Time passed quietly.
In the blink of an eye, one full month had gone by since the Uchiha and Hyuga clans had taken up their advisor positions.
During this month, Aiden Sarutobi's daily routine was simple and… fulfilling.
By day, he focused on increasing Hinata's tolerance, carefully correcting her tendency to faint at the slightest physical contact.
By night, he and Izumi Uchiha diligently "studied human anatomy" together.
As for the Ninja Academy?
He went when he felt like it.
And skipped it when he didn't.
After all, acting like a carefree young lord was how he got stronger.
Even though the fusion progress gained each day was small, it added up over time.
In this single month, his fusion progress had still increased by another 1%.
During the same period, Naruto came to visit without fail every single day.
Without the Nine-Tails interfering, and with meticulous guidance from Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki within his inner world, Naruto's growth was nothing short of explosive.
His chakra control had become incredibly precise.
More importantly—
he had already mastered two of his destined techniques:
Shadow Clone Jutsu (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique)Rasengan
Compared to a month ago, Naruto's strength was now on a completely different level.
Meanwhile, Sasuke Uchiha spent every waking moment thinking about how to take revenge on Aiden Sarutobi.
These days, Sasuke trained relentlessly, clinging to Itachi at every opportunity and demanding instruction.
All for one goal—
to defeat Aiden the next time he showed up at the academy,
and repay humiliation with humiliation.
However, the ninja world did not revolve around Konoha alone.
Iwagakure
Inside the Tsuchikage's office, Ōnoki stared at the intelligence report in his hand, his brows knitted tightly.
"You're certain this information is accurate?"
Over the years, Iwagakure had never stopped gathering intelligence on Konoha.
And among all targets, Sarutobi Hiruzen had always been the most closely watched.
Naturally, information on his grandson had never been absent.
But in past reports, Aiden Sarutobi had been described as nothing more than a slightly clever, well-connected playboy.
A character Ōnoki wouldn't even bother glancing at.
Yet this time—
the report claimed Aiden had easily defeated Sasuke Uchiha,
and was suspected of awakening a special kekkei ability,
capable of casually blocking kunai and even a C-rank Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu.
"Father," Kurotsuchi's father, Kitsuchi, replied seriously,
"the information is confirmed. Our agents verified it multiple times."
"Although Konoha tried to suppress the spread of the news, our people still managed to get it out."
Ōnoki's expression darkened.
Several Ninja Wars, and Iwagakure had never truly gained the upper hand.
Harsh terrain, limited resources—
over time, resentment naturally festered.
Meanwhile, Konoha continued producing one genius after another.
Each new generation widened the gap even further.
Now—
Sarutobi Hiruzen's grandson had stepped onto the stage.
How could Ōnoki tolerate that?
"Hmph. They want to hide it?"
"Then I'll make sure Sarutobi Hiruzen doesn't get his way."
"Spread the news."
"Exaggerate it."
"Let's see if those brutes in Kumogakure are willing to watch another Minato Namikaze rise."
This kind of borrowed knife strategy suited Ōnoki perfectly.
Iwagakure wouldn't need to lift a finger—
he could simply sit back and watch the tigers fight.
Kitsuchi's eyes lit up.
As expected, subtle scheming like this was still his father's specialty.
Soon, the information—carefully "processed" by Iwagakure—spread outward.
Kumogakure
Inside the Raikage's office, A, the Fourth Raikage, nearly exploded after reading the report.
"Damn Konoha!"
"Another genius?!"
"How long has Minato been dead?!"
"Why does every good thing go to Konoha?!"
His rage boiled over.
One punch reduced the recently replaced desk to splinters.
Beside him, Mabui calmly took notes, already planning to bill him for damages later.
"This won't do," the Raikage growled.
"Mabui—go get Darui—no, notify Dodai."
"Have him come here immediately."
The report claimed Aiden Sarutobi had monstrous potential—
very possibly the next Minato Namikaze.
That alone was enough to make the Raikage restless.
Minato had finally died.
Kumogakure had only just begun gaining advantages against Konoha.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was a soft-hearted old man.
They absolutely could not allow a second Minato to appear.
Soon, Dodai arrived.
After reviewing the intelligence, he frowned.
Something felt… off.
Yet he couldn't pinpoint exactly what.
Kumo's intelligence agents rarely defected,
but this report was unsettling.
"…What do you think, Raikage-sama?" Dodai finally asked.
The Raikage nearly lost it.
"Enough thinking!"
"Notify Killer B and Yugito Nii."
"Prepare for a sudden strike!"
"As long as we hit Konoha hard enough—"
"Given Sarutobi Hiruzen's nature, he'll fold."
"Just like with Hyuga Hizashi."
"He'll hand over Aiden Sarutobi willingly."
Dodai considered it briefly, then nodded.
After all, Hiruzen's history of concessions wasn't a one-time thing.
This war?
It was worth fighting.
Soon, Kumogakure began mobilizing,
large amounts of supplies quietly shifting into place.
Sunagakure
Having barely recovered from the Third Great Ninja War,
Sunagakure was still in dire straits.
Back then, they had somehow decided to fight three fronts at once—
against Konoha, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure.
They lost every single one.
Even worse, Pakura, who had gained the upper hand on the Kirigakure front,
was sacrificed as a bargaining chip during negotiations.
Truly—
weak, yet eager to play.
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, looked at the report and could only sigh in envy.
Konoha truly was blessed land.
Geniuses emerged endlessly.
But Rasa had no interest in targeting Aiden Sarutobi.
If he had that time, he'd rather go dig for gold dust in the desert.
Sunagakure was broke.
The Third Ninja War had nearly drained them dry,
and they still hadn't recovered.
Kirigakure
As for the Mist Village—
the intelligence sank without a ripple.
The Bloody Mist policy had crippled Kirigakure's vitality.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were either dead or gone.
They had no energy left to care about the outside world.
Fight yourselves to death if you want.
It has nothing to do with us.
Soon enough, Kumogakure's movements shook the entire ninja world.
Upon receiving the news, Ōnoki finally laughed.
"Hahaha!"
"I knew it!"
"Those brutes would be the first to lose their patience!"
"Now this—"
"this will be fun to watch."
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