Chapter 141
Chapter 141
Chapter 141: I Refuse - Naruto: With Full Favorability, I Am Invincible in the Shinobi World
The Hokage Building.
The Third Hokage glanced at the clock on the wall, deep in thought.
He remembered giving the command at 6:30 PM, so why hadn't Haneda and Kakashi arrived yet?
Didn't the ANBU ninja he sent to relay the message confirm that they had received it?
Finally, as the clock hands slowly pointed to nine o'clock.
Haneda walked leisurely to the Hokage Building, and coincidentally, Kakashi arrived at the same time.
"Kakashi, were you called by Lord Hokage too?"
"Yeah, I was training with Minato-sensei."
"Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade were there too, and Lady Tsunade suggested I skip this meeting to avoid interrupting training time."
"But I thought it wasn't appropriate, so I came after training."
Kakashi nodded, surprised to run into Haneda here.
Hearing Tsunade's advice, Haneda couldn't help but twitch his lips, thinking he was too cautious.
"Let's go, Kakashi. We're probably both here about joining the ANBU, right?"
Kakashi didn't deny it, and the two stopped talking as they walked into the Hokage Building.
Arriving at the Third Hokage's office, Haneda and Kakashi knocked on the door.
"Lord Hokage."
The Third Hokage recognized the youthful voices—it was Haneda and Kakashi—and greeted them warmly:
"Is that you, Haneda and Kakashi? Come in."
Seeing the two's calm breathing and unhurried demeanor, the Third Hokage couldn't help but ask:
"Was something urgent keeping you? You're quite late."
"Yeah, I got lost on the road of life," Haneda said with a sigh.
"I'm the same as Haneda," Kakashi agreed.
"Lord Hokage, you won't hold it against us, will you?" Haneda asked.
The Third Hokage, hearing their exchange, found his usual warm smile turning slightly stiff.
He chuckled and said:
"Of course not. When you're young, you're bound to reflect on many things. As long as you stay on the right path, you won't lose your way."
With that, he waved his hand.
Two ANBU members entered, carrying two boxes, which they placed in front of Haneda and Kakashi. Opening them revealed a mask and ANBU uniform inside.
"You've both been thinking about joining the ANBU, haven't you?"
"What did Kenji and Sakumo say? Haneda, Kakashi, what's your take?"
The Third Hokage asked confidently. He understood the motives of both the Uchiha clan head and Sakumo.
The former sought influence in the village's higher ranks, while the latter wouldn't refuse duties crucial to the village.
Haneda and Kakashi had no reason to decline ANBU!
"I refuse, Lord Hokage," Haneda closed the box without hesitation.
"I'm with Haneda," Kakashi also shut his box, following Haneda's lead.
???
The Third Hokage's eyes showed a flicker of surprise.
ANBU was a beneficial position, with perks, privileges, and access to village secrets.
Yet, Haneda and Kakashi both refused!
Hadn't Kenji and Sakumo explained the importance of ANBU to them?!
Haneda stayed silent, standing still, while Kakashi, at a loss for an explanation, stood with him.
The office fell into silence.
Suddenly, someone burst in.
It was Asuma!
"Old man! Is this how you treat Haneda, my life-saver?"
"Haneda is a hero of Konoha, and Kakashi, whom Haneda respects, is too!"
Asuma pulled a chair over, placing it behind Haneda, and smiled at him.
"Haneda, have a seat!"
"Kakashi, you can get your own chair."
Asuma glanced at his father's swivel chair. He had originally thought of bringing it over.
But he refrained, realizing it wouldn't help Haneda here. One day, though, this chair would belong to Haneda!
The Third Hokage glared at his rebellious son, anger rising.
If it weren't for Haneda and Kakashi's presence, he'd have dealt with Asuma differently.
"Asuma, I'm discussing something important with Haneda and Kakashi," the Third Hokage said through clenched teeth.
Asuma replied nonchalantly:
"Didn't Haneda and Kakashi already refuse?"
"Old man, you wouldn't force them to accept, would you?"
"You're not going to follow Danzo's example, are you?"
Hearing his son's slander against Danzo, the Third Hokage couldn't help but shout:
"That's your Uncle Danzo! He's not some evil old devil!"
Asuma laughed and replied:
"Say what you want, but that old devil who's done so many terrible things will never earn my respect!"
Haneda, watching from the side, could barely keep a straight face.
The "evil old devil of the Shimura clan"…
Who came up with that?
But Haneda couldn't let Asuma handle this alone. He added:
"Lord Hokage, Asuma makes a good point. The Foundation has done many things that harm the village."
"For example…"
Haneda's tone turned cold, but he didn't continue.
The Third Hokage knew what Haneda meant.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he said:
"The roots buried in darkness are often misunderstood by the world."
"Where there's light, there must be darkness."
"After a year of being a shinobi, you should understand that, right, Haneda?"
Haneda didn't deny it, but he had already written Danzo into his kill list.
For the sake of both justice and personal reasons, Danzo's darkness had rotted Konoha.
Only by uprooting the decay could Konoha be revived.
"I have no interest in joining the ANBU."
"If I must choose between light and darkness, I'd rather stand in the sunlight."
Kakashi looked at Haneda, then, after a moment, said:
"I'm with Haneda. I'd rather stand in the sunlight too."
Finally, the Third Hokage, considering their contributions, strength, and backgrounds, reluctantly agreed.
He began to think of other rewards for Haneda and Kakashi.
Little did he know, Haneda and Kakashi didn't care in the least.
…
When word of this reached the Foundation, Danzo was furious.
At first, he was pleased Haneda and Kakashi had declined to join ANBU.
But when he heard the Third Hokage's son call him the "evil old devil of the Shimura clan"…
Danzo couldn't help but slam the stone table, shouting:
"Hiruzen! So this is how you try to win over people?"
"You placed your son on the same team as that Uchiha brat and Sakumo, but…"
"Now even your own son has been swayed by that naturally evil Uchiha brat!"
"I knew it—you'll regret your foolish choices someday!"