The next morning, just as Hiruzen settled into his chair in the Hokage's office, the door swung open.
Torifu strode in casually and, without hesitation, plopped himself onto the desk.
"Hiruzen, I'm here to accompany you back, and then I'm off to the Land of Iron to bring Danzo back. You're not worried I'll mess this up, are you? Come on, hurry up and sign. I can't leave until you do." He pulled out a scroll and tossed it over.
Hiruzen, a little surprised by Torifu's unusually relaxed demeanor, still caught the scroll smoothly. After unrolling it and glancing over the contents, he nodded. "Ah, this is the document I had Shikaru prepare yesterday."
Without further delay, he found a pen, signed his name, and handed the scroll back.
Torifu tucked it away as Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, watching him thoughtfully. "This whole situation was unavoidable. Kagami went to the daimyo's mansion to negotiate the gold exchange, but the daimyo settled it easily. Even though we got a billion ryo, we didn't achieve our real goal. That's partially our fault—we didn't explain things clearly when we were in the Land of Wind."
"Now, I need Danzo back to accompany me for another visit to the daimyo."
'Unless… you want to go in his place?" Hiruzen smirked. "Take your pick."
Torifu scoffed. "No thanks. I'd rather go to the Land of Iron. Danzo's better suited for these kinds of things."
Hiruzen chuckled. "I figured as much. You might have to stay in the Land of Iron for a while, though. To make it worth your while, I'll let you choose a jutsu from the Scroll of Seals to train with. Since there's not much thing happening in the Land of Iron, so you'll have plenty of time to get stronger."
He pulled out the Scroll of Seals, setting it on the desk and flipping through it in front of Torifu.
"Torifu, how about the Eight Gates? It'd be a good fit for you. Or maybe the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu? That could complement your clan's secret techniques pretty well…"
Torifu waved him off. "The Eight Gates? No thanks. I don't have any interest in that. I just want to eat, sleep, and take it easy. I'll go with the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu—more clones mean less work for me."
Hiruzen smirked, picking up a blank scroll and starting to copy the technique. As he worked, he glanced up and added, "This jutsu is for you alone. Be careful how you use it—I don't want to deal with any problems later."
"I get it," Torifu said with a shrug. "Personally, I don't mind spreading my clan's techniques, but the elders are too stubborn. Our clan isn't exactly innovating much these days. I think limited sharing could actually help improve our secret arts."
He continued while sighed dramatically. "Honestly, do you think I chose to be this big? I wanted to be a handsome guy, but our clan's secret techniques made that impossible. Who else understands the struggle of a fat guy like me?"
Hiruzen chuckled, "You should be grateful for what you have. Look at the civilian-born ninjas—they fight their way up with nothing but hard work. Take my new students, for example. They come from small clans or no clans at all, but they're already shows a great potential.'
"The problem is, they don't have any access to the same ninjutsu resources. Right now, the great clans hoard the techniques, which is becoming a real obstacle for Konoha. I've been thinking about how to balance things—how to make it fair for both the village and the clans."
Torifu raised an eyebrow, "That sounds like a policy issue. Don't talk to me about that—take it to Danzo, Homura, or the others. Whatever you guys decide, I'll follow."
"I don't mind sharing our techniques, but I still want to protect some of my clan's traditions."
Seeing the sincerity in Torifu's words, Hiruzen smiled. "Relax. You really think I'd force the clans into a corner? I still have my own clan to look after, you know."
With that, he tossed the finished scroll to Torifu and patted him on the shoulder.
"Now go. Bring Danzo back quickly—I have enough on my plate as it is."
Torifu grinned. "Got it. I'll get this done fast."
He turned and walked out, leaving Hiruzen alone in the quiet office.
Leaning back in his chair, Hiruzen let out a deep sigh. The stacks of paperwork on his desk weren't getting any smaller. "So many documents… I need a break."
With a poof, his body vanished in a puff of smoke.
Since taking the office as a Hokage, Hiruzen had been drowning in responsibilities. Managing new recruits, handling village affairs, and dealing with the ever-complicated politics of the ninja clans—it was exhausting.
Truthfully, he didn't care much about consolidating power. If anything, he wanted to delegate more, to lighten his workload. Contrary to what some believed, the Hokage's power wasn't absolute—it could be shared. As long as he maintained control over the key areas like personnel appointments and financial decisions, he didn't need to micromanage everything.
Lately, he had been considering the idea of forming a Konoha Standing Council, a committee that would take on some of the Hokage's administrative duties. If structured correctly, it could provide a balance between the Hokage's authority and the influence of the village's clans.
But that was a plan for the future. First, he needed to resolve things with the daimyo.
That afternoon, Konoha's Ninja Academy was bustling with energy. Classes had ended for the day, and the school grounds filled with students eager to unwind.
Some gathered in small groups to chat and play. Others hurried off to buy snacks, while the more dedicated ones headed to the training grounds, eager to improve their skills while the area was still relatively empty.
On the sidelines of the training field, two young shinobi sat on a bench, idly watching their classmates spar.
Jiraiya leaned back with a yawn. "Man, I'm starving. Tsunade wanna grab some food?"
Tsunade, chewing on a rice cracker, rolled her eyes. "You just ate. No wonder you're so scrawny."
Jiraiya pouted, "Come on, you don't want to see your future husband collapse from hunger, do you?"
Tsunade smirked and smacked him on the head, "In your dreams, idiot."
As they bickered, another figure arrived at the training ground—Orochimaru, his sharp golden eyes scanning the field with quiet intensity.
Tsunade noticed him first, "Oh, great, the prodigy is here. Jiraiya, want to see how long you last against him?"
Jiraiya gulped, "Uh… actually, I think I lost my appetite."
Tsunade burst out laughing as Orochimaru approached. The three of them—each already showing hints of the legendary shinobi they would one day become—were just beginning to carve their paths.
And in the background, the world of Konoha continued to turn.
"Tsunade, do you think sensei has forgotten about us?" Jiraiya grumbled, sitting on the training ground with his arms crossed. "Ever since he taught us that ninjutsu, he hasn't come back and the school teachers can't teach us anything new anymore." He sighed dramatically.
"Last time, I heard sensei mention that the Ninja Academy will be adding a junior high level, and students will start graduating at thirteen. The Hokage suggested it himself. That old man is purposely making me wait to become a ninja!" Jiraiya whined.
Tsunade smirked, "Sarutobi-sensei wouldn't do that. He likes me the most! Even if he gets tired of you, he'd never abandon me."
Orochimaru, who had just finished his training, wiped the sweat from his face and walked over. "Sensei is the Hokage now. He has a lot of responsibilities so it's normal for him to be busy."
Jiraiya pouted and didn't reply.
Deep down, he understood. Of course, their sensei was busy—he had taken over during a chaotic time. But still, he couldn't shake the feeling of being left behind. He and Orochimaru were orphans, and they knew too well what it was like to have no one looking out for them. Now that they finally had a sensei, it was hard not to feel uneasy when they didn't see him for days.
Just then, a voice spoke from behind them.
"Do you three even realize how busy sensei is?"
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru turned sharply, instinctively stepping back.
"The Second Hokage died suddenly in the battlefields, and the ninja world was at war. In just a few months, sensei stabilized the village, ended the war, pushed for the Five Kage Summit, reformed the Guard Division, and traveled to the Land of Wind. Every single one of those tasks was a top priority."
"Yet, sensei still took time to teach you three. Instead of being grateful, you sit here and complaining. Do you even deserve to be his students?"
Jiraiya scowled, "And just who are you?"
From the shadows, three figures stepped forward.
The first had long, silver-white hair tied in a ponytail and wore a white armband with a red triangle on his left shoulder. A chakra-infused short sword rested on his back.
The second had spiky black hair, a ninja hat, and a black bodysuit beneath a green chunin vest.
The third, with long black hair tied at the waist, wore a navy-blue combat uniform and the same green vest.
They were all Konoha shinobi. Seeing this, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru relaxed a little, though Orochimaru couldn't help but wonder—"why had they also called Sarutobi-sensei as their sensei?'
Jiraiya as he ever blunt, asked, "Who are you guys? And why do you care?"
Before the long-haired ninja could retort, the one with spiky black hair stepped forward with a smile. "Relax. We're also Sarutobi-sensei's students. That means we're technically your seniors."
"My name is Yuhi Shinku," he continued. "I graduated from the Academy three years ago—back when it was still called the Konoha Ninja Academy. Now, it's the Ninja School. I'm 13, a chunin, and specialize in genjutsu. A few days ago, the Third Hokage brought us to Sunagakure, where we officially became his students."
He gestured toward the white-haired boy. "This is Hatake Sakumo."
Sakumo gave a small nod. "I graduated from the Academy three years ago. I'm 13, specialize in kenjutsu, and currently hold the rank of special jonin. I like training with my sword, and I can't stand people who break the rules."
Tsunade's eyes practically sparkled, "Whoa! A special jonin at thirteen?! That's so cool!"
The long-haired ninja sighed before introducing himself. "I'm Mitarashi Naoto. I graduated two years ago and just turned 12. I'm still figuring out what I'm best at. Right now, I'm learning ninjutsu from sensei. I like studying new jutsu, and I hate unreasonable kids."
Jiraiya bristled, "Who are you calling unreasonable?!"
Before he could lunge forward, Orochimaru and Tsunade grabbed him, covering his mouth.
Orochimaru, ever composed, responded first. "I'm Orochimaru. A fifth-year student at the Ninja School, currently nine years old. I enjoy studying ninjutsu and understanding its deeper mechanics. My goal is to uncover the secrets of life itself."
Naoto's serious expression softened slightly. "Huh… A fellow jutsu researcher. Interesting."
Tsunade, eager to join in, grinned, "My turn! I'm Tsunade, also a fifth-year student, nine years old. I like having friends to play with, and my dream is to become Konoha's first female Hokage!"
She then nudged Jiraiya, "Your turn!"
Still fuming, Jiraiya huffed before introducing himself, "I'm Jiraiya, nine years old, fifth-year student. My goal is to become a Hokage, and I hate people who pick on the weak!"
Hearing this, Shinku chuckled. "Heh, annoying as he is, at least that part sounds genuine."
Jiraiya scowled, "What's that supposed to mean?!"
The tension in the air had shifted. Though their first meeting had been rough, it seemed the two groups of Sarutobi's students weren't so different after all.
As they stood there, the sun dipping below the horizon, an unspoken understanding passed between them—each one walking their own path, yet bound together by the same sensei and so, their journey continued.