"Where the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire of the Will will also burn endlessly!"
Hearing these words again, Yōkō felt somewhat emotional, wondering if Sarutobi Hiruzen himself believed them.
In times of crisis, Sarutobi Hiruzen would undoubtedly die for Konoha.
But as for how much benefit he usually brought to Konoha, that was debatable.
The Ninja Academy students listened drowsily, swaying as they stood.
Many principles couldn't be absorbed without practical experience.
Only in war would these Genin understand what the Will of Fire was, comprehend its light, and also learn about its darkness.
Surrounded by school teachers and Anbu, the students didn't dare do anything.
In the front row, Namikaze Minato looked up, listening attentively to the Third Hokage's speech.
Namikaze Minato was very curious about everything the Third Hokage said, striving to accept it and pondering it seriously.
Beside him, Uzumaki Kushina wasn't listening properly; her thoughts had long flown elsewhere, her face full of anticipation for her own graduation.
Once she graduated, she would be a ninja and could do many things.
She would start helping the Senju clan, begin gathering intelligence, and investigate the truth behind the Uzumaki clan's destruction.
She always felt that the night the Uzumaki clan was destroyed was filled with strangeness in many aspects.
After the Third Hokage finished speaking, the students from various classes dispersed and, under their teachers' direction, returned to their respective classrooms to await team assignments.
Yōkō suddenly turned his head, looking towards the entrance of the side teaching building.
A toad jumped out from the flowerbed at the entrance.
A large amount of chakra appeared on the toad.
Poof!
A dense cloud of white smoke appeared.
Nearby students looked at the white smoke, thinking it was some special graduation firework.
From within the white smoke, the clacking sound of geta could be heard.
"The Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku! Commonly known as the Toad Sage!
The master and disciple bound by fate! The disciple from the prophecy!
I shall follow the Great Toad Sage's prophecy! Take away my fated disciple!"
The white smoke dissipated, revealing a gesticulating Jiraiya.
Yōkō had heard that Jiraiya had left the village, so why was he back?
Not only was Yōkō puzzled, the Third Hokage was also strange.
The Third Hokage looked at Yōkō, who nodded and vanished with Body Flicker.
He landed abruptly beside Jiraiya, whose previously boastful and excited expression instantly vanished.
Huh?
The Hokage's Anbu?
Not bad, pretty fast Body Flicker.
Yōkō said: "Lord Jiraiya, the Hokage requests your presence."
Jiraiya looked towards Namikaze Minato to the side and said: "Don't mind me. I received a prophecy from the Great Toad Sage to take the Child of Prophecy."
Yōkō followed Jiraiya's gaze to Namikaze Minato, thinking to himself that if Minato were given to the Third Hokage's faction, how could Konoha be changed in the future?
Yōkō moved his steps, positioning himself between Jiraiya and Namikaze Minato.
"Lord Jiraiya, the Hokage requests your presence."
Seeing the Anbu squad leader so resolute, Jiraiya had no choice but to go to the Third Hokage's side on the high platform.
As soon as Jiraiya landed, he immediately said:
"Teacher, quick, give me a team. While I was training hard at Mount Myōboku, the Great Toad Sage told me a prophecy.
A blond boy is about to become a ninja, the Child of Prophecy who will change the ninja world.
Among this year's graduates, blond, with limitless potential, it can only be Namikaze Minato.
Hiruzen-sensei, quickly assign Namikaze Minato's team to me."
Sarutobi Hiruzen, for once, did not favor his student. Instead, he said with frustration:
"After the Second Great Ninja War ended, the village established a rule that all Jonin must serve as Team Leaders for Genin.
All Jonin responded to this rule and came to the academy to select students.
And you?
Where have you been these past two years? What have you been doing?
You'd rather go to the Land of Rain to teach three children from an enemy nation, one of whom has unclear connections to Uchiha Madara, than return to the village.
The Namikaze Minato you mentioned, his talent is obvious to the naked eye.
Hatake Sakumo had his eye on him long ago and intervened early, having trained him for over a year.
Hatake Sakumo specifically requested Namikaze Minato as his student and has proven with practical actions that he will seriously teach Namikaze Minato.
The team assignments at the Ninja Academy were completed half a month ago; which Jonin leads which team was decided long ago.
The students led by Hatake Sakumo are precisely Namikaze Minato's team.
Now you suddenly return and expect changes just because you say so?
I cannot rashly change long-decided matters just because you are my student."
Yōkō also felt that while Namikaze Minato was indeed a genius, there were many geniuses in the Ninja Academy. Creating conflict with Hatake Sakumo over a freshly graduated Genin was unnecessary.
Hatake Sakumo was a Kage-level combatant for the village; he deserved that much face.
The Third Hokage couldn't possibly embarrass Hatake Sakumo in front of so many people.
In the classroom, team assignments had begun.
Tsunade pushed the door open. She didn't use much force, but unexpectedly, the door was so light that it slammed heavily against the wall.
The students were startled.
After entering, Tsunade looked towards Uzumaki Kushina.
In the original storyline, Tsunade had already left Konoha at this point, wandering the Land of Fire.
Now that Tsunade was still in the village, she rightfully took on the role of Uzumaki Kushina's guiding Jonin.
After taking three students away, Hatake Sakumo entered the classroom.
Namikaze Minato had no idea he had almost lost Sakumo-sensei just moments before.
Hatake Sakumo called out three civilian ninjas, including Namikaze Minato, and left the classroom.
Jiraiya watched from afar as Hatake Sakumo chatted with three students on the teaching building rooftop, feeling very dejected.
Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at Jiraiya, deliberately provoking him:
"Jiraiya, you must participate more deeply in village affairs.
If you had always been in the village, always held a position, or always carried out missions, then I would have had the opportunity to arrange for you to meet Namikaze Minato early.
You should reflect on whether you have invested too little in the village."
Jiraiya, nearly thirty years old, naturally wouldn't accept this level of manipulation.
He said, "Stay in the village all the time? The scenery at the Konoha Bathhouse is getting a bit stale, unlike you, who's been looking at this small village for decades."
"When did I look!" Sarutobi Hiruzen repeatedly denied, "I only followed your lead once and went to the back wall of the women's bathhouse!"
Jiraiya waved his hand and said:
"Contact me during wartime, Hiruzen-sensei. I'm leaving.
But during this time, help me collect information on Namikaze Minato's growth trajectory.
When Namikaze Minato becomes a Chūnin, can stand on his own, and is no longer Hatake Sakumo's student, I'll contact him then."
The Child of Prophecy was Jiraiya's obsession.
The Third Hokage said, "Jiraiya, in the second half of the year, a group of people with good potential will enroll.
My youngest son, Sarutobi Asuma, and Hatake Sakumo's son, Kakashi. You can try to observe them in advance and take them as students when they graduate."
"Hatake Sakumo's son sounds very strong just by his name. Your son, forget it."
Poof!
Jiraiya turned into white smoke and went to Mount Myōboku.
"Jiraiya! You..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to curse a few words, but the person was already gone.
Several Anbu members tacitly turned their heads away.
Late that night, Yōkō suddenly opened his eyes; he had received a notification through Contract Chakra.
Yuka was summoning him.
***
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(Chapter End)