Chapter 77

When the news spread that Konoha's Anbu operative, codenamed "Ghost," was an eleven-year-old boy, the first reaction across the ninja world was disbelief.

No one wanted to believe that this could be true. 

After all, Ghost was the one who led an Anbu team to wipe out more than eight squads of Iwagakure's Anbu, and who singlehandedly killed Kamizuru Ishigawa, the commander of Iwagakure's Anbu forces. 

How could someone with such strength be only eleven years old? The claim was simply absurd.

"That must be a simple rumor. Who in their right mind would spread such nonsense? Do they think we're fools?"

The Second Mizukage of Kirigakure dismissed the news outright, refusing to believe a word of it.

"An eleven-year-old at Kage level? If such a person exists, they wouldn't be a human."

The Second Raikage gave a similarly skeptical response.

As for the Second Kazekage of Sunagakure, he was too busy studying the tailed beasts to pay any attention to the news.

The initial response from the five major villages was to dismiss the story as a hoax. Most smaller ninja villages followed suit, with no one taking the rumors seriously.

However, the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure stepped forward, publicly affirming the accuracy of the information. He declared, under his authority as Tsuchikage, that the news was genuine and could be trusted.

At that point, the rest of the ninja world began to take the claim seriously. When a leader of one of the five great nations vouches for the validity of something, the likelihood of it being true skyrocked.

And if it was true…

Hiss!—Everyone collectively drew a sharp breath.

Eleven years old. At Kage level.

The idea alone was simply too unbelievable. But the implications of this revelation began to dawn on everyone.

Iwagakure's decision to release this information was clear. 

They were essentially telling the entire ninja world: Look, Konoha has a prodigy—one who might become the next Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha. 

And the message was clear to all other villages: You know what must be done.

To ensure everyone understood, Iwagakure took it one step further—they issued a public bounty.

Iwagakure officially placed "Light," the Konoha Anbu operative known as Hui, on their "must-kill" list. They announced that whoever could kill this boy would be rewarded with a staggering 50 million ryo.

The news sent shockwaves through the ninja world.

"It's true! This is incredible!"

"A genius at eleven years old, already a Kage-level fighter. He could be the next God of Shinobi!"

"If this talent is allowed to grow, even if he doesn't become as powerful as Hashirama, he could still easily rival Tobirama."

"We must eliminate him before he matures. We can't afford to let someone like him live!"

The other major villages quickly agreed that such a threat could not possibly be allowed to grow unchecked. If a new powerhouse were to rise in Konoha, it could destabilize the delicate power balance between the villages.

The First Shinobi World War had erupted after Hashirama's death. If he had lived, no one would have dared challenge Konoha. 

Now, with Hui emerging as a potential new powerhouse, the same fear gripped the other villages.

Even though there was no guarantee that Hui would reach Hashirama's level, no one was willing to take that risk. Moreover, Hui was no pacifist like Hashirama. 

He had been raised under the tutelage of Tobirama Senju, a far more pragmatic and ruthless leader. The villages knew what Tobirama was capable of, and if Hui inherited his ideals, the consequences could be dire.

Thus, Hui quickly found himself on the assassination lists of the other major villages. Each of the great nations placed bounties on his head, and orders to kill him on sight were issued.

The smaller ninja villages, many of which lacked even a single Kage-level fighter, dared not provoke Konoha by targeting him, but they certainly took note of his name.

Hui became famous across the ninja world almost overnight.

In Iwagakure, he was known as "Ghost." In other villages, he earned the title "Konoha's Light."

Nearly every ninja in the five great nations had now heard of Hui, the eleven-year-old Anbu who had reached Kage-level strength.

When the news finally reached Konoha, the villagers were just as skeptical. Many people in Konoha knew Hui—he was a familiar face, a handsome young boy who always seemed focused and hardworking. 

To them, he was just another promising genin. There was no way someone like him could be a member of Anbu, let alone a Kage-level fighter.

However, as the rumors continued to swirl, and no one could find Hui, curiosity turned to concern. Finally, someone worked up the courage to ask the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, directly.

The answer they received was shocking.

Tobirama confirmed that Hui was indeed "Light," the Anbu operative who had killed Kamizuru Ishigawa.

The revelation sent Konoha into an uproar.

"What?! It's really him!"

"Unbelievable! Hui's only eleven!"

"He only graduated from the academy five years ago, and now he's reached this level?!"

"This is incredible! Could Hui become the next God of Shinobi? If he reaches the level of the First Hokage, Konoha would be invincible!"

"But the other villages have placed bounties on him, and they're actively trying to kill him!"

"Hmph! Hui is Konoha's genius, our future. If anyone tries to harm him, we'll defend him with our lives!"

"That's right! Hui's safety is Konoha's priority!"

The news spread like wildfire. Even the powerful ninja clans of Konoha, such as the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Ino-Shika-Cho, began to discuss Hui's meteoric rise and what it could mean for the village's future.

Among them, the leader of the Nara Clan seemed to understand the bigger picture. After some thought, he remarked quietly to his fellow clan members:

"It seems the Second Hokage is not just grooming Hui as a ninja... Could it be that he's preparing him for something greater? For...a Hokage? Is Hui the future Hokage in Tobirama's eyes?"

join my patreon for 65+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/HyppoTL