[Year 60 of Konoha]
Team 7 had just formed.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, stood inside the Hokage's office, using the Telescope Jutsu to observe the three figures of Team 7 in the distance.
Naruto was noisily chattering away at Kakashi, Sasuke stood with his hands in his pockets, expression cold, while Sakura was doing her best to catch Sasuke's attention.
Hiruzen took a drag from his pipe, slowly exhaled the smoke, and a hint of gratified smile appeared on his weathered face.
"Minato... no matter what, Naruto has grown up after all."
He murmured to himself.
He thought back to the night of the Nine-Tails rampage ten years ago, and the solemn promise he had made when he took the infant Naruto from Minato's hands.
Over the years, it wasn't that he was unaware of the controversy surrounding how he had treated Naruto—letting the hero's son grow up under the cold stares of the villagers, living in a shabby apartment, eating expired things.
But as Hokage, he had to consider more.
The identity of a Jinchuriki needed to be kept secret, and the villagers' fear and hatred of the Nine-Tails needed an outlet as well...
"If it were you, Minato... what would you have done?"
Hiruzen gazed up at the sky and asked softly.
---
At the same time, the Fifth Hokage Tsunade, the Sixth Hokage Kakashi, and the Seventh Hokage Naruto—across various timelines—were all witnessing the same light screen.
For a time, they all tried to investigate and respond to it in their own ways.
And Jiro, a hardcore Naruto fan, had no idea that the Naruto short videos he watched every day were being transmitted to every era of the Shinobi World.
---
Just as the people of the Shinobi World were getting slightly used to the existence of the Sky Screen, the screen finally reacted.
Strange text and patterns started appearing on it.
The text wasn't any known language in the Shinobi World, but strangely, everyone who saw it could understand its meaning.
Then, a mechanical voice rang out:
["How would you evaluate the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen?"]
Countless Timelines of the Shinobi World fell into a deathly silence.
Then came the sound of sharp intakes of breath.
---
[Year 1 of Konoha]
Hashirama and Madara stood side by side on the cliffside.
The change in the Sky Screen made Hashirama instantly forget what they had just been discussing. His eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape.
"The... Third Hokage?"
Hashirama blinked and turned to look at Madara.
"Madara, did I hear it wrong? It said 'Third Hokage' just now, right?"
Madara stared at the Sky Screen, his brow furrowed:
"No mistake. It definitely said the Third Hokage."
Hashirama froze for a few seconds, then burst into hearty laughter:
"Hahaha! This is great, Madara! Do you see that? Konoha still exists!"
"Not only does it still exist, it's been passed down all the way to the third generation!"
He slapped Madara hard on the back.
"Our dream has come true! Konoha really did endure!"
"Peace must have continued as well!!"
Madara staggered from the slap, shaking off Hashirama's hand in annoyance:
"Don't get too carried away. This Sky Screen's origins are unknown. The information might not be real."
But Hashirama was completely immersed in his joy.
"But Madara, think about it! If it was fake, why go out of the way to make up a 'Third Hokage'?"
"If it was a prank, wouldn't it be more shocking to just say Konoha was destroyed? This proves that Konoha would exist for a very, very long time—long enough to need a Third, Fourth, or even more generations of Hokage to lead it!"
Madara was silent for a moment.
Although Hashirama's logic was simple, it was unexpectedly persuasive.
His gaze returned to the Sky Screen, a flicker of complexity in his eyes.
If Konoha had truly endured all the way to a Third Hokage…
Then who was the Second Hokage?
Could it be… himself?
The thought had barely surfaced before Madara suppressed it.
He knew Hashirama. This guy would definitely try to give him the position of Hokage.
But what about the other members of the Senju clan? What about the other clans of Konoha?
Would they accept him becoming the Hokage?
"Madara!!"
Hashirama's booming voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Don't overthink it. You're definitely the Second Hokage! And then this Hiruzen kid is the Third!"
Hashirama stood with his hands on his hips, full of confidence.
"The Sarutobi clan… is that mid-sized clan skilled in Fire Release and Earth Release, right? They only recently joined Konoha. And if I remember right, then the clan head's eight years old son seems to be called… Hiruzen?"
Madara snorted coldly.
"So an eight-year-old kid is going to become the Hokage in the future? Hashirama, you actually believe this? Where does your confidence come from?"
"It just proves Konoha is fair!" Hashirama said seriously.
"It shows that not only Senju and Uchiha can become Hokage—outstanding individuals from other clans have a chance too. This is exactly the original vision we had when we founded the village!"
Looking at Hashirama's sparkling eyes, Madara turned his face away, but the corners of his mouth unconsciously lifted slightly.
Meanwhile, at the Sarutobi clan grounds in Konoha.
The clan head, Sarutobi Sasuke, stood in his courtyard, gazing up at the Sky Screen. The teacup in his hand had stopped halfway to his lips, tea spilling unnoticed.
"Th-Third Hokage… Sarutobi Hiruzen…"
He murmured the words repeatedly, then abruptly turned his head to look inside the house.
His eight-year-old son, Hiruzen, was jumping up and down excitedly, pointing at the sky and shouting:
"Father! Father! The text on the screen has my name! I'm going to become the Hokage in the future!"
Sasuke took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
He walked over to his son, crouched down, and placed both hands on young Hiruzen's shoulders:
"Hiruzen, listen. Whether this is real or not, from this moment on, you must hold yourself to the standard of a Hokage."
"Why, Father?"
Young Hiruzen tilted his head.
"If it's really destined that I'll become the Hokage, then I don't have to work hard now, right?"
"Quite the opposite."
Sasuke said gravely.
"If this is true, then every action you take, every choice you make, could affect the future. And if this is false…"
He looked up at the Sky Screen, a sharp glint in his eyes:
"Then this is an opportunity. The entire world has seen your name. They all know that 'Sarutobi Hiruzen' might become Hokage."
"This will be an opportunity for our clan—and an opportunity for you. But the precondition is: you must be worthy of it."
Young Hiruzen nodded, not fully understanding but already wearing a more serious expression.
Sasuke stood up, his thoughts churning.
Regardless of whether the Sky Screen's information was true or false, the Konoha High Command would inevitably take notice of the Sarutobi clan.
How would Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara view this?
How would the other clans react?
He had to take the initiative to go see the First Hokage.