Danzo Shimura had always coveted the seat of Hokage.
In his mind, he had every right to it.
After all, he controlled Root, the shadow beneath Konoha — its hidden foundation.
His power, influence, and network were second only to Hiruzen Sarutobi himself.
And that alone was enough to feed his ambition.
If the Third Hokage truly had developed some sort of new weapon or secret power within the village, it would shatter the balance of control. Danzo's influence would plummet overnight.
The thought burned at him.
Of course, this paranoia wasn't unfounded. For years, Hiruzen's indecision and soft-heartedness had let Danzo operate freely in the shadows. If the old man had ever truly resolved to get rid of him, even Danzo knew — he wouldn't have lasted a day.
But for now, his concern would have to wait.
That same night, Hiruzen and Kakashi arrived quietly at Naruto's apartment.
The boy was fast asleep, drooling into his pillow, wrapped tightly in his blanket.
He hadn't even stirred during the explosion.
The Third Hokage watched for a moment, then sighed in relief.
Seeing Naruto sleeping so peacefully was enough to confirm what Kakashi had said — the Nine-Tails had nothing to do with tonight's incident.
Silently, the two men left the apartment and made their way toward the cliffs behind the Hokage Monument.
From there, they could see the entire village beneath the pale moonlight.
"...Kakashi," Hiruzen began softly, his voice calm but carrying weight, "that person… he's connected to you, isn't he?"
Kakashi froze.
He hadn't expected the old man to see through him so easily.
Hiruzen turned to look at him, the faintest smile touching his lips — one not of kindness, but of quiet understanding.
"You're far too calm tonight," he said. "For an explosion that nearly leveled half the forest… you're not nearly as shaken as you should be. That tells me everything I need to know."
Kakashi lowered his gaze. He didn't deny it.
Hiruzen sighed, his tone deepening. "So you don't trust me anymore?"
Kakashi remained silent.
He had been an ANBU captain — he knew more of the village's dark history than most. He also knew that not every secret in Konoha was meant for the Hokage's ears… not when Danzo was still lurking in the shadows.
Hiruzen took another drag of his pipe. "Kakashi, you should understand something. If I've already guessed the truth, you can't hide it forever."
He turned, his expression firm, the smoke curling around his face like a veil.
"If the person you're protecting poses no threat to the village, I will not harm them. I'll make sure they're safe — even against Danzo."
His tone hardened. "But if they are a threat, I won't hesitate to act. My duty is to Konoha first."
Kakashi looked up at him then — and saw not just the old man he respected, but the leader of a village built on sacrifice.
He sighed quietly. "You've already figured it out, haven't you, Lord Hokage?"
Hiruzen's gaze sharpened. "So it's true… the one responsible was one of ours?"
Kakashi nodded slowly. "Yes. He's from the village. But… he's not ready to protect himself yet."
That made Hiruzen blink in disbelief.
"You're saying the person who unleashed that power—something that could rival a Tailed Beast Bomb—doesn't even have the ability to defend himself?"
Kakashi nodded again.
"The jutsu he used… was mine. Chidori."
For a long moment, Hiruzen just stared.
When he finally spoke, his voice was filled with disbelief.
"What? You're telling me that blast—the one that carved a crater into the mountain—was from Chidori?"
He couldn't believe it.
Chidori was indeed a powerful A-rank jutsu, but even at full power, it couldn't come close to what had happened tonight. That blast had leveled an entire mountain.
Kakashi's tone was grave. "It was. I don't know what went wrong, but the technique he used was definitely Chidori."
The Third Hokage fell silent, struggling to process what he'd just heard.
After a long pause, he finally spoke again.
"So you're teaching this person your personal jutsu… your signature technique."
His eyes narrowed. "Who is he, Kakashi? For you to teach Chidori—a jutsu you've never passed on to anyone—that means this person is special. Very special."
Kakashi's jaw tightened. He said nothing.
But that silence told Hiruzen everything.
A young person. Powerful enough to destroy a mountain. Personally trained by Kakashi Hatake.
A single word echoed in Hiruzen's mind:
Genius.
Pure, terrifying genius.
For a moment, the Hokage's old eyes brightened with something rare — hope.
Konoha was entering a new generation, and the strength of its young shinobi had begun to wane. He'd long searched for someone worthy to carry the Will of Fire — someone who could take up the mantle of Hokage when his time was over.
Originally, Kakashi had been his choice. He was brilliant, loyal, and powerful… but not quite commanding enough to unite the entire village.
Naruto and Sasuke, meanwhile, were the future candidates. But both carried risks.
Naruto was still unstable — a jinchūriki who couldn't yet control the Nine-Tails.
And Sasuke… Sasuke had the pride and potential of the Uchiha. Which meant he also had their curse — arrogance, and darkness.
Hiruzen had faith in them both, but neither felt ready to inherit the flame.
And now, suddenly, there was someone else.
Someone even Kakashi had deemed worthy of his personal tutelage.
His pulse quickened. "Who is it?" he asked, voice softer now. "A student of which jōnin?"
Kakashi hesitated before answering. "…He's a student of Tokin Samei."
That caught Hiruzen off guard.
"Samei's student?" he repeated. "Which one?"
"Yamada Shumu or… Honya Taniko?"
Then his eyes widened in realization. "Don't tell me—it's Taniko, isn't it?"
He said it with such confidence that Kakashi almost smiled.
After all, it made sense. Taniko's mother was of the Senju clan, and her chakra reserves were enormous. Combined with the right talent, she could easily unleash a jutsu of that magnitude.
It was logical.
But Kakashi didn't correct him. He simply nodded vaguely.
Hiruzen stroked his beard, deep in thought. "Hmm… yes. That makes sense. The Senju bloodline would explain the chakra output. Extraordinary, truly extraordinary."
The old man smiled faintly, gazing down at the quiet village below.
"Perhaps," he murmured, "a new light has already begun to shine over Konoha."
Kakashi said nothing.
But deep in his heart, he thought of Arata — the boy whose golden lightning had shaken the mountains themselves.
And he wondered…
What kind of light will you become, Arata?
A guiding one—or one that burns the world down?
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