The news that the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was going to take in the defected Rain Ninja, Haruto Saito, as his personal disciple spread like wildfire throughout the entire Hidden Leaf Village that very afternoon at an unbelievable speed!
The entire village was in an uproar! The focus of discussions, which had originally been on Tsunade and Jiraiya's safe return today, was completely diverted. Everyone was now talking about Haruto Saito and Hiruzen Sarutobi. Many even believed that the Hokage had gone mad!
There was no precedent for this!
The leaders of the Five Great Ninja Villages had never before taken in defected ninjas from enemy nations as their personal disciples! In fact, there had never been a case where a Kage accepted a foreign ninja as a student at all! Regardless of their age or whether they came from an enemy faction, they were simply not taken in!
One of the fundamental and crucial criteria for a Kage to accept a personal disciple was that the person had to be a native ninja of their own village!
After all, it was well understood that the personal disciples of the Five Great Kage had a significant chance of becoming the next generation's leaders!
Hiruzen Sarutobi himself was a prime example of this—his teacher was the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. The same was true for the Hidden Stone Village; the current Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, had been the personal disciple of the Second Tsuchikage, Mu!
For this reason, many people thought Hiruzen Sarutobi had lost his mind!
Was he taking such an extreme step just to show goodwill as part of some plan to integrate defectors into Konoha?
Of course, many didn't actually think Hiruzen Sarutobi was insane, but they suspected he had some hidden agenda. However, the cost of such a decision was too great for them to comprehend!
A Hokage's personal disciple held an extraordinary position in the Hidden Leaf Village. Even if they held no important role, even if they had no right to attend high-level meetings, it was understood that any one of them could eventually become the Hokage!
As soon as this news broke, it not only caused a storm of public debate but also sparked extreme curiosity among certain people. Some had already begun investigating—did Haruto Saito do something remarkable in the Land of Rain?
The rumor that Haruto Saito was actually the "Black Samurai" quickly became impossible to hide.
Too many people knew the truth. There were dozens of ninjas who had participated in the rescue mission with Orochimaru. When they returned to the village, they naturally reported everything to their respective clans. Even Orochimaru couldn't keep their mouths shut. So, the moment Haruto Saito stepped foot in Konoha, whispers began circulating that he was the recently emerged Black Samurai.
Was it because Haruto Saito had become the Black Samurai that Hiruzen Sarutobi decided to make him his personal disciple?
Or was it that Hiruzen Sarutobi saw unparalleled talent and unquestionable loyalty in Haruto Saito and decided to personally train him?
There were too many possibilities!
However, no one doubted the authenticity of the claim that Haruto Saito was about to become the Hokage's personal disciple.
This was because the source of the information was highly official—it came directly from the administrative department within the Hokage's Office! The department had already begun making preparations for the apprenticeship ceremony.
Clearly, the fact that this information had been made public was the Hokage's intention!
He wanted to give the public time to react in order to prevent any disruptions during the apprenticeship ceremony.
The Uchiha Clan was stunned! The Hyuga Clan was stunned! The Inuzuka Clan was stunned! The Aburame Clan was stunned! Every single clan in the village was utterly shocked when they received the news!
What the hell was happening?!
...
Hokage's Office, within the Hokage Building.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had been back for some time and was currently reviewing documents at his desk.
Whoosh!
Danzo suddenly appeared in the corner of the office. As soon as he arrived, he ripped off his mask and shouted anxiously, "Hiruzen! You're going to take that kid as your personal disciple?!" He flashed forward to the desk in just two steps.
"Mm." Hiruzen Sarutobi responded with a faint hum.
"Why didn't you discuss this with me?! You know what's wrong with that kid! He's a defected Rain Ninja!" Danzo seemed agitated.
"His suspicions have been cleared. I have investigated everything thoroughly." Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up at Danzo with a calm expression. "My decision is final. It won't change!"
"You—you—" Danzo was so furious his face turned dark.
Bang!
The office doors were suddenly pushed open with great force. A middle-aged woman, around forty years old, of short stature and plain appearance but with an air of authority, hurriedly entered. Her brows were furrowed as she wasted no time in speaking.
"Hiruzen? What is going on? Why have you suddenly decided to take another personal disciple?"
This woman held an extremely high position in Konoha—she could even be considered the third most powerful person in the village, ranking just below Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo. She was Koharu Utatane, Konoha's top advisory council member! Like Danzo, she wasn't just Hiruzen Sarutobi's trusted lieutenant—she was also his close personal friend.
"Haruto Saito is worth training," Hiruzen Sarutobi replied simply.
Koharu stopped in front of the desk, exchanging a glance with Danzo, before speaking urgently. "But you should have discussed this with us first! This is an important decision, and you suddenly made it alone… How are we supposed to—why him? He's a defected Rain Ninja! He's been in Konoha for less than two months!"
As Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi held the highest authority in Konoha, yet in many ways, he was still bound by certain limitations.
Precisely because he was the Hokage, everything he did carried immense weight!
A single step from him could cause the entire ninja world to tremble. Every action he took was scrutinized closely, and even an offhand remark could lead to unnecessary speculation or even turmoil in the village.
Let alone taking on a personal disciple—such a significant act would elevate Haruto Saito's status in Konoha, giving him great influence. Whether that influence would be positive or negative, and what it might mean for Konoha's future, no one could predict.
Konoha's higher-ups had no way to control this outcome! That was why they reacted so strongly.
More than anything, Haruto Saito's identity was far too sensitive!
Of all the people he could have chosen—why him?!
"He is a rare genius," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, his gaze sweeping over Danzo and Koharu, his tone indifferent.
"Hiruzen! How could you make such a decision without consulting us—"
"What makes Haruto Saito so—"
Bang!
Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed his hand on the desk, instantly silencing them.
"I said, my decision is final!" His voice was firm as he glanced at Danzo, then Koharu, before looking down and picking up the document he had been reviewing. His tone was calm. "If there's nothing else, leave."
Hiruzen Sarutobi had taken a firm stance. Danzo and Koharu had nothing more to say—Hiruzen Sarutobi was, after all, the Hokage. Though they were his friends, they were still his subordinates.
"Hiruzen, we'll talk tonight." Danzo disappeared in a flash.
"I hope your decision isn't a mistake," Koharu said with a grim expression before walking out.
As the office fell silent, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly lifted his gaze to the door, tapping his fingers on the desk. His eyes flickered with complex emotions before gradually becoming resolute.
War was coming!
There were things he had no choice but to do.