"So that's how it is…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. "Hirofumi, did you notice anything else interesting? Any special discoveries? If you've got something, you can share it with your old Hokage grandpa…"
He was fishing for clues, hoping to figure out if the place Hirofumi had been whisked away to was one of the legendary Three Great Holy Sites.
Hirofumi put on a thoughtful expression. "Interesting stuff? Oh, yeah, there's something!"
"What is it?!" Hiruzen's eyes lit up. Could the Hidden Leaf be on the verge of producing another powerhouse like Jiraiya? If so, that'd be a game-changer! The village was in a rough spot—his three students had either left or gone rogue, and the next generation wasn't exactly inspiring confidence.
"It's not that interesting, Hokage Grandpa," Hirofumi said, scratching his head. "I just got this weird feeling… like I showed up too early! Yeah, that's it. The moment I felt that, I was sent back here."
Hiruzen's mind raced. Too early?
Maybe Hirofumi had been acknowledged by that place, but the timing wasn't right, or he was still too weak, so they sent him back? Strange… Jiraiya never mentioned anything like this from his time at Mount Myoboku. Still, this was promising. If Hirofumi's story held up, he might get another shot at that place—and maybe even gain its full approval!
This is worth discussing with Jiraiya, Hiruzen thought. He's been through this before. Maybe he could even take the kid as a student.
Hirofumi's talent was already decent, and as the young heir of the Ito clan—small as it was—he'd be a good fit for Jiraiya's mentorship. Hiruzen decided he'd bring it up when Jiraiya returned.
Smiling, he reached out and ruffled Hirofumi's hair. "If anything else interesting happens, come tell your Hokage Grandpa, okay? I'm really curious about this! You know, one of my students went through something similar. He accidentally got whisked away to another realm while practicing a summoning jutsu. Sounds a lot like what happened to you!"
Hirofumi's eyes widened, feigning surprise. "Really, Hokage Grandpa?!"
Of course, he knew exactly who Hiruzen was talking about—Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin.
"Absolutely!" Hiruzen chuckled. "I'll introduce you two sometime. My student's a pretty incredible ninja!"
The room buzzed with varied reactions. Danzo Shimura's brow furrowed tightly. He'd had his eye on Hirofumi, but now it seemed Hiruzen was steering him toward Jiraiya. Meanwhile, Hirofumi's father, Aoyama Ito, and grandfather, Yamato Ito, were thrilled. They knew Hiruzen was talking about Jiraiya—one of the Sannin! If the Hokage was suggesting Jiraiya take Hirofumi as a student, that was huge! With guidance from a ninja of that caliber, Hirofumi's future would be limitless.
"Lord Hokage, thank you so much!" Aoyama bowed deeply.
"No need for that," Hiruzen said warmly. "Yamato's an old comrade of mine. I'm happy to see his grandson do well."
Before Hiruzen could say more, Danzo cut in sharply. "Hiruzen!"
"Let's take this to the Hokage's office, Danzo," Hiruzen replied coolly.
"Hmph!" Danzo stormed off, and Hiruzen followed. Aoyama and Yamato left soon after—after all, ninja academy classes had to go on, and they couldn't linger.
Iruka, seeing the students' curious faces, knew there was no way they'd focus on lessons now. Plus, he was just as curious about Hirofumi's adventure. With a wave of his hand, he announced, "Alright, everyone, take a break! Free time for a bit!"
Naruto Uzumaki practically exploded with excitement, leaping up and rushing to Hirofumi's side. "Iruka-sensei, you're the best!!! Hirofumi, come on, spill it! What happened to you?! That was so cool! Was it some special jutsu? How'd you just vanish like that?!"
The other students leaned in, just as eager to hear the story.
But then Naruto's demeanor shifted. He got all fidgety, giving Hirofumi a weird look. For some reason, his friend felt… different. Almost like… like Sasuke!
No way! Naruto shook his head. Hirofumi's my buddy! There's no way he's anything like that stuck-up Sasuke!
"Hirofumi, why do I feel like you're… different somehow?" Naruto mumbled, still staring.
Sasuke, nearby, froze when he heard Naruto's words. Even that idiot noticed it?! From the moment Hirofumi reappeared, Sasuke had sensed something off. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it was like Hirofumi had some kind of connection to him now—a faint, inexplicable link.
What if… Sasuke's mind raced. Could Hirofumi be some long-lost brother? No, that was ridiculous. But… could he have Uchiha blood?! His pupils narrowed at the thought.
Hirofumi, meanwhile, blinked in surprise at Naruto's comment. Damn, Naruto's got some sharp instincts! Of course he was different—he'd inherited Indra's chakra!
Was this the legendary pull between Indra and Asura's chakra at work?
Ugh, Naruto, come on! Hirofumi groaned internally. Your real best buddy is Sasuke, not me! Stop looking at me with those weird puppy eyes!