CHAPTER 49

Graduating early?

Inside the Hokage Office.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, opened a report sent by Kakashi Hatake. The report detailed that Naruto Uzumaki had mastered chakra perception and was showing combat abilities on par with a Chunin. Additionally, the Ninja Academy curriculum extended up to 6th grade.

For these reasons, Naruto had expressed an interest in graduating early to become a ninja.

Hiruzen thoughtfully tapped his fingers on the desk, glancing at Kakashi, who stood at attention beside him. He asked, "Kakashi, you yourself graduated early. Do you think it would be better for Naruto to stay in the Academy a bit longer or graduate and become a ninja?"

Kakashi responded, "Based on my experience, staying in the Academy for a few more years would likely benefit Naruto more. However, Naruto's desire to graduate early isn't necessarily about becoming a ninja—it's more about wanting to understand his background and learn about his parents."

Kakashi's words were honest, and he met the Third Hokage's gaze as he finished speaking.

Hiruzen stopped tapping his fingers, contemplating the implications. From a rational standpoint, revealing Naruto's true heritage at this point could be damaging. Naruto was still young, and if the truth were to slip, it might hinder his development.

However, the Hokage remembered the promise he had made to Naruto: once he became a ninja, he would reveal the truth.

But if Naruto found out that he was the son of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and had been unfairly treated by the villagers, he could become resentful of the village, even blaming the Hokage for not intervening sooner.

Hiruzen found himself torn, unsure whether revealing Naruto's lineage would lead to greater resentment. If Naruto graduated early, it might be difficult to keep him under control, and it could cause future problems for the village.

After a long pause, Hiruzen finally spoke to Kakashi: "I can't tell Naruto the truth right now, but I'll allow him to graduate early. It's clear he'll become a ninja eventually. It might be better for him to experience the ninja lifestyle and meet new people."

Hiruzen then looked at Kakashi, his expression shifting. "Kakashi, are you willing to leave Anbu and become Naruto's Jonin?"

Kakashi, momentarily stunned, was surprised by the suggestion. He had never been a leader Jonin, let alone one for a newly graduated ninja. He responded after some thought: "I can do that, but since the rules require me to have three students, and this year's class already has assigned Jonin, it would be difficult to take Naruto as a single student. It's too unusual."

The Hokage considered this and agreed, "That's a problem. We may need to delay Naruto's early graduation and allow him to graduate next year. But in the meantime, I'd like you to spend more time with him this year."

Kakashi nodded, then suddenly seemed to remember something. "Hokage-sama, Naruto has already developed the ability to sense Anbu's presence. Should we reconsider his current level of protection?"

Hiruzen replied, "That's something you'll need to decide. But remember, don't let Naruto get too close to the Uchiha clan."

Kakashi sighed with relief. While he couldn't reveal Naruto's background, he at least had the opportunity to give Naruto some independent space—a small victory, he thought, as he prepared to care for the boy, even if it brought complications.

After Kakashi left, Hiruzen turned his attention back to the mountain of paperwork. Recently, he'd been receiving more complaints—most concerning the security forces in the village.

Strangely, he took some comfort in the fact that Uchiha's influence was weakening, as the complaints suggested the clan was unpopular. However, Hiruzen was troubled by reports from Anbu that the Uchiha had been acquiring more supplies—detonating tags, kunai, and shuriken—far beyond what would be necessary for maintaining order. It seemed as though they were preparing for something far larger, perhaps even a small-scale war.

Though Hiruzen didn't believe Uchiha would launch an open rebellion, he feared that the growing stockpile of weapons might be a sign of deeper unrest within the clan. If a coup were to occur, such vast quantities of supplies would not be necessary unless Uchiha sought to seize control of the village.

Yet Hiruzen understood that Uchiha's true ambitions went beyond mere administrative positions. What they wanted was the Hokage title itself. But for Hiruzen and the other elders, allowing Uchiha to become Hokage was out of the question. The clan's extreme ideology, combined with its isolationist tendencies, would ultimately damage the village's standing in the international community.

Additionally, the Uchiha clan, despite its strength, had yet to produce any leader capable of convincing the village that they could be trusted with such power. If Uchiha took control, the village might soon become their personal domain, with the balance of power tipping in their favor.

As Hiruzen pondered these concerns, there was a knock on the door. The visitor was Uchiha Itachi, the only member of the clan with whom Hiruzen could still communicate since the death of Shisui. Itachi stepped inside, and the Hokage greeted him.

"Itachi, what new information do you have regarding the security forces?"

Itachi reported, "My father is currently trying to form alliances with other ninja villages."

The Third Hokage's face remained neutral, though internally, he felt a slight sense of relief. The idea of Uchiha forming alliances with other ninja villages seemed unlikely, given their arrogant nature and the political risk involved. Itachi's words, however, confirmed that Uchiha wasn't yet planning anything drastic.

Hiruzen relaxed a little, knowing that Uchiha's chances of successfully forming an alliance were slim. He feared more the possibility of a desperate move, where Uchiha might launch an attack on the Hokage Building itself. Although Hiruzen was confident in his ability to protect the village, he worried about the risk to civilians and the Anbu forces, who might be vulnerable to Uchiha Jonin.

The door clicked shut as Itachi left, and Hiruzen looked after him with a sense of admiration. Itachi had the wisdom to understand the broader situation, a maturity rare for his age.

"If you were 35 years old now, Itachi, I would consider making you Hokage. You could handle the conflict between the village and Uchiha far better than I can," Hiruzen muttered to himself.

Itachi, hearing the compliment, shook his head. "Hokage-sama, you honor me. I am not worthy of such a position."

With that, Itachi departed, leaving Hiruzen alone with his thoughts. The Hokage couldn't help but reflect on the loss of Shisui, a man who had embodied the Will of Fire with sincerity, in stark contrast to the calculating nature of Itachi. Shisui had been an idealist, while Itachi seemed more pragmatic, much like Danzo.

It was a bitter thought: Why had Shisui died? Was it really just suicide, or was there something more to it?

Visit patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters