"Dad, the Hokage is calling you!"
Guy tugged hard on Might Duy's sleeve, trying to keep his voice down even as excitement bubbled over. "He actually knows you. Are you friends with the Third Hokage-sama…?"
Might Duy snapped out of his daze a little.
"Ah… yeah!" he blurted, nodding on instinct, even as his cheeks turned red.
Every father hated looking foolish in front of his kid.
But Duy, a true believer in youth, also felt ashamed the moment the lie left his mouth.
"Third Hokage-sama…" He stepped up to Hiruzen Sarutobi and greeted him, stiff and awkward.
"Duy, you're out for morning training too?" Hiruzen asked with an easy smile. "How many laps did you run with your son today?"
The moment it came up, Duy straightened, pride sneaking back into his spine.
"Three hundred laps around the village's inner ring! Seeing your youth and effort, Guy and I are planning to add another three hundred!"
Sakumo Hatake's gaze shifted.
Everyone in the village knew he had a certain knack, an eye for spotting potential.
"Hands this callused at that age…" His expression grew more serious. "And his frame developed that well…"
Six hundred laps, if it was true, was enough to make anyone look twice.
Hard training wasn't something you could just talk about.
To reach that level, stubborn willpower was only part of it.
The body itself had to be built different.
Off to the side, Kakashi quietly rolled his eyes.
He knew the Might father-son duo, mostly because their "youth" performance art was impossible to ignore.
Wants to get into the ninja Academy, but he can't even use ninjutsu… Kakashi swallowed his sharp comment and kept it in his head. Six hundred? What a load.
The Hokage was right there, after all.
"That really is an excellent child," Hiruzen said, laughing as he praised Guy. With how often he trained in the morning, he had a decent sense of what was believable.
Duy wasn't lying.
Guy's eyes lit up so fast it was almost painful to see.
Other than his father, this was the first time anyone had ever acknowledged him.
And it was the Hokage.
"How's he doing at the Academy?" Hiruzen asked, casual, like small talk.
"He hasn't enrolled yet, Third Hokage-sama." Duy's voice dipped for a second, then he forced it bright again. "But we'll work hard! We'll definitely get in…!"
Guy's chin had lifted, but now it lowered again.
If it was anyone else, he could've thrown up a thumbs-up and shouted, "Thanks for the support!"
But this was the Hokage.
"He didn't get in?" Hiruzen's eyes narrowed, sharpness sliding into his gaze. "Doesn't the ninja Academy have a makeup exam?"
His voice turned firm, the kind that didn't allow arguments. "Duy. Tell me everything."
The first Academy exam tested everything, ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu.
The makeup exam existed for kids with a special talent in one area, something similar in spirit to how Special Jonin worked.
If someone like Guy had been overlooked…
Then it meant the Academy's admissions staff might not be making a "small mistake." They might be slacking off.
As Hiruzen's presence shifted, the air seemed to freeze.
A moment ago, he'd felt like spring sunlight.
Now he was cold enough to bite.
Duy hesitated.
Then, rare for him, the man sniffed hard, eyes glassy.
"That day… when we saw you spar with Orochimaru-sama, and heard your words about protecting the village…"
"I got too excited!"
"Guy did too. We trained too hard, and on the day of the makeup exam, we couldn't recover in time…"
"This is youth's fault. This is not taking training seriously!"
"So Guy and I decided, if we didn't respect the village's exam, we should punish ourselves. We'll wait one more year to enroll, and double this year's training…"
A few crows flew overhead at the perfect moment, cawing loudly.
The tense atmosphere vanished like it had never existed.
Hiruzen almost lost his composure.
Shinobi really did think in ways that were strange and endlessly varied. He'd have to get used to that.
He'd thought the Academy was the problem.
"Duy, your intentions are good," Hiruzen said, voice softer. "But a shinobi's training isn't just about suffering through hard work. You need a proper system, and you need to show your talent at the right time."
"If Guy doesn't enter the Academy, no one will evaluate him properly. Later, the village will start targeted advanced training for Academy students. Even if he has the aptitude, he'll miss the window."
Duy's throat tightened. "Hokage-sama…"
Was the Hokage really speaking to a Genin like him like this?
"I can see you have a heart like gold, Duy." Hiruzen shook his head. "But sometimes, holding yourself back too much is its own mistake."
"As Hokage, there's something I worry about all the time."
"How do I make sure the kids, and everyone else, get resources that actually fit them?"
"Someone like Guy, a hardworking genius, not entering the Academy… it feels like my failure."
Duy jolted. "Please don't say that!"
Hiruzen let out a quiet sigh. "The village's shinobi really are good people."
"People like you and Guy, you feel guilty over taking one more exam."
"As Hokage, I'm afraid of leaving behind comrades with that kind of Will of Fire."
"So, Duy, remember this. If you ever make progress in your training, go to the village and coordinate. Even if you have weaknesses, the village will still try to find you a role that fits."
He meant it.
And he also remembered what he'd heard about Might Duy.
Aside from all the "youth," his flaws in teamwork and tactics made people unwilling to team up with him…
So he got stuck doing odd jobs like carrying bags and finding lost cats, to the point he'd been called a "cat-finding expert."
"Let Guy enroll," Hiruzen said, then patted at his pockets and asked without changing his expression, "Sakumo, you got money on you?"
The Hokage rarely carried any.
"I do, I do." Sakumo handed over his wallet.
Good thing he'd brought it.
"I'll pay you back later," Hiruzen said, then counted out one hundred thousand ryo. "Genin Duy. The village has an important mission for you."
Duy snapped to attention, ramrod straight. "Hokage-sama, please give the order!"
Hiruzen handed him the stack. "Handle the village's future nutrition work. Taijutsu and hard training are one part, but rest and nutrition have to keep up too."
"If you mess it up, I'll hold you responsible."
Sakumo smiled to himself.
That one hundred thousand ryo… he wasn't going to bother asking the Hokage for it back.
Warm, in a way that sat deep in the chest.
"T-Third Hokage-sama…" Duy's tears poured out. He wiped at them over and over, waving his hands in panic. "How can I take this? There are so many people in the village who need help. I'm just a Genin…"
"Duy, you're good," Hiruzen said, patting his shoulder. "You're not the only shinobi who needs support. The village has already been thinking about this."
"Orphans, talented people who are struggling, elderly who live alone, they'll all be included in a support system. The village will do its best to cover the basics for them."
He wasn't just saying pretty words.
He could say it because the Administrative Department, with Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado overseeing it, had been extremely enthusiastic about the Sage Land Pill, the Chakra health supplement Orochimaru and the others developed.
Even the Daimyo had reacted strongly, inviting Hiruzen to the Land of Fire more than once. He understood the current state of the shinobi world, but he still wanted the deal finalized as soon as possible.
It was like he was one step away from showing up personally and dumping silver straight into the Hokage's pockets.
Sakumo's eyes gleamed.
He wasn't part of any "support system," but he loved the warmth behind it.
This was the village. This was the Will of Fire.
"So this money is just the village paying you early," Hiruzen continued.
"You can't seriously expect the Hokage to see a problem and do nothing, right?"
Duy, sobbing, accepted it.
"Minato, if you decide to train that Lightning Style body technique, go file a report at the Administrative Department," Hiruzen said. "Train well. Later, I'll send you to the Academy to handle advanced lessons for the kids."
"If you find seedlings suited for that technique, you'll be responsible for them."
Minato answered cleanly, without hesitation. "Hokage-sama, leave it to me."
It wasn't just Sakumo.
Minato felt fired up too, stirred by how far the Hokage was thinking ahead for the village's future.
He genuinely wanted to contribute.
"Want to learn it?" Minato asked Guy with a bright grin. "I noticed your eyes. If you study hard at the Academy, I'll come find you."
Guy nodded hard enough his whole body moved with it.
And then—
Might Duy suddenly dropped to one knee, voice deep and heavy.
"Third Hokage-sama, please forgive Duy for his narrow-mindedness!"
"I thought 'hard training' was training of the heart, and speaking of it violated youth…"
"But I didn't realize the Hokage had already considered the village to this extent…"
"If I keep being stubborn, I'll never forgive myself. I beg you to guide me in the future, so my youth can bring the greatest contribution to the village!"
Kakashi frowned.
A Genin was saying… what exactly?
And in the next instant—
Might Duy roared, "Eight Gates, open!"
Chakra exploded out of him like a geyser, blasting the air so hard it made Kakashi's cheeks pull tight.
A flash of delight cut through Hiruzen's eyes.
There was another expert here?