Starting with the troublemakers of Konoha, the pressure extends throughout the entire ninja world.

During the last class in the morning.

A commotion arose in the corridor.

Junji Ito strode in.

Even his expression was three levels more serious than usual.

"Everyone stand up! The Third Hokage has arrived!"

The classroom erupted in chaos.

The little devils scrambled to their feet.

Minato Namikaze's eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, while Shikaku Nara rarely opened his eyes.

Yuta Akiyama stood up straight, as if he was about to rush forward to pledge his loyalty.

Qingyu stood up as well, somewhat surprised.

In the original work, Hiruzen Sarutobi only started going to the school frequently after he got old, constantly trying to make his presence known.

He's in his prime now, and he actually came too.

However, old age is about seeking a sense of existence.

Finding promising young talents in one's prime is one of two things.

The door opened, and Hiruzen Sarutobi walked in.

Hokage robes, straw hats, pipes, smoke rising slowly in the sunlight.

He exuded a calm and composed demeanor, as if he were "at the peak of his life".

Hello, students.

"Greetings, Hokage!"

His gaze swept across the entire class, lingering for a moment on Minato Namikaze.

It paused for a moment on Nara Shikaku before finally landing in the back row.

"Qingyu, I have personally read your essay."

Minato Namikaze turned to look at Aoba, his gaze complex.

Yuta Akiyama's eyes widened, his face clearly showing "Why?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately began his commentary.

"To save Konoha from peril when the army was defeated under the Second Hokage's misguided command."

"Well written, those were indeed difficult times."

"With the sudden passing of the Second Hokage, Konoha is leaderless."

"I was appointed to this critical mission, and I wasn't entirely confident in my abilities."

Qingyu listened expressionlessly, thinking only: "Let get out of class end soon."

"But later you wrote about the current prosperity of Konoha."

"Doors are left unlocked at night, and lost items are not picked up on the road; there is a vibrant and flourishing atmosphere where all things thrive."

"This is not only a review of the past, but also a look to the future."

Hiruzen Sarutobi became more and more engrossed in his speech.

The rhythm was exactly the same as the leader's speech in Qingyu's previous life:

It reviews history, comments on the present, and looks to the future, interspersed with self-praise and emotional sublimation.

He couldn't help but yawn.

After finishing, he realized the situation was inappropriate, so he quickly looked down and pretended to wipe his eyes, removing the water glistening from his yawn.

Hiruzen Sarutobi happened to be looking over.

From his perspective, Qingyu had her head down, rubbing the corner of her eye with her fingers, and her shoulders were trembling slightly.

He looked exactly like someone who was moved to tears.

"It's alright, child, you don't need to cry."

Qingyu's fingers froze.

"I felt the will of fire in your article."

"You are a good child, and your parents will be proud of you."

Qingyu was silent for a moment, then immediately reacted.

She suddenly looked up, her eyes slightly red, and jumped around in place, waving her arms.

[Detection indicates that the host is exerting mental stress on Hiruzen Sarutobi]

[Pressure value +25]

[Received: Three-Body Technique Proficiency Fragment x5]

【Three Bodies Technique (Rank E) Synthesis Progress: 25/60】

Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes showed even greater satisfaction.

Junji Ito's eyes also reddened, and he took off his glasses to wipe them.

"The Hokage is absolutely right..."

"Qingyu's reaction reflects the feelings of all of us teachers!"

He jumped up and down on the spot.

"Sarutobi Hokage!"

The other teachers chimed in, "The strongest Hokage!"

"You are like a father to me."

"We love and respect you!"

In an instant, the entire audience burst into tears.

The teachers cried, and the students cried along with them.

Even Yuta Akiyama wiped away tears with his sleeve, it's unclear whether he was genuinely moved or afraid of not fitting in.

Nara Shikaku watched all this expressionlessly, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Then he clapped his hands too, of course, because he was afraid of not fitting in.

Because it's too troublesome.

And it doesn't seem like others would use this as a pretext to make a fuss.

Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a long puff of smoke: "Alright, everyone, stop crying."

"You've really put me in a lot of trouble."

"I became Hokage so that the villagers of Konoha could live a good life, a life free from oppression and tears."

Qingyu immediately stopped crying.

It's not that I'm moved, it's that I really can't squeeze out any more words.

A hint of surprise flashed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes.

Orders must be obeyed without question.

He said to stop the child from crying, and the child stopped immediately.

They truly respected and loved him as the Hokage.

He silently made a judgment in his mind.

During this period, most of Konoha's geniuses came from ninja clans, and there were very few commoners among them.

But he prefers geniuses from humble backgrounds.

For no other reason than two words: loyalty!

The loyalty of a ninja genius lies first in his clan, then in his village.

Orphans from humble backgrounds have no family; Konoha is their only home.

The Hokage is the only patriarch.

With a little nurturing, such a person could become the most steadfast inheritor of the Will of Fire.

Qingyu's writing is good, but more importantly, it conveys a certain attitude.

Absolute agreement with the Third Generation and complete acceptance of the Will of Fire.

"The development and future of Konoha need talents like you."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped down from the podium and shook hands with each student.

When he shook hands with Minato Namikaze, he patted Minato on the shoulder and said, "Your performance in actual combat is very good. Keep up the good work."

Minato smiled broadly: "Thank you, Hokage-sama!"

When he shook hands with Nara Shikaku, he smiled and said, "The kids from the Nara family are all smart."

Shikaku nodded slightly upon hearing this.

When he grasped Qingyu's hand, he lingered on Qingyu's shoulder for an extra second.

"Azure Feather".

"Yes."

"Keep it up."

Four words, but they carry immense weight.

Qingyu bowed her head respectfully.

[Detection indicates that the host is exerting mental stress on Hiruzen Sarutobi]

[Pressure value +15]

[Obtained: Fire Release Chakra Nature Transformation Fragment ×3]

[Fire Release Chakra: Beginner (3/50)]

Sarutobi Hiruzen turned and left with satisfaction.

Even if Qingyu's talent is mediocre, he still wants to promote this child.

Let all the villagers of Konoha see that as long as they are loyal to Konoha and loyal to the Hokage, their future will naturally be bright.

It was this speech that planted a seed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart.

Aoba watched the Third Generation's figure disappear at the end of the corridor.

Then the respectful expression on his face gradually faded.

An office at the Ninja Academy.

Danzo Shimura stood by the window, taking in everything.

"A show."

Danzo Shimura's voice was full of disdain.

He went to the school to shake hands with orphans and delivered a moving speech.

It was nothing more than a carefully orchestrated political performance.

The purpose was nothing more than to win people's hearts and consolidate his position as Hokage.

However, he quite agreed with some of the things Qingyu said in his essay.

It's not that you become Hokage to be recognized, but rather that you become Hokage because you are recognized.

Danzo was in his prime at this time.

Moreover, he is a representative of Konoha's pure-blooded hawks.

Naturally, one can interpret this sentence in their own way.

Danzo tapped his finger on the windowsill.

To become Hokage, one must have prestige.

Where did Hiruzen Sarutobi get his prestige? He stole it from the four of them.

Back then, when they fought against the invaders who attacked Konoha, all four of them fought valiantly.

In the end, only Hiruzen Sarutobi became the strongest Hokage.

In Shimura Danzo's mind, Sarutobi Hiruzen was a complete thief!

They also saved Konoha from danger.

Why don't you explain how Konoha's crisis came about?

Of course, Danzo selectively ignored the fact that the Second Hokage originally intended to choose Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He was unwilling to admit that it was his momentary cowardice that caused him to miss out on becoming Hokage.

When the second generation was designating his successor, he hesitated for a moment, which allowed Hiruzen Sarutobi to get there first.

[Detected that the host is exerting indirect mental stress on "Shimura Danzo"]

[Pressure value +45]

[Obtained: Wind Release: Sky-Splitting Palm Fragment x4]

[Splitter Palm (Rank B) Synthesis Progress: 4/720]

[Wind Release Chakra: Beginner (12/90)]

In the classroom, Qingyu stared blankly at the pop-up system notification.

Danzo? I've never even met him, how come I'm putting pressure on Danzo?

Four B-rank Wind Release fragments fell in one go, putting a pressure value of 45 points, even more intense than Minato's attack.

After thinking for two seconds, I felt relieved.

It was probably because his essay was praised in public by the Third Hokage that it indirectly provoked a certain dark force hiding in the shadows of Konoha.

Danzo couldn't stand seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi in the limelight more than anything else in his life.

The happier the Third Hokage was, the more distressed Danzo became.

Remotely exploiting loopholes.

A sycophantic essay earned the Third Hokage's appreciation and increased Danzo's pressure level.

I also got the Three Body Technique proficiency and Wind Release fragments for free.

Blood earned!

[Current Overall Status]

【Three Bodies Technique (Rank E): 25/60】

Fire Release Chakra: Beginner (3/50)

[Wind Release Chakra: Beginner (12/90)]

【Sky-Splitting Palm (Rank B): 4/720】

The school bell rang.

Nonou walked over and asked quietly, "You...really cried in front of the Hokage today?"

Qingyu stuffed the textbook into her schoolbag without changing her expression: "Of course it's true."

Nonou's eyes were filled with suspicion.

She's destined to be known as a "walking witch."

Their control over emotions and their ability to make judgments are beyond the reach of ordinary people.

When a person loses control of their emotions and bursts into tears, their heart rate will increase.

According to her observation, Qingyu's heart rate was perfectly normal at the time, and she showed no signs of emotional agitation whatsoever.

If I had to put it into words, it was his jumping around that made his heart race a little.