Ken stood before the Hokage's desk.
Up close, the impression only deepened.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat straight-backed, hands relaxed but deliberate, eyes sharp beneath the haze of pipe smoke. There was nothing frail about him. This was a man who had commanded armies and buried the cost of those commands.
A general, Ken thought.
Then Hiruzen spoke.
"So," he said mildly, setting the pipe aside, "you're Ken."
The weight in the room shifted.
The voice wasn't harsh. Authority was there, unquestionable, but something warmer rode beneath it. Familiar. Almost comforting.
…So the grandpa is already there, Ken mused silently.
Hiruzen's gaze lingered for a moment before he continued.
"You handled yourself well," he said. "Better than expected."
Ken bowed. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen waved the formality away.
"Tell me," he said casually, "what would you like as a reward?"
Ken froze.
Reward?
His thoughts immediately unraveled.
Killing a rogue isn't unprecedented.Dangerous, yes, but not unheard of.This should've ended at a rank adjustment.
Why am I—
"Hm."
Ken snapped back to the present.
Hiruzen was watching him with open amusement.
"You're thinking that handling a rogue shinobi shouldn't warrant this much attention," he said, tone light, almost teasing.
Ken stiffened.
Hiruzen chuckled softly.
"Rogues aren't ordinary shinobi," he continued, leaning back. "Anyone who can abandon their village and survive afterward is already dangerous. Some force their own villages to hunt them for years and still escape."
His eyes sharpened briefly.
"And they are stains," he said calmly. "To their villages. To others. Killing one can be seen as removing a problem… or as an insult."
The pressure eased as quickly as it had appeared.
"Even if that rogue was only a chūnin," Hiruzen went on, "he was still elite compared to bandits. Training, experience, and intent don't disappear just because someone runs."
Ken listened, silent.
Hiruzen inhaled from his pipe and exhaled slowly.
Injured or not, he thought, that man was still dangerous.
A genin surviving that alone…
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
I really am getting old, Hiruzen mused. Sentimental.
His gaze drifted briefly toward the village outside the window.
It may be time to start thinking about successors again.
He looked back at Ken.
"So," Hiruzen said gently, "now that we've cleared that up… what would you like as your reward?"
Ken's thoughts stilled.
"I want to know how to increase my chakra capacity," he said evenly.
Hiruzen didn't answer immediately.
He studied Ken through the thin curl of smoke, eyes sharp despite the warmth that lingered in them.
"Are you sure?" he asked mildly. "I could authorize access to A-rank techniques. Powerful ones."
The offer hung in the air.
Ken didn't answer right away.
Inside, his thoughts moved quickly.
A-rank techniques…
They were tempting. Anyone would be lying to say otherwise. But temptation wasn't the same as practicality.
Even if I had them, I wouldn't be able to use most of them properly.
The chakra cost alone would cripple him. Forcing it would only shorten his lifespan or leave him helpless after a single use.
And techniques can be acquired later.
Missions. Time. Merit.
This chance was different.
A quieter thought surfaced and vanished just as quickly.
If forbidden techniques were on the table… maybe.
A-rank? No.
Ken lifted his head.
"Yes, I'm sure," he said honestly. "I might not be able to use A-rank techniques even if I had them. And I can acquire those later."
For a heartbeat, the room was silent.
Then Hiruzen laughed.
Not loud. Not mocking. A short burst of genuine amusement that cut through the tension.
"You say you'll acquire them later," he said, eyes bright as he regarded Ken. "Good."
He nodded once.
"I like your confidence."
Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, pipe tapping lightly against the ashtray.
"Very well," he said calmly. "Then let us speak about chakra."