The ceremony continued.
Yūhi Shinku stepped aside, and the Third Hokage rose from his chair.
He walked up to the three children. Behind him followed a ninja wearing glasses, holding a tray. On the tray, three forehead protectors were neatly arranged.
The Third Hokage stopped in front of Shin-chan.
Shin-chan stood there, unusually still and not squirming around.
"Nohara Shinnosuke," the Third Hokage said, looking at him. "Starting today, you are a genin of Konoha."
Shin-chan looked at the forehead protector. "Grandpa Third, can this buy chocolate sticks?"
"No." The Third smiled and handed it over.
"Can I trade it for money?"
"Also no."
"Then what's it for?"
"It shows that you are a ninja of Konoha."
Shin-chan took the forehead protector, turned it over a few times, then pressed it onto his head. It sat crookedly, tilted down near his eyebrow.
He pressed it again.
It was still crooked.
"It's hard to wear."
The Third Hokage reached out and helped him tie the band properly, then took a step back and looked him over.
"There."
Shin-chan touched the protector on his forehead. "It's cold."
"You'll get used to it."
The Third Hokage turned and faced the entire field.
"From this day forward, Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Toru, and Nohara Shinnosuke are officially genin of Konoha. May Konoha forever light the path ahead of you."
Applause rose from the audience.
Misae's eyes were red.
Guy clapped the loudest. "This is youth!"
"Can you be a little quieter?" Obito said with some disgust.
"No!"
...
After the ceremony ended, the crowd gradually dispersed.
The Third Hokage held his pipe in his mouth and slowly returned to the Hokage's office.
Before his chair even warmed up, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in."
The person who pushed the door open was Mitokado Homura.
"Hiruzen."
"Homura. Sit."
Homura did not sit. He stood in front of the desk and got straight to the point. "About those three children, I'd like to recommend a teacher for them."
The Third raised an eyebrow. "Who?"
"Kimura Ichirō. A jōnin. Experienced, has led four teams of genin, and his teaching results have always been stable."
The Third took a puff from his pipe and slowly exhaled. "Kimura is indeed a good choice, but..."
"But what?"
"But I just remembered that Kimura has a long-term mission next month. I'm afraid he won't have time."
Homura frowned. "Then I'll choose someone else."
"No rush, no rush." The Third smiled and waved his hand. "We can discuss this at length."
Homura looked at him for two seconds, then turned and left.
The door had just closed when it opened again.
Utatane Koharu walked in, moving even faster than Homura had.
"Hiruzen, about those three children..."
"Koharu. Sit."
Koharu didn't sit either.
"I have someone especially suitable. From the Yamanaka clan. Yamanaka Harunobu. He served as an examiner during the Chūnin Exams and has a very accurate grasp of children's psychology."
"Yamanaka Harunobu." The Third nodded. "I remember him. He is indeed good. But isn't he recovering in the hospital recently?"
"Recovering? What injury did he suffer?"
"He twisted his waist. He has to lie down for two months."
Koharu stared at the Third for a long while.
The Third smiled as he smoked.
"I understand." Koharu turned and left, her wooden sandals clicking sharply against the floor.
The door closed.
The Third let out a breath of relief, set his pipe down on the desk, and rubbed his temples.
He hadn't rubbed them twice when the door opened again.
This time, there wasn't even a knock.
The Third's voice was calm. "Danzō."
Danzō didn't bother with small talk.
"Hiruzen, those three children. I want to take them as my students."
"Students? You?"
"Five-year-old genin are rare even in Konoha's history. Seedlings like that cannot be handed to ordinary jōnin and wasted."
The Third looked at him and said nothing.
"You should know my record," Danzō said in an even voice. "Team leadership experience, actual combat ability, ninjutsu reserves—there are few in all of Konoha stronger than me. If they follow me, I can turn them into true strong shinobi within three years."
The Third was silent for a while.
"Danzō, you are the leader of Root and the Hokage's advisor. If you take students, what about Root's affairs..."
"Root and my taking students do not conflict." Danzō cut him off. "If I, Danzō, take students, I will teach them personally. I am not throwing them into Root as expendable tools."
He paused, and his tone darkened slightly.
"Hiruzen, do you think I want to turn them into tools?"
The Third didn't answer.
"You underestimate me." Danzō said. "I admit Root needs manpower, but those three children are too talented. Using them as mere tools would be a waste of heaven's gifts. What I want are successors to my legacy."
The Third narrowed his eyes slightly.
Danzō's expression did not shift at all. "In my entire life, I have never taken a formal student. Not because there was no one to take, but because no one was worth taking."
The Third put his pipe back in his mouth, took a puff, and slowly exhaled.
Smoke spread between the two of them.
"No."
Danzō's brow moved slightly. "Reason."
"You are the Hokage's advisor and the leader of Root. If you take students, the commotion will be too great."
"That is an excuse."
"Perhaps it is." There was little warmth in the Third's smile. "But as for taking students, I already have arrangements. I won't trouble you with it."
Danzō stared at him for several seconds, then turned and walked to the door.
"I do not want them as tools."
The door closed.
The Third suddenly gave a faint laugh and muttered to himself, "If you truly didn't mean that, you wouldn't have gone out of your way to explain that line."
Then he sighed, put the pipe back in his mouth, and summoned an Anbu.
"Go find Jiraiya."
The Anbu accepted the order and left.
Before long, the Anbu returned with a letter.
"Lord Jiraiya says he is gathering material and cannot return for the time being."
The Third Hokage opened the letter. It read:
"Old man, I'm busy collecting writing material lately. Besides, I already have Minato as a student, and he's enough for me to worry about. Find someone else for those three brats."
The Third Hokage folded the letter and set it aside expressionlessly.
"Go find Tsunade."
The Anbu left again.
This time, he returned even faster.
But when he came back, his face carried a trace of difficulty.
"Lady Tsunade said..."
"What did she say?"
"She said it's too much trouble, she doesn't want to take care of children, and her gambling luck has been bad lately, so she isn't in the mood."
The Third Hokage was silent for a moment.
"She's at the casino?"
The Anbu didn't dare answer.
The Third Hokage sighed. "Forget it."
He thought for a moment, then spoke again.
"Go find Orochimaru."
The Anbu set out for the third time.
This time, it took quite a while before he returned.
"Lord Orochimaru says his research has reached a critical stage and he cannot spare the time. However, he also said..." The Anbu paused.
"Said what?"
"He said if Lord Hokage truly cannot find anyone, he can take one of them for now and teach them once his research reaches a stopping point."
The Third Hokage was silent for a very long time.
"Understood. You may leave."
The Anbu disappeared.
Only the Third Hokage remained in the office.
~~~
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