Master Hokage… Master Hokage! a voice shouted from the door. Its tone carried urgency from all directions. Minato rose from his chair. Shikaku Nara was still nearby, having come to deliver his report. He had just returned from the village of Iwa for the upcoming Kage meeting.
"Yes… Yes! What is it, Himoura? What happened?!" Minato, usually calm, showed a hint of concern. He was eager to know the emergency that made a Ninja Academy instructor shout so loudly. But he could still recognize the voice.
"Master… Hokage! Is it about your son?!" He paused as if to catch his breath. Shikaku finally spoke.
"Tell us, Himura! What happened with Naruto?! What's wrong with him?!"
Upon hearing Naruto's name, Minato sat back and exhaled. "No, Shikaku, don't worry! If it's about my son Naruto, I'm not concerned. It's probably nothing serious."
"Master Hokage, you shouldn't…!" Himura cut Shikaku off to speak. He seemed to have regained his breath.
"He performed a substitution technique this morning during a duel with one of his classmates! He managed to defeat his opponent with a single blow! This kid is a genius, Master Hokage!"
"What… what did you say?! A substitution technique?! But he's only five years old! If I'm not mistaken, only young Kakashi has achieved this so far!"
Minato, trying to clarify with an awkward smile while scratching his head, added: "Actually, he already masters all the other basic techniques, including cloning [Bunshin no Jutsu], transformation [Henge no Jutsu], and also Taijutsu."
"How… did you teach him this, Master Hokage?!" Shikaku was surprised, almost overwhelmed by the news. He could already see the potential of a ninja and the guaranteed future of Konoha with such talent.
"No… no, not at all! I didn't teach him anything! The other day he showed me his progress at home." Minato's temples flushed red. "Kushina insisted that I watch what he had learned, even though I was still very tired from work that day. But when I saw it… I had trouble falling asleep."
Himura's eyes widened like an owl trying to escape its sockets, and his mouth dropped to the floor. "Master Hokage, Naruto already masters all these techniques! Since I joined the academy as an instructor, I've never seen anything like this!" He straightened up. "It's an honor to be your child's instructor, Master Hokage. Knowing he is your son, I shouldn't have been so surprised. He is worthy of being your heir!"
"Why not have him take the exam to get his diploma?! I believe he has nothing left to learn from his peers! It would only slow him down and perhaps even waste his talent!" Shikaku stroked his beard as if developing his idea further.
"That's exactly my concern! I wouldn't want him to bear all that pressure! I want him to enjoy the academy with children his own age. As a father, I wouldn't want to throw him into the treacherous world of ninjas! As a father, my only wish is to ensure his future. Naruto is truly very talented; at his age, he already shows great maturity! I mean…" smiling foolishly, "sometimes I feel he's no longer a little boy despite his age! He understands a bit about politics and the life of ninjas in particular! As Master Hokage, I naturally want to fulfill my duty…" Pausing this time, he added, "I wonder if his mother, Kushina, would agree with that?"
The door opened once more. It was the former Homura Mitokage and Koharu Utatane. With their seniority and experience, they advised the Fourth Hokage in office. The two others originally present in the room fell silent out of respect for the elders who had just entered.
"Master Hokage, we have been going through unstable times for a long while! The ninja world has always experienced turbulent periods! Between the various wars that have occurred… First, the First Great Ninja War, which spared us thanks to the sacrifices of the Second Hokage and many of our ninjas! Then, the Second Great Ninja War, in which many of our brave soldiers also perished! These martyrs of the past all sacrificed themselves for a common cause, so that the village of Konoha could finally survive!" The old Koharu finally stopped, her voice faint but firm.
Old Homura took over. "Therefore, we need every ninja at our disposal! Each reinforcement ensures the survival of many of our own! The situation since the Second Great Ninja War is still fresh in our memories! We are still at war with the village of Suna on multiple fronts! Every day hundreds of our compatriots die! We must therefore check on every hand available to help! The mourning of the Third Hokage is still recent in our minds! The fox demon attack cost Hiruzen and thousands of our men their lives! Thanks to your combined efforts, you two, Hokage, have become the new hosts of Kyubi, the nine-tailed fox demon!" A long-overdue pause followed.
In a firmer voice: "Naruto must be tested! If he passes the exam, he will be admitted and receive his diploma! He will start as a Genin after turning six!"
The old Koharu approached him, looking into his eyes, her grandmotherly gaze full of understanding and emotion. Minato nodded. The two elders then took their leave.
The office felt empty after them.
Minato remained standing, staring at the village below.
For the first time, the world had looked at Naruto Namikaze—not as a child.
But as something useful.
As a weapon.
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