Chapter 16: Hiruzen Sarutobi's Astonishment
Chapter 16: Hiruzen Sarutobi's Astonishment
In that moment, Kakashi's first thought was that someone must have impersonated him, sneaking into the village and carrying out some sort of deed.
This was undoubtedly a serious matter, but he remained calm, confident that he had been at home the entire time. Even if something had occurred, he had nothing to hide and could easily withstand an investigation.
"You've been at home the whole time?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi paused, the tea cup in his hand hovering in mid-air as he looked at Kakashi with a hint of surprise, feeling that Kakashi didn't seem to be feigning ignorance.
After a moment of astonishment, Hiruzen Sarutobi made a hand signal, and a ninja from the ANBU swiftly appeared in the office. Turning to the ninja, he said in a low voice, "Call the patrol squad and ask them to report on last night's patrol situation."
"Yes."
The ANBU ninja vanished.
Moments later, several masked ANBU members appeared in the office and began their report.
Kakashi occasionally interjected with questions, and after some cross-referencing, it was confirmed that he had not left his home the previous night.
Once it was established that the Mist ninja was not killed by Kakashi, Hiruzen Sarutobi furrowed his brow, deep in thought. He racked his brain but couldn't recall Sakumo Hatake ever teaching the Hatake clan's sword techniques to anyone else.
"Kakashi, did your father ever take on any disciples or pass on his sword techniques to anyone else?"
"Not that I know of," Kakashi shook his head.
Sakumo Hatake had been the captain of the Konoha ANBU and the frontline commander during the Second Great Shinobi World War. He rarely discussed such matters with Kakashi.
Kakashi asked curiously, "...Hokage-sama, what exactly happened?"
"..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered for a moment before briefly explaining the previous incident.
Upon hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's description, Kakashi was initially taken aback, but soon seemed to realize something. His eyes widened slightly, and his mouth hung partially open.
Noticing Kakashi's expression, Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, "What are you thinking about?"
"Umm... well..."
Kakashi hesitated, having already guessed that Feng Ye was likely responsible. He was unsure whether to reveal this information.
Hiruzen Sarutobi noticed Kakashi's obvious hesitation and furrowed brows, "Report to me in detail what you know."
Kakashi thought that since Feng Ye hadn't mentioned this to him yesterday, he probably didn't intend for him to keep it a secret. So, he said, "If that's the case, I may know who did it."
"Who?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, looking at Kakashi intently.
"My brother, Feng Ye," Kakashi replied softly, silently adding that it had nothing to do with him.
Hearing Kakashi's response, Hiruzen Sarutobi was taken aback, and he asked in a slightly incredulous tone, "Who did you say?"
Kakashi quietly repeated himself.
At this reply, not only Hiruzen Sarutobi but also the ANBU captain standing beside him and an upper ninja who had been about to report something, all wore looks of astonishment.
"...Feng Ye?" Hiruzen Sarutobi echoed, his eyes wide with surprise as he looked at Kakashi. "Are you sure? Kakashi, that was an elite Mist ninja scout, and the fight was over in a minute."
Since Kakashi had already implicated Feng Ye, he continued honestly, "Although I don't know the specifics of the fight, my brother is certainly capable of such a feat. His strength has always surpassed mine."
Cough! Cough!
Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but cough, and he sat down.
In this situation, Kakashi had no reason to lie, as it would serve no purpose. They could easily verify the truth by calling Feng Ye in for a simple test. Hiruzen Sarutobi just needed some time to process this unexpected information.
If all of this were true, it would mean that Feng Ye, an eight-year-old boy, had defeated an elite Jonin-level ninja from Kirigakure in just a minute, suggesting that his talent might even surpass that of Kakashi's!
Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his smoking pipe and took a deep draw, exhaling the smoke before speaking, "Go call Feng Ye over."
"Yes!"
An ANBU ninja responded and disappeared in a flash.
...
Ninja Academy.
Today was the last day before the final exams.
On the academy's training grounds, Feng Ye's class was assembled in formation. In the empty space before them, two students were engaged in an intense spar.
Ding ding dong dong!!
The kunai knives they wielded clashed continuously, creating a shower of sparks with each metallic strike.
"Yahhhh!"
Uchiha Obito let out a mighty battle cry as he brought his kunai down with force, causing his opponent to retreat a step. He immediately followed up by throwing his kunai, forcing his opponent back once more.
Obito then swiftly formed hand seals.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
This time, his ninjutsu was successfully executed, and a massive fireball blasted forward, causing his opponent's eyes to widen in fear as they realized they couldn't dodge in time.
Whoosh!
The Jonin teacher overseeing the spar reacted instantly, flashing forward and forming hand seals of their own.
"Water Style: Water Barrier!"
Whoosh!
A gush of water surged forward, colliding with the fireball and extinguishing it with a hissing sound.
After neutralizing the fireball jutsu, the Jonin teacher exhaled and straightened up, declaring, "Uchiha Obito wins!"
"Ooooooh!!!"
Obito couldn't help but let out a triumphant cry, elated that he hadn't embarrassed himself this time.
As he turned back, he saw Nohara Rin clapping along with the other students. He felt a sense of satisfaction and gave a slight nod to Feng Ye as he returned to the group.
Feng Ye, however, didn't respond to Obito's subtle provocation. He remained calm, clapping his hands and watching with deep, unreadable eyes, as if lost in thought.
"Feng Ye, are you feeling alright?"
Kurenai Yuhi, noticing Feng Ye's unusual demeanor earlier, leaned over and whispered to him after the clapping had ceased.
"I'm fine," Feng Ye shook his head. "I'm just thinking about something..."
As Feng Ye's gaze drifted into the distance, lost in thought, the Jonin teacher called out the next pair of students for the sparring match.
"Next up, Hatake Feng Ye versus Hyuga Hiashi!"
Hearing his name, Feng Ye, along with Hyuga Hiashi, became the focal point of the nearby students' attention.
Hiashi stepped forward from the crowd, a hint of excitement in his voice as he addressed Feng Ye, "This grouping is quite interesting. It's time for you to experience the power of the prestigious Hyuga clan, Feng Ye."
Hiashi held a slight grudge against Feng Ye due to the previous incident, but he wasn't the type to stoop to a child's level and cause trouble directly. Instead, he saw this sparring match as an opportunity to showcase his clan's strength.
(End of Chapter)
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