章 118: Chapter 118

Konoha, Hokage's Office.

Tobirama Senju scanned the report in his hands, his usually stern face softened with a rare hint of a smile.

It was a mission report from Mochizuki Hui detailing the events in the Land of Whirlpools.

As he read, Tobirama couldn't help but feel satisfaction at what he saw—everything he had hoped for, and more.

As someone who understood Hui's potential better than anyone, Tobirama was aware of the young shinobi's strength.

So, though it was impressive to hear that Hui had taken down Ōnoki and two other Kage-level shinobi alone, it wasn't entirely shocking.

What did impress him, however, was Hui's handling of the situation—his strategies, his careful treatment of the Uzumaki clan, and the clever plans he devised for his captives.

At that moment, Tobirama felt a new thought arise in his head. Until now, he had seen Hui as a future Hokage, although he had always intended for Sarutobi Hiruzen to succeed him as the Third Hokage, with Hui perhaps following as the Fourth.

After all, Hui was only fifteen; it seemed impossible to appoint someone so young as the leader of the village.

But now… watching Hui's unprecedented growth, Tobirama felt himself wavering. Hui wasn't just strong—he was already every bit the equal of Hiruzen.

In fact, Hui might even surpass Hiruzen in several ways, lacking only the years of experience. So why insist that Hiruzen should be Third Hokage while Hui waited for the fourth position?

Fifteen may be young, but twenty... twenty wasn't so unreasonable. If Tobirama remained Hokage for just five more years, he could pass on the mantle directly to Hui.

As the thought cemented in his mind, Tobirama made his decision. He would pave the way for Hui to become Konoha's Third Hokage.

With a firm mind, he sent a response to Hui, instructing him to handle the situation as he saw fit and promising to support any consequences that followed.

It was both a remarkable show of trust and a significant test.

This approach would bring Hui to the forefront, familiarizing Konoha and the ninja world with his presence and leadership.

Slowly, he would delegate responsibilities to Hui, helping everyone grow accustomed to the idea. And when the time came, the village would be ready for a Hokage at the young age of twenty.

Meanwhile, Hui, upon receiving Tobirama's reply, was momentarily taken aback. Giving out such authority was a rare occurrence, and he knew the responsibility it carried. But Tobirama had given him the freedom to handle things himself, so he quickly set his plan in motion.

Not long after, the hidden villages of Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure received a rather pointed "bill" from Hui. The message informed the villages that the shinobi they had sent had disrupted peace efforts in the region and unlawfully invaded a neighbouring country.

Their actions had caused immense harm to the sovereignty and well-being of the Land of Whirlpools' citizens. As a result, Konoha, as an ally of the Land of Whirlpools, had detained these individuals for educational purposes.

As the villages responsible for these shinobi, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure were expected to pay restitution for the damage caused.

The bill included a detailed list of reparations: supplies, scrolls containing powerful jutsu, and a fee for Konoha's "services."

The message ended with a warning: should they refuse to bear responsibility, Konoha would be forced to take further actions to seek justice for the people of the Land of Whirlpools.

When the scrolls arrived at the villages, they ignited a firestorm. The three major villages initially dismissed the demands as an elaborate scheme, confident it was impossible.

They had, after all, secretly sent three Kage-level shinobi on this mission. Not even Tobirama himself could have defeated and captured them all.

But as they delved deeper, uncovering the reality about the Land of Whirlpools mission, their disbelief turned to shock.

The reports were accurate—their three elite shinobi had indeed been captured by Konoha, led by none other than Mochizuki Hui. It defied reason, a feat that shouldn't have been possible.

As they learned more about Hui's carefully laid plans, his reputation in the ninja world surged, and word of his astonishing victory spread.

"For one shinobi to take on three Kage-level opponents… and capture them?!" whispered one shinobi.

"This is unbelievable! Those three are not ordinary shinobi but esteemed figures from the last ninja war. Each of them a prodigy in their village!"

"It's more than that. I've heard that each of those Kage candidates was being groomed to become their village's next leader, and that's why they were entrusted with the mission to the Land of Whirlpools. But to think that 'Konoha's Ghost' could capture all three of them…"

"He's terrifying. Isn't he only fifteen?"

"You're not wrong. I've kept an eye on him, and I never would've imagined he'd grow so powerful in just three years."

"A Kage at fifteen? It's almost like an illusion, something out of a genjutsu…"

"A Kage at fifteen? You underestimate Konoha's Ghost," another voice corrected. "Don't forget, Hui reached the Kage level three years ago, at twelve, when he killed two Kage-level opponents in the ANBU War."

"That's true. Hui became a nightmare to his enemies during that war. Now, he's even stronger, taking on three Kage-level shinobi at once. His strength is… frightening."

"Maybe… Konoha really will give rise to another Hashirama Senju."

As they discussed Hui's feats, the ninja world was flooded with a mixture of shock, fear, and awe at the emergence of someone who could rival the legacy of the First Hokage.

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