"You..." Hiruzen Sarutobi practically blurted out, "Why?"
He had anticipated every possible reason Naruto would refuse, but he never expected Naruto to agree!
However, before everyone could recover from this first shock, an even more unexpected scene occurred.
Poof!
The "Naruto Uzumaki" standing in the center of the room suddenly exploded into a puff of white smoke, vanishing without a trace, all under the collective gaze of the group.
"What?"
"A Shadow Clone?"
Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, and the others were filled with bewilderment.
"Third Grandfather, just as you said."
A calm voice came from the door of the Principal's office, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
Standing at the doorway was the real Naruto Uzumaki, who had appeared there without anyone noticing, accompanied by a slightly bewildered Sasuke Uchiha.
"I have completely mastered the basic knowledge and Ninjutsu that the school can teach me."
Looking at the astonished Sarutobi, Naruto spoke with a maturity beyond his years: "Continuing to stay at the school is only repeating things I have already learned."
"If I want to get stronger faster, I can only do what I did today—use a Shadow Clone to substitute for class and find extra methods of training myself."
"But doing that would be disrespectful to Iruka-sensei, who teaches earnestly, and to the other students who follow the rules. I don't want to do that."
Hearing this, everyone present was moved.
They hadn't realized Naruto was already capable of such things.
No, not just Naruto; even Sasuke Uchiha had mastered the Shadow Clone Technique and was as exceptional as Itachi Uchiha once was.
Itachi Uchiha, at the age of 7 when he was in first grade, had already used the Shadow Clone Technique to skip class, which led to his exceptional graduation from the Ninja Academy and promotion to Genin in his first year.
As for Kakashi Hatake, who graduated from the Ninja Academy at the age of 5, he was an exception.
Now Sasuke was already 10, and Naruto was nearing 10. Even if they were slightly less talented than Itachi Uchiha, they were clearly both geniuses.
One had activated the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and the other had mastered the Adamantine Chains.
Their strength was already greater than most Genin; they only lacked experience.
"But you still don't need to..." Sarutobi instinctively wanted to dissuade Naruto, but mindful of Kazuma nearby, he swallowed the rest of his words.
"I want to do something for you, for Konoha, and for everyone."
Naruto shook his head, looking at Sarutobi, and said: "You said this is a valuable opportunity to deepen the relationship between Konoha and the Land of Fire."
"If I can study diligently at the Daimyō's residence and showcase the excellent qualities and abilities of a Konoha ninja, I can become a solid bridge connecting the Land of Fire and Konoha."
"This way, I can secure the Daimyō-sama's understanding and support for Konoha, and help you, who works tirelessly day and night for the village."
"This is the only thing I can do right now."
Clearly, he was lying again.
He attributed his motivation to a desire for growth, and his desire for growth was rooted in wanting to share the burden of the village and his Third Grandfather.
These words were reasonable, filled with the pure sense of responsibility of a young man, moving everyone present.
"..."
Sarutobi opened his mouth. Looking at Naruto's clear yet resolute eyes, all words of persuasion were suddenly stuck in his throat. His heart was filled with mixed emotions.
He was surprised by Naruto's current strength, gratified by the child's maturity beyond his years, and joyful about Naruto's filial piety in thinking of him.
But more than anything, there was deep worry and helplessness.
How could this happen...
Is this child too sensible?
Why must you use your sensibility and thoughtfulness at a time like this...
"What a truly good child," Kazuma interjected with timely sentiment. "Hokage-sama, seeing this, I truly believe it now."
"The bond between you and Naruto is truly like that of a grandson and grandfather, a genuine sentiment that is deeply moving."
These seemingly sincere compliments, falling on the complex-minded Sarutobi's ears, sounded like subtle mockery, causing his cheek to twitch involuntarily.
"Since Naruto has expressed his own will..."
Kazuma gave Sarutobi no more time to hesitate. He first looked at Sarutobi, then gave a meaningful look at the frowning Hyūga Kawa.
"Hokage-sama, Clan Head Kawa, do either of you have any other concerns to raise regarding Naruto's voluntary decision to go to the Daimyō's residence for exchange study?"
"..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent, his gaze instinctively flicking toward Hyūga Kawa next to him.
Hyūga Kawa's brows were tightly furrowed, his lips pressed into a straight line. He, too, seemed unable to find any justifiable reason to forcibly object and could only remain silent.
Seeing Hyūga Kawa's performance, the reluctance in Sarutobi's heart strangely subsided a bit.
"Forget it," he sighed inwardly. "Since things have come to this, forcibly blocking him will only seem suspicious."
Naruto would become a Genin sooner or later and eventually leave the village for missions. He couldn't keep him in the village forever; there was no need to abandon a task for fear of a possible obstacle.
At least, for now, he was going to the relatively safe and heavily guarded Daimyō's residence.
Moreover, temporarily sending him away from Konoha might allow him to avoid the covert coveting and threat of Danzō and the Akatsuki. From a security standpoint, this might not be a bad thing.
Thinking this, Sarutobi took a deep breath, and the complex expression on his face gradually settled into calm.
"Since this is Naruto's own will..."
He looked at Kazuma and slowly said: "Then, Konoha has no objection. We can proceed to discuss the specific security arrangements and the selection of accompanying personnel."
Night had fallen. A desk lamp was lit in the study of Hyūga Kawa's mansion.
The soft lamplight dispelled the darkness in one corner of the room, bathing the desk in a warm glow.
Several tall bookshelves stood against the wall, neatly holding scrolls and traditional thread-bound books. The air was filled with the faint scent of ink and the characteristic odor of aged paper.
Hyūga Kawa sat at the desk, an ancient book spread open before him, reading intently. A cup of clear tea, still half full, sat nearby, its residual warmth not yet gone.
Just then, an almost imperceptible night breeze gently rustled the sheer curtain by the window.
Hyūga Kawa's finger, turning a page, paused slightly. He lifted his gaze from the book, his expression calm, and looked toward the open window.
There, on the boundary between moonlight and lamplight, a figure that seemed to have merged with the shadows had silently appeared.
"It seems this old man must congratulate you on finally getting your wish."
The figure slowly stepped out of the shadows, making no sound with his footsteps. He walked straight to the guest seat in front of the desk and sat down, his movements so natural it was as if he were the master of the house.
The visitor was none other than Danzō Shimura.
"You haven't forgotten our agreement, have you?"
His voice was deep and hoarse: "Fifth Hokage-sama."
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