Secret training

It was midnight by this point around the time all the Caretakers slept, and so did the Shinobi that weren't on patrol, which meant night was the perfect time for me to get some secret training in since no one would be the wiser. 

I glanced up at the moon, the light from the sun that reflected off of it, made for quite the sight, as I calmly made my way through the darkened, yet tranquil meadows a calm breeze passed by me as I walked.

I found myself calmed by the darkness surrounding me, and the small flickers of light fireflies around me provided.

The light they produced was a biological feature they held, inside those tiny bodies are lanterns, not that kind of lantern, it was an organ in their bodies which held luciferin and an enzyme named called luciferase that when combined with oxygen and adenosine triphosphate creates light.

Other creatures and some fungi actually do glow as well, but fireflies are by far the prettiest, well maybe outside the Firefly Squid. 

I wouldn't know though, I never had the chance to see the light they produced with my own eyes although I knew the chemical processes that went into it's light being produced, seeing something with my own eyes was why I sought freedom from that place in the first place. 

You could understand the entirety of the chemical processes that create the emotions that we feel yet experiencing them yourself will always be the better alternative. Experience will beat raw knowledge, you may understand the theory, it may be 100% right, but experiencing it will make you understand it fully.

In the books I have read in the White Room, I always noticed something with the protagonists of those books: an emotional drive to achieve their goals—ambition, perhaps, or a sense of fulfilment to look toward—as illogical as emotions were. They still felt them, they still used them to drive them forwards.

I didn't understand why, no, I couldn't understand why emotions drove progress.

There might have been moments in this world where those emotions spark up again, but I didn't understand them.

Not at that time where my chest word, that strange moment where I thought of Matsuo, even when I felt that strange warmth and swell of something, I didn't understand them.

And even then, most times I felt empty. Cold, paralysing numbness. The one thing keeping me going was an insatiable, inhuman, curiosity. A boundless curiosity to see where I could go.

Those emotions I had yet to understand, I was curious about them.

Perhaps: subconsciously when I selected to be an Uchiha I wanted it to bring about those emotions more. As I remember, Uchiha feel emotions more strongly, being an Uchiha would bring me closer to satisfying that goal. And when I achieved it...

What will I feel?

I kept walking, until I made it to a small clearing, giving a quick look over to the flowers before I sat down, pulling out the Kage Bunshin Jutsu scroll as I began reading. 

This spot: hidden away was preferable to me over my room for this, since I planned to test the limits of what I could do.

Skill learned, Kage Bunshin

Kage Bunshin LVL 1/50: By using more than the regular amount of Chakra to summon a Clone, you are able to make solid clones that are capable of independent thought and action. Unlike illusory clones, each Kage Bunshin is an exact duplicate of the user, including physical attributes and chakra. Clones transfer their experiences and knowledge via memories back to the user upon dispelling, enhancing the user's understanding and training efficiency. Clones also take damage independently and disperse upon receiving significant impact, dispelling themselves, dispelled by the user or losing too much Chakra to stay.

Handseal: Fingers put in to a t shape

Costs 1000 Chakra per Clone (Minimum chakra amount, can use up to 50% your Chakra to make clones) when clones dispel, you gain any skills they learned, EXP earned on Skills, and Key locations marked on the Map discovered by Clans you gain the rewards for.

The scroll as soon as I was done reading it vanished, as I get the notification.

As for the cost, this particular Jutsu is misunderstood as always requiring half the users Chakra split into different clones. The truth is actually simple that was Naruto displaying his new Skill in Chakra Control to confuse the Byakugan. 

There has to be a narrative driven reason for a character to grow in strength in some way. With the tree walking we see this happen with Sasuke, who uses his enhanced control over his Chakra to move quicker, using Chakra to enhance his speed against Haku.

That was a growth and showing of why that skill was learned at that point. 

Yet Naruto didn't have something like that? Well that's the thing we didn't, because Naruto was meant to use the Kyuubi's Chakra at that point. Sasuke showing it off was enough to show us that training was not worthless.

With Water Walking, we hadn't seen a similar moment, yes the Toad being summoned was coal, Gamabunta was fine, the issue was, Naruto still had to rely on the Kyuubi to do that, it wasn't a display of his Chakra Control, but rather how strong the Kyuubi's chakra amplifies his own power and Chakra. We can't use that. 

Thus learning Water Walking had no narrative reasoning behind it, right? That's not entirely true, a minor thing was that Naruto's Chakra Control was messed up because Orochimaru used a seal on him to seal the Kyuubi Chakra. That created a misconception within the fanbase itself by the way. 

Well, either way, there was another another narrative reason, Naruto using his newfound Chakra Control splits his Chakra evenly between clones to hide who's the real one in his fight with Neji, we know this because onlookers notably Hiashi makes comments about the unusualness of this, during the fight itself. 

I sighed, why did I go through all that suddenly? Who knows? 

I placed my fingers on both hands in that t, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." A poof of smoke later, and I saw just how bad the Chakra cost was. 

Chakra Control was the major thing, I knew how it worked with CC, but here it showed it's ugly head fully. 

With a Chakra Control of 20%, my Chakra usage for even using 800 Chakra would waste an extra 80%, making this Kage Bunshin, take 1440 Chakra Points, I could make only one with my current reserves of 2700. 

My clone already knew what to do, pretty much, as she confirmed rather quickly that our inventory's were linked, but she had nothing else from my Gamer, only a shared inventory. With that she set about her task of learning all other Jutsu in their.

Why was I doing this again? Wouldn't this put me in major danger? That was rather simple, I'd be doing this secret training rarely, very rarely, but also I needed it. I couldn't go into dungeons as I am right now, I needed more then just this. Besides, training someone up to Chunin level required me to be around Jonin level probably. I could only assume it would take a lot to reach that level for me right now, so I was starting this training to get there.

As my clone began reading the Scrolls, I started more harsh training. Using a tree branch as an improvised bar for pull ups. 

I was doing them, and kept it up for an hour, now I saw my Clone practicing with the new skills I was about to gain when it popped. 

At this point, my arms were hurting, so I climbed onto it, looking at the next tree branch, I applied a small amount of Chakra to the soles of my feet as I leapt towards it. I already was jumping higher without my Chakra then a normal person, but the chakra caused me to soar to the next tree branch. I did it again. 

Skill gained, Chakra Leap

Chakra Leap LVL 1/10: By applying Chakra to your feet before a jump it enhances how high you can go, and the forward momentum carried by said jump. Using 5 Chakra you can increase your Jump height by 10 metres.

Huh, this was pretty easy.

With that, I hopped to the ground, my feet touching the ground without so much as a sound. I then focused again. Flowing small amounts of Chakra to my legs, before dashing. My speed had significantly increased from this.

Skill Gained, Chakra Dash

Chakra Dash LVL 1/10: By flowing Chakra to the legs you can increase running speed significantly. Uses 3 Chakra per second to increase speed by 5%. 

Once again rather easy to do. I should have done this sooner. Oh well, no use thinking about the past probabilities. I still had my training to do.

So, I decided to sprint at my maximum speed for a few minutes before moving on to my Martial Arts training. 

Of course, my clone would finish their own training before me as I received an influx of memories correlated with new Skills obtained.

New Skills Unlocked, Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu, Futon: Kaze Shuriken, Futon: Kaze Kunai, Raiton: Rai Kunai, Doton: Chikyu Shuriken, Genjutsu: Yume no Kage

Katon: Gokyaku no Jutsu LVL 1/50: Upon completing the handseals, inhaling a large amount of oxygen and moulding chakra you exhale a massive ball of flames that flies forwards about as tall as yourself or larger than 4 metres.

Hand Seals: Snake - Ram - Monkey - Boar - Horse - Tiger

Costs 300 - 600 Chakra dealing around 200 to 400 points of damage with a 40% chance of inflicting burn on the opponent.

Futon: Kaze Shuriken LVL 1/20: Upon channelling Wind chakra through the shuriken, the user launches the Shuriken, which now has enhanced cutting capabilities.

Hand Seals: Bird - Monkey - Dog

Costs 20 chakra for 10% extra damage. 

Futon: Kaze Kunai: LVL 1/20: This jutsu augments the cutting power of a kunai by infusing it with wind chakra. This technique creates a sharp, aerodynamic edge on the kunai, enhancing its slicing capabilities and allowing it to cut through targets with greater ease. When active a faint swirling aura of wind surrounds the Kunai.

Hand Seals: Hare → Bird → Boar

Costs 25 Chakra to use, increases damage by 15% with added piercing ability.

Raiton: Rai Kunai LVL 1/20: The Kunai becomes enveloped in a crackling aura of lightning, increasing its sharpness and delivering a mild electrical shock upon contact. This shock can temporarily stun or disrupt the target, making it more difficult for them to move or respond.

Hand Seals: Ox → Rabbit → Monkey

Costs 25 Chakra to use, increases damage by 10% and adds a slight stunning effect to opponents hit with it for one second.

Genjutsu: Yume no Kage LVL 1/20: The target perceives distorted shadows and phantom figures in their immediate surroundings. These illusions can cause confusion and momentary disorientation as they are not dangerous, but can move around to further the confusion.

Handseals: Rat → Dog → Boar

Costs 50 Chakra lasts for 15 seconds unless broken out of.

Futon: Kaze Kunai has reached LVL 6, Futon: Kaze Shuriken has reached LVL 2, Raiton: Rai Kunai LVL has reached LVL 6. 

STR has increased by 10, DEX has increased by 5, CON has gone up by 2

I looked at them all, not really surprised. 

I sighed. As I continued my harsh training, there was another thing I wanted. Even if my body couldn't handle it. 

I was going to suffer that Status effect to unlock a new power.

My muscles ached as I felt my bones beginning to crack and fracture as I kept training, pushing my body beyond its limits. I was in utter agony physically, yet it wasn't anything I wasn't used too. 

Back in the White Room; this was normal. Normal to push ourselves to the limit and beyond. 

A memory resurfaced as I continued training.

After the last student of this place died, my memory became an almost monotonous state. There was no one really to talk to. Some days, depending on the curriculum, other than to shovel food down my throat, my mouth never really opened. But even after being alone, what I did hadn't changed beyond minor differences.

Since there were no longer any students, the general martial arts curriculum had to be changed, so that all of my opponents became adults. A few months after I turned 8 years old, I had defeated all of my instructors who taught me everything I know about martial arts.

That was probably why the instructors were hurrying up in gathering up the room. 

"4-01,you are now going to fight several professional fighters in a real battle. This is the culmination of everything you have learned thus far, and are permitted to use any means necessary to win."

"Yes."

"Also, don't hold back at all. You are permitted to do this with the intention to kill."

"Does that mean I can kill them?"

"You are allowed to kill them if given the chance to."

"Yes."

I was in a large training room and observed the group of adults who wore suits walking in, they seemed to have quite well built bodies and posture that wasn't rough fluid but rough and spirited.

They began laughing and made some random silly faces when they saw me. "I thought it was a joke when they said we were supposed to be seriously fighting a kid," 1 of them stated.

These people seemed to be capable of fighting in an irregular fight with an uphill battle rather than an even playing field. Unlike other opponents, pure physical strength was no issue for them. The difference in muscle mass was obvious. These people were the kind of people that would win 100 out of 100 battles. A person would normally never stand a chance against them, yet they had only ever fought humans, never a monster in human skin.

A man who seemed calmer than the rest and seemed to be the clear leader of their group spoke, "Yes, it's ridiculous, but don't cut any corners. We're being paid that kind of money to subdue one kid. They must have unusual skills far beyond the norm," His voice was that of a natural commander and the others listened, "What is your name, kid?"

I looked at the instructor, who nodded his head. Now normally children aren't meant to know their real names in this facility, being referred to as numbers to depersonalise the children in this facility. However I once had overheard a conversation with that man and thus I knew mine. They knew I did as well and they probably wanted me to say it here, based on his look. 

"4-01," At least they should know the name of the monster they were facing. Though my name confused them.

"Listen, 40-01 come at us with the intention to kill, not actually try and kill us. With that much spirit and determination, if you don't come to us with that idea in your mind, I'd be a little heartbroken with beating you up."

I was going to do that anyways, I had my orders.

"We'll give you a weapon if you want," He said and placed his shoes on the ground creating a small tapping sound as the sound of metal scraping against metal echoed off the floor.

"I don't need it."

"You wish to fight with your bare hands?" 

"Yes."

"You're probably not joking but I'm serious here, just pick one."

"Sir, will that be an order?" I asked the instructor, who was looking down on me from upstairs for orders.

"That is an order. I'm sure you know how to use all of them already, so do as the man says."

Then I'll obey, taking a look inside the bag I saw various weapons built for combat. There weren't any guns beyond the Stun Gun but there were a lot here. Knives, Batons and bats, there were some more but I'd already had made up my mind.

For simple killing power, a knife would be best, but reach was an issue against opponents much larger than I was. Without hesitation I took the baton and closed the case of weapons after picking the baton. 30 centimetres long, swinging it once to grow its size to be around 80 centimetres.

The weight of the baton felt natural in my hand, its balance perfect for both offence and defence. The room fell silent as the men in front of me shifted their stances, muscles tensing in anticipation. They were seasoned fighters, professionals who had likely seen countless battles, but I could sense the slight hesitation in their movements—perhaps it was disbelief that a child was their opponent, or maybe it was a subconscious recognition of the threat I posed.

"Ready when you are, kid," the leader said, his voice steady but his eyes focused intently on me. He was trying to gauge my intentions, to predict my first move.

I didn't wait. The moment he finished speaking, I dashed forward, closing the gap between us in an instant. His eyes widened slightly, but he reacted quickly, raising his guard as I swung the baton. He blocked the strike with his forearm, but the force behind it caused him to stagger back. I didn't let up, immediately following with a low sweep aimed at his knee. He jumped back just in time, but the manoeuvre left him slightly off balance.

One of the other men lunged at me from the side, a knife in hand. I spun on my heel, redirecting my momentum, and brought the baton down on his wrist. The knife clattered to the ground as his hand went numb, and I followed up with a strike to his ribs. He gasped, air escaping his lungs, and crumpled to the floor.

The remaining men hesitated for just a second, but it was enough. I had already calculated their movements, anticipating their attacks. Another one rushed at me, aiming a punch at my head. I ducked under his arm, stepping inside his guard, and drove the baton into his solar plexus. His body convulsed, and he fell to his knees, unable to breathe. Passing out on the spot.

The leader growled in frustration, his composure slipping. "Damn it, she's faster than we thought." He shouted, trying to rally his men. But the fear in their eyes was evident—they weren't facing a child, they were facing something beyond their comprehension.

Two men came at me simultaneously, one from the left, the other from the right. I sidestepped the first, using his momentum against him as I tripped him with a quick sweep of my leg. He hit the ground hard, and I turned to meet the second attacker. He swung a metal pipe at my head, but I blocked it with the baton, the impact reverberating through my arm. Without missing a beat, I twisted the baton in my hand and struck him across the face, the force of the blow sending him crashing into the wall.

Only the leader remained standing, his face a mask of disbelief and anger. He was breathing heavily now, sweat dripping down his face. "You little... You're not human," he spat, raising his fists. He charged at me with a roar, throwing a flurry of punches.

I deflected each one with ease, my movements precise and controlled. He was strong, but his technique was sloppy, driven by emotion rather than rationality. I waited for the right moment, then struck. The baton connected with the side of his head, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

The room was silent again, the only sound was the faint hum of the lights overhead. I stood there, breathing steadily, surrounded by the bodies of the fallen men. There was no satisfaction in my victory, no sense of triumph. This was simply what I had been trained to do, what I had been created for. 

Since I had the opportunity, I struck the leader's head, hard with the baton, the sound generating a massive crack as their skull broke, from a small hole, blood pooled out, from the wound,

I did it one more time, and this time, there was a squishing sound as it made it to the brain, caving the skull in completely. This was enough to kill the man.

"Well done, 4-01," the instructor's voice crackled through the intercom. "You've proven yourself once again."

Nodding my head, I did the disposal for these men for them, killing all of them the same way I killed their leader. At least that was my idea until the voice came back, "Do not unnecessarily tire yourself out, 4-01, we'll handle the clean up from here." 

I understood my orders, "For now, retire to your room, 4-01," with that, I left the room, and returned to my own.

The memory faded as I felt a strange large increase to everything suddenly started and I knew I had achieved it with a strange swelling of something in my chest, I was certain that this was pride. I was proud I achieved it, which caused me to lose the power as my face hit the floor.

With 500 points of my health disappearing from the strain I had put my body through by pushing it's limits I rolled over, looking up at the moon with laboured breathing. 

You have severely strained every part of your body, detrimental Status Effect, Broken Body has been given.

Status Effect: Broken Body: Training beyond your limits can tear and strain muscles causing immense pain. You have over trained and thus any attempt on physical training of any kind is 1500% less effective. Your max HP and Physical stats have been cut in half temporarily. Status effect lasts a month, you have 30 days left until it is cured, training for more than 1 hour will add 2 days to the effect. 

Through continuous training, you have unlocked the Skill to open the Eight Inner Gates.

Eight Inner Gates LVL 1/80: The Gates are limiters on the body that regulate Chakra flow. Unlocking each gate grants explosive power and speed, with exponential increases in Chakra output and physical abilities at each new level. Mastering each gate level requires rigorous training and mental fortitude, as each unlocked gate pushes the body closer to its limits. You can only open the first gate as of right now.

Kaimon: Located in the brain's left hemisphere, opening it removes the user's mental inhibitions and increases their STR and DEX by 2x whilst using the Gate. You also gain a 10% increase in Chakra whilst using the Gate. Though you drain HP every second, the drain rate is 2 per second.

Achievement "Unlock the Gates" has been achieved.

Removal of Status Effects detrimental to user.

HP and Chakra fully restored.

All Physical Stats increase by 50 including CHA

+ 100000 EXP

You have reached LVL 39

In order to unlock the Eight Gate you had to push yourself far beyond your usual limits to where the power has to come out to solve it. 

But even I was left speechless at what the Achievement I got did, I mean I get it, you would do this much later, but to go from 12 to 39, that's a massive jump just now. 

I actually felt the overwhelming amount of Chakra I had just gained enter my body. I had 8500 now, just from this alone, I had gone from summoning 1 clone, to being able to summon 5 with a bit of Chakra to spare. 

I felt the sudden jump in power strain me too, obviously. The influx of Chakra forced me to use Chakra Dash with Tree Walking to vent the influx of power away, getting my body used to the new, sheer untapped power contained within it.

To be honest, I recognised an emotion I felt in this moment, fear. I was fearful that the sudden increase in power would disturb Sensors, to come and find me, so I did my best to hide my presence, by leaping to a rather extremely hidden spot. Keeping my eyes focused on hiding away. 

Soon, my Chakra amount dropped to half, and I relaxed.

I made a mental note to not do this for a few months as the suspicion.

(Third Person POV)

The silence of Konoha's night was suddenly disturbed by a faint yet powerful ripple in the air. Several shinobi scattered across the village, resting or patrolling their designated routes, instinctively halted as a sudden and intense chakra signature pulsed through the darkness. It was unlike anything they were accustomed to—a raw, violent surge, as if a dam had momentarily burst before sealing itself again. Within seconds, those sensitive to chakra had already begun to converge on the source.

A small squad of Anbu, the elite task force loyal to the Hokage, was first to react. Cloaked in shadow, their swift footsteps made no sound as they moved, becoming ghostly figures under the moonlight. Each member scanned the environment with trained senses, their instincts sharp as they assessed the potential threat.

"There," one of them whispered, the word barely audible, as he pointed toward a stretch of darkened meadow not far from the orphanage. "Did you feel that? It was a sudden spike...but it's faded now."

The team leader nodded, gesturing for them to follow as they closed in. He could still feel the faint remnants of the chakra, though weaker now, dissipating as they neared. "Approach with caution," he commanded in a low, controlled tone. "The source was powerful enough to stir the sensors from all the way across the village. Whoever did this is no ordinary shinobi."

The four Anbu members advanced cautiously, their eyes scanning the ground for any evidence of recent activity. They reached a small, secluded clearing marked by the faint imprints of feet on soft soil and subtle disturbances in the surrounding brush. The leader signaled for the others to fan out and search for clues. A few stray leaves rustled underfoot, and the crisp scent of pine lingered in the air, but otherwise, the area was eerily calm, as though whatever had been here had vanished into thin air.

The team's sensor specialist, a shinobi with an acute chakra detection ability, paused, closing his eyes as he focused his senses. "There was definitely someone here," he muttered, concentrating deeply. "A single, powerful burst—almost overwhelming. But the strange thing is…it seems to have dissipated quickly, as though it was released and then retracted in an instant."

"Any trace left?" the team leader asked.

The sensor shook his head. "Not anymore. Whatever chakra was released here has been absorbed or neutralized somehow. It's...strange. It feels deliberate, as if whoever did this wanted to be noticed but then erased themselves immediately after."

Another Anbu member crouched down, his fingers brushing over a faint scuff mark in the earth. "There was definitely movement here. Could have been training...or something else." He examined the ground further, noting a few distinct footprints, yet they were careful and light, difficult to read. "Almost as if they didn't want to be followed."

The leader frowned. "We'll have to inform the Hokage of this. If someone's experimenting with chakra of this magnitude, it could pose a risk to the village if left unchecked." His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the area once more, lingering over the empty patch of grass that had recently been disturbed. The sheer force of the chakra had been unlike anything he'd felt in a long time, a potential threat that could not be ignored.

"Are you certain there are no lingering traces of the chakra signature?" he asked the sensor again.

"No, it's...it's odd," the sensor replied, visibly perplexed. "It's like the chakra was there only for a heartbeat. Whoever was here knew exactly how to manage their presence, leaving almost no trace. Whoever it was, they're skilled at concealing their power. I would guess it was someone with remarkable chakra control, possibly advanced beyond even most of our shinobi."

The team leader pondered this, then straightened and gave a sharp nod. "We've got all we can here. Let's report back." With one last glance at the dark, empty clearing, the squad slipped into the shadows once more, leaving no sign they had ever been there.

Back at the Hokage's office, the team assembled, each shinobi bowing respectfully as they awaited orders. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, looked up from his desk, his expression one of weary curiosity. He had sensed the chakra as well, though distantly, and was already considering possible explanations. "Report," he said calmly, folding his hands as he gazed at the squad leader.

The Anbu leader stepped forward, his mask glinting in the dim light of the Hokage's office. "Hokage-sama, we investigated the disturbance near the western orphanage grounds," he began. "There was a definite chakra signature—a high-level release, possibly indicating the activation of a powerful technique. However, the signature disappeared almost immediately after it appeared. The area showed minimal disturbance, and we found no clear trace of the individual responsible."

Hiruzen nodded slowly, absorbing the information. "Did you find any residual chakra?"

"None that we could clearly trace," the team leader replied. "Whoever was there either has extraordinary control or deliberately masked their presence as soon as we detected it. I believe they're aware of our village's security sensitivity and avoided leaving clues."

The Hokage leaned back thoughtfully, his brow furrowing. "A technique strong enough to alert our sensors, yet controlled enough to disappear without a trace…" He tapped his fingers on his desk, deep in thought. "There are few in this village capable of such a feat, especially without specialized training. Did you see any other clues or indicators that might point to their identity?"

The squad exchanged glances before the leader answered. "There were a few scuff marks in the clearing, which suggested movement or perhaps training, but nothing definitive. It's almost as if the person vanished the moment we neared. If I may, Hokage-sama, I would recommend keeping watch on the area and perhaps looking into any unusual training activities among the younger shinobi. It's possible someone is experimenting with techniques beyond their current capabilities."

Hiruzen considered this, his gaze shifting to the window, where the faintest light of dawn was beginning to creep over the horizon. "Yes," he murmured thoughtfully, "it's certainly possible. We have had a number of gifted young ones in recent years—some who might be capable of learning advanced techniques if left unsupervised."

The squad leader hesitated, then spoke. "Hokage-sama, do you believe it could be…an outside influence? Perhaps a rogue shinobi testing their abilities near the village?"

Hiruzen shook his head, though a trace of concern lingered in his expression. "No, I don't believe so. If it were an outsider, I doubt they would have suppressed their chakra so effectively after release. This feels…like a controlled release, perhaps even an intentional test of skill. We may have a prodigy on our hands who is training in secret."

He turned to the Anbu squad, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Increase patrols in the area, especially at night. Report any similar disturbances immediately, but proceed with caution. Whoever this is may not realize the risk they're taking by experimenting so close to village grounds."

The Anbu bowed in unison. "Understood, Hokage-sama."

As the squad filed out of his office, Hiruzen continued to gaze out the window, the early morning light casting a somber shadow over his face. He felt a deep curiosity—and a tinge of unease. Whoever was behind the disturbance possessed both immense potential and the will to keep it hidden. And in Konoha, secrets rarely stayed buried for long.

Hiruzen, having been Hokage for decades, understood this truth well.