Hokage's Office.
The Anbu who had escorted Kaede here didn't enter the office. With a flicker, his figure vanished from the doorway. Kaede was unfazed and stepped inside.
The moment he entered, he saw a Jonin organizing documents beside the desk, with Hiruzen Sarutobi seated behind it. Kakashi stood silently in front of the desk.
Noticing Kaede's arrival, Kakashi didn't even lift his head. He just kept staring down at his toes, clearly trying to act like it had nothing to do with him.
"..."
Kaede shot Kakashi a glance, then approached the desk and looked toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Even though Kaede now had the strength of a Tokubetsu Jonin, perhaps even surpassing most Jonin in speed, he could still feel the pressure in front of Hiruzen. After all, Sarutobi was currently at his peak as Hokage!
Whether it was chakra, taijutsu, ninjutsu, or overall experience, Hiruzen was at the pinnacle of Kage level, a true pillar of the current shinobi world.
Even against monsters like the Third Raikage, who could fight an army alone, Hiruzen possessed forbidden techniques like the Reaper Death Seal, making him a formidable match.
"No need to be nervous. I just called you here to ask you a few things."
Hiruzen addressed Kaede in a gentle tone. "Was it you who took out the Kirigakure scout near the village last night?"
"...Yes."
Since they'd already figured it out, there was no point in hiding it. Kaede chose to admit it straightforwardly. With his current strength, it was enough to warrant Hiruzen's attention.
And as long as he had Hiruzen's acknowledgement, he'd be relatively safe. After all, the only real threat to him within Konoha was Danzo, and with Hiruzen's backing, even Danzo wouldn't dare act openly.
Although Hiruzen had already mostly confirmed it, hearing Kaede's direct admission still brought a flicker of surprise to his expression.
After all, that was an elite scout from the Hidden Mist!
For Kaede, at his age, to already possess the ability to kill an elite scout, his talent might even surpass Kakashi!
A prodigy beyond Kakashi!
"Tell me the details of what happened."
Hiruzen calmed himself and asked.
Kaede briefly recounted the events. Aside from hiding his time-acceleration ability, he openly spoke about his training and the battle.
"You actually outpaced a Kirigakure scout in speed?!"
Hearing the story, Hiruzen spoke with some amazement.
A shinobi assigned as a scout either excelled in speed or sensory perception. Even those skilled in sensory techniques weren't slow. Yet Kaede had completely overwhelmed one with sheer speed and killed them in a flash, that was remarkable.
Especially considering that Kaede was only nine years old!
"Yes."
Kaede nodded. "I don't have much talent in ninjutsu or chakra, but my physical coordination seems different from most people, which makes me particularly suited for the swordsmanship my father taught me."
Hiruzen's gaze shifted between Kaede and Kakashi. At this point, Kaede resembled the young White Fang more than Kakashi did.
After a brief moment of awe, Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe and asked:
"Since your strength has surpassed Kakashi, why are you still in the Academy? There's nothing left there that can help you grow."
"…I believe it's not good to stand out too much."
Kaede answered calmly, glancing at Kakashi. "Seeking attention is childish. As shinobi constantly live in danger, concealing one's strength is the safer route."
Everything Kaede said reflected his true beliefs. He simply left out his wariness of Hiruzen and Danzo.
"I see..."
Hiruzen showed a trace of approval in his eyes. "Even though you're only a year older than Kakashi, you're far more composed."
To have shed the impulse to prove oneself at such a young age and possess a mature mindset, regardless of power, this level of emotional intelligence already made Kaede superior to Kakashi.
Hiruzen couldn't help but think of Sakumo Hatake and sighed inwardly.
Who would've thought that Sakumo's two sons would both be so talented and that the younger would outshine the older? Sakumo, wherever he was, would surely feel gratified.
"With your abilities, you could easily graduate right now."
Hiruzen looked back at Kaede after collecting his thoughts.
Kaede considered for a moment and replied, "There's only half a year left until normal graduation. Graduating now would require reassigning me to an existing team, which seems like a hassle."
"Hm, that's true."
Hiruzen nodded slightly. It would indeed be troublesome to insert Kaede into a team from the previous year since placements were already finalized, and this year's class still had six months before graduation.
Still, now that he knew Kaede's talent and strength, Hiruzen was inclined to let him graduate early and enter the field as an official shinobi.
After some hesitation—
Hiruzen made a decision.
"If you'd rather not graduate early, then we'll respect that. Graduate with your current class as scheduled."
Upon hearing that, Kaede bowed slightly.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
"Sakumo truly had two fine sons…"
Hiruzen sighed again, then gave Kaede a kind smile. "In that case, you may go."
Kaede nodded, turned, and left the Hokage's office.
Kakashi remained behind.
Once Kaede was gone, Hiruzen sipped his tea and looked at Kakashi.
"I didn't expect your older brother, just one year your senior, to already think like an adult. Kakashi, you should learn from him."
If Kakashi had the same composure as Kaede, Hiruzen wouldn't have to worry about his team placement and wouldn't have had to assign Minato to guide him.
"My brother is too composed sometimes."
Kakashi couldn't help but mutter, "...He gets mocked all the time, and he just acts like he doesn't hear it."
"That's the difference between you two."
Hiruzen shook his head, feeling even more admiration for Kaede. "Even though he hasn't graduated yet, he already possesses the qualities of an excellent shinobi. A true ninja is—"
As Hiruzen launched into a mini-lecture, Kakashi's mouth twitched, and his eyes showed a strong urge to comment.
No one ever praised Kaede for being "mature" before.
So really… it's just because of strength, right?
That must be the real reason.
…
In the end, Hiruzen ordered that all information about Kaede be strictly contained, sealing any records of his killing a Hidden Mist elite scout.
Kakashi's genius was already enough to land him on enemy hit lists. If Kaede's abilities were also exposed, it would only increase his danger. As top-tier, loyal Konoha talents, Hiruzen naturally prioritized protecting both brothers.
When Kaede officially graduated and became a real shinobi, that would be the time to reveal Konoha's next great prodigy to the world.