Smoke curled lazily through the Hokage's office, weaving through the silver shafts of moonlight that pierced the high, arched windows. It was a room that smelled of heavy history—of old parchment, stale tobacco, and the crushing weight of a thousand secrets.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, sat behind his massive mahogany desk, his back slightly more hunched than usual. To the villagers, he was the "God of Shinobi," an invincible pillar of strength. But in the quiet hours of the night, he was simply an old man whose bones ached and whose heart was weary from the losses of three Great Wars.
His pipe was held loosely in one hand, but his attention was fixed entirely on the crystal sphere resting atop a velvet cushion. Within its swirling, misty depths, the images were fading, but the memory of what he had just seen was burned into his mind.
Evan Kamiyo. Hinata Hyuga.
This was the Telescope Technique, Hiruzen's signature sensory ninjutsu. It wasn't born of idle curiosity. It was a tool of statecraft. He watched for threats, he watched for cracks in the village's foundation, and sometimes—on the rare, lucky nights—he watched for hope.
Tonight, he had found it.
The scene replayed in his mind: a four-year-old boy intervening in a snowy alley, disciplining bullies twice his size with the clinical restraint of a veteran, and then, most shockingly, healing them.
"Evan Kamiyo…" Hiruzen murmured, the name tasting of woodsmoke on his tongue.
A trace of sharp, piercing nostalgia surfaced in his aged eyes. He remembered a man named Kamiyo Feng. Feng had been more than just a shinobi; he was once Hiruzen's personal escort, an Elite Jonin whose strength had reached the level of a legend. Evan's mother, Kamiyo Miko, had been no less remarkable—an exceptional medical ninja who could stitch a soul back into a body.
Both had fallen during the Nine-Tails Rebellion. They had died as they lived: as protectors.
Because of that sacrifice, Hiruzen had personally ensured that Evan wasn't lost in the cold halls of the village orphanage. He had seen to it that the boy's allowance was generous and that his parents' home remained his.
Age makes a man sentimental, Hiruzen thought, a self-deprecating smile touching his lips.
But sentiment aside, what Evan had displayed today was of vital importance. The boy had shown discipline. He hadn't bullied the bullies; he had neutralized them. He had shown restraint, using only the force necessary. And he had shown compassion—the rarest trait in a world of blades.
And the medical ninjutsu... at four years old. Without a teacher. Without a clan.
Hiruzen needed to know the truth. With a casual flick of his wrist, the shadows in the corner of the office stirred. An ANBU operative wearing a porcelain cat-pattern mask knelt silently before the desk.
"Retrieve everything," Hiruzen said, his voice dropping the warmth of a grandfather and taking on the iron of a commander. "I want every record related to Evan Kamiyo. From his birth to this very hour."
"Yes, Lord Hokage." The presence vanished, leaving only the faint scent of ozone.
Meanwhile, Evan Kamiyo was blissfully unaware that the "God of Shinobi" was currently dissecting his life.
After ensuring Hinata reached the safety of the Hyuga compound, Evan had made a quick stop at a merchant's stall. He bought two large bags of charcoal and a few thick blankets, hauling them back to his courtyard. The cost had been significant—nearly a third of his monthly allowance.
The price of comfort is steep, Evan thought as he hauled the charcoal into his storage shed. Without a steady source of income, even the Hokage's generosity won't keep me fed forever. I need to figure out a way to monetize the System.
As he began to boil a pot of water for a simple dinner of rice and dried fish, his mind crunched the numbers. Healing those three children gave me a pittance of Constitution, but the efficiency is there. If I could get my hands on wounded shinobi—people with massive Chakra pools—my growth would become exponential.
But he wasn't a fool. Rushing into a hospital and offering to "heal" veterans would lead to a laboratory table in one of Danzo's hidden basements.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The sound was sharp, rhythmic, and utterly unexpected.
Evan froze. He checked the clock—it was well past the time for casual visitors. His muscles coiled, the Senju vitality in his blood singing with a sudden surge of adrenaline.
"Coming," he called out, smoothing his expression into one of sleepy, childish confusion.
He crossed the room and pulled open the heavy wooden door. His breath caught. Standing on his porch, framed by the falling snow and the soft glow of a paper lantern, was Sarutobi Hiruzen. He wasn't in his casual robes. He was wearing the formal red-and-white Hokage mantle and the iconic hat.
"G-Grandpa Hokage?" Evan's surprise was entirely genuine. No matter how much he had planned, he hadn't expected the leader of the village to show up at his doorstep.
Hiruzen smiled gently. "Good evening, Evan. It's a cold night. I was wondering if an old man might come in and sit by your fire for a while?"
"…Of course! Please, come in."
They sat across from each other at the low table. Evan served tea with steady hands, the steam rising between them. Hiruzen didn't speak at first. He simply observed. He looked at the spotless floors and the neatly folded blankets. He saw a home that was orderly, disciplined, and functional—far beyond what anyone would expect from a four-year-old.
The ANBU reports Hiruzen had just skimmed echoed in his head: Trains daily. Treats neighbors with kindness. Avoids conflict. The boy was a pearl hidden in the sand.
Finally, the Hokage set down his tea and looked Evan directly in the eye.
"Evan," he said, his voice kind but firm. "You've already begun to refine Chakra, haven't you?"
For a split second, Evan felt a cold spike of fear. He knows. Then, he leaned into the character. He let his eyes widen, then slowly allowed a bright, innocent, and slightly proud smile to break across his face.
"Yes, Grandpa Hokage!" he said, his voice filled with childish excitement. "I found a scroll in my mom's old trunk. I tried what it said, and I felt... warm! I've only succeeded a little bit, though."
Evan leaned forward, as if sharing a great secret. "And Grandpa? I think I can do what my mom did. I can heal people!"
Hiruzen's gaze sharpened. "Oh? Is that so? Show me, Evan."
Evan didn't hesitate. He reached out and placed his small hand on the table, palm up. He took a breath, and a soft, vibrant green light began to gather, pulsing with a steady, rhythmic glow.
[Doctor's Benevolence: Minor Restoration.]
"Do you have any old injuries, Grandpa?" Evan asked with heartbreaking sincerity. "I can help. My hands feel very warm when I do this."
Hiruzen chuckled and extended his weathered, scarred palm over the boy's. At my age, child, I am nothing but old injuries.
The moment Evan's Chakra touched the Hokage's skin, Hiruzen's smile vanished.
It wasn't just a "warm" sensation. It was a flood of pure, refined vitality. It was like a river of spring water washing away the stagnant heat of an old fever. Hiruzen felt the deep, lingering ache in his lungs—a remnant of a poison mist from the Second War—simply dissolve. The stiff joints of his fingers loosened. Even his posture, usually bowed by the weight of his office, straightened.
This wasn't the clumsy, inefficient healing of a beginner. This was a purity of Chakra that rivaled Tsunade's.
Hiruzen pulled his hand back, staring at it in disbelief.
I underestimated him, the Hokage realized. He is a miracle.
He looked at Evan, who was watching him with wide, innocent eyes. Hiruzen knew in that moment that the future of Konoha had just shifted on its axis.
"Evan," Hiruzen said, his voice trembling slightly. "You have a very, very special gift."
Suddenly, a cold, crystalline chime rang in Evan's mind. It was louder and more resonant than ever before.
[Ding!]
[Detection: Divine-Tier Target Treated.]
[Patient Name: Sarutobi Hiruzen (Third Hokage)]
[Condition: Chronic Lung Necrosis, Joint Calcification, Cellular Senescence.]
[Benevolence Rating: SSS (Sovereign Level)]
Evan's heart skipped a beat. He had only intended to show a "glimmer" of talent, but the System was reacting to Hiruzen as if he were a gold mine.
[Calculating Rewards for Healing the 'God of Shinobi'...]
[Extraction in progress...]
[Reward 1: Spirit +5.0]
[Reward 2: Physical Attribute Conversion — All basic stats increased to 'Chunin' baseline.]
[Reward 3: Special Extraction — 'Will of Fire' Passive Trait (Increases Chakra control and mental resistance by 50% within the Land of Fire).]
[Reward 4: Item — 'Sage's Breath' (One-time use item to restore 100% of Chakra and health).]
Evan felt a surge of mental clarity so sharp it almost hurt. His vision became clearer, the world more vibrant. His Spirit stat, already high, was now reaching levels that most Jonin would envy.
Hiruzen was still looking at him, but his gaze was no longer just grandfatherly. It was protective. It was the look of a man who had just found a priceless treasure in a field of rubble.
"Evan," Hiruzen said, his voice regaining its authority. "What you have done here... you must be very careful. Not everyone in the village sees a gift like yours with kindness. Do you understand?"
Evan nodded solemnly, playing the role of the confused but obedient child. "Because people might want me to heal them all the time?"
"Exactly," Hiruzen lied gently. He didn't want to tell the boy about the darkness of Danzo or the greed of foreign nations. "From now on, I want you to continue your training, but do not show this to anyone else without my permission. In return, I will provide you with the resources you need. Better scrolls. Better food. And perhaps... a tutor."
Evan's eyes lit up. This was exactly what he wanted. Official backing. "Thank you, Grandpa Hokage! I want to be the best doctor in the world, just like my mom!"
Hiruzen stood up, his cloak fluttering as he prepared to leave. He felt lighter than he had in twenty years. "I believe you will be, Evan. I believe you will be much more than that."
As the Hokage stepped out into the snow, he didn't head back to his office. He stopped and looked at the moon.
"Minato," Hiruzen whispered to the Fourth Hokage's ghost. "Maybe the future isn't as dark as I feared."
Inside the house, Evan leaned against the door, his breath coming in short, sharp bursts. He opened his system panel, his eyes scanning the new numbers.
Character Status: Evan Kamiyo
Age: 4
Constitution: 20.5 (Chunin Baseline Reached)
Spirit: 17.5
Chakra: 25.5 (Equivalent to an Elite Genin/Low Chunin)
Passive Trait: Will of Fire (Activated)
Evaluation: A blooming lotus in a sea of blood. You are no longer a seedling; you are a weapon in the making.
Evan looked at his hands. They were no longer just the hands of a child. They were the tools of a god-tier extraction system.
"Sovereign Level benevolence," he whispered. "If healing the old man gave me this much... what will happen when I heal Naruto?"
The path to the apex was no longer a theory. It was a visible road. And Evan Kamiyo was going to walk it, one saved life at a time.
The winter wind howled outside, but inside the small house, the hearth burned with a new, intense fire. The Golden Child of Konoha had been officially recognized, and the world of shinobi would never be the same.