He eventually lost to reality and smiled helplessly, but in his heart, he made a secret vow:
If he had the chance in the future, he would definitely have a real match with Ryoko using his own strength.
Meanwhile, the results of this class Combat Exercise spread like wildfire through the Ninja Academy and related circles, causing quite a stir of attention and surprise.
After all, in the past, the top spots in the grade-level combat rankings were mostly occupied by children from Ninja Clans with deep backgrounds; this time, the top spot was actually taken by a Civilian Ninja.
Even more striking was that the children from Konoha's two great powerhouses, the Hyuga and Uchiha Clans, were both defeated by a child from the Akimichi Clan.
And this Akimichi Ryoko, who had defeated the geniuses of the Hyuga and Uchiha, actually lost to two civilian students in succession, making Minato Namikaze and Ueno Mori famous overnight.
After all, most people didn't know exactly how much staging was involved in those battles.
However, through the rumors and gossip, the prestige and face of the Ninja Clans seemed to have cracked at that moment.
Inside the Hokage Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was observing the aftermath at the Ninja Academy through a crystal ball, a thoughtful expression on his face.
The blow to the Ninja Clans' prestige was an extremely favorable development for him as the Hokage.
Suddenly, the office door was pushed open without warning, startling him into hurriedly hiding the crystal ball's light, making it look like an ordinary crystal ball again.
But after doing all this, he remembered that he hadn't done anything wrong, so why was he feeling guilty?
Upon seeing that the newcomer was Danzo Shimura, Hiruzen Sarutobi straightened his back, picked up his pipe, and took a puff, feigning composure.
"It's you, Danzo. Is there something? In the future, you should have the Anbu announce you before entering."
Danzo snorted coldly, glancing at Hiruzen Sarutobi with eyes that seemed to see through everything, and accused:
"As the Hokage, hiding in your office all day using the Telescope Technique for improper peeping... saying it out loud would really lose the Hokage's face."
His tone was full of contempt, clearly assuming his old friend's habit of peeping had acted up again.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's old face turned red as if his tail had been stepped on, and he hurriedly defended himself.
"Nonsense! I was doing it for official business, observing the Village's young sprouts. How can you make such wild guesses?" He tried to maintain his Hokage dignity. "Can the Hokage's inspection be called peeping?"
Seeing Danzo's 'I'll believe you if I'm crazy' expression, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew he couldn't explain it clearly, so he simply changed the subject.
"Just say it, what exactly did you come here for?"
Danzo's face turned solemn as he stated his true purpose: "I heard a good sprout appeared in the Ninja Academy's Combat Exercise. Such talent should be handed over to the Root for cultivation to become Konoha's sharpest blade."
"Is it Minato Namikaze?" Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff of smoke, frowning slightly. "Or that Ueno Mori?"
"Naturally, it's Minato Namikaze." Danzo's tone carried disdain. "As for that Ueno Mori, I've checked his background; it was nothing more than a fake victory exchanged for lunch boxes. Defiling a Ninja duel in such a childish way, he's not fit to enter the Root at all."
What annoyed him even more was that the one directing this farce was exactly the Akimichi Ryoko he had kicked out of the Root.
This boy has no sense of honor, letting someone else win for a week's worth of lunch boxes; he's simply a menace.
Fortunately, he had cleared house in time, otherwise the atmosphere of the Root would surely have been ruined by him.
Hearing Danzo's target was Minato Namikaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi refused flatly: "This one won't do. Minato is a good child growing up bathed in the Will of Fire, the bright future of Konoha. He absolutely cannot enter the Root."
In fact, he had long noticed this young man with excellent talent and character, viewing him as a member of the next generation to be cultivated, and would never allow him to be tainted by the darkness of the Root.
Danzo's face instantly turned as dark as water: "Just a civilian boy, Hiruzen, you're going to fight me even for this?"
"Precisely because he possesses a pure Will of Fire, I cannot hand him over to you." Hiruzen Sarutobi's stance was unwavering.
"Fine, very well." Danzo shifted the topic, revealing his true intention: "Since you won't give me the person, then give me the funding. The Root's finances are tight, and it needs a large sum of money to maintain operations."
Asking for the genius was just a test; asking for funds was his real goal today.
Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi almost choked on his smoke and hurriedly said: "Money again? Konoha's finances aren't infinite. Village construction, Ninja pensions, education expenses—which one of these isn't a gold-swallowing beast? Where would I have extra money for you?"
He paused and gave Danzo a meaningful look.
"I remember you have some private industries. Why not use those for emergencies first?"
Hearing about his own industries, Danzo was immediately like he'd been stepped on a sore spot and became indignant.
Those gray industries were the capital for his underground power; how could they be used so easily?
"Hiruzen, are you really going to be so stingy?"
"There is no funding. And remember, don't target those children in the Village." Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice carried an unquestionable warning.
Danzo stared fixedly at Hiruzen Sarutobi, cold light flashing in his eyes, squeezing a sentence through his teeth.
"Hiruzen, you will regret this."
"Danzo, I am the Hokage."
Hearing this, Danzo was infuriated and said no more. Carrying gloom and anger, he turned and stormed off.
"Bang!"
The door of the Hokage Office was slammed shut, and silence returned to the room, leaving only the faint sound of burning tobacco.
Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the direction Danzo angrily left, showing no regret after the confrontation, but rather a deep gaze.
He slowly sat back in his chair and took a deep puff of his pipe.
In his view, the appearance of a civilian genius like Minato Namikaze was a great opportunity to strike at the internal Ninja Clan forces of Konoha and promote the Will of Fire.
Sending him into the Root would not only be a waste of talent but also a foolish act that would consolidate the Ninja Clans' influence.
And Akimichi Ryoko's various antics in the Combat Exercise, though seemingly absurd, had inadvertently struck at the face of old-line Ninja Clans like the Hyuga and Uchiha, invisibly meeting his political need as Hokage to secretly weaken the influence of the Ninja Clans.
Konoha's Ninja Clans were deeply entrenched, with many high-end combatants coming from various clans, causing his authority as Hokage to be frequently constrained.
Sometimes, his orders within the Ninja Clans were not even as effective as a single word from a clan head.
Therefore, any event that could subtly affect the reputation of the Ninja Clans was worth his attention.
He was very happy about Akimichi Ryoko's appearance, even feeling that him eating the Root into bankruptcy wasn't a big problem anymore.
A child from a Ninja Clan background who acted wildly and didn't follow the rules was more beneficial for breaking the established impression of 'Ninja Clan supremacy' than a rule-following Ninja Clan genius.
"Being able to eat is a blessing."
Hiruzen Sarutobi blew a smoke ring and pondered secretly.
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