The graduating students gradually dispersed, and Shin's group also prepared to head out for a meal.
At that moment, a short, middle-aged man walked out of the general classroom, followed by several Ninja Academy instructors, including Inoue Kuroiwa.
This middle-aged man was the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
At this time, the Sandaime was only around fifty-five years old—not yet the elderly figure etched into Shin's memories.
Though his expression was gentle and kind, the dignity and authority of the former "Hero of Shinobi" were still clearly visible between his brows.
This was the first time Shin had been in such close proximity to the supreme authority of Konoha Village. During the previous opening ceremony, he had only seen the Hokage from afar.
Seeing the Hokage, it was naturally impossible to simply turn around and leave—that would be far too disrespectful.
"Hokage-sama!" The group immediately bowed respectfully.
"Good, good, ho ho ho ho."
The Sandaime nodded with a pleased smile, his gaze warm as it swept over them. His eyes lingered slightly longer on Shin and Uchiha Shisui.
He knew Shisui well—after all, the boy was the descendant of his old comrade Uchiha Kagami and had long been on his list of close observation.
As for Shin…
"You're Shin, correct?" the Hokage said gently. "I remember—you're Jiro and Megumi's child. A very good child."
"Eh? Hokage-sama knows me?" Shin looked surprised. "You even know my parents—that's amazing!"
"Haha, of course I know them. I even knew your grandfather and your eldest uncle. They were all heroes of Konoha." The Hokage smiled faintly. "Especially your mother—her medical ninjutsu is of an extremely high standard."
"Thank you for your recognition, Hokage-sama," Shin replied earnestly. "They are all role models for my own hard work."
"By the way," Hiruzen continued casually, "why didn't you graduate early like Shisui? I remember you were the top scorer in the entrance exam, and Teacher Inoue also recommended you to me."
"Hokage-sama," Shin answered seriously, "I feel my strength is still insufficient. My father often says that only with true strength can one better protect their companions and properly safeguard Konoha."
"So I want to cultivate for another year. After all, laying a firm foundation ensures a taller tree."
" 'Laying a firm foundation ensures a taller tree,' " the Third Hokage repeated with a light chuckle. "Plain words—but they carry a great deal of wisdom."
He let the topic pass naturally and asked instead, "Where are you all headed?"
"I plan to treat Hayate and Shisui to a meal to celebrate their successful graduation," Shin said. "Hokage-sama, why don't you join us?"
"Oh, a gathering?" The Hokage waved his hand with a smile. "This old man won't intrude. I'd only make you feel constrained. Go on and enjoy yourselves."
"Yes. Goodbye, Hokage-sama." The group bowed once more and departed together.
After they left, the Third Hokage turned slightly.
"Kuroiwa," he asked, "what are your thoughts on this student of yours?"
Inoue Kuroiwa lowered his head respectfully. "He is mentally mature, exceptionally strong, and possesses extremely solid theoretical knowledge of ninjutsu. He prefers to act according to his own plans."
"Additionally," he continued, "over the past six months, I've noticed something interesting.
Even when Shin spars with Shisui, his performance remains completely steady. It's as if, in his eyes, even someone as talented as Shisui is no different from any other classmate."
"Sometimes," Inoue admitted honestly, "I even feel that if I were to face him myself, I might be far from his match."
The Hokage looked genuinely surprised. "Oh? Such a high evaluation? Even you feel inferior? Then he truly is a rare talent—perhaps a genius like Kakashi or Minato."
"I apologize, Hokage-sama," Inoue said. "It's my failure that I couldn't persuade him to apply for graduation."
"No, no," Hiruzen replied calmly. "What fault could there be? Your teaching results are excellent. Graduating one year earlier or later makes little difference."
"Let him build deeper bonds with his classmates while still at school. That, in itself, is a good thing."
How should one describe the Third Hokage? In terms of approachability, he was undoubtedly top-tier. If one ignored all those shadowy conspiracy theories, he was, in truth, a very good Hokage.
As for Danzo, he did not dare reach into the Ninja Academy. This place was firmly under the Hokage's control.
The children here received the purest education in the will of fire and were the Hokage's most natural support base—untouchable by others.
Moreover, Shin came from a "clean and loyal" civilian background: a family of heroes, parents still alive, friends all around him.
Darkness had little room to take root in such a heart. He was not Danzo's type.
Thus, the classic "Hiruzen—Danzo" scenario would never play out for Shin.
Honestly, it was a bit of a pity. If you were never targeted by Danzo, it almost felt embarrassing to call yourself a true genius.
---
Inside Yakiniku Q, business was booming.
Normally, lunchtime here was not particularly busy—the prices were, after all, quite high.
But today was enrollment and graduation day, and many families and friends chose this place, either to celebrate a child's enrollment or to toast a successful graduation.
As they ate, Shin asked, "Hayate, Shisui—now that you've both graduated, what are your plans? Will you be assigned to teams with the new graduates?"
Hayate answered directly. "I'll probably be assigned normally. My father doesn't seem to have made any special arrangements."
Hayate's father, Gekkō Yukai, was a few years older than Shin's parents. He had once been a Tokubetsu Jōnin, and rumors now said he had already become a full Jōnin.
The war had inflicted severe losses on the Village. Even among the Jōnin, casualties were heavy, and vacancies naturally had to be filled.
High-ranking officials and major clans rarely cared about Chūnin or Genin, but officially registered Jōnin were another matter entirely.
They were automatically placed under the Jōnin Standby system, which held immense authority.
How many slots each faction controlled directly affected policy formulation and execution.
There were many ninja in the village with Jōnin-level strength, but the number of officially registered Jōnin had always remained fixed.
In the future, Uzumaki Naruto's Ninja registration number would be 012607 when he graduated at age twelve.
Did that mean Konoha had only trained a little over ten thousand Ninja in sixty-three years? Obviously not.
Large and mid-sized clans—especially the Uchiha, Hyūga, Sarutobi, and Ino–Shika–Chō—trained many Ninja independently who were never formally registered with the Village.
After Hayate finished speaking, everyone turned to Shisui.
Shisui looked slightly displeased. "As for me… I'll probably follow the clan elders for training first. After that, I may enter the Police Force."
In truth, he wanted to be like everyone else—form a regular team, follow a Jōnin instructor, and make more friends.
But that was unlikely.
Because of his frequent sparring and mutual growth with Shin and the others, Shisui's strength had already surpassed his original trajectory. For such a genius, the Uchiha Clan was unwilling to entrust his training to outsiders.
As for Uchiha Obito, he was already considered hopeless.
No one in the clan had expectations for him. Letting him interact freely with villagers was practically a way of putting "waste" to use.
Shin thought for a moment, then said, "That's fine too. It's wartime, and spies from various countries are everywhere. Internal security is extremely important—and that falls squarely within your clan's responsibility."
"But I want to go to the battlefield," Shisui said quietly. "Our companions are risking their lives to protect Konoha, yet most of our clan can only stay behind in the Village. I don't think that's right."
He was understating it.
Usually, when walking through the Village, villagers—especially those who had lost family members in battle—looked at the Uchiha crest on his back with poorly concealed hostility.
Shisui was not thick-skinned like Obito. He was sensitive, thoughtful, and painfully aware of these looks.
But some truths were not meant for a child his age.
Yūgao and the others fell silent, unsure of what to say.
Shin understood—but he would not speak recklessly.
In his previous life, reckless words earned a beating. In the Ninja World, reckless words could very well cost one's life.