Kakashi mentioned that the two of them had actually forgotten about Yoruha.
It was easy to imagine just how unremarkable Yoruha usually was.
Even the Third Hokage, who paid close attention to the younger generation, wasn't familiar with him.
Kakashi shook his head. "No, not them."
The Third frowned. "Not from the Motonoya family, then?"
"Could it be… the third child?"
The Third couldn't even recall Yoruha's name — he could only refer to him as "the third child."
Kakashi nodded. "Yes, that's him — Yoruha."
"Yoruha? I really have no impression of this child at all," the Third said helplessly.
Kakashi wasn't surprised. He gave a bitter smile. "It makes sense that you don't remember him. Even his classmates at the Academy barely knew him."
The Third furrowed his brows.
"Come with me to the office," he said, then disappeared in an instant.
Kakashi followed.
Soon, the two appeared inside the Hokage's office.
The Third Hokage pulled out the records of the current graduating class.
There weren't many files — only about thirty students in total, and merely twelve of them had passed the exams to become genin.
Originally, only nine students were expected to pass, but Yoruha's appearance had allowed Team 11 to succeed.
In other words, without Yoruha, Yamada Jumoku and Motonoya Toko would never have graduated as ninjas.
The reason the Academy produced so few graduates each year was because many ninja didn't become shinobi through the school system at all.
For those from established clans, passing the village's assessment was enough — there was no need to spend six years at the Academy.
The Third quickly found Team 11's file.
When he saw Yoruha's record, he almost thought he was mistaken.
"This file looks completely ordinary. Are you sure this is the kid you're talking about?" the Third asked doubtfully.
Kakashi nodded. "Yes. During his six years at the Academy, he deliberately hid his true talent — so no one ever noticed."
"Why would he hide his own talent? How could such a young child have that kind of mindset?" the Third asked, frowning.
Kakashi explained, "He's quite mature for his age. As for his personality… how should I put it — somewhat lazy."
The image of Shikamaru immediately flashed through the Third's mind.
"Lazy, huh?"
Kakashi nodded. "He doesn't like being disturbed by others at school. He dislikes being the center of attention. I tested him once — he was telling the truth. Even Tōichi tried probing him too."
The Third, who still had some doubts, finally set them aside.
"Another problem child, then," he sighed, rubbing his temples. It seemed that every talented ninja came with their own quirks.
"To get someone as well-balanced as Minato is truly rare. So many years, and only one like him."
Indeed, to the Third Hokage, Namikaze Minato was the most stable and well-adjusted genius he had ever seen — the others all had their issues.
"Where is he now?" the Third asked.
Kakashi thought for a moment. "At home. After releasing that jutsu, he fainted."
"Oh? What exactly happened?" the Third asked.
Kakashi explained, "The technique he used must have been accidental — it completely drained all his chakra. He's still unconscious."
The Third looked concerned. "Why didn't you take him to the hospital?"
"I checked. He only fainted from chakra exhaustion. There are no physical injuries."
The Third frowned. "But how could a twelve-year-old have such an enormous chakra reserve?"
That was what truly puzzled him.
Kakashi thought carefully. "Yes, his chakra is indeed vast. But the jutsu he used tonight couldn't have been powered by his own chakra alone. Even though his chakra reserves are already at jonin level, they wouldn't be enough to sustain that kind of technique."
"I suspect there's a powerful force hidden within him — something even he isn't aware of."
"Moreover, his chakra feels… different. It's similar to how Jiraiya-sensei's chakra feels when he enters Sage Mode."
The Third froze. "Could it be… a naturally born Sage Body?"
He was shocked.
The Third had once seen the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and even studied under him — so he knew exactly what that meant.
Hashirama had been born with the Sage Body — a constitution even more terrifying than the Sharingan.
"If he truly possesses a natural Sage Body, then the Leaf may yet have a chance at revival," the Third murmured.
He knew that even within the Senju Clan, only Hashirama had ever possessed that innate body.
Kakashi, on the other hand, was unfamiliar with the term. "Lord Hokage, what exactly is a 'Sage Body'?"
The Third pondered for a moment, then explained.
"A natural Sage Body means one is born with the physique of a Sage. Such ninja have chakra far greater than normal people, and their vitality is also extraordinary. They can use senjutsu naturally — their bodies are filled with Sage Chakra from birth."
"The First Hokage was born with such a body. In his time, he was known as the 'God of Shinobi.' His jutsu were devastating — powerful enough to reshape the land itself."
"In those days, only the Uchiha clan could match him in battle. Every fight between those two would cause mountains to crumble and the earth itself to split apart."
Kakashi was stunned. "People like that actually existed?"
He found it hard to believe — he'd never met anyone like that before.
Then again, the jutsu Yoruha unleashed earlier that night had produced a similar effect.
"They truly existed," the Third said with a sigh. "Their power once suffocated every other strong man in the ninja world. If Konoha could give birth to another like the First Hokage, the village's peace would be secure for decades."
The Third looked at Kakashi. "You've been with him for a while now. How talented do you think he really is?"
The Third wasn't wary of Yoruha — after all, the boy was a commoner, not from a clan like the Uchiha with all their baggage.
Kakashi thought for a moment. "Honestly, I've only been teaching him for a few days. Before that, he barely learned any jutsu at the Academy — no different from any other graduate. Before I taught him Chidori, he only knew the basic Transformation, Substitution, and Clone Techniques, plus some ninja tool skills."
"Later, when Tōichi taught him water-walking and tree-climbing, he mastered both just by watching once."
"Tonight was the first time I officially taught him ninjutsu. If not for the accident, he would have learned it successfully."
"Oh, and he possesses all chakra natures."
The Third froze. "He has all elemental affinities!?"
Kakashi nodded.
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