CHAPTER 38
---
As Hiruzen's students gathered at the Hokage Tower, the early morning sunlight filtered through the wooden shutters, casting a warm golden hue across the room.
They arrived one after another, exchanging polite greetings. Tsunade, ever punctual, leaned against the doorway with her arms crossed, a faint smirk on her face as she spotted Jiraiya rushing in, barely on time.
Sakumo followed quietly, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings as Orochimaru, calm and reserved as always, entered without a word.
Hiruzen, observing them through the window, decided to greet them personally.
He descended the stairs with a slow, deliberate pace, allowing himself a moment to reflect on their growth. *They're maturing fast. It's time for them to face the reality of missions.*
He arrived at the room where the four stood, quietly talking. The moment they sensed his presence, they turned and greeted him in unison.
"Good morning, sensei!" their voices chorused, filled with a mix of respect and eagerness.
Hiruzen smiled warmly, nodding to each of them. "Good morning. Today, we have two paths to follow. You can either begin with missions or focus on training. The choice is yours."
Jiraiya, always the most outspoken, immediately blurted out, "Missions, sensei! Training is so boring! Let's go do something exciting for a change!"
He made an exaggerated face, scrunching up his nose and sticking out his tongue in mock disgust at the idea of more training.
Tsunade chuckled at his antics but nodded in agreement. "I agree with Jiraiya, sensei. Let's start with some missions. Then we can train after we've done something useful." Her tone carried the enthusiasm of someone ready for action.
Sakumo and Orochimaru exchanged a glance before nodding in silent agreement. They were fine with either choice but seemed inclined toward the idea of missions for the time being.
Sakumo, ever the composed team leader, spoke for both of them. "We're ready for missions, sensei."
Hiruzen, satisfied with their decision, nodded in approval. "Very well. We'll start with a D-rank mission today. As you know, these missions will lay the groundwork for teamwork and discipline. Once you prove yourselves, we'll gradually move on to higher-ranked tasks."
From within the folds of his robes, Hiruzen pulled out a scroll and handed it to Sakumo, the natural leader of the group.
"This scroll contains your mission details. Work together, complete it, and return to me once you're done. I'll register this mission under your team's name."
Sakumo carefully unfolded the scroll, and the four of them huddled around it, reading the mission briefing. The task was simple:
---
**Find the Missing Cat of the Daimyo's Wife**
*Mission: D-rank*
*Pay: 10,000 ryo*
---
Jiraiya's face scrunched up in disgust once more. "A cat?! We're supposed to find a missing *cat*?" he grumbled. "That's not a mission, that's… a chore!"
Orochimaru, always the pragmatist, shot Jiraiya a sharp look. "You were the one who wanted missions instead of training, remember? Now you'll have to deal with it."
Sakumo, ever the diplomat, placed a hand on Jiraiya's shoulder. "Relax, Jiraiya. It's a small mission to start with. We're just genin—sensei can't send us on high-level assignments yet. Let's finish this quickly, and then we'll move on to something more exciting."
Tsunade added, "Besides, how hard can it be to find a cat?"
With their objective set, the four of them headed out, following the clues provided in the scroll about the missing cat's description and last-known whereabouts. As they left, Hiruzen watched through his crystal ball, a small smile on his face.
"They're growing quickly," Hiruzen mused to himself. "But they still have a long way to go."
---
Meanwhile, back in his office, Hiruzen turned his attention to something more pressing.
The village had grown exponentially in recent years, and with the ever-present threat of war looming, Konoha's military strength was a top priority.
Hiruzen stood in the middle of his office, surrounded by paperwork that his clones diligently sorted through. He called forth his status screen, something only he could see, thanks to the system he had unlocked years ago.
---
**STATUS**
*NAME: SARUTOBI HIRUZEN*
*AGE: 26 YEARS*
*TAIJUTSU: LOW SUPER SHADOW*
*NINJUTSU: LOW SUPER SHADOW*
*GENJUTSU: PEAK SHADOW*
*CHAKRA: LOW SUPER SHADOW*
*CHAKRA CONTROL: 99.995%*
*FUINJUTSU: LEVEL 6 (MASTERY OF BASIC SEALS, INTERMEDIATE SEALS)*
*AFFINITY: EARTH (89%), FIRE (90%), WIND (89%), WATER (89%), LIGHTNING (89%), YIN (80%), YANG (80%)*
*SKILLS: CREATION, COMPREHENSION, ASSIMILATION, EYE OF INSIGHT*
---
Hiruzen studied the numbers carefully. His chakra control was near perfection, his ninjutsu and taijutsu were steadily approaching new heights, and his affinity with the five elements was nearing mastery. He knew that his next step would be critical.
*The integration of the five chakra natures… if I can successfully fuse them into a bloodline for the Sarutobi Clan, our strength will rival that of the Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki. In time, S-rank prodigies will rise naturally, maybe even SS-rank like myself.*
The thought excited him. The Sarutobi Clan had always been powerful, but this new bloodline could elevate them to new heights.
He stood up, leaving his paperwork behind, and made his way to the Hokage Mountain training grounds.
Upon arriving, Hiruzen merged with the chakra and knowledge of his clones, assimilating their training and experiences.
He sat cross-legged on the ground, clearing his mind as he prepared to unlock a new level of mastery in chakra nature manipulation.
---
Hiruzen focused first on his wind element, gathering chakra in his palm. He had long mastered the ability to use wind for cutting, but now he sought something more.
He recalled the principles of air: its movement, its pressure, and its potential for change.
*Wind is more than just a cutting force. It's the movement of air from one pressure point to another, caused by differences in temperature. If I can manipulate that, I can control not just the cutting power, but the heat and cold within it. Fire and water elements mixed correctly with wind could lead to Scorch Release and Ice Release.*
He smiled as he felt the pieces of understanding fall into place. His comprehension skill allowed him to visualize the changes clearly. The next step was practical application.
Hiruzen summoned a large iron ball, about 100 kilograms in weight. Focusing wind chakra into his hand, he performed a swift cut, splitting the ball cleanly in two. It wasn't enough.
He needed to push further. He increased the power, imagining the wind as a thin, razor-sharp blade, and slashed again. This time, the metal crumbled into fine particles.
Satisfied with the result, Hiruzen reached for a chakra-conducting metal, one known for its resistance.
The first cut was met with resistance, but after channeling more of his wind chakra, he sliced through it as well. Slash after slash, the metal ball was reduced to a pile of fine dust.
"The wind element is strong, but now I need to enhance its versatility," Hiruzen thought aloud. "The pressure aspect… if I can manipulate that, I'll open the door to a whole new set of techniques."
He began meditating, using his comprehension skill to delve deeper into the essence of wind. His mind swirled with ideas, the boundaries of elemental chakra starting to blur.
Soon, he would push beyond the traditional limits of ninjutsu and create something entirely new.
---
Back at the mission, Sakumo and the others were closing in on the missing cat. It had taken them several hours, combing through alleys and rooftops, but they finally had the creature cornered.
The cat hissed, its back arched, as Jiraiya tried unsuccessfully to calm it down.
Tsunade sighed. "For a D-rank mission, this sure is a lot of trouble. Can we just knock it out already?"
Orochimaru smirked. "That might be the easiest solution."
Sakumo chuckled, shaking his head. "No, let's do it properly. We'll catch it—without knocking it unconscious, preferably."
With a well-coordinated effort, they managed to catch the cat and return it to the daimyo's wife, completing their first mission as a team.
As they walked back to report to Hiruzen, there was a sense of accomplishment among them. Despite the simple nature of the mission, they had worked together as a unit—something that would become crucial in the trials ahead.
And Hiruzen, watching them from afar, couldn't have been prouder.
---