Outside the Hokage's office—
The ANBU who had brought Hoshiyomi and his team there disappeared in a flash the moment they arrived, vanishing so quickly that the four young students could only look on in awe and envy.
Turning their attention from the vanishing ANBU to the massive door before them, Jiraiya and the others exchanged glances, all feeling a mixture of excitement and nervous tension.
They knew this meeting likely had something to do with the Iwagakure spy incident, but still—children always felt a strange kind of fear when facing unfamiliar authority figures. And behind this door was no ordinary figure. It was Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage—the leader of the entire Hidden Leaf Village.
Even Sakumo's palms were sweating, and that alone said a lot.
Hoshiyomi, seeing the unease in his friends, grinned inwardly. Then, without warning—and without asking if the others were ready—he mischievously knocked on the door.
"Come in," called a calm voice from inside.
Without hesitation, Hoshiyomi pushed the door open and stepped in. Behind him, the other three stood frozen for a moment, stunned by his boldness, before scrambling to catch up.
It was the first time any of them had entered the Hokage's office. Though they were still a little intimidated by the legendary figure waiting inside, curiosity bloomed in their young hearts, leading them to quietly observe their surroundings.
The room was almost exactly like how it would one day be depicted in stories and scrolls: a broad wooden desk at the center, flanked by large filing cabinets and portraits of the past Hokage. Through the wide window behind the desk, you could see both the bustling main street of Konoha and, farther off, the rocky cliff face of the Hokage Monument.
At this point in time, only three faces had been carved into the stone. The craftsmanship wasn't particularly impressive—you could kind of tell who was who, but the details were rough at best.
Behind the desk, a young-looking man sat amidst towering stacks of paperwork. His eyes lifted from the scrolls to study the four children who had just entered.
Internally, Hoshiyomi still found it strange seeing such a youthful Third Hokage—nothing like the elderly, pipe-smoking figure from his past life's memories. But he masked his thoughts with proper manners and said politely:
"Good afternoon, Lord Third."
The others quickly followed suit, bowing their heads in greeting.
"Good afternoon," Sarutobi replied with a nod, then glanced at each of them as he continued,
"Hoshiyomi, Jiraiya, Sakumo, Orochimaru. I've got your names right, haven't I? No need to be nervous—I only brought you here to hear your side of a story."
That one line instantly lowered the tension in the room. Hearing the Hokage speak their names so naturally gave each child a subtle sense of pride—as if they mattered.
Sarutobi smiled warmly and asked,
"The incident with the Iwagakure spies—was it really the four of you who dealt with them? Did anyone else help you?"
Jiraiya, being his usual boisterous self, was just about to respond when Sakumo discreetly tugged on his sleeve. He glanced toward Hoshiyomi, who gave a small nod, and only then did Jiraiya begin recounting the story in full.
That subtle exchange didn't escape Sarutobi's notice.
As I suspected, he thought, this team naturally centers around Gekkō Hoshiyomi.
After listening carefully to the account, Sarutobi began to understand why. Hoshiyomi's intelligence and strength far exceeded his age, enough to draw the respect and trust of three highly talented peers.
The entire encounter with the Iwa spies had hinged on Hoshiyomi's intervention. Of course, the others had contributed too—Sakumo's swordplay, Orochimaru's prototype Shadow Thread Technique, and, well… Jiraiya's headbutt.
But the battle had turned in their favor only because of Hoshiyomi's stunning assassination maneuver using his clan's Transparent Release. The Iwa spies weren't novices—they were agile, trained, and dangerous. That Hoshiyomi had been able to find a critical opening and strike so decisively showed that, in terms of raw burst speed, he already surpassed most chūnin.
Sarutobi subconsciously took a long drag from his pipe.
Six years old, and he already exceeds chūnin in burst speed?
That's terrifying—even more than we were at his age...
Lady Mito was right—this child needed to be nurtured carefully. No—all four of them did.
Each had a clear specialty. Sakumo with his elite kenjutsu, Jiraiya with his raw physicality and combat instincts. Hoshiyomi's stealth and speed bordered on prodigious. Orochimaru, already crafting his own jutsu at six, was clearly destined for advanced ninjutsu.
And then, with Tsunade's precise chakra control—especially with Mito planning to guide her toward medical ninjutsu—they would form a complete, perfectly balanced unit. A battlefield unit. A force.
Sarutobi could already picture it: the five of them grown up, charging across battlefields, their enemies trembling at the mere mention of their names.
He set his pipe aside and smiled again.
"Very good. You've all done exceptionally well. Just as you mentioned to Tsunade, the four of you do seem to have the skill to graduate early—and I approve of your plan to apply in six months' time."
Their eyes lit up.
"That said," he added with a chuckle, "don't get complacent. You must not waste your talent.
And about the spy incident—while I consider you heroes, such events can't be publicly announced. Fame like that, at your age, might attract unwanted attention. So your rewards will be given privately."
The four students nodded eagerly.
"I've reviewed your backgrounds," Sarutobi went on, "and I know that all of you—aside from Hoshiyomi—are orphans. Even so, your families have limited means.
So here's what I'll do: starting this month, each of you will receive a personal training stipend of 10,000 ryō per month."
The room fell silent—then their eyes nearly popped out of their heads.
Even Hoshiyomi was stunned.
Ten thousand ryō?!
In the original timeline, Naruto had eaten his way across the Fire Country for just 300 ryō. A whole 10,000 ryō per month was almost unimaginable.
Sarutobi continued, kindly but firm:
"That amount should cover your meals, basic needs, and allow you to purchase training gear or tools. Use it wisely—put it toward your growth."
The four of them practically floated out of the Hokage's office, buzzing with excitement and gratitude.
Jiraiya was already twirling with joy, clutching the money like a child on a festival day.
"Ramen! We're getting ramen tonight! Lots of ramen!"
But Hoshiyomi patted him on the shoulder with a grin.
"Come on, Jiraiya. Let's aim higher today. No ramen. We're celebrating—we're eating barbecue.
I'm talking meat until we can't walk straight!"