Hatake Sakumo rarely exaggerated.
That reputation alone made his reports highly trusted inside Konoha's command structure.
So when his latest battlefield report arrived at the Hokage office…
It received immediate attention.
Tobirama Senju read it silently.
Once.
Then again.
Not because he doubted it.
Because he wanted precision.
Excerpt — Field Report, Sunagakure Front
"Genin Uchiha Kaen demonstrates combat effectiveness comparable to a jōnin-level shinobi under controlled conditions.
His situational awareness exceeds standard sensory ninjutsu.
Taijutsu efficiency exceptionally high.
Emotional discipline stable.
Notably, subject appears to intentionally suppress full capability.
I have not witnessed his maximum strength.
Assessment: strategic restraint rather than limitation."
Tobirama set the report down slowly.
Not alarmed.
But very interested.
Because three things stood out immediately:
Uchiha lineage.
Exceptional power at young age.
Deliberate concealment.
That combination historically produced either great protectors…
Or complicated problems.
Sometimes both.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood nearby.
He'd already read the report too.
"What do you think?" he asked.
Tobirama answered without hesitation.
"He's thinking ahead."
Not praise.
Not criticism.
Observation.
"Threat?" Hiruzen asked.
"Not currently."
Pause.
"But unknown variables deserve understanding."
Classic Tobirama assessment.
Pragmatic.
Emotionally detached.
Meanwhile, miles away in the Land of Wind…
Kaen sat atop a sand ridge during evening watch.
Observation Haki spread gently across the desert.
Nothing unusual.
Yet something inside him stirred.
A familiar sensation.
Being evaluated.
Not hostile.
Just deliberate.
Back in Konoha, Tobirama had already decided.
"I'll meet him personally."
Hiruzen nodded.
"Interrogation?"
"No."
Another pause.
"Conversation."
Because Tobirama understood something many leaders missed:
Young shinobi shaped differently when guided rather than cornered.
Especially Uchiha.
Force often hardened resistance.
Understanding created stability.
The official message went out quietly:
Temporary recall order — Uchiha Kaen.
Direct audience with the Second Hokage.
No public announcement.
Minimal paperwork.
Discretion intentional.
At the desert front, Sakumo received the notice first.
He wasn't surprised.
If anything, he'd expected it.
Kaen's performance inevitably reached high command.
That was simply how war reporting worked.
Sakumo approached Kaen that night.
"You've been requested back in Konoha."
Kaen nodded once.
"Understood."
No excitement.
No anxiety.
Just acceptance.
Which, again, impressed Sakumo quietly.
Hitomi looked more concerned than Kaen.
"Hokage-level meetings usually mean something big."
"Yes."
"Worried?"
Kaen considered honestly.
"No."
Because if Tobirama intended harm…
He wouldn't summon politely.
He'd act directly.
Still, Kaen knew the stakes:
Political perception.
Clan dynamics.
Future positioning.
And Tobirama was not someone easily deceived.
That night, beneath the desert stars, Kaen prepared mentally.
Not rehearsing answers.
Just clarifying intentions.
Strength gave him options.
But diplomacy preserved them.
And Kaen preferred keeping doors open.
Always.
Far away, Tobirama stood at the Hokage Monument, arms folded.
War expanding.
Future leaders forming.
And now…
A young Uchiha whose potential might shape events unexpectedly.
Tobirama didn't fear that.
He simply wanted to understand it.
Before history forced conclusions.