I gave a report about the clan's activities. The kids were now healthy and bright. With training, their physiques had improved. Though they were still far from academy standards. Although they still couldn't manipulate chakra. The fuinjutsu students were still learning to write properly and theory. Although now there were only 30 there. After a little rearrangement according to their interests. Roughly 90 had chosen standard training. Some boys had tried to switch to fuinjutsu. Only 2 had actually stayed by the end of the week.
My progress had me saying that I had mastered barrier tags almost. And I was planning to start on storage scrolls soon. Our finances were now stable. We had done enough missions that we now actually had specific requests for the Kurosawa clan. Especially from farms. We were famous now for reliable and fast work. We had numbers on our sides. And as long as we didn't need to buy ninja tools like real genins. We could live.
Haruto, Reina, Sayo, and Daichi had taken to their roles wonderfully. The clan could run without me to some extent.
"This is all good. You have done remarkably well. Do not lose heart, little Ren. As for the slow progress. Well, they are working too, right? They work and train alternately. Plus, if merely getting your hands on a few books could create academy-level genins. Then we wouldn't need a dedicated academy, would we?" He chuckled.
For a few puffs, there was silence. The faint smell of tobacco drifted through the room as Lord Third leaned back, eyes half-lidded in thought. Then he spoke.
"If you think progress is too slow, I could ask a few of my clan members to help you teach them."
My eyes widened before I could stop myself. For a moment, the answer was already on my tongue — yes. Learning under clan-trained shinobi? Who in their right mind would refuse that? I'd seen firsthand how much difference a good sensei could make.
But then the thought struck me — so that's why he's been so benevolent.
The anime had always mentioned the Sarutobi clan's sheer size — thousands of shinobi, a legacy built on loyalty and leadership. Of course. I was being prepped as one of the village's investments — a clan nurtured under Sarutobi guidance, raised on the village's dime. Chunin instructors, supplied from their own ranks, teaching my people.
It was brilliant, really.
A quiet way to extend influence — establishing Sarutobi oversight while earning gratitude and loyalty in return. Hiruzen might serve Konoha first, but if something benefited both the village and his clan, he would make sure it happened.
The question was — do I take the offer?
I bowed slightly, schooling my face into calm.
"I would never ask for such favors from you, Lord Third. I'm sure the shinobi of the Sarutobi have far more important duties than reining in a few snot-nosed brats. Perhaps in a few years, when they're actually ready for proper shinobi training."
Not an outright rejection — more of a deferment wrapped in humility. I hoped he didn't see through it.
But the man sitting before me had built his life on reading people.
When his eyes met mine again, there was a faint, knowing glint — not unkind, but sharp. He didn't press the matter.
Hiruzen let out a low hum — more an exhale than a sound. He tapped the edge of his pipe against the ashtray, the faint clink echoing softly through the office. Smoke coiled lazily in the air between us, faintly golden in the evening light.
"I see," he said at last, voice neither approving nor disappointed. "Are you sure, Ren?"
It was a simple question. One would think it benign. But his eyes told me that he had understood what I had been thinking.
His eyes crinkled — the same expression people mistook for kindness. I had seen enough to know better. It wasn't just kindness. It was an assessment.
I felt my back get covered in sweat, and I had an urgent, sudden urge to rub my temple. The question seemed simple. But it had a deeper meaning. Do you want to actually make a new clan? Do you not want my protection anymore? But I could not say yes blindly for simple present gain, even if it was momentous. The purpose of my clan was to survive what was coming. If I went under Hiruzen, I would not be able to make many moves due to how muddy the politics of the village were. I wouldn't escape them, I know. But at least I'll have the freedom to choose my own path.
I inhaled and exhaled. Gathering my courage with my breath, I spoke with determination. "Yes." If he opposed and caused my clan to fail. I chose to risk it. It would be better for me to increase my own personal strength instead of raising pawns for someone else.
For a few puffs, there was silence.
"It seems there's more to you than I initially judged Ren."
"You remind me of someone I knew long ago," he added quietly. "He, too, had your optimism, kindness, and courage. It served him well... until it didn't. I hope it does to you."
I stayed still, unsure if that was a warning or a compliment. Maybe both.
He stood then, moving toward the window. From here, you could see nearly all of Konoha — rooftops, streets, the far-off mountains that caught the dying light. "You've done well, Ren. You've built something stable out of nothing — that's more than most shinobi can claim after a lifetime."
"Thank you, Lord Third," I said, bowing slightly.
He waved his hand dismissively. "No need for formalities. Just remember this — when you build a clan, you also build expectations. Loyalty, power, legacy… they don't come free. They come with chains, whether you see them now or later."
I felt the weight of his words settle in the room like dust.
He turned back toward me, pipe in hand, and his expression softened just slightly. "You have a good head on your shoulders. Keep it. Don't let ambition cloud what made you start this in the first place."
I nodded silently. "I understand."
Hiruzen smiled, but it was the kind of smile that told me he didn't believe anyone ever truly understood. He looked out the window again. "You're dismissed, Kurosawa Ren. Enjoy what's left of your youth while you can — it's a rare currency in our world."
As I turned to leave, I caught the faintest whisper from behind me — maybe spoken to himself.
"The fire spreads… but so do the shadows it casts."
I didn't reply. Just bowed once and walked out, the faint scent of tobacco following me into the corridor.
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Hiruzen 's POV
I watched the kid leave the building from the window. At first, I hadn't thought much of him. He was just there to increase Konoha's power and Sarutobi's Influence. I hadn't actually thought that he would figure it out. He had really surprised me. Usually, if I withdrew my support now, the clan should collapse. But I knew it wouldn't.
In the larger scheme of things, people often forget how much change a few great individuals can cause. And this little kid, He had what made them so. Clans were formed around great individuals. Whether they were lineage clans or not. Even lineage clans needed a great man to lead and strategize. So that they don't get wiped out by targeting or something.
The boy was a fuinjutsu prodigy. He had almost explained the whole barrier tag to him. With new insights, no less. Barrier tags at 11. He was a good enough fighter and was intelligent. But what made him truly dangerous was the soft tinge of kindness in his heart. He was a natural leader.
His clan won't actually matter for at least another 20 years, that is, if it survives that long. As Hokage, I logically should quash it. Gods know all clans become pains in the ass sooner or later. But when he remembered how perfectly the Will of Fire was reflected by his life. He stopped his pen. Protective, kind, and full of mercy. Cold, decisive, and calculating towards enemies. And an innate tendency to protect his people from danger and from becoming pawns. Even if it meant upsetting the Hokage.
Let fate decide," he murmured.
(You can now see some exclusive content on Patreon Premium. Don't worry, it's not plot-relevant per se. But more like side stories and experience-enhancing content. For example, an introduction post from one of the characters in the Kurosawa clan. Images etc. To join the fun, the link's on the fiction's description.)