Chapter 791: Oh, My Sarutobi Hiruzen!
Approaching nine o’clock in the morning,
The preliminary exam was about to begin. Outside the arena, eight long lines of participants had already formed, and everyone waited eagerly.
Suddenly, a small commotion broke out on the right side of the crowd.
"They’re here!"
"It’s Uchiha Kagami-sama!"
"He’s so handsome, I want to have his child!"
"Kagami-sama, look at me!"
"Unbelievable! Kagami-sama looked at me... I... I can die in peace now..."
Amidst a chorus of hysterical, irrational cries, Kagami and his group of four approached from a distance, instantly triggering a frenzy among his many fans.
Well, what could be done?
Uchiha ninja were, by nature, born with strikingly handsome and beautiful features—so captivating that they could charm Hokage after Hokage, making them truly extraordinary.
Add to that Kagami’s recent heroic deeds—he was trusted by the Second Hokage and placed in charge of tournament security—and his status was undeniable.
In terms of appearance, strength, reputation, and public image, he had reached the peak.
Naturally, he had become the idol of the younger generation—even the Third Hokage couldn’t quite compete.
Hiruzen was more respected among middle-aged and older villagers, since he came from the Sarutobi clan, which was more widely accepted across all clans.
But among the youth, Kagami was far more popular.
The principle of "beauty is justice" applied even in the ninja world. Compared to Kagami’s looks, even a Hokage like Hiruzen ultimately fell short.
Just like Sasuke in the future, who as a young boy could already charm every girl at the ninja academy.
And that was after the Kyuubi’s rebellion, when the entire village distrusted and resented the Uchiha.
Now, the Uchiha clan had committed no crimes. In fact, they were original founding shareholders of the village, so they were naturally held in higher esteem.
One could say this "justice of beauty" was truly remarkable.
It was a shame the traditionalist Uchiha didn’t know how to play the game. If they leveraged their appearance advantage, they could’ve launched a few ninja celebrities to dominate public opinion throughout the village.
So why go through the trouble of forming the Military Police Force?
"Kagami, you’ve really become popular lately!"
Akimichi Torifu nudged Kagami beside him, unable to resist teasing him. He himself deeply wished to be that popular.
"Yeah! Look, so many girls declaring their love for you. What exactly have you done to attract so many girls like this?"
Young Koharu moved closer, slung her arm over Kagami’s shoulder, and grinned mischievously.
"Nothing. I’ve just done what I was supposed to do."
"Kagami, do you already have a girl you like?" Homura pushed up his glasses and asked bluntly.
"No, I don’t plan on that. My goal is self-improvement and helping Sensei protect the village."
Kagami answered firmly.
Love would only slow down the speed of his blade!
Koharu’s expression dimmed slightly at that, but she quickly smiled again and continued teasing:
"Really? I heard Hiruzen’s been getting really close to Biwako lately. Have they already done ’it’? You must know, right?"
Torifu perked up his ears, and even Homura unconsciously took two steps closer.
"That’s Hiruzen’s private matter. I can’t just go around talking about it..."
Kagami declined. He wasn’t a gossip.
"Just give us a little hint! Hiruzen’s nowhere to be seen right now—you must know what he was doing last night, right?"
"Well, last night he..."
At that exact moment, a small commotion erupted on the other side of the crowd.
It turned out to be the Third Hokage and Biwako, walking hand-in-hand toward them, clearly deeply affectionate.
Biwako’s youthful face was flushed, her aura soft and fresh, as if she had just been kissed by morning dew.
Hiruzen, though visibly excited, walked with slightly unsteady steps, his eyes weary—as if he had fought an intense battle all night long.
"Kagami! Koharu! You’re already here?"
Hiruzen greeted them cheerfully.
"Whoa! You two..."
Koharu covered her mouth in shock. Though she’d never experienced it herself, she knew exactly what kind of thing this was.
Seeing the intimacy between Hiruzen and Biwako, it was clear they had crossed the final boundary and become a couple.
"Hehe, you figured it out?"
Hiruzen laughed sheepishly, while the embarrassed Biwako hid behind him.
"Hiruzen, you moved fast!"
"Hiruzen, congratulations!"
"Congratulations to you both!"
Torifu, Homura, and Kagami offered their warmest wishes. Seeing their friend succeed in love, of course it was worth celebrating.
After the flustered Biwako thanked them one by one, she ran off to buy breakfast for everyone.
Leaving Hiruzen standing alone, grinning foolishly—clearly still floating in the bliss of love.
"Snap out of it! The preliminary exam is starting. Time to get in line."
Homura snapped Hiruzen back to reality and dragged him toward the queue.
Even though they all had enough authority to skip the preliminaries, for the sake of fairness, they still had to participate to avoid criticism.
"Alright."
"You guys go ahead. I won’t be joining the line."
Torifu patted his round belly and waved goodbye.
"Huh? Torifu, you’re not joining the ninja championship?"
"My father didn’t allow me to seek attention. Besides, I don’t really want to participate. I know I can’t beat any of you. Better to just enjoy some good food."
Torifu smiled cheerfully, completely unbothered.
He truly lacked strong ambition to compete. And even if he achieved a high rank, it wouldn’t bring much benefit to the Akimichi clan—instead, it might make them a target for other ninja clans.
The fact that the Akimichi clan survived from the founding of Konoha all the way to the Eighth Hokage era proved they possessed their own unique wisdom.
"Alright then."
"Don’t worry—I’ll cheer for all of you from the spectator stands!"
"Well then, in the final, who will you cheer for—Hiruzen or Kagami? They’re both favorites to win. They’ll definitely make it to the finals, right?"
Koharu pinched Torifu’s round cheeks, deliberately teasing him.
Kagami and Hiruzen were indeed the top favorites to win the championship.
Especially Kagami, whose star was rapidly rising.
Rumor had it that many Uchiha elders had even emptied their life savings to bet on Kagami.
They hoped he would win the tournament, obtain the powerful Rinnegan, and allow the Uchiha clan to fully rise from under the oppressive rule of the wicked Tobirama!
"Can’t I cheer for both?"
"Honestly, who do you favor more?"
"Of course Kagami!"
"Huh? Why? If you can’t give a good reason, I’ll call Hiruzen to beat you up!"
"I used to support both, but who told Hiruzen to show up in such poor condition?"
"What poor condition?"
"He fought all night long! Hiruzen’s condition can’t possibly be as good as Kagami’s!"
"True! That makes sense—hahaha!"
Hiruzen’s face turned red with embarrassment. He scratched his head and laughed awkwardly.
They all teased and laughed together, the atmosphere full of joy.
As Hiruzen and the others stood in line, joking and chatting...
On the far left, in another distant queue, a group of Sunagakure ninja participants were also lining up for the preliminary exam.
"Is that the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen? And next to him—isn’t that Uchiha Kagami I saw before?"
Chiyo nudged Danzō behind her, gazing at Hiruzen and the others from afar and asking quietly.
"That’s them!"
Danzō, wearing a human-skin mask and disguised as a Sunagakure ninja, couldn’t help but look their way. As he saw Hiruzen, Kagami, and his old friends, his heart trembled, overwhelmed by a storm of mixed emotions.
The bitterness and sorrow he’d bottled up during his years as a spy nearly erupted.
Yet, he was patient enough to suppress it.
"They’re really popular!"
Chiyo sighed softly. Compared to the adoring crowd surrounding Hokage Hiruzen and his friends, she, a Kage herself, felt so lonely.
Hardly anyone paid her any attention.
Even though this was Konoha’s home ground, it shouldn’t be this bad.
In the past, when a Kage visited, they’d at least be welcomed like a daimyō—not treated so casually like this.
One could say that after the destruction of Kumogakure, Kirigakure, and Iwagakure, the title of Kage no longer held the same value.
Still, seeing even the honored Hokage standing in line gave Chiyo a small sense of relief.
"Yeah, they’re very popular."
Danzō agreed, his tone slightly bitter. Deep down, he too longed for the fame and honor that Hiruzen and Kagami now enjoyed.
"Oh, by the way—who was that female ninja who hugged Hiruzen earlier? Is she his wife?"
Chiyo asked curiously.
"U-um, I don’t know either."
Danzō hesitated. He had seen Biwako before, but not closely. He wasn’t familiar with the recent changes in Konoha.
"If she’s not his wife, then she must be his girlfriend, right? Showing such affection in public—so shameless!"
Chiyo muttered angrily, annoyed.
She had come to this ninja championship with a do-or-die determination, ready to give her life.
Yet Konoha seemed so relaxed and joyful, like they were on a picnic. Of course, she felt indignant.
(My Hiruzen... when did this happen...?)
Danzō glanced again at the affectionate interaction between Hiruzen and Biwako, and his fury flared.
(I’ve been risking my life as a spy in Sunagakure, while you, Hiruzen, you bastard, are secretly dating behind my back!)
(Is this fair?)
(And why the hell did you get a girlfriend before me?!)
Danzō refused to accept it!
"What did you say?"
Chiyo was startled and asked Danzō oddly.
"I said—I’m joining the tournament too! I’ll definitely eliminate that lovey-dovey couple... No, I’ll help you remove more threatening opponents!"
Danzō gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and swore—determined to enter the tournament personally.