Chapter 32

Chapter 32

"Uchiha Haneda, I'm a ninja affiliated with the Anbu. Lord Hokage is looking for you."

The masked ninja spoke in a flat tone.

Upon seeing the mask, Haneda immediately thought of the Anbu and the Root. He wasn't sure which faction this ninja belonged to. If he was from the Root, it could be quite troublesome...

Haneda tentatively asked, "What does Lord Hokage want with me? I'm just an ordinary Uchiha kid."

"I don't know, just hurry up and come with me," the masked ninja replied, still showing no emotion.

This made Haneda even more hesitant.

"Can I go with Uncle Dai?" Haneda tried again.

"Lord Hokage only requested you," the masked ninja said, sounding a bit impatient.

"That's fine; Uncle Dai can just take me to the entrance of the Hokage building."

Upon hearing this, the masked ninja hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded.

Haneda then relaxed. With Uncle Dai around, regardless of whether it was the Anbu or the Root, anyone who dared to kidnap him in front of him would be asking for death.

Hadn't he seen how the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had been defeated a few years ago? That poor ninja, was left asking everyone he met if they knew someone named Dai. He was clearly traumatized...

Now no longer worried, Haneda tugged on Dai's hand and smiled, "Can Uncle Dai accompany me? I'd really appreciate it."

"Sure." Although Dai was puzzled as to why Haneda insisted on having him with him, he didn't refuse, considering his relationship with Gai.

Watching Haneda leave with Dai, Obito began to grumble.

"Damn Haneda, abandoning me again!"

"He's even being summoned by Lord Hokage; it drives me crazy!!"

After cursing for a bit, Obito suddenly thought of something, clenched his fist, and looked towards the Hokage Rock.

"One day, I, Uchiha Obito, will become Hokage and summon that bastard Haneda into my office every day!!!"

In contrast to Obito, Gai looked a bit melancholy.

He watched the two middle ninja who had been kicked and put under a genjutsu by Haneda scrambling to their feet and running away in fear.

Throughout this process, the two middle ninjas didn't dare to look at them, nor did they dare to utter a single word of insult.

They were scared not just of Haneda's strength but more so of the masked man who called himself an Anbu ninja.

And the Anbu was affiliated with Lord Hokage.

"If only I had Haneda's talent and strength, I could get the Hokage's attention and protect my dad's youth..."

Gai gazed at Haneda's retreating figure, murmuring to himself.

Although he responded to the ridicule with a smile and a thumbs-up, he could never forget the day he was bullied or the ninjas who mocked his father for being a 'perennial genin.'

...

At the Hokage building, in the office of the Third Hokage.

The masked ninja led Haneda to the office and knocked on the door:

"Lord Hokage, I've brought Uchiha Haneda."

"It's Aoi and Haneda, come in."

A warm and kind voice came from within.

Aoi then guided Haneda into the office.

Inside, the Third Hokage was sitting in a swivel chair, his desk piled high with documents, resembling a small mountain.

When Haneda entered, the Third Hokage was puffing on his pipe, still busy with paperwork, looking quite occupied.

It was only when Haneda stood properly, and Aoi disappeared that the Third Hokage set down his pen and documents to look at Haneda.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Haneda," the Third Hokage said with a smile as he set down his pipe.

"Not at all, not at all..."

"Lord Hokage's work is very busy, handling important matters for the village; I appreciate you taking the time to see me."

Haneda pretended to be flattered as he spoke.

While he wasn't sure what the Third Hokage was planning, he knew he had to maintain the right attitude.

Seeing this, the Third Hokage nodded secretly, quite satisfied with Haneda's demeanor.

It was worth the effort to stage this whole act just to show his importance to Haneda.

"Haneda, I've heard a lot about your performance in the ninja academy from Takamura Bunta."

"I hear you've already learned the B-rank ninjutsu Shadow Clone Technique and skipped quite a few classes, is that true?"

The Third Hokage said casually, a friendly smile on his face.

The more someone smiled, the harder it was to see their true intentions.

Haneda couldn't decipher the Third Hokage's thoughts, so he decided to be honest:

"Yeah. The things taught in school are too boring; it's better not to go. As for the Shadow Clone, the clan leader gave it to me, and I learned it in no time."

Haneda was speaking the truth, though he left out many details, such as his relationship with the clan leader and why the clan leader had given him the technique.

"I see..."

Seeing Haneda wasn't lying, the Third Hokage took a puff from his pipe and smiled,

"Haneda, your theoretical grades are quite poor; I looked at your last exam paper, and you hardly wrote anything. Your attitude is somewhat lacking..."

As he said this, the Third Hokage looked into Haneda's eyes and asked,

"Do you remember the essay from the exam?"

Upon hearing this, Haneda felt a bit embarrassed.

He had written a few lines during the exam before falling asleep, so he had no idea what it was about.

"Lord Hokage, the exam was too dull; I fell asleep on my desk..." Haneda explained in a small voice.

Cough, cough...

The Third Hokage struggled to contain his laughter upon hearing such a candid answer.

However, he quickly adjusted his mindset and said,

"That was an essay about the understanding of the Will of Fire."

"I was curious what your interpretation of the Will of Fire is since you didn't write it."

"The Will of Fire?" Upon hearing this, Haneda finally understood the Third Hokage's intentions.

He wanted to recruit him, to act as a spy or enforcer for him, like Shisui or Itachi.

For Haneda, who had undergone nine years of compulsory education, answering such questions had many formulas and routines. After all in his previous life he was also brainwashed to be loyal and close his eyes to injustice; in his country that can't be named.

Without a second thought, he replied:

"Wherever the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire continues to burn. The firelight will illuminate the village, helping new leaves to sprout..."

Haneda recited a famous poem of Konoha, then added,

"The Will of Fire in my heart is about comrades, the village, protecting family, looking after everyone, as well as sacrificing oneself to pass it on to the next generation."

Although Haneda's words sounded grandiose, the Third Hokage was very satisfied as he listened.

His words essentially contained the core ideas of the Will of Fire, emphasizing the love for the village based on bonds and the spirit of selfless dedication.

The Third Hokage took a puff from his pipe and slowly exhaled a smoke ring.

As the smoke ring dissipated, he made a decision.

"If everyone in the village had your understanding of the Will of Fire, that would be wonderful," the Third Hokage suddenly sighed.

Afterward, he picked up a document from the table.

This document was about the Fire Nation's daimyo inviting the Third Hokage to his palace.

It concerned the movements of the Hokage and was classified information of great importance.

Yet the Third Hokage still allowed Haneda to examine it.

"The daimyo of the Fire Nation has a young daughter whom he dotes on greatly."

"Haneda, you're about the same age as her, making it a good opportunity to get to know this princess."

"I hope you can accompany me to the daimyo's palace, to gauge the attitude of the daimyo regarding the funds he's allocating to Konoha this year."

***

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