiha Fugaku beside him, with Mikoto accompanying Kushina, frequently talking to her, shopping, seemingly... nothing much to worry about, just...
Fugaku seems... not very happy?
Namikaze Minato sensed Fugaku's odd mood but said nothing.
Just as Namikaze Minato thought, Uchiha Fugaku was very unhappy, even somewhat angry, for no reason——
Because in the Uchiha clan's support frontline list, he saw his son... Jin's name!
Moreover, the list excluded him... what does that mean?
Uchiha Fugaku suppressed his anger, frowned at Sarutobi Hiruzen: "Hokage-sama, Jin is still young, he hasn't graduated yet."
Young? Able to spar evenly with Sakumo, should he really be regarded as "young"?
Sarutobi Hiruzen "ta-da" inhaled a puff of illness, recalled the swordsmanship and lightning he saw earlier, stood up, looked deeply at Uchiha Fugaku: "Fugaku,"
"I know what you're thinking,"
"I currently can't explain anything to you,"
"But, you just need to know...."
"As long as I'm in office for a day, no one can harm Jin, regardless of whether he's an Uchiha."
Fugaku: "...."
Unmoved,
Sarutobi Hiruzen observed the situation, released a smoke ring: "Let him follow Minato, with Minato protecting him, you should be reassured."
"I can take him myself." Fugaku said solemnly.
"The Police Department can't do without you."
Fugaku: "....."
"Alright." Sarutobi Hiruzen stated unequivocally: "This is an order, not a discussion."
"Have Jin report to Minato on time tomorrow, after fitting in, proceed north promptly."
"Yes....."
"Creak~"
The Hokage office door closed heavily, just like Uchiha Fugaku's mood, tightly closed....
Namikaze Minato quietly accompanied him, comforting warmly: "Brother Fugaku, don't worry, with me around, I will definitely protect Jin."
Really?
You're still a big kid yourself!
Uchiha Fugaku paused his steps, turned to look at the blond youth: "Minato, you haven't had a son, so you don't understand."
"With a son, no matter what time, you will never be at ease....."
"Step... step...." Fugaku resumed his pace, shook his head at Namikaze Minato, turned, and left.
Namikaze Minato was slightly taken aback, standing there quietly watching him leave, the desolate silhouette of a "father" left him speechless, not knowing... what to say.
Until suddenly, the young man remembered Kushina wanted ramen. Namikaze Minato slapped his forehead, hurriedly heading towards Ichiraku Ramen.....
.......
Time will always quietly slip away during bustling and busy times.
Walking on the muddy narrow path through the southern forest leading to the Uchiha clan settlement.
Shisui and Itachi, due to the additional "punishment" and "training," had long been exhausted like dead dogs, being lifted by Roy, one in each hand, as he walked towards home.