The Voice of Experience

Things in Konoha are... I don't even know how to describe them.

I arrived at sunset, and aside from a VERY depressed Guy and Lee that I saw in the hospital cafeteria (you can almost see the cloud of depression around them), I was able to confirm the hole in the water tank on the roof.

By the way, surveillance doesn't seem to have relaxed at all. If it weren't for my Mantra, they would have discovered me four times by now.

It's curious that Kakashi doesn't seem to report these damages to anyone because I'm sure if he had, someone would have fixed this flaw already. It's not like the much-needed water supply for the hospital suddenly stopped, but they really can't just leave it like this for next week.

It seems that Tsunade's blow didn't affect Naruto too much if he left this behind. Maybe it only wounded his pride, and he forgot about it the next morning.

Wait, how did he learn the Rasengan if, in the end, he didn't compete with Tsunade?

I think it was related, or was he already learning it on the way there?

It can't be. Tsunade was very sure that Naruto had been taken hastily, they shouldn't have had time to relax and teach him the technique.

I suppose that maybe after "trying" another type of research on writing materials and managing to escape, Jiraiya ended up a bit traumatized and gave the technique to Naruto to get him off his back or not tell anyone what happened.

That, or somehow Kakashi found his conscience and decided to teach Naruto the Rasengan upon his return.

...Yeah, I don't believe it.

Maybe there's a third option, but I don't care.

I walked around the village and confirmed Jiraiya's return. He was sitting in a park with a vacant and lost look, occasionally trembling.

Is he sitting on ice packs?

I... I think I'll just go. I still want to know who will become the Fifth Hokage.

If I had to point to someone, I would choose the one who would be it in the future, that is, Kakashi.

But the current circumstances are quite different, so they might try to choose someone completely different.

The worst thing that can happen (for us) would be if Shikaku Nara took the position because I see him assuming it not out of interest but out of the necessity of the situation.

I don't even think it's necessary to explain how problematic it would be to have him leading Konoha in the right way and implementing the necessary reforms, not to mention the resentment he must surely hold against us.

Now, I did not expect at all to "see" the person sitting in the Hokage's office chair, handling documents fluently and making sensible decisions based on years of experience.

It wasn't Kakashi, it wasn't Shikaku, and it wasn't even part of a clan.

It was a civilian like Minato was, but with a far from discreet background.

He served under the Second, Third, and Fourth Hokage.

He even fought alongside Jiraiya and Sakumo Hatake.

(Cue dramatic music...)

Kosuke Maruboshi!

Yes, the man dubbed the Eternal Genin, and many ridiculed him in the past for being ignorant.

Wait, then, if we add Might Duy, Guy's father, there were two Eternal Genin?

Weird.

I'm confused right now. I don't understand how this man could be appointed as the Fifth Hokage in these circumstances.

I mean, even though he is "officially" a genin, his ability is enough to become a jonin, and the only reason he isn't is that he didn't want to be promoted due to guilt he has been carrying on his shoulders for about fifty years. He doesn't really reach Kage-level strength.

Moreover, he learned many techniques from the Second and Third Hokage that are not to be taken lightly, especially water techniques. He also possesses many tricks up his sleeve and some nearly lost Kenjutsu skills, such as the Willow Leaf Style.

But the point is that he's not someone whose fame will deter others; he's not an icon that young people will admire, and he's not widely known due to his way of doing things.

Only the high-ranking officials who have been in Konoha for a long time know about his real capabilities.

So the only reason I could think of him taking the position of Hokage is that he was chosen for his record to temporarily hold the fort, more as an administrator keeping the village running than a true Hokage.

The small pity I felt for Jiraiya in the park suddenly disappeared, thinking that he would make someone even older than him take on this burden simply because he's having a tantrum and doesn't want to do it.

For God's sake, I think he's even older than Sarutobi!

Anyway, if the lunar phase is as I remember, then today or tomorrow is when the Sound Four will arrive in the village to take Sasuke.

So I'll have to find a secluded place to conjure a cloud chair and relax.

Or at least, that was the plan.

I was passing through the training grounds area when I heard some blows and couldn't help but be curious to see who was training and what technique they were practicing.

I've seen everyone train on the Sky Island, but their styles are focused, and many times, they are guidelines I prepared using some of my inherited knowledge. I would like to see more variety with my own eyes.

What I didn't expect, not by a long shot, was to smell blood in the air when I was close enough.

Much less, to see an unconscious Hinata with a swollen face lying in a pool of her own blood while her attacker was sitting on top of her abdomen, with bloody, knuckleless hands, breathing erratically.

Just as she clenched her fists harder until they trembled and shouted loudly, raising her fist to finish the job, I kicked her in the back with enough force for her to fly against a nearby wall, and I could hear some bones crunch on impact.

When the dust cloud dissipated, and I took a second to recognize the person who was about to kill Hinata, I froze at the revelation.

Why was she doing this?

This shouldn't be happening!