Just as Senju Haruto had expected, by the time the next morning arrived, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, appeared at the Senju compound.
The leader from Kumogakure had targeted the Hyūga clan's Byakugan—so they were never going to harm Hinata. Based on Haruto's calculations, she would have woken up by last night at the earliest, this morning at the latest.
A rescuer from the Senju clan… and a boy at that.Who else could it be but him?
Even if Hiruzen himself didn't come, he would have sent someone.
"Lord Hokage," Haruto greeted when he finally spotted the old man.
He had eaten breakfast early and had been pacing back and forth at the compound's entrance for some time before Hiruzen ambled into view. Haruto immediately approached him with a polite smile.
"Senju Haruto," Hiruzen replied with a small smile and a nod.
As Hokage, he kept the names and chakra signatures of the younger generation in mind—especially the descendants of the Senju clan.
"I can already mold chakra," Haruto said directly after their greeting. "I want to attend the Ninja Academy."
Five years ago, he had tried to enroll, but was rejected because his chakra reserves were too small and his body too frail.
Hiruzen's heart tightened.Could the person who defeated the Kumogakure shinobi yesterday really have been Senju Haruto?
No… impossible.
Kumogakure hadn't sent just any shinobi, but elite jōnin. Hiruzen had been to the site himself—the scale of destruction there was something even many of Konoha's own jōnin couldn't match.
And this boy was only thirteen.
Still… Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly as an old legend crept into his mind—stories of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, the man known throughout the shinobi world as the God of Shinobi.
Could Haruto, at such a young age, have awakened Hashirama's unique kekkei genkai?
Before coming to the compound, Hiruzen had taken precautions. He had quietly sent an ANBU operative—Kakashi—to fetch a photo of Haruto and bring it to Hinata for confirmation.
Hinata had agreed it was Haruto who had saved her.
But she had no memory of him actually fighting the Kumogakure shinobi. Which meant they still couldn't confirm whether he had been alone at the time.
"Well now, Haruto," Hiruzen said warmly, a grandfatherly smile on his face. "Why don't you show Grandpa Hokage what you can do?"
If Haruto truly had awakened the First Hokage's power, this was no trivial matter.
"Of course," Haruto replied with a cheerful expression.
In truth, he had no intention of revealing his full strength. His real aim was simply to join the Ninja Academy, then work his way into Konoha's higher ranks—and eventually claim the title of Hokage. Showing off raw chakra reserves wasn't part of the plan.
He formed a hand sign and began focusing his chakra.Ten percent output should be enough.Even that would be far from weak compared to other kids his age.
Hiruzen's throat tightened as he observed him. Outwardly, he appeared merely curious, but in reality, he was conducting a chakra assessment.
But… what was this?
The boy standing before him was nothing like the Senju Haruto he had seen in the past.
In less than a single breath, Haruto had spread chakra evenly throughout his body. It began to overflow, forming a faint, visible layer—a chakra shroud—around him.
Hiruzen had only ever seen something like this from jinchūriki.
For a moment, the Hokage simply froze. Even a conservative estimate put Haruto's chakra reserves at more than a hundred times those of Kakashi Hatake.
Thirteen years old… and this much chakra?
This was still only his youth. What would it be like when he reached his prime?
This boy… was he a monster?
No—not the kind of monster a jinchūriki was.This boy…was the heir to the First Hokage's mantle.
Yes—The Senju clan, dwindling in numbers and influence, had somehow produced a genius like this.
"Phew…" Haruto let out a long breath, relaxing his stance. "Unfortunately, this is probably my limit."
"Your limit…?" Hiruzen muttered.
The change in this boy was undeniable. Even at this "limit," his chakra reserves were enough to leave many self-proclaimed prodigies in the dust—yet Haruto himself seemed unsatisfied.
Of course, the Third Hokage couldn't have guessed that Haruto's definition of "limit" was very different from his own.
If I kept going, Haruto thought, I might actually form a visible chakra cloak. But for Academy admission, that's unnecessary.
He shook his head in mild disbelief. Even he hadn't expected that he could imitate a chakra shroud—a technique normally only accessible to jinchūriki.
This was the classic case of quantity transforming into quality.With enough chakra, you really could do anything.
"Grandpa Hokage, can I enroll in the Ninja Academy now?" Haruto asked with a smile.
"Of course," Hiruzen replied, gently patting the boy's head despite the shock roiling inside him.
Although the Academy's admissions had only recently closed, it wasn't too late to get Haruto into the curriculum. More importantly, Hiruzen now looked forward to the boy's growth with genuine anticipation.
After all, his own age was catching up with him.He needed someone to inherit the Will of Fire.
When the time comes, I'll remove Danzō from his position as advisor… and disband Root.
This was something he had long considered. Haruto's appearance only solidified his resolve.
Meanwhile, Root operatives had already brought news of this display back to Danzō.
"Senju Haruto…" Danzō repeated the name, his grip unconsciously tightening until the teacup in his hand shattered.
"You're certain?" he asked, glancing briefly at the bandaged arm beneath his cloak. His expression remained calm, but inside, he was rattled.
Given the evidence, it was very likely that Haruto had been the one to kill the Kumogakure shinobi and devastate the border forest.
"Absolutely certain," the Root agent replied, kneeling. "As a sensory ninja, I could never mistake it. That boy's chakra reserves are greater than anyone I've ever encountered."
"I see…"
If it was only a matter of immense chakra reserves, it would be one thing. But if the boy also possessed Wood Release…
"I understand. You may go."
The agent departed, and Danzō sat motionless, his mind already spinning with plans.