Year 36 of Konoha, June.
The climate in the forest was starting to get a bit stifling and irritable.
It had been three months since Hakushi left the village on a mission.
During this period, there were a total of eleven waves of enemies. Aside from the first month encountering a team of five Jonin, the subsequent Hidden Sand teams proved relatively weak in combat.
Sometimes, Sakumo, the Jonin, didn't even need to act; he simply needed to stay on the sidelines and Hakushi and his team could effectively eliminate enemies several times their number.
With the increasing number of battles, the combat experience of Hakushi and his team accumulated, and their coordination improved significantly.
To study new tactics, Hakushi utilized local materials in the wilderness to find ingredients for making smoke bombs.
Fortunately, when leaving, he had sealed some simple small instruments in a scroll, which he would take out and use during his breaks to make smoke bombs.
Sakumo had seen this so often that it no longer seemed unusual to him.
If Ruri and Ayane focused on honing their hard skills, then clearly Hakushi was the most knowledgeable and quick-witted one among the three.
Being able to remain calm and unperturbed in war and continually learn to better oneself was something Sakumo greatly admired.
Thus, Sakumo suggested special training for Hakushi.
He decided to teach Hakushi some practical sword techniques.
Though he couldn't assist Hakushi with medical ninjutsu and research fields, as a Jonin skilled in swordsmanship, Sakumo felt he could impart his blade skills to Hakushi, boosting his combat abilities.
This enhancement would significantly increase the overall combat power of Ruri, Ayane, and Hakushi as a trio.
Hakushi was slightly surprised at Sakumo's suggestion of special training, but he didn't refuse.
Whenever there was free time, he would practice swordsmanship with Sakumo.
His weapon was a standard ninja blade, slightly longer than the White Fang Short Knife, but it was several levels inferior in Chakra conductivity compared to the White Fang Short Knife.
After all, ordinary weapons couldn't conduct chakra transformations. Once they encountered any fine equipment that could conduct chakra, they were prone to breaking.
In the afternoon, when the sun was shining intensely.
"Hey, remember not to peek, alright?"
Ruri and Ayane, carrying clean clothes, specifically reminded to prevent anyone from peeking while they bathed.
Hakushi assured them, "Don't worry, you both go ahead, I'll make sure to keep an eye on Sakumo-sensei, even if it costs me my life."
"I'm talking about you, not Sakumo-sensei."
"..."
No matter how much of a lunatic he was, he would never peep at twelve-year-old girls bathing.
Ruri's wary look towards predators made Hakushi feel a bit hurt inside.
"It's okay if Hakushi-kun comes to peek, because I'll make sure Hakushi-kun physically can never be a proper man again."
Ayane smiled gently, seemingly hinting at something.
While that smile was as refreshing as a spring breeze, it sent chills down one's spine.
Watching Ruri and Ayane leave, Hakushi sighed, "Seriously, at times like this, you're still going to bathe, it's not like we're on a camping trip."
"No choice, these months have either been spent fighting or traveling. It's good for them to relax a bit. Besides, we're not far from a Konoha lookout point here, it's safer than other places."
Sakumo added from the side.
Hakushi nodded, agreeing with Sakumo's view.
The dense forest wafted with a gentle breeze, accompanied by a slightly irritating warmth.
In such conditions, Hakushi somewhat wished to take a sound nap under the shaded trees.
"Is the situation at the front line still unclear?"
Hakushi sat under the shade and took out his cup to drink.
"Ah, although Orochimaru and others are there, the opponent is that Third Kazekage himself; it won't be easy to take him down."
Sakumo sat down as well, speaking to Hakushi.
Though the Konoha Ninja on the frontline were generally more capable than the Hidden Sand Ninjas, the lack of a ninja at the decisive level of the current Five Kage was what kept the frontline in a stalemate.
"If the Hokage were to step into the scene, it might change the tide of battle just like that."
Sakumo shook his head regarding Hakushi's thoughts, "Konoha is different from the other four ninja villages. The Land of Fire is centrally located on the continent, surrounded by four great nations. There are too many things to consider. The Hokage personally going to the battlefield only happens in the most urgent of situations."
"Being Hokage isn't easy, huh…"
"Indeed, that's being Hokage."
"Sensei Sakumo, have you ever thought about becoming Hokage?"
Hakushi suddenly asked.
With nothing else to do, he wanted to engage in interesting conversation to pass the time.
Sakumo chuckled bitterly and said, "No way, spare me, I'm not Hokage material; politics is something I completely can't wrap my head around."
"That's not the right way to put it. The call for Sensei Sakumo to become Hokage is even louder than for the Sannin."
"That may be, but as long as the Hokage is in robust health, I've never considered such a thing."
Hakushi understood and nodded.
The Third Hokage indeed had an excellent reputation in Konoha Village. According to Ruri, even the Uchiha Race had a cordial relationship with the Third Hokage, with mutual exchanges being amicable.
It was imaginable that the Third Hokage had a generous and large spirit.
But… how many more years could such magnanimity and determination last?
The Third Hokage was now forty-six years old. Remaining in the Hokage's position for another ten years meant it would be the years to retire and let a younger generation take over.
The older one gets, the more considerations there are.
The ambitions of youth tend to outstrip one's abilities as time goes on.
The influence of the Uchiha Security Team even surpasses that of the Hokage's direct Anbu forces.
This is both a sign of trust and a warning and cautionary note to the Uchiha.
The Third Hokage doesn't mind this now because his strength is sufficient and his reputation immense. Even if something unexpected happened with the Uchiha, he has confidence that he could resolve it, even if it takes force.
But this confidence cannot last forever.
Thus, selecting a new Hokage within the next ten years to succeed the position of the Third Hokage is the true path for Konoha to strengthen the village.
By then, Sakumo would only be in his thirties, the prime years of a ninja's strength and capability.
His power by then might even surpass today's level.
With reputation, strength, loyalty, and integrity all in check, even if Sakumo himself isn't interested in becoming Hokage, others would find a way to compel him to take the position.
"In short, if Sensei Sakumo intends to go for the position of Hokage, you would certainly bring fresh ideas to the village."
"I keep telling you, I'm not interested in being Hokage. I think my current life is just fine. Because once you become Hokage, you can't frequently head out on missions and fight alongside your village comrades."
"That's such a pity..."
Hakushi sighed.
"I'll go find something to eat. The food in the backpack is running low. As for being their Flower Guardian, I'll leave that to you."
"Understood."
Watching Sakumo's receding figure, Hakushi looked for a while before retracting his gaze.