[Year 1 of Konoha · Cliffside outside the village]
Madara watched the battle scene on the Sky Screen, his expression full of disdain.
"So this is the extent of that Sarutobi kid's strength?"
Madara snorted coldly.
"Switching between five nature transformations… and that's what they call the 'Professor of Ninjutsu'? Hashirama, it seems Konoha has no one to carry on its legacy."
Hashirama did not answer immediately.
He stared at the summoned "himself" on the Sky Screen, his brows furrowed tightly.
That "self" had empty eyes and stiff movements—completely unlike a living person.
"Tobirama…"
Hashirama's voice dropped low, carrying a rare note of anger.
"What have you been researching?!"
He turned to look at his younger brother, his gaze stern.
"I told you long ago not to research those dangerous Forbidden Jutsus! Look at this—Edo Tensei… desecrating the dead, forcing departed souls back to the living world to fight. This is the greatest disrespect to life itself!"
Tobirama stood to the side, his expression beneath his silver hair also somewhat grim.
Madara watched the brothers' dispute from the sidelines with cold eyes, but his mind was occupied with other thoughts.
The strength displayed by Hiruzen on the Sky Screen might seem impressive to ordinary shinobis, but to him and Hashirama, it could indeed only be considered "qualified."
Five nature transformations?
His and Hashirama's battles had long since surpassed the level of elemental affinity counters.
"However…"
Madara's gaze fell on Hiruzen's fighting style.
"This junior has decent tactical acumen. Faced with powerful opponents, he can still analyze calmly and use ninjutsu combinations effectively to buy time. At the very least, he's not an idiot."
That was the highest praise he could offer.
Hashirama felt a weight on his heart.
The fragments of the future revealed by the Sky Screen showed him the crises that Konoha might face.
---
[Furthermore, Sarutobi Hiruzen can also summon Enma the Monkey King, and his close combat abilities aren't weak. He can be described as the ultimate master of conventional Ninjutsu—representing the peak that an ordinary person without a Kekkei Genkai (Bloodline Limit) or being a Jinchuriki can reach.]
[His overall strength is formidable even among Kage-level shinobis! Orochimaru, himself a Kage-level fighter, admitted that at the time of his defection, Hiruzen Sarutobi could have killed him easily if he had wished.]
The visuals on the Sky Screen shifted to an entirely new battle scene—still on a Konoha rooftop, but this time a giant monkey stood beside Hiruzen.
The monkey transformed into an Adamantine Staff. Hiruzen wielded it in his hands and actually managed to force the First and Second Hokage back several steps in close combat.
However, the tone of the narration then shifted.
[However, he lacks a decisive finishing move and breakthrough power, making it difficult to deal with threats that exceed standard scales. Among the successive generations of Hokage, he ranks at the bottom—far from deserving the title of so-called 'Strongest Hokage.']
[Combat Ability Evaluation: A+ (Peak Kage-level)]
When this final rating appeared, the entire Shinobi World fell into brief silence.
"Huh?"
Naruto scratched his head, his face full of confusion.
"Old man Third isn't the strongest Hokage? But that's what everyone says!"
In his understanding, the term "Strongest Hokage" was almost inseparably tied to the Third Hokage.
Academy textbooks, the words of villagers, even some propaganda materials—all emphasized the Third Hokage's title as the "Strongest."
Sakura also looked surprised.
"I never thought that Lord Third, who seems so strong, ranks at the bottom among all the Hokage… Just how strong were the First, Second, and Fourth Hokage?"
She instinctively looked at Kakashi, hoping her Jonin instructor could offer some explanation.
Meanwhile, Sasuke didn't join the discussion. He stood with his head lowered, and his brows deeply furrowed.
He had latched onto another key word.
"Kage-level…"
Sasuke muttered to himself.
'What kind of ranking system is this? Is that the level one must reach to be called a Kage?'
He recalled what the Sky Screen had mentioned—Sarutobi Hiruzen was "Peak Kage-level," and Orochimaru was also "Kage-level."
And the fact that the Third Hokage could easily kill Orochimaru meant that there were also enormous gaps between Kage-level shinobis themselves.
'Then… what level is that guy's strength?'
Sasuke unconsciously clenched his fists, his fingernails digging into his palms.
He thought back to that night of the blood-red moon, to the figure of that man casually slaughtering their entire clan.
To be able to exterminate the Uchiha Clan by himself at the age of thirteen, he definitely had Kage-level strength. Sasuke just didn't know where he stood within that rank.
He gritted his teeth, frustrated by his own weakness.
Kakashi leaning against a tree trunk, kept his eye fixed on the rating on the Sky Screen. His thoughts were even more complicated.
'A+, Peak Kage-level…'
Kakashi repeated the evaluation in his mind.
He didn't know what "A+" meant, but the description "Peak Kage-level" seemed very apt.
The Third Hokage's strength had indeed reached the limit of what an ordinary shinobi could achieve—Five Basic Nature Transformations, Summoning Jutsu, Sealing Jutsu, Taijutsu… he had almost no weaknesses.
He then thought of his own father, Hatake Sakumo—the man known as the "White Fang of Konoha."
What level was his father's strength?
Surely it also reached Kage-level, right?
But he had no Kekkei Genkai, nor was he a Jinchuriki. He relied purely on his Kenjutsu and tactical brilliance.
'A pity…'
Kakashi shook his head, pushing the thought away.
What concerned him more was another piece of information.
'Ranks at the bottom among successive Hokage… So far, there have been four Hokages. So it seems that future Hokages would also be very strong.'
Kakashi thought of his own teacher, Namikaze Minato—the man known as the "Yellow Flash."
If the Third Hokage was Peak Kage-level, then what level was Minato?
He also thought of Jiraiya, Tsunade… these Sannin-level powerhouses. They should all fall within the Kage-level range as well.
"The power system of the shinobi world can actually be this clearly defined."
Kakashi muttered softly.
"But the gap between Kage-level shinobis might be even larger than the gap between a Jonin and a Kage."
---
Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen sat behind his desk, looking at the evaluation on the Sky Screen.
When he first heard "the peak that ordinary people can reach" and "formidable even among Kage-level shinobis," a gratified smile appeared on his aged face.
He felt the evaluation was very fair.
He had trained his entire life without a Bloodline Limit or the support of a Tailed Beast, relying instead on his research into Ninjutsu and his precise control over Chakra.
To have reached this level, he was already very satisfied.
But when he heard "Orochimaru admitted that the Third Hokage could have easily killed him at the time," Hiruzen's smile gradually faded.
He thought back to that night.
Orochimaru's laboratory had been discovered, filled with evidence of human experimentation.
He had gone there personally to confront one of his most prized disciples.
Orochimaru hadn't resisted. He simply stood there, his eyes calmly watching Hiruzen.
"Sarutobi-sensei, are you going to kill me?"
Orochimaru had asked at that time.
Hiruzen remembered gripping the Adamantine Staff tightly, remembered the Chakra boiling inside his body, remembered that for a moment, he had indeed felt the urge to kill.
For the village's rules. For the innocent lives used in those experiments.
But in the end, he hadn't been able to bring himself to do it. He had allowed Orochimaru to defect, becoming a missing-nin from that day on.
Now the Sky Screen was saying that if he had struck to kill at that time, he could have killed Orochimaru.
Hiruzen closed his eyes.
Yes, he could have.
However, he didn't regret it.
Hiruzen opened his eyes, his gaze calm once more.
"If I had to choose again, I would probably still make the same decision."
But when the Sky Screen said "far from deserving the title of so-called 'Strongest Hokage,'" a rare blush spread across the old man's face.
"Ahem…"
He coughed dryly, stroking his beard somewhat awkwardly.
This title of "Strongest Hokage" did indeed have an element of propaganda to it.
As the longest-serving Hokage, as a leader who had weathered three Great Ninja Wars, the village needed such a symbol—an image of a powerful, wise, and invincible leader.
It could both deter external enemies and stabilize the hearts of the people.
'…Oh well.'
In the end, Hiruzen smiled wryly and shook his head. Being publicly exposed like this by the Sky Screen was indeed a bit embarrassing.