Chapter 8: Team Assignment Decided
Chapter 8: Team Assignment Decided
In the Hokage's office, a report detailing Kakashi Hatake's recent missions and activities lay on Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk.
This was the third time Kakashi had clashed with his new team, making it difficult for them to carry out missions together.
Danzo Shimura, one of the Hokage's advisors, stood before Hiruzen, leaning on his cane. He spoke in a low voice, "It seems you can't find a suitable place for that child, Hiruzen. In that case, why not leave him to me?"
Hiruzen, puffing on his pipe, glanced at Danzo and replied, "Do you intend to mold Sakumo's son into a heartless tool?"
Danzo, expressionless, said, "If I take charge of his training, he won't make the same mistakes as Sakumo. He will become an exceptional ninja, surpassing even his father."
Hiruzen humphed and stood up, walking to the window as he gazed into the distance. After a moment's pause, he spoke, "We'll take some decisive action. Their recent provocations have gone too far. Leave this matter to you."
"Very well," Danzo nodded and began to walk out of the office, adding, "...Don't waste that child's talent, Hiruzen."
Among Flagwood Sakumo's two sons, Fengye was one thing, but Kakashi's displayed talent had indeed caught Danzo's attention. Otherwise, he wouldn't have brought it up. However, if Hiruzen disagreed, Danzo didn't have the time to deal with such matters personally.
Hiruzen remained silent until after Danzo had left, then he turned and looked in the direction of Danzo's disappearance.
He shook his head, the image of Flagwood Sakumo appearing in his mind, and he sighed.
Sakumo's death had dealt a significant blow to Konoha.
The constant probing from the other ninja villages was partly due to Konoha losing 'White Fang', a formidable force on the battlefield.
Kakashi, too, had been affected by Sakumo's death. No matter which team he was assigned to, he clashed with his seniors. It had been over two years since his graduation, and he still hadn't found a suitable team. Danzo's suggestion wasn't without merit.
"Your son is an exceptional ninja, Sakumo, but he lacks maturity when it comes to interpersonal relationships..." Hiruzen mused.
Of Flagwood Sakumo's two children, Fengye and Kakashi, if Fengye could be considered 'excellent', then Kakashi was undoubtedly a genius, inheriting Sakumo's talent. Perhaps, in the future, he could become Konoha's second White Fang.
Finding a place for Kakashi was a pressing issue. Thus far, Hiruzen had arranged for Kakashi to join several teams, but each time, Kakashi would soon be back at his office, unable to get along with his teammates.
Handing Kakashi over to Danzo was out of the question.
While it was true that the Root organization was a suitable place for Kakashi, doing so would be a great disservice to the late Sakumo. During his lifetime, Sakumo had been at odds with Danzo, and he would never want to see his son molded into a tool by Root.
"...This is what we'll do," Hiruzen finally decided, his mind racing with thoughts as he spoke to the empty room, "Go and call Minato here."
It was challenging to find a Jonin who could keep Kakashi in check, and the few potential candidates Hiruzen had in mind didn't get along with the young ninja. That left only one last option—Minato Namikaze.
After Flagwood Sakumo's death, the most suitable person to become the Fourth Hokage from the village was one of the Sannin. However, neither Jiraiya nor Tsunade desired the position, but Jiraiya's disciple, Minato Namikaze, showed great promise.
The ANBU agent on the roof acknowledged the order and swiftly disappeared into the shadows.
Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to his seat, took another puff on his pipe, and shook his head. "I never thought that, in the end, I'd still have to trouble Minato."
Due to the tense situation in the ninja world, Minato was needed in many places, and Hiruzen had been considering him for a while but hadn't made a decision until now.
Hiruzen had no doubts about leaving things to Minato. After all, he was his chosen successor for the Fourth Hokage, and mentoring a gifted young ninja was a relatively minor task.
As he pondered, Hiruzen took out a document.
It contained detailed information about the graduating class of the Ninja Academy this year, listed in order of their relationship with Kakashi Hatake.
At the top of the list was Fengye's personal information, but Hiruzen only glanced at it before setting it aside.
It wouldn't be appropriate to put brothers on the same team, especially since Minato was the chosen successor for the Fourth Hokage. If Fengye possessed the same talent as Kakashi, then it would be worth overlooking such concerns to foster the growth of a young elite. However, they also had to consider the voices of the village.
"Might Guy... Uchiha Obito... Nohara Rin..."
Hiruzen deliberated for a moment before making his choices.
First was Uchiha Obito, a member of the Uchiha clan. By entrusting him to Minato, the Uchiha clan would not have a strong opposition to Minato's succession as Hokage.
Lastly, he selected a child from a civilian family. Since Might Guy was male, he was excluded, making Nohara Rin the perfect choice as she balanced things out in every aspect.
Pata.
Having made his decision, Hiruzen took a drag on his pipe and chuckled.
Here he was, the mighty Hokage, fretting over the placement of a single ninja and even going so far as to personally intervene in the team assignments of next year's Ninja Academy graduates.
However, Kakashi's talent was indeed worth the attention, and the same could be said for Minato. Leaving the decision to him was also a way to set his mind at ease.
Things should go smoothly without any problems.
After deciding Kakashi's team assignment, Hiruzen lost interest in the other students. He put away the document containing information about Fengye and the others, tossing it aside without another glance.
"I hope Danzo's actions will bring some stability to the situation with Kirigakure."
Hiruzen looked up at the ceiling and exhaled a puff of smoke.
What truly troubled him was the state of the ninja world. Friction between the great ninja villages was constant, and the situation seemed to be centered around Konoha.
The reason was simple: Fire Country was the most resource-rich nation, and Konoha had emerged victorious in the Second Great Ninja War, claiming significant gains. This naturally drew the attention and greed of the other villages.
However, he couldn't afford to make concessions when it came to their interests.
In the world of ninjas, giving in once would only lead to further demands. One had to stand firm and confront external threats with strength to maintain peace, a lesson Hiruzen had learned well.
So, if the situation truly deteriorated to the point where the Third Great Ninja War became inevitable, Konoha would have no choice but to fight with all its might and let the war speak for itself!
At this thought, a cold glint flashed in Hiruzen's eyes.
Having amassed abundant resources from the Second Great Ninja War, Konoha boasted a solid and vast core of veteran shinobi. Although they had lost a formidable force in the form of the White Fang of Konoha, his disciples, Orochimaru and Jiraiya, had already grown into formidable ninjas in their own right, and rising stars like Minato Namikaze showed great promise.
If war broke out, Konoha would not cower before the other villages!
(End of Chapter)
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