Chapter 16: The Hokage Who Rejects Wealth; Sakumo and Minato
The Hokage Office.
Hiruzen sat with a collection of forbidden jutsu scrolls left by Tobirama Senju, reading them with the intensity of a scholar.
The more he read, the more he understood why the original Hiruzen had practically worshipped his teacher. Tobirama Senju was a freak of nature—a polymath of death.
Edo Tensei (Reanimation), Flying Raijin, Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, Soul-Binding Seals...
Each jutsu was a masterpiece of spatial and spiritual engineering. Tobirama wasn't just a powerful ninja; he was a scientist who had mastered all seven elemental natures and integrated them with high-level sealing arts.
"What a waste," Hiruzen muttered, channeling his chakra to test a theory from a scroll. "How could I have left these gathering dust for so long?"
He was starting to get a feel for the "Second Hokage's Logic." Arata, in his past life, had been a master of learning new systems. Even if he hadn't invented these jutsus, his ability to refine and apply them was second to none.
The raw materials for Edo Tensei are the bottleneck, Hiruzen mused. The ethics are whatever, but the conversion rate is pathetic.
According to Tobirama's data, the current version of the reanimation was inefficient. If you used an average Jonin as the sacrifice, the resulting Edo-body only had the chakra output of a Chunin. It was essentially a glorified, regenerating suicide bomber used as a fuse for the Multiplying Explosive Tags.
There's room for optimization here. Tobirama had theories on soul-anchoring that he never got to test...
"You really are a gold mine, Sensei," Hiruzen whispered, looking up at the portrait of the Second Hokage with a smirk. "I'm starting to miss you more every day."
While sorting through the archives, Hiruzen had checked the "Forbidden Library" logs. One name appeared more than any other: Orochimaru.
The Snake had been circling the Second's research into the soul for years. Hiruzen realized he and his student were currently on the exact same wavelength.
Once the 'Restoration Pill' project is off the ground, I'll give Orochimaru a promotion, Hiruzen decided. If he wants to be Hokage, he has to work for it.
But Hiruzen didn't want to be a "hands-off" boss like Danzo, who only barked orders. He needed to be technically proficient. He needed to speak the "language of science" so that his researchers respected him. Soon enough, he knew Orochimaru would come to him with questions—and this time, the Master would have the answers.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Enter," Hiruzen said, sliding the scrolls into his desk drawer.
Sakumo Hatake and Minato Namikaze walked into the room.
"Lord Hokage!"
"Lord Hiruzen!"
"Ah, you're here. Don't just stand there, take a seat," Hiruzen said warmly. He picked up two fresh apples from a basket on his desk and tossed them to the visitors. "Biwako insisted I bring these to the office. Help me take down these 'enemies' before she asks if I've eaten them."
Sakumo caught his apple with a smile. "Thank you, Lord Hiruzen. I actually skipped breakfast today."
Minato, on the other hand, was momentarily stunned. This was his first private, small-scale meeting with the legendary Third Hokage. Is the 'God of Shinobi' always this... approachable?
"Sakumo, how are you finding the Vice-Commander seat?" Hiruzen asked, taking a bite of his own apple.
"The issues you brought up previously were valid. We need to stay vigilant," Hiruzen continued, sharing a meaningful look with Sakumo.
He was referring to Sakumo's previous reports about the Root's unchecked expansion. Now that Root was being absorbed into the Anbu, Sakumo was the one holding the leash.
"You report directly to me now, Sakumo. I'm going to be giving you a much heavier workload in the coming months. Are you ready?"
Sakumo's gaze didn't waver. "It would be my honor, Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen nodded, satisfied. Sakumo, born of a samurai- shinobi heritage, was a loyal blade. He was the perfect counterweight to Danzo. If Danzo proved himself during the Cloud Village mission, Hiruzen might make him Anbu Commander—but only if he stripped him of the power to hire and fire his own men. The Hokage would control the personnel; the Commander would merely lead them.
"Now, for the village's security," Hiruzen said, sliding a document across the table. "I want to create a Multi-Layered Detection Net."
"We combine the Inuzuka (scent), the Aburame (insects), and the Hyūga (Byakugan), and back them up with the Uchiha's Sharingan. A diversified defense."
Sakumo scanned the proposal. "The strategy is flawless, Lord Hiruzen. But... can the treasury handle the payroll for a standing patrol of this size?"
Usually, village security was handled by the Police Force (Uchiha) or the Anbu on an ad-hoc basis. Creating a dedicated, multi-clan elite unit was astronomically expensive. Money was the wall that every previous Hokage had crashed into.
"Don't worry about the money, Sakumo," Hiruzen smiled. "I have decided to donate a significant portion of my personal clan wealth and salary back to the village treasury. It will cover the costs of a twenty-man elite patrol for the next few years."
"By then, my new economic projects will have matured, and the village budget will be able to sustain it on its own. We cannot wait for the 'right time' to protect our people. We do it now."
Sakumo's eyes widened. He had never heard of a Kage personally funding military infrastructure. He's literally paying for our safety out of his own pocket?
"Lord Hiruzen... won't this affect your family's lifestyle?"
"I'm the Hokage, Sakumo. What do I need money for?" Hiruzen waved a hand. "As long as Asuma and Shinnosuke have enough to buy their wives an engagement ring one day, I'm happy. My priority is the village."
Minato Namikaze, who had been listening silently, looked at Hiruzen with pure, unadulterated admiration. To a young, idealistic shinobi like Minato, this was the ultimate embodiment of the Will of Fire.
"Minato," Hiruzen said, turning to the young blonde. "Do you know how to address me?"
Minato blinked, then caught the twinkle in Hiruzen's eye. "Lord... Grand-Sensei!"
"Hah! Good lad," Hiruzen laughed. Minato was Jiraiya's student, making him Hiruzen's "grand-student."
"I heard about your work saving Kushina. Impressive. Jiraiya is a bit of a loose cannon, so if he ever fails to give you the guidance or resources you need, you come directly to your Grand-Sensei. Clear?"
Minato nodded vigorously. "Thank you, Grand-Sensei!"
Sakumo smirked. The kid looks like a lost puppy, but his mind is sharp as a kunai. He's a good choice.
"Minato, I have a mission for you," Hiruzen continued. "Jiraiya says you have a knack for spotting security flaws. Once Sakumo sets up the new patrol net, I want you to act as a 'Red Team.' Try to infiltrate the village undetected. If you find a hole in our defense, I'll give you a private reward—maybe a scroll from the Second's archive."
Minato's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "I won't let you down!"
The Hatake Estate. That Evening.
Kakashi Hatake, only five years old but already a brooding little genius, sat at the kitchen table with a scowl on his face.
"Father... I want to graduate. Now."
Ever since the "Bell Test" incident where he saw the raw power of the Sannin and the Hokage, Kakashi had felt a deep sense of urgency. The Academy felt like a waste of time. He wanted to be a real shinobi.
Sakumo looked at his son and chuckled. Stubborn brat. You have no idea how lucky you are to have a peaceful childhood.
"There are a lot of dangerous kids in that school, Kakashi," Sakumo said. "The Uchiha brat, for one. And there's a kid who isn't even enrolled yet—Might Guy—who trains harder than most Chunin. You shouldn't rush."
Kakashi huffed. "I don't care about them."
Sakumo's eyes twinkled with a bit of the mischief he'd seen in Hiruzen today. "Tell you what. You know Minato Namikaze? The blonde guy who's always around?"
"The one Jiraiya-sensei brags about? Yeah."
"If you can successfully land one sneak attack on him—just one—I'll sign your graduation papers. Deal?"
Kakashi crossed his arms, looking like a miniature version of a hard-boiled detective. "A single hit? That's it? Deal."