Hinata: I'm in charge of Konoha.

Strike first and you'll have the upper hand; strike later and you'll suffer the consequences.

Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't find any fault with Hinata's essay, "On the Hokage," and it also received affirmation from Shikaku Nara.

The only thing that worried Hiruzen Sarutobi was what he had previously considered—that this would drag ordinary people throughout the ninja world into a quagmire called war.

It can be said that from the moment Nara Shikaku left the Hokage's office, the daimyo, nobles, and commoners of the entire ninja world would no longer be able to remain unaffected.

Behind the Hokage Rock, the scenery was as tranquil as ever, and the lake was still crystal clear. When Hinata arrived here with the help of the Anbu, Hiruzen Sarutobi was sitting alone in a small boat in the middle of the lake, gazing at the calm water below, seemingly lost in thought.

The ANBU brought Hinata here and then quietly left, leaving only Hinata and Hiruzen Sarutobi behind.

"Grandpa Naruto".

Hinata walked to the shore and waved to Hiruzen Sarutobi on the small boat in the middle of the lake.

"Little Hinata..."

As soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi saw Hinata arrive, his small boat automatically came to the shore without any wind.

Hiruzen Sarutobi knew from the beginning that Hinata was not a well-behaved child.

I never expected that the heir of the Hyuga clan would come up with such a method to deal with Konoha's enemies.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's original intention in speaking with Hinata was to truly understand the child and to find out her views on Konoha and the powerless nobles and commoners.

But the moment he saw Hinata with his own eyes, all the doubts in Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart vanished instantly.

Because Hiruzen Sarutobi knew that even if he asked the child what she really thought, she probably wouldn't tell him the truth.

Therefore, Hiruzen Sarutobi only wants to verify one thing now.

"Hinata, look at this lake, what do you see?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi patted the small boat beneath him, gesturing for Hinata to sit down.

"It's all water."

Hinata sat next to Hiruzen Sarutobi and answered the Hokage's questions without hesitation.

"Heh, is that so...?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled, steered the small boat towards the center of the lake, pointed to the lake below, and said with a touch of emotion:

"It is water, and every drop of water gathers to form a lake."

"And then the fish rely on this water to survive."

"It's like our village; every drop of water represents a villager, an ordinary person."

"And every fish is a ninja."

"Fish rely on water to survive, and ninjas also need villagers and ordinary people to survive."

Hinata's short essay reveals that this child possesses thinking beyond her peers and even a level of understanding surpassing that of the vast majority of people in the entire ninja world.

Hiruzen Sarutobi believed that Hinata could understand the unspoken meaning behind his words.

He asked me to answer.

Hinata blinked, sat on the edge of the small boat, and reached out to splash the lake water, saying with approval, "That's right."

"Then why...?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Hinata with a complicated expression.

If we accept that the relationship between ninjas and ordinary people is like that between fish and water, then why did Hinata have the idea of ​​writing "On the Naruto"?

"But Grandpa Hokage is Hokage, not a fish."

"Fish are just ordinary ninjas, while the Hokage is the boat beneath us."

"Just as fish are divided into different grades, we are naturally not alone in the boats we are on."

Hinata patted the small boat beneath her, which made Hiruzen Sarutobi fall silent for a moment.

If the shadow is used as a ship, then naturally there is not only the Hokage's ship, but also ships named Kazekage, Raikage, Mizukage, and Tsuchikage.

"If you want to monopolize this lake and its fish, then naturally you have to make the other boats sink."

"Just because the Hokage doesn't think that way doesn't mean the other ships don't think that way."

"Commanding schools of fish, controlling the lake water, capsizing other boats—isn't that what Grandpa Hokage should be doing?"

Hinata looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with an innocent smile.

She was... faking it...

Looking at the seemingly innocent child in front of him, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a sudden tightness in his chest.

Four years is enough time for Hiruzen Sarutobi to see Hinata's true nature.

To tease others and satisfy one's own perverse pleasures.

Now, in her eyes, even I, an old man, have become someone to be mocked?

Hiruzen Sarutobi was acutely aware of the danger posed by the child before him.

But there was nothing he could do.

Because Hinata has never done anything out of line; everything she does is within the rules.

"Hinata, what you're doing... is dangerous."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face held an indescribable complexity.

"Danger?"

"If there's any danger, Grandpa Hokage will protect me, right?"

Hinata tilted her head, looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi with a blank expression.

"……right."

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent for a long time before finally nodding slowly.

They openly reveal their true nature without any hesitation and unabashedly display their thoughts.

The chosen answer is clearly and explicitly in your hands.

Whether you choose to choose or not is entirely up to you.

Choosing the path Hinata pointed out was the choice Hinata desired.

If Hinata refuses the path she points out, others may take that path and surpass her in the competition called war, thus putting her in a passive position.

If he's worried that others will follow this path, then Hiruzen Sarutobi must get ahead of them on this path.

This is... an open conspiracy.

From the moment Hinata presented Hiruzen Sarutobi with her essay "On Hokage," Hiruzen had no other choice.

He had to follow Hinata's lead.

And just as Hinata said, if Hinata encounters danger on this path, Hiruzen Sarutobi must protect her.

Hinata is one of the seedlings protected by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hinata is the eldest daughter of the Hyuga clan.

Hinata's Byakugan can be acquired by enemies.

Hinata's thinking transcended that of most people in the ninja world, enabling her to continue guiding Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Regardless of the circumstances, Hiruzen Sarutobi needs to protect someone named Hinata Hyuga.

"However, if we really encounter danger, perhaps Grandpa Hokage won't have to worry about me, you see~~"

As if sensing Hiruzen Sarutobi's thoughts, the ten-year-old Hyuga girl took out a specially made knife from her ninja tool bag and waved it in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi.

This is!

The blade was entirely black, no bigger than a palm, and looked like nothing more than an unusual ninja tool. However, the mark on the tsuba, which was almost integrated with the blade, caught Hiruzen Sarutobi's eye.

The ring, resembling the sun, and the mark, like the radiance of the sun, combine to form a unique pattern resembling the sun.

Flying Thunder God Mark!

There was nothing that could stop her...

A look of astonishment flashed across Hiruzen Sarutobi's somewhat cloudy eyes.

"When did you complete this technique?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke with some difficulty.

If Hinata acts too dangerously, he can easily use a hardline approach to confine her to the Hyuga clan, keeping her by his side to prevent her from doing anything out of line.

However, the Flying Thunder God Technique completely eliminated this option.

"Last year~~~"