Hokage's Office
As the conversation drifted to the idea of Asuma possibly becoming their student in the future, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly paused and turned toward Hoshiyomi.
"Right—Hoshiyomi, didn't you take on a student so ti ago? Namikaze Minato, wasn't it?"
Hoshiyomi nodded instinctively.
"Yeah. What about him?"
"Nothing bad. Quite the opposite—he's remarkable. With that level of talent, I even considered making him my personal successor. But when I heard he was already your disciple, I had to give up on that idea."
Hoshiyomi chuckled, rembering the boy fondly.
"That kid really is gifted. In terms of reflexes and pure speed, I'd wager he might even surpass one day."
Hiruzen took a long drag from his pipe.
"What I wanted to talk to you about is actually related to Minato. A while back, Danzo wrote a letter. We both believe Agakure won't be able to hold out past this winter. Once it falls, the real war begins—against both Iwagakure and Sunagakure.
If that happens, and we're fighting on two fronts, we may not have enough manpower. So Danzo proposed shortening the Ninja Academy's curriculum to three years, in order to generate a fresh wave of backup forces."
At that, both Tsunade and Hoshiyomi's expressions darkened. Even Orochimaru, who hadn't yet descended into his future obsession with human experintation, looked unsettled.
Even he found the idea disturbingly cruel.
Realizing the tension in the room, Hiruzen quickly held up a hand.
"Don't worry. Thanks to your victory over Hanzō, and the fact that you persuaded him to ally with us, the need for drastic warti asures has diminished. We won't be rushing to shorten the Academy program after all."
Only then did the trio's expressions ease sowhat.
Seeing them calm down, Hiruzen continued,
"Still, Danzo made a point that stuck with . For exceptionally gifted students—like yourselves once were—the current Ninja Academy curriculum is a bit of a bottleneck.
Take Minato, for example. He's ten years old now, correct? I observed him in battle using the Telescope Jutsu. From what I saw, his current capabilities already rival that of a chūnin. He's mature, focused, and fully capable of handling himself.
I've been thinking: perhaps it's ti to let prodigies like Minato graduate early and gain battlefield experience.
Yes, the frontlines are dangerous—but with your protection, and if we assign them to low-risk operations, I believe it can be managed."
The idea sent Hoshiyomi and the others into thoughtful silence.
Forcing all children onto the battlefield was unthinkably cruel. But allowing a select few with extraordinary talent to experience real combat? That might actually help them grow.
After all, the battlefield was a crucible—the fastest way to unlock one's potential. That much, all three of them knew from experience.
Seeing them contemplate his words, Hiruzen reached under his desk and retrieved a stack of dossiers.
"These are students I've been observing. Promising ones. If any catch your eye, you're welco to reach out and consider taking them on as disciples."
Orochimaru was the first to speak.
"I had considered it before. But after this war… I've realized I can't properly ntor soone while still fighting at full capacity. I'd rather decline."
Hiruzen smiled in understanding.
"That's fair. Even if you don't take any on officially, it's still helpful to familiarize yourselves with their faces. If any of them do see combat, they'll be looking to you for guidance."
Tsunade glanced at the files but didn't open any. Instead, she said,
"Old man, I'm less interested in becoming a squad leader right now. I want to train a new generation of dical-nin. This war made one thing painfully clear—Konoha is sorely lacking in dical personnel.
So many could've been saved, if only we had more hands. We ended up watching comrades die right in front of us because there simply wasn't anyone available to treat them.
I believe that a well-trained dical corps is worth more than a thousand combat nin. That's the kind of strength that truly sustains a village in war."
Hiruzen paused, tapping the stem of his pipe against his lip.
"I understand that. And you, of all people, know just how difficult it is to train even one capable dic-nin.
Creating an entire dical division would require years of preparation—and an imnse budget. With Konoha potentially facing a two-front war, I'm not sure we have the resources to spare.
Still… I can't decide this on my own. Bring it up at the next jōnin council. If the others support the idea, I'll push it through—even if I have to grit my teeth to make it happen."
Hoshiyomi glanced at Hiruzen, suppressing a subtle shake of his head. No matter how well the Third treated them, his political weakness was plain as day.
But now wasn't the ti to bring it up.
He turned his attention to the dossiers and flipped through them one by one.
While Hiruzen might've lacked political foresight, his instincts as a teacher and shinobi were still sharp. His selections were impressive.
There were only about a dozen files, but many nas stood out imdiately.
Aside from Minato, there were Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, Akimichi Chōza—the previous generation of the Ino-Shika-Chō trio.
There was also Yamanaka Fu, who would later beco one of Danzo's most loyal lackeys.
And then there were the Hyūga brothers.
Among them, one na caught Hoshiyomi's attention: Uchiha Kuugetsu.
She was listed right next to Uchiha Mikoto, though their evaluations couldn't have been more different.
Mikoto's report was thorough—highlighting her excellent chakra control, Sharingan awakening, and a variety of refined abilities.
Kuugetsu's file, by contrast, was short and plain. Just one line truly stood out:
"Exceptional talent in kenjutsu."
Hoshiyomi held the folder up and asked,
"Old man, what about this one?"
Hiruzen glanced over.
"Ah, her. Kuugetsu is soone I included on a whim, really. She's close friends with Mikoto and Uzumaki Kushina, so I kept an eye on her out of curiosity.
Based on her usual performance, she wouldn't have made the cut. She's soft-spoken, often timid—other kids in class seem to push her around.
Still… I get the sense she's hiding sothing. Maybe it's just a feeling. Technically, she's the granddaughter of Kagami Uchiha. Sha about him—died far too early.
His brother wasn't nearly as strong. If Kagami were still alive, maybe the rift between the village and the Uchiha wouldn't be so deep."
Hoshiyomi scanned the file again, his interest piqued.
He rembered seeing Kuugetsu during Kushina's Academy entrance exam. There was sothing about her that stuck.
"I've t her once," he said. "Left a good impression. I'll keep an eye on her over the next few days. If things go well, I might have her join Minato and Kushina's team.
Don't worry—I won't take Kushina onto the battlefield. If we go, it'll just be Minato and Kuugetsu."
Author's Note:
This Uchiha Kuugetsu character has a lot of potential for developnt. I'm not sure yet how I'll tie her into Shisui's story—might even involve the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Lots to think about…
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