The Third Hokage stood at the training ground for a moment when three figures suddenly appeared beside him. He said calmly, "That child is very much like the Fourth." The three people behind him exchanged glances.
They all nodded in agreement. "Indeed, very similar, equally strong." These three were the older generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, who had been watching the training ground from the Hokage's office with the Third. When Yoruha demonstrated the Rasengan to Naruto, the Third and his companions were observing the situation through the Telescope Technique.
Hearing the Third's words, the three were quite shocked. The significance of his statement was immense. They understood that the Third had already decided to choose Yoruha.
Previously, they had assumed the Third would choose Kakashi. After all, Kakashi was the student of the Third's grand-student. Who would have thought Yoruha would suddenly appear?
But Yoruha was so young, only 12 years old. However, since the Third had made up his mind, no one would oppose it. As long as Yoruha had enough strength and the Third's support, no one could challenge his position as Hokage. The Fourth Hokage had been the same.
Without the Third's support, even with the Third as an advisor, Minato Namikaze's impressive war achievements would still have faced opposition. At that time, the higher-ups of Konoha were not entirely in favor of choosing Minato. If it weren't for the Third's insistence and his role as an advisor, Minato wouldn't have become Hokage.
So the three understood clearly that as long as the Third was there to support Yoruha, it wouldn't matter if Yoruha was young. Even if he became Hokage at fifteen or sixteen, it wouldn't be an issue. The prerequisite was that Yoruha's strength had to be sufficient. His strength needed to reach the level of a Hokage.
After all, the Hokage is not only the leader of the village but also needs to protect the village when facing powerful enemies. Without sufficient strength, it's absolutely impossible. But as for Yoruha's strength, the three looked at the now-filled-in crater.
Yoruha's strength was the least of their worries. The three even felt that Yoruha's current strength was already at the Kage level. They had just witnessed in the Hokage's office how Yoruha unleashed the Rasengan.
Not only was the destructive power of the Rasengan terrifying, but with Yoruha's use of the Flying Thunder God Technique, his strength was undoubtedly at the Kage level. If Yoruha were over 20 years old now, the Third might have directly stepped down and let Yoruha take over. Seeing the Third's expectations for Yoruha, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio felt the Third might actually do such a thing.
The Third looked at Yamanaka Inoichi. "Inoichi, I heard that Ino has a good relationship with Yoruha?" Yamanaka Inoichi was momentarily stunned. Akimichi Choza and Nara Shikaku widened their eyes.
They all looked at Yamanaka Inoichi. They understood the Third's implication all too well. Yamanaka Inoichi also realized it.
He certainly knew his daughter had feelings for Yoruha, and it was more than just a crush. She had been frequently visiting the training ground where Yoruha was. He didn't interfere, but he could guess why. Yamanaka Inoichi immediately nodded, "Ino indeed likes Yoruha quite a bit. She has always liked good-looking boys."
The Third smiled, "If the two children are willing, would you stop them, Inoichi?"
The Third Hokage nodded in satisfaction at the response, "As long as the two kids are willing, it's enough if Ino likes him." He was well aware of Benya Tanako's situation.
However, he didn't think Benya Tanako was suitable for Yoruha. Yoruha was destined to become Hokage, and he would need the support of ninja clans. The Senju clan had already declined and held little influence in Konoha.
As for the Benya family, they were purely a commercial family and wouldn't benefit Yoruha. Being with Ino, on the other hand, would be very advantageous for Yoruha. The Third Hokage's actions were actually aimed at accumulating enough support for Yoruha.
If Yoruha were with Ino, it would mean gaining the support of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio of clans. Among the prominent families in Konoha, aside from the unique Hyuga clan, the most notable were the Sarutobi clan, the Ino-Shika-Cho clans, and the Aburame clan. The Ino-Shika-Cho clans had always been aligned with the Sarutobi clan.
Gaining the support of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans, along with the Third Hokage's backing, would mean the Sarutobi clan would also support Yoruha, garnering him the support of most clans. With the backing of Kakashi and Yamato, Yoruha would also have the support of the Anbu and most of Konoha's Jonin. As long as Yoruha had enough strength and accumulated enough missions, becoming Hokage would be a natural progression without opposition.
During this time, Ino would indeed sneak to the training grounds to watch Yoruha practice whenever she didn't have a mission. However, she didn't disturb him, just watched quietly from the side. Yoruha was aware of this but didn't mind.
After all, in Yoruha's heart, he only saw Ino as a child. The Third Hokage looked at the three of them and said seriously, "That child still lacks enough prestige. We, as elders, must help him well." Shikaku Nara, Choza Akimichi, and Inoichi Yamanaka all nodded, "Indeed."
Since the Third Hokage had made it clear, the three naturally expressed their stance. However, it also meant that for a long time, Yoruha would be worked hard. He needed to complete a sufficient number of missions, including various high-difficulty tasks.
Yoruha was unaware of the Third Hokage's plans and didn't know he was about to be pushed to his limits. A few days later, after handing the scroll to Kakashi, Yoruha was informed by the Third Hokage's messenger that his vacation was about to end. After enjoying a few relaxing days at home, Yoruha received a mission assignment from the Third Hokage.
In the Hokage's office, Yoruha opened the door and saw a middle-aged man who looked somewhat familiar.
"Hokage-sama, you called for me?" The Third Hokage nodded at Yoruha and began to speak, "There is a mission request that needs you to complete." Yoruha nodded and looked at the person who seemed to be the client.
The man also looked at Yoruha, but with a frown. Yoruha was too young, and youth meant lack of experience and insufficient strength. The man didn't trust Yoruha. The Third Hokage continued, "This gentleman is Asama Santayu, the manager of the famous actress Fujikaze Koyuki from the Land of Fire, and the client for this mission."
Yoruha nodded at Asama Santayu. Although dissatisfied that the Third Hokage had assigned a child to this mission, Asama Santayu still returned the gesture. The Third Hokage continued, "Mr. Asama Santayu has requested Konoha to send someone to escort Miss Fujikaze Koyuki to the Land of Snow for filming. This is a B-rank mission, and I hope you can complete it well."
Listening to the Third Hokage's information, Yoruha finally remembered why this person looked familiar. Wasn't this the mission to the Land of Snow? But wasn't this mission supposed to be assigned to Kakashi?
And it was supposed to be after Tsunade took office. Why was this mission happening earlier? Yoruha didn't understand.
Moreover, this mission wasn't a B-rank mission. Judging by the difficulty, it was definitely an S-rank. The ninjas encountered during this mission were mostly at Jonin level, and with the chakra armor, Koyuki Kazahana even had near-Kage level strength. However, Yoruha could understand why this mission was labeled as B-rank.
Because under Asama Santayu's request, it could only be classified as B-rank. Clearly, it was just an escort mission, and the Third Hokage wanted Yoruha to complete it as a formality.