Next Day
Toyoma woke up and found Uncle Uzuku standing at his door. Just as he was about to greet him, Uzuku took out a scroll from his sleeve.
"The elder asked me to give you this, little Toyoma," Uzuku said with a light, amused smile. "I heard about your speech yesterday from other clan members. I really didn't expect our little Toyoma to grow up so fast."
He paused for a moment, his smile turning softer.
"Your parents would be proud—very proud—of their genius son."
Toyoma looked at Uzuku with slight embarrassment and lowered his gaze.
The Uzuku family had been the first people to take care of him. Even when his parents were alive, they had been neighbors. After their deaths, Uzuku and Aunt Miyomi had practically become his family.
Uzuku was a jōnin of the clan, while Aunt Miyomi was a civilian. They had twins—Inochi and Sukima—both six years old, who always called Toyoma big brother whenever they saw him.
"Come with me," Uzuku said, already turning around. "Your aunt made breakfast for you today. She told me to drag you there at all costs. Otherwise, I'll be kicked out of the house."
Uzuku knew that after turning ten, Toyoma had deliberately reduced his visits. He didn't want to burden the family or be seen as freeloading. But despite that, they still insisted on calling him over—especially for breakfast.
When Toyoma entered the house, he saw Aunt Miyomi sitting at the table with Inochi and Sukima. Her face immediately lit up when she saw him.
"Oh, Toyoma! Come quickly, the food is still hot. I made your favorite dishes today."
"Big brother, here!" Inochi and Sukima said together.
Toyoma moved to sit beside Inochi, but Sukima's face immediately crumpled, her eyes welling up as if she were about to cry. Without saying a word, Toyoma quietly changed seats and sat next to her instead.
"That's not fair," Inochi muttered with a grumpy look, puffing his cheeks.
Uzuku sat down as well, and they began eating together.
After a moment, Miyomi spoke, her voice cautious and hesitant.
"Will you also be going to war?" she asked. "I heard in the village that it has become a full-scale conflict now."
Uzuku looked at his wife reassuringly before answering, his tone calm.
"Don't worry. Thanks to someone, our faction won't be joining this war. Only the other factions will, if they choose to."
As he spoke, his eyes briefly shifted toward Toyoma.
"The elder has given me an interesting—and good—mission."
Miyomi visibly relaxed. Hearing that Uzuku wouldn't be going to war already eased her heart, but the mention of a mission made her curious.
"What kind of mission?"
"Nothing special," Uzuku said casually, a faint grin forming on his face. "Just protecting our little genius Toyoma. From today onward, I'll be with him all the time—secretly protecting him. Don't tell him."
Toyoma looked up at him flatly.
"Uncle," he said, "you know I can hear you, right?"
Uzuku grinned even wider and exaggeratedly put on a mask with his hands.
"Then I'll protect you in secret so well that you won't even notice me."
"Hahaha!"
Inochi and Sukima burst out laughing. Miyomi smiled as well, finally feeling at ease.
After breakfast, Toyoma returned to his house. He tried using his power once more—but it didn't respond.
As expected.
His ability could only activate once a year, and there was still time before it awakened again.
He placed the scroll containing gold into his space ring—the one he had obtained during his third summoning—and stepped outside, where Uzuku was already waiting.
"Uncle," Toyoma said calmly, "let's go meet Grandpa Setsuna."
Together, they headed toward Setsuna's residence.
At the Hokage Building
"Hiruzen, why would you allow the Uchiha to go to war?" Koharu Utatane asked, her tone calm but carrying quiet pressure. "Have you forgotten Sensei's warning?"
The elders had long agreed to assign the Uchiha to fewer and fewer battlefield missions. Their power was too volatile—once unleashed, it was difficult to control the aftermath.
Homura Mitokado, however, was thinking differently.
He knew this decision could not have been easy for Hiruzen. If the Hokage had truly allowed the Uchiha to enter the battlefield again, then it meant the situation had reached a point where there were no good options left.
"Is the war really becoming that dire?" Homura asked, concern evident in his voice. "To the point that you have no choice but to deploy the Uchiha as well?"
Hiruzen sighed softly. He lifted his pipe, took a slow puff, and let the smoke curl into the air before looking at his two old comrades.
"The Sand Village initiated this conflict under the pretext of their Third Kazekage's disappearance," he said slowly. "But after Sakumo's death last year, the Hidden Cloud intensified their attacks. Those maniacs never need a proper excuse to start a war."
His voice grew heavier.
"And now… we've received reports from the Hidden Mist as well."
He paused, letting the words sink in.
"We are fighting on three fronts."
The room fell silent.
"Sakumo's death gave them the impression that our kage-level strength has diminished," Hiruzen continued, regret seeping into his tone. "When Danzō allowed the rumors to spread, I said nothing. I believed Sakumo's merits were undeniable—that he stood just one step away from being acknowledged as Hokage."
He lowered his gaze.
"I never thought he would be unable to bear the weight of it all… and choose death."
The loss of Sakumo was something Hiruzen still could not fully accept. No Hokage would ever wish for the death of a kage-level shinobi—especially one whose existence alone deterred enemy villages.
But what was done… could not be undone.
"That bad…" Homura muttered, his expression darkening. "I didn't expect the situation to deteriorate to the point of a three-front war."
His eyes hardened.
"Danzō has truly crossed the line this time."
"My silence," Hiruzen said quietly, "became a weapon I never intended to wield."
A knock sounded at the door.
"Hokage-sama, Jōnin Minato Namikaze has arrived."
"Let him in," Hiruzen said.
Minato entered the room, bowed respectfully, and spoke with a bright tone."Hokage-sama, you called for me?"
He looked cheerful—almost carefree—very different from the heavy atmosphere in the room.
"Ah, Minato," Hiruzen said with a gentle smile. "How have you been? And how is Kushina?"
Minato's face flushed slightly."We're doing well, Hokage-sama. Thank you for asking."
By now, most of Konoha was aware of their relationship.
Hiruzen nodded, then shifted the topic.
"Minato, I have a mission for you—one that I believe only you are suited for."
"Please tell me," Minato replied immediately. "I'll do whatever is needed."
"Next month, I want you to lead a team of newly graduated genin," Hiruzen said. "One member of that team is a boy who has already graduated from the Academy—someone you should be familiar with. I want you to be his guiding jōnin."
The moment the words left his mouth, both Homura and Koharu understood who Hiruzen was referring to.
Minato stiffened slightly.
"Hokage-sama… are you saying you want me to be Kakashi's guiding jōnin?" he asked hesitantly. "I don't know if I'm the right person for that. Why not ask Jiraiya-sensei? He would be a better teacher."
Minato knew the rumors well.
Kakashi Hatake had become a ninja who lived only for missions—cold, efficient, detached from comrades. Minato also knew why he had become that way.
And that was precisely what troubled him.
In his heart, Minato believed the White Fang had done the right thing. Yet at the same time, he understood how impossible that decision must have been. No one who hadn't stood in that moment could judge it.
Minato didn't know which path was truly correct.
And because of that, he feared he might not know how to guide Kakashi.
"Minato," Hiruzen said calmly, his voice carrying quiet conviction, "you will be the best teacher for him."
"I have already spoken to Jiraiya. He agrees. You, a genius, are best suited to guide another great talent."
"Do not underestimate yourself."
Hiruzen's gaze softened.
"I only want that boy to not walk into darkness. And for that, I cannot think of anyone better than you."
Minato felt something heavy yet warm settle in his chest.
The trust of his teacher… and his Hokage.
"…Alright, Hokage-sama," he said after a moment. "I will do my best."
When Hiruzen heard Minato's answer, he felt a quiet sense of relief.
The White Fang's death had not only been the loss of one of Konoha's strongest shinobi—it had shattered something far more fragile: trust.
Among the jōnin.
Among the civilians.
And within the village itself.
Many were watching closely now—watching how Kakashi Hatake would be handled. If the boy was pushed too far, if his pain was ignored or mishandled, then at this critical time of war, countless shinobi would stop carrying out missions with their hearts truly in them.
The Will of Fire—the very principle Hiruzen had preached his entire life—would become nothing more than an empty slogan.
One wrong step, and he would bear the blame for it for the rest of his life.
Hiruzen knew the truth.
Many in the village understood Sakumo's choice.Many who understood the impossible situation he had been placed in.
And many believed everything had been a scheme—an invisible hand guiding events from the shadows.
Anger simmered quietly beneath the surface.
If anything were to happen to Kakashi now, that fuse would be lit—and the village would descend into chaos.
That was why Hiruzen had stopped Danzō at all costs.
Kakashi Hatake could never be allowed into his hands.
Now, with Minato becoming Kakashi's teacher, Hiruzen finally felt at ease.
Minato—born a civilian, a natural genius, and Jiraiya's student—stood firmly outside the influence of old clan politics and darker ambitions.
He was the safest choice.
Perhaps… this time…
Konoha would not repeat the same mistake.