Talent System In The Naruto Universe

"I'm getting old. Deciding on the next Hokage early will ensure greater stability for the Hidden Leaf Village," Hiruzen Sarutobi said slowly, taking a drag from his pipe as he locked eyes with Tsunade.

"Why are you asking me?" Tsunade replied, rolling her eyes. "Shouldn't you be asking Danzo? He'd be more than happy to answer you."

"You know as well as I do, Danzo can't become Hokage," Hiruzen said firmly, without hesitation.

"Then why do you let him do as he pleases?" Tsunade asked irritably.

"Where there is light, there must also be shadow. Some things require Danzo's hand," Hiruzen said calmly. "As long as I keep him firmly under control, there won't be any major issues."

"You're confident you can keep Danzo in check, but what about the next Hokage?" Tsunade said, her tone turning serious. "If they fail to control him, the consequences will be disastrous."

"That's why the choice of the next Hokage is so important," Hiruzen admitted. "At the very least, Sakumo Hatake isn't suitable. He wouldn't be able to handle Danzo."

"So you already knew about the rumors surrounding Sakumo Hatake," Tsunade said, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"…" Hiruzen fell into an awkward silence.

Claiming he had no idea wasn't an option—Root wasn't an independent organization; it operated under the ANBU, and he inevitably received related intelligence.

"Aside from Sakumo, only the three of you are qualified to become Hokage," Hiruzen said, coughing lightly to change the subject.

"I'm not interested!" Tsunade responded without hesitation.

"If you're not interested, then why do you care so much about Sakumo Hatake?" Hiruzen asked, shaking his head. "Tsunade, you clearly care a lot about the Hidden Leaf."

"Caring about the village doesn't mean I care about being Hokage," Tsunade retorted bluntly.

"…" Hiruzen was silent for a few seconds before speaking again. "I know it's because of—"

"Don't mention him!" Tsunade interrupted sharply.

"You're like this, and so is Orochimaru," Hiruzen sighed.

Nawaki's death had deeply affected both of his students.

"Orochimaru is more suited than I am," Tsunade said offhandedly, reminded of her past by his words.

"In terms of strength and cunning, that's true," Hiruzen admitted, pausing slightly. "Are you really not going to fight for it?"

Tsunade opened her mouth to respond but suddenly thought of Hanekawa, and a hint of hesitation flickered in her heart.

"You have quite an advantage," Hiruzen continued, noticing her moment of doubt. "Especially with the Land of Fire. You're more popular than anyone else there."

It was Senju Hashirama who ended the Warring States period and established the one-country-one-village system. As his granddaughter and a renowned medical ninja, Tsunade had strong ties with the Fire Daimyo and the noble families. She was also the only ninja widely referred to as a "princess."

"Who do you want to choose?" Tsunade asked, looking directly at him.

"I don't know," Hiruzen admitted honestly.

He leaned toward either Orochimaru or Tsunade but hadn't made a final decision.

As for Minato Namikaze, he was currently just an average jonin with little influence.

"Then take your time choosing," Tsunade said, throwing the question back at him.

"I just wanted to remind you: if you plan to compete, you should start preparing early," Hiruzen said, unable to hold back his complaint. "Gamble less, take on more missions. Have you even done a single mission recently?"

He stopped short of saying something else—

Even if she didn't want the position, she couldn't let Sakumo Hatake overshadow her too much. After all, he wasn't part of the Hokage lineage.

"I've been busy teaching Hanekawa, so I don't have the time," Tsunade said without batting an eye.

"..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi twitched the corner of his mouth and asked, "Speaking of Hanekawa, as his teacher, shouldn't you take him out for some field experience once in a while?"

"He's still young," Tsunade refused outright.

"He's a genius; age doesn't matter. His current strength is already on par with a chunin," Hiruzen said earnestly. "Waiting until war breaks out for field training would be too late."

"War?"

Tsunade's eyes narrowed as she asked, "What do you mean?"

"It's information from Minato," Hiruzen explained without hiding anything. "The Hidden Cloud Village has purchased significantly more ninja tools and supplies this year than in previous years. They might be preparing for war."

Before troops march, logistics come first. In war, the importance of supply lines cannot be overstated. While this didn't confirm that the Hidden Cloud intended to start a war, it was a precaution worth taking.

"I understand," Tsunade said gravely.

She remembered how Nawaki had died due to inexperience on the battlefield, falling into a paper bomb trap. She would never allow Hanekawa to follow the same path.

---

"Class dismissed."

Eichiro picked up his textbook and left the classroom.

Hanekawa packed his desk and prepared to head to the agreed meeting spot with Uchiha Tekkika for their one-on-one duel.

"Hanekawa."

Rin Nohara approached him, followed by Kakashi Hatake and Obito Uchiha.

"Can we come to watch?" Rin asked expectantly.

Although Uchiha Tetsuka was insignificant in Hanekawa's eyes, he was well-known in school as the top second-year student.

"I don't care; it's just on the way," Obito muttered, though it was clear he was eager to watch. However, his hope was for Tetsuka to win, not Hanekawa.

"Sure," Hanekawa said with a slight nod. "We'll go to the Third Training Ground."

With Kurenai Yuhi joining them, the group of five left the classroom together.

"They're here!"

From a distance, Uchiha Tetsuka saw Hanekawa approaching, his tone full of excitement.

"Tetsuka-nii, don't forget the strategy we just discussed," Shisui Uchiha reminded him. "Be cautious of his genjutsu."

"I got it," Tetsuka said, patting Shisui's shoulder. "Beating me won't be that easy."

"Alright," Shisui replied, saying no more.

He was familiar with Tetsuka's strength from their frequent sparring. While Tetsuka couldn't match Hanekawa, he shouldn't lose too badly either.

"Let's begin," Tetsuka said, stepping into the training area.

"Good luck, Hanekawa!" Kurenai clenched her fists and cheered loudly.

Rin, more reserved, simply waved encouragingly.

Obito, annoyed, wanted to cheer for Tetsuka but held back in the end.

Kakashi remained expressionless. He knew Tetsuka couldn't even beat him, let alone Hanekawa. The only question was how long he would last.

---

Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!

Tetsuka formed hand seals and spat a massive fireball from his mouth.

Hanekawa remained still, unsheathing his katana and slicing the fireball in two, causing it to split and disperse.

Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!

Anticipating this, Tetsuka immediately followed up with another technique.

Flames spewed from his mouth, scattering like a cluster of phoenix flowers, sealing off all of Hanekawa's escape routes.

"I've won!" Tetsuka exclaimed excitedly.

After discussing with Shisui, they had decided on a long-range strategy to keep Hanekawa at bay with Fire Style jutsu and secure victory.

But to the onlookers, it appeared as if Tetsuka was fighting... a tree.

"..."

Shisui opened his mouth but said nothing.

He had seen it clearly.

After slicing through the fireball, Hanekawa had cast Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique.

His hand seal speed was too fast, and the fireball momentarily obscured Tetsuka's vision, leaving him unaware he had fallen into a genjutsu.

Shisui's expression grew increasingly grave.

Not only had Tetsuka failed to force Hanekawa to use his full strength, but he had also made him appear even more formidable.

-

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