"I'll hold the rear!"
(Naturally, the one who stays behind to cover the retreat... should be me, the captain.)
(Naturally, the one to act as the decoy... should be me, the Hokage.)
"And from that moment on, Kakashi, you are the captain."
(Monkey, from tomorrow onward, you are the Hokage.)
"I entrust the intel to you."
(I entrust the village to you.)
Inside the Hokage's office, as the crystal ball broadcasted the black-haired boy's clear, unwavering voice speaking those incredibly familiar words, a violently vivid image erupted from the deepest recesses of the Third Hokage's soul.
For a split second, the calm, resolute profile of the boy standing in the rain astonishingly merged with the memory of his master's face looking back at him one final time.
A massive wave of profound disorientation washed over Hiruzen Sarutobi, as if the barrier of time itself had been shattered in that single moment.
It took a long time before he slowly, very slowly, inhaled a deep breath. He closed his eyes, forcing the raging storm of emotion within his heart to settle.
Sensible since childhood. Raised in the orphanage. Actively volunteered for chores and took care of the younger children.
Friendly to others. Cared for his comrades. Ran errands for the neighborhood elders, helped out the locals, and got along seamlessly with his classmates.
Knew gratitude and repaid kindness. Donated the meager wages from his part-time jobs back to the orphanage that raised him. Hosted a grand banquet to thank the master who taught him kenjutsu...
Pieces of information regarding the boy flashed through the Third Hokage's mind like fragments of a puzzle.
A moment later, Hiruzen opened his eyes. His gaze had returned to its usual profound, clear depth.
He looked down at his desk. Resting there was an application report that had been delivered earlier that afternoon—a formal document from an Academy student requesting permission to learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
He picked up his brush and smoothly wrote a single, emphatic word:
[APPROVED]
His brush paused. He felt that wasn't quite enough.
Below the approval, he added a line of directives:
"At the discretion of the instructor, and outside the standard ninjutsu repository clearance, grant access to select, practical B-rank and C-rank ninjutsu for the student to choose and study as encouragement. The specific list of jutsu is to be drafted jointly by the Academic Affairs Office and the student's homeroom teacher."
After writing that, he pondered for a few seconds and felt it was still lacking.
"Furthermore: Should the student encounter any difficulties during his training, his instructor may submit a request to arrange for suitable personnel to provide regular or specialized guidance. I will personally oversee this matter."
Laying down the final stroke, the Third Hokage gently set the report aside and turned his gaze back to the window, watching the rain begin to ease.
---
Sometime later, over the weekend.
At Konoha's Training Ground 4, bathed in the faint light of dawn.
Shinichi was executing a basic physical conditioning exercise: push-ups.
His form was flawless and incredibly stable. Every descent and ascent carried a clear, rhythmic exertion of power. Sweat dripped continuously from his chin and neck, leaving dark, spreading stains on the dirt beneath him.
He was no longer carrying a massive boulder on his back. Instead, he wore a form-fitting, dark-colored weighted vest, with additional metal blocks inscribed with tiny seals strapped tightly to his limbs and waist.
This was professional weighted gear he had carefully selected from a shinobi tool shop, similar in design to what Rock Lee would eventually wear.
Realizing how incredibly strict the generation conditions for a Blue-tier trait were—requiring an event to shock the entire village and highly likely needing the acknowledgment of core, highly influential figures—he had adjusted his strategy.
Exaggerated, attention-grabbing stunts were no longer his primary focus. At this stage, efficiency was paramount.
This gear, which distributed the load far more evenly and scientifically, was vastly superior for his current physical conditioning.
Scattered around him were seven or eight identical figures—Shadow Clones.
Some were practicing chakra control by walking on water, some were wielding katanas to practice kenjutsu, and another was holding a scroll, entirely engrossed in studying it.
For the current Shinichi—armed with the comprehensive, astronomical learning efficiency of [Genius], the lightning-fast cognitive speed of [Quick-Witted], and the minor boost to his shinobi aptitude from the [Academy Student] class—the scroll was child's play. He had mastered its contents after a single read-through.
Chakra was born from the fusion of physical and spiritual energy. Shinichi's physical and spiritual energy—especially his physical body, which had been monstrously enhanced by his stacked traits—were incredibly robust. If he went all out, he could create just over a dozen Shadow Clones, surpassing half of the theoretical limit for the jutsu.
But doing so would place an immense burden on him. To maintain a longer, highly efficient auxiliary training session, he currently limited himself to seven or eight clones.
Everything was progressing exactly according to plan; in fact, some aspects had far exceeded his expectations.
Shortly after submitting it, he had received official notification from the Academy that his application to learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu had been approved.
And when he received the authorized ninjutsu scroll, he was stunned to find it contained far more than just the Shadow Clone Jutsu. The scroll included several highly practical Konoha-style Taijutsu and Kenjutsu forms, along with one B-rank and several C-rank Fire Release ninjutsu.
This made Shinichi realize that his actions in the cemetery that day must have been observed by the Third Hokage. Specifically, his final monologue—which perfectly mirrored the core essence of the Second Hokage's final words—must have struck a deep chord with the aging leader.
As a result, his application hadn't just been approved; he had been given a massive, extra reward.
Over the years, through his various calculated actions, Shinichi had done more than just farm traits; he had meticulously sculpted a flawless image: mature, sensible, kind-hearted, incredibly hardworking, and deeply grateful to those who helped him.
An orphan genius with a perfectly clean background, undeniable talent, and a seemingly pure, uplifting moral compass was undeniably the exact type of individual Konoha's higher-ups loved to see.
Even someone as ruthless as Danzo Shimura might internally scoff at such naivety, but he would never reject having subordinates or allies who were reliable, controllable, and possessed such pure convictions.
After all, even the worst villains prefer the people surrounding them to be good.
It was now clear that his long-term image-crafting had been an overwhelming success. It had solidified the Third Hokage's resolve to mark him as a prime candidate for elite cultivation.
Just like they had discovered and nurtured Minato Namikaze, the Konoha higher-ups were more than happy to support and elevate a genius who valued bonds and possessed a flawless background, fully integrating him into their inner circle.
"I'll focus on upgrading the [Tenacious] trait next."
While continuing his push-ups, he focused his mind on the [Tenacious] trait displayed on his panel.
> [Tenacious (White): Your physical tolerance and recovery speed exceed those of ordinary people. You recover faster from blunt force trauma and possess a higher pain threshold.]
Instead of running with a boulder, he would have his Shadow Clones publicly subject his original body to high-intensity impact training every morning at school. He wanted every student arriving for class to see him gritting his teeth, taking brutal hits, and standing back up time and time again.
Simultaneously, the [Glutton] trait—which allowed him to rapidly recover stamina through food—was incredibly valuable and worth upgrading. He could incorporate massive, deliberate binge-eating sessions during lunch breaks or between training sessions.
He also resolved to keep an eye out for any eating contests occasionally held in the village. If an opportunity arose, he would absolutely participate, firmly cementing the label of possessing a "monstrous, bottomless appetite."
His plan clear, Shinichi finished his final set of push-ups. He slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping across the training ground where his Shadow Clones were still diligently working.