Within the Senju Clan's territory, inside Uzumaki Mito's residence, Sarutobi Hiruzen wore a troubled expression as he paced back and forth in front of the door, his hesitation evident.
"Hokage-sama, Mito-sama requests your presence inside," a ninja, not clad in the typical ninja attire but displaying remarkable skills, appeared and addressed the conflicted Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Acknowledging the message with a nod, Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath and approached the entrance. Upon entering, he found himself in the reception hall. Before he could speak, Uzumaki Mito, seated across from him, spoke up:
"You've been lingering at the door. Do you not know how to convey this news to me, or do you believe I would raise a ruckus after hearing it? Saru."
Observing the displeased expression on her face, yet acknowledging her composed demeanor, Sarutobi Hiruzen lowered his head and admitted, "Mito-sama, it was my negligence that led to such a tragedy within the Uzumaki Clan."
Uzumaki Mito shook her head and replied, "The Uzumaki Clan has been targeted. Such incidents are bound to happen, and it's not Konoha's fault. I am well aware of that. However, this matter cannot be left unresolved. A letter of condemnation? That's not enough."
"Mito-sama, I understand. I will have Sakumo secretly investigate this matter, eliminate the responsible individuals from the four major nations as a deterrent, and allocate resources to handle the deceased members of the Uzumaki Clan," Sarutobi Hiruzen assured.
After hearing this, Uzumaki Mito nodded and remarked, "You are doing well. Why did you look so guilty just now?"
Hesitating at Uzumaki Mito's question, Sarutobi Hiruzen finally spoke, "This morning, Sarutobi Atoma reported to me that Kushina applied for early graduation."
"No, that's not acceptable. She still needs at least two more years to master the core Sealing Jutsu of our Uzumaki Clan," Uzumaki Mito responded.
Uzumaki Mito outright refused. Upon hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen relaxed a bit and said, "That's what I had in mind as well. So, I asked Sarutobi Atoma to find a way to reject Kushina's request. His idea is to use Tatsuma and Minato, those two children, as obstacles for Kushina's graduation assessment. I'm concerned that this might dent Kushina's confidence."
"No worries, go ahead and do what you need to. By the way, bring Tsunade back. There are some matters I need to discuss with her. Hashirama, as a grandfather, left her with nothing. I won't allow that to happen again," Uzumaki Mito waved her hand dismissively.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's body stiffened. He lifted his head, somewhat incredulous, and asked, "Mito-sama, about your health..."
Uzumaki Mito touched the wrinkles that had appeared over the past two years, then pressed on her abdomen, saying, "Perhaps another six or seven years. The village should prepare for some things."
"I understand, Mito-sama. I'll take my leave now," Sarutobi Hiruzen responded, bowing respectfully.
"Very well, go ahead, Saru" Uzumaki Mito waved her hand dismissively. Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly left, and after informing the ANBU that Sarutobi Atoma's plan could proceed, he returned to the Hokage's office, promptly summoning his advisors.
...
Inside Konoha Academy, Sarutobi Atoma, having exchanged information with the ANBU, swiftly arrived at his office. Tatsuma and Minato had been waiting there for quite some time.
Seeing Sarutobi Atoma once again in front of them, they curiously glanced at him. Sarutobi Atoma nodded, gesturing for them to sit in front of him. He then spoke, "In these past few days, you've probably heard about the situation with the Uzumaki Clan. Kushina wishes to graduate early because of this, but the village does not want her to do so."
Upon hearing this, Tatsuma had already guessed what Sarutobi Atoma was going to say, but he refrained from interrupting. Sarutobi Atoma continued, "So, Sensei would like to ask for your help in addressing this matter."
"Sensei, please go on," Minato nodded. Sarutobi Atoma took a deep breath and then said, "Sensei hopes that both of you also submit applications for early graduation, and then thwart Kushina, who has applied for graduation in the same period.
Later, if you wish to graduate early, you will undergo the official assessment. If you prefer to continue your studies in school, the village will announce that your assessment is also unsuccessful, allowing you to return for further study."
Minato was on the verge of agreeing, as he didn't want Kushina to graduate so early, especially given the circumstances of her clan's destruction. Embarking on her ninja journey with such a heavy burden would be undeniably challenging. While it might serve as motivation, it could also become a form of torment. Before he could respond, Tatsuma asked, "Sarutobi-sensei, are you so certain that the two of us can stop Kushina?"
"Sensei believes in both of you," Sarutobi Atoma affirmed. Completing his statement, he noticed Tatsuma still looking at him, realizing that the situation was not that simple. After some thought, he added, "If you can excel in completing the mission, sensei will apply for some rewards from Hokage-sama on your behalf."
"And if you wish to take advantage of this opportunity to become ninjas, sensei will do his best to persuade and find powerful ninjas to serve as leading Jonin for your teams."
Tatsuma pondered for a moment and realized that there wasn't much to gain from this situation. After all, even without their involvement, the village could find a way to prevent Kushina from graduating. For instance, they could appoint a formidable examiner. However, this would only make Kushina feel unfairly treated. With peers of the same age, she had no reason not to accept defeat.
Therefore, they were favorable conditions but not that much. Having the ability to apply for rewards was already good enough. Although they didn't know what the rewards were, anything coming from the hands of Sarutobi Hiruzen would be a decent gain for them.
Thus, Tatsuma looked at Minato, nodded, and Minato, understanding, turned to Sarutobi Atoma, saying, "Sarutobi-sensei, I'm willing to apply for early graduation."
"I am too."
Both nodded in agreement, and Sarutobi Atoma immediately took out two application forms and handed them to the two. He asked, "Do you need to prepare anything? For example, update a Genin tool or purchase some Explosive Tags?"
"If needed, I will try to postpone the assessment for a few days to give you enough time to prepare."
Tatsuma shook his head and said, "No need, Sarutobi-sensei. Even if you give us more time, we won't be able to replace our ninja tools or purchase Explosive Tags."
Sarutobi Atoma hesitated for a moment, then grasped the financial difficulties they faced. He nodded and said, "In that case, if you choose to become ninjas after completing the mission, sensei will personally gift you a set of ninja equipment."
"Okay."
Tatsuma didn't say much more. He and Minato swiftly filled out the application forms and handed them back to Sarutobi Atoma. After glancing at the forms and ensuring everything was in order, Sarutobi Atoma said to the two, "Starting today, you don't need to attend classes. Go home and prepare. The assessment could take place as early as tomorrow or, at the latest, within a week."
"I understand, Sarutobi-sensei."
"All right, Sarutobi-sensei."
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