"Wherever the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire burns eternal!"
Hearing the words again, Yako felt a faint sigh rise within him.
He wondered whether Hiruzen himself truly believed them.
In moments of crisis, Hiruzen would undoubtedly give his life for Konoha — that much was beyond question.
But how much good he brought to Konoha in non-war times… that was harder to say.
The academy students swayed in place, barely staying awake.
Many truths could not be understood without experience.
Only on the battlefield would these genin grasp what the Will of Fire truly meant — its light… and its darkness.
Teachers and ANBU surrounded the area, so the students behaved themselves.
In the front row, Namikaze Minato listened attentively, head raised toward the Third Hokage. Every word fascinated him; he absorbed it earnestly, thinking deeply.
Beside him, Uzumaki Kushina paid little attention. Her thoughts had long drifted elsewhere.
Graduation.
Once she graduated, she would be a real shinobi.
She would help the Senju clan.
She would begin gathering intelligence — investigating the truth behind the destruction of the Uzumaki clan.
Something about that night had always felt wrong to her.
After the speech, students dispersed by class, guided back toward their classrooms to await team assignments.
Yako suddenly turned his head toward a side entrance of the school building.
A toad leapt out of a flowerbed.
Chakra surged around it.
Poof!
A thick cloud of white smoke exploded outward.
Nearby students stared, thinking it was some sort of graduation fireworks.
From within the smoke came the sharp clack of wooden sandals.
"From Mount Myōboku comes the Toad Sage of Prophecy!
The destined master! The prophesied disciple!
I shall follow the Great Toad Sage's revelation and take away my destined student!"
As the smoke cleared, Jiraiya appeared, gesturing dramatically.
Yako frowned slightly. He had heard Jiraiya had left the village — so why was he back already?
Even the Third Hokage looked puzzled.
Hiruzen glanced at Yako.
Yako nodded and vanished in a Body Flicker.
He landed beside Jiraiya just as the latter finished posing. Jiraiya's flamboyant expression instantly vanished.
'Hm? Hiruzen-sensei's ANBU? Fast Body Flicker… impressive.'
"Lord Jiraiya," Yako said calmly. "The Hokage requests your presence."
Jiraiya looked toward Minato.
"Don't worry about me. The Great Toad Sage has spoken — I must take away the Child of Prophecy."
Yako followed his gaze to Minato.
'If Minato ends up fully under the Third's faction… how will anything ever change?'
He stepped forward, placing himself squarely between Jiraiya and Minato.
"Lord Jiraiya. The Hokage requests your presence."
Seeing the ANBU captain's unwavering stance, Jiraiya sighed and headed toward the platform.
As soon as he landed, he spoke urgently.
"Sensei! Quick — give me a team! During my training at Mount Myōboku, the Great Toad Sage revealed a prophecy.
A blond boy will soon become a shinobi — the Child of Prophecy who will change the world.
Among this year's graduates, only Namikaze Minato fits.
Sensei, assign Minato's team to me!"
For once, Hiruzen did not favor his own student.
Instead, he spoke with restrained irritation.
"After the Second Shinobi War, the village established new rules. Every jōnin must take on genin teams.
All jōnin complied — they came to the academy and selected students.
And you?
Where were you these past two years?
You preferred teaching three children from an enemy nation in the Rain Country — one of whom has ties to Uchiha Madara — rather than returning to the village.
As for Namikaze Minato — his talent is obvious.
Hatake Sakumo noticed him long ago and has already mentored him for over a year.
Sakumo personally requested Minato as his disciple — and he has proven his commitment through action.
Team assignments were finalized half a month ago.
Sakumo leads Minato's team.
And now you return suddenly and expect me to change everything?
I will not embarrass Hatake Sakumo simply because you are my student."
Yako agreed silently.
Minato was undoubtedly a genius — but there were many prodigies in the academy.
Creating conflict with Sakumo over a fresh genin made no sense.
Hatake Sakumo was a Kage-level asset to the village. His standing could not be casually undermined.
Inside a classroom, team assignments had already begun.
The door slammed open.
Tsunade stepped in.
She hadn't used much force — but the lightweight door crashed loudly against the wall, startling the students.
Her gaze landed immediately on Kushina.
In the original timeline, Tsunade would have already left Konoha by now.
But she was still here.
And as Kushina's jōnin instructor — Tsunade claimed the role without hesitation.
After taking three students with her, Hatake Sakumo entered the room.
Minato had no idea he had just nearly lost Sakumo as a mentor.
Sakumo calmly called out three civilian-born students — including Minato — and led them away.
From a distance, Jiraiya watched Sakumo chatting with his team atop the school's rooftop.
He looked deeply disappointed.
Hiruzen glanced at him and deliberately prodded.
"Jiraiya, you need to involve yourself more deeply in the village.
If you had remained here — held a position, taken missions — I could have arranged for you to meet Minato earlier.
Perhaps you should reflect on whether you've invested too little in the village."
Jiraiya snorted.
"I'm nearly thirty, sensei. That kind of guilt trip won't work.
Stay in the village all the time? I've grown tired of the scenery at Konoha's bathhouses.
Unlike you — staring at the same place for decades."
"I did no such thing!" Hiruzen protested hastily. "You led me astray once — just once — to peek at the women's bathhouse!"
Jiraiya waved dismissively.
"Call me when war starts, sensei. I'm leaving again.
But while I'm gone, keep track of Minato's progress.
Once he becomes a chūnin — once he stands on his own rather than under Sakumo — I'll contact him."
The Child of Prophecy was Jiraiya's obsession.
Hiruzen said, "Jiraiya, later this year a promising new class will enroll.
My youngest son, Sarutobi Asuma. Hatake Sakumo's son, Kakashi.
You might observe them early — perhaps take them as students when they graduate."
"Sakumo's kid sounds impressive.
Your kid… maybe not."
Poof!
Jiraiya vanished in a burst of smoke, returning to Mount Myōboku.
"Jiraiya! You—"
Hiruzen's scolding died in the air.
The ANBU nearby all quietly turned their heads away.
That night, deep in the darkness, Yako's eyes snapped open.
Contract chakra pulsed through his senses.
Yuka was calling him.