Ito Akira didn't say anything further.He simply repeated to the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, exactly what he had said before—no more, no less.
At that point, none of the students in the classroom had any intention of returning to their lessons anyway. After all, they had just witnessed something far too extraordinary. Concentrating on class was completely out of the question.
Hokage Building · Hokage's Office
Inside the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind his desk, a pipe held between his lips. Thick smoke curled through the air, obscuring his face and giving the room a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.
Seated across from him was Shimura Danzō.
"Hiruzen," Danzō said slowly, narrowing his eye, "what do you think about what happened today?"
"What do I think?" Hiruzen replied calmly. "I saw it with my own eyes."
Danzō's eye sharpened.
"Hiruzen. You know exactly what I mean."
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow slightly.
"No," he said flatly. "I don't."
Danzō's grip tightened around the cane in his hand.
"Hiruzen… give that boy, Ito Akira, to me. I'll train him properly. I'll turn him into a powerful weapon for Konoha."
Hiruzen took another long draw from his pipe, exhaling slowly.
"Danzō," he said evenly, "your reach is getting too long."
"ROOT is hardly short on talent. Every year, outstanding shinobi join your organization. Surely you don't lack one more child."
"Hiruzen!" Danzō snapped. "Everything I do is for Konoha!"
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly as he inhaled again.
Everything… for Konoha?
Heh.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Danzō pressed.
"There's no need to discuss this further," Hiruzen said decisively. "Ito Akira will not be handed over to you."
"I've already contacted Jiraiya and asked him to return to the village to teach the boy."
Danzō's brow furrowed deeply.
So Hiruzen was determined to snatch him away.
"Hiruzen," Danzō said coldly, "don't you think you're being too greedy?"
"First Uchiha Sasuke. Then the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. And now another one—Ito Akira."
"Every promising child ends up in your hands."
Hiruzen's expression hardened instantly.
"Watch your words, Danzō."
"What do you mean by greedy? I am the Hokage of Konohagakure. Everything I do is for Konoha."
Danzō was momentarily speechless.
Isn't that my line…?
"Hiruzen!"
"That's enough," Hiruzen said firmly. "Ito Akira will not join ROOT. I advise you to give up on that idea."
"You'll regret this," Danzō said darkly.
"I am the Hokage," Hiruzen replied, voice unwavering.
Danzō clenched his teeth.
Fine.
You're noble.You're righteous.You're the great Hokage standing in the light.
And me?
I'm just a root buried deep in the darkness.
"Hmph."
Danzō stood abruptly and slammed the door as he left.
Bang!
The office fell silent.
Hiruzen remained seated, pipe still in hand, his thoughts drifting back to Akira's words earlier that day.
Truth be told, he didn't know much about the three great summoning realms himself. Compared to him, his former disciples understood them far better.
But one had defected.One had left the village in despair.And one wandered the world endlessly.
"…Sigh."
Hiruzen let out a long breath, set aside his thoughts, picked up a stack of documents, and returned to work.
He wasn't worried about Akira.
Nor did he doubt the boy's words.
The Ito family was firmly loyal to the Hokage faction.
Ito Taiga, the former clan head, had once served as part of the Hokage's personal guard before retiring peacefully.Ito Aoyama, the current clan head, was equally loyal.
No matter how one looked at it, Ito Akira was a child with solid roots and a promising future.
After School · Streets of Konoha
After class, Ito Akira walked home alone, replaying everything that had happened.
He hadn't expected such a huge reaction.
Not only had the Third Hokage been alarmed—but Shimura Danzō as well.
Fortunately, Hiruzen Sarutobi was a complicated figure.
In his youth, he had truly been worthy of the title Professor, a great shinobi.
But in his later years…
Externally weak.Internally manipulative.
He indulged Danzō's actions in the village.Hatake Sakumo died in disgrace.Hyūga Hizashi was sacrificed due to diplomatic weakness.His three disciples all went their separate ways.
And then there was Uzumaki Naruto.
The village never officially revealed Naruto's identity—yet every civilian somehow knew he was the Nine-Tails' host.
What was the difference?
But even so…
Hiruzen would never act directly against Akira.
If anything, he wanted to draw him closer—just like hinting that Jiraiya might take him as a disciple.
That much, at least, was safe.
The real danger was Danzō.
That old bastard would stop at nothing once he set his sights on someone.
Judging by today's events, Akira was almost certain Danzō had already marked him as a target.
Just then—
A disturbance rippled through his summoning space.
"Little brat."
Uchiha Madara's voice echoed coldly.
Akira kept walking toward home as usual, but within his body, he condensed a thread of chakra and projected his consciousness inward.
Madara stood within the summoning space, his expression dark.
Since obtaining Indra's chakra, Akira hadn't felt an explosive increase in raw power.
But his control over chakra had become far smoother.
Extraction was faster.Circulation was cleaner.
Even his body itself seemed to be undergoing subtle, inexplicable changes.
But Akira knew one thing for certain—
These changes were good.
His body was growing stronger.
And that strength… had only just begun to awaken.