Will of embers

Chapter 11

'Uugh, my head is splitting apart,' It felt even more painful than Hiruzen imagined splitting his head would feel. At least then, it would be a quick death, and he wouldn't have to remember what he did yesterday. He was so embarrassed that he acted that way that he didn't want to meet anyone for the rest of his life.

"Sensei, you still alive?" Of course, Jiraiya had no reservations about intruding into Hiruzen's space. "I thought that you would surely die from alcohol poisoning."

His words didn't match his expression. Grinning from one ear to another, Jiraiya took a seat before Hiruzen. If Hiruzen didn't already have a massive headache, he might have said something, but decided to keep quiet. He didn't want to get involved in an argument with Jiraiya as he felt he would rather jump out of the window.

"How are you, sensei?" When Tsunade came in, at least she looked worried. "I prepared you some mix of herbs to help you."

Hiruzen's opinion of Tsunade rose a hundred points at this moment. He tried not to smell the mixture, as the last thing he wanted was to upset his stomach. At least he wanted to have some dignity left. He had already made a fool of himself and didn't want to fall into the even deeper pits of hell. So, hoping that Tsunade's expertise would save him, Hiruzen drank the mixture in one go.

"What have you done?" Hiruzen looked at Tsunade, betrayal evident in his eyes. "Why?"

The mixture was more than vile. It left traces from his lips to his stomach; the gooey texture almost made him throw up. Then the smell rose to his nose, and he couldn't ignore it. The strong, earthy aroma was horrible, and it took all his self-control not to gag at it. Somehow, Hiruzen's stomach was strong enough to handle it. Otherwise, he might have thought that it would be the end.

"Don't exaggerate; it was only a few herbs mixed with hot water; it should let you digest the alcohol in your body better."

Even if that were true, Hiruzen would rather die from poisoning than have this again. Jiraiya seemed to enjoy Hiruzen's pain, as he wouldn't stop grinning. Hiruzen knew that it was a mistake to get drunk after he had a few bottles. But he never expected the results to be like this, especially of what he had done.

"Anyway, why did you drink so much last night?" Jiraiya asked, for the first time looking concerned. "I've never seen you drunk before."

"Even I have moments when only a drink can comfort me," Hiruzen replied the best way he could think of, and he couldn't think too much with his condition.

"I have to say, I didn't think that it was humanly possible to drink this much in one night," Tsunade commented, looking at Hiruzen with surprise and admiration. "I would love to see how your body can handle this much."

'Me too,' Hiruzen had no plan to drink this much ever again. He thought that, like any normal person, he would get drunk enough after a few bottles. All he wanted was to test the drunken fist taijutsu. But all Hiruzen managed to confirm was that it would take way too long for him to get drunk enough to use it. Making it the most useless skill he had now.

Due to the amount he had drunk, he also had to go to the bathroom every 15 minutes, so he couldn't even sleep it off. The problem was that it was his only taijutsu skill, and he had no idea how to fight. He must delay all his other training and focus on his shadow clones learning taijutsu. It should be manageable to hide from others; at least, he must learn to throw a punch and block or dodge one.

"Where is Kakashi?" Hiruzen asked as he was feeling tired of his two students.

"I am here, Hokage-sama," Again with that appearing from nowhere. Why can't people be here and not hide their presence in the shadows? Hiruzen was getting angry at this repeating thing.

"What is today's agenda?" The sooner he dealt with everything he had to deal with, the sooner he could get some sleep.

"The final exams for the Academy will commence soon; the teachers asked for your presence today to motivate the students," Kakashi informed Hiruzen, giving him another headache at the same time. "Should I inform you that you won't be able to attend?"

"No," If he were anyone else, he would have told them to fuck off. But he was the Third Hokage. No matter what, he couldn't neglect his responsibilities, especially for the younger generation. He probably already got people's suspicion after the stunt he pulled off last night. If he doesn't preach the Will of the Fire for the new shinobi, Yamanaka will be in his head before Hiruzen realizes it. "Inform them that I will come to the Academy at noon."

"Understood," Kakashi nodded before leaving the office.

"Ding!!! Hidden Quest completed. Congratulations host. You have defeated an elite member of the Root organization, proving your values and strength. Ding!!!"

'Arrgh!' The moment Hiruzen was about to stand up, the loud ringing in his head stopped all his motions. He felt like someone had pierced his head with an ice pick. It was so painful that he couldn't even scream and only let out a grunt. Jiraiya let out a snicker as he heard the grunt but quickly shut up and left when he saw Hiruzen's bloodshot eyes stare at him.

"Don't push yourself too much, old man," Tsunade said before following Jiraiya.

"Ding!!! For completing the hidden quest, you have received a fuinjutsu skill: explosive tag. Ding!!!"

The skill wasn't worth all the pain the system gave him by announcing it. Still, he guessed, it wouldn't be bad if he made a bunch of explosive tags and had them in ready for use. He didn't know how powerful they were, but they weren't useless. Having more skills under his arsenal would always help in the future.

Either way, he had only three hours until noon. He needed to have a long shower and change clothes, as he didn't want to come to the academy smelling of booze. At least Kakashi cleaned up his office. Hiruzen would have probably left it be, as he wasn't motivated to clean anything. After gathering his thoughts and strength, Hiruzen finally stood up from his chair and walked home.

…

Whatever Tsunade gave him, Hiruzen felt much better after a few hours. The cold shower helped, too, and his headache was soon gone. Still, Hiruzen shouldn't ever underestimate his body again. Even now, when he looked in the mirror, he admired how ripped he was. For his small stature, he had quite a bit of strength.

The problem was that Hiruzen had no idea how to use that strength. And he couldn't ask anyone to be his sparing companion unless he wanted to show how weak and unskilled he was. The best he could do now was to use his shadow clones to fight each other. Hopefully, with time, he will get more used to his body and be able to use skills as he wishes.

But for now, he has to concentrate on his task. Even if it wasn't a quest, he needed to act like the Third Hokage and inspire those idiots who want to become shinobi. Dressed in his white cloak, Hiruzen entered the academy. The teachers and the students were waiting for him. Looking at their expecting faces, Hiruzen started to feel nervous. But he had to do this.

"Hokage-sama, welcome to the academy," One of the teachers practically had his head on the ground of how much she was bowing her head.

"Please relax," Hiruzen said in the kindest voice he could. "You are embarrassing me before the bright students and future shinobi."

"Of course, Hokage-sama, my apologies," Sometimes it was hard to deal with people bowing before him everywhere he went.

'Let's just get over with this,' Hiruzen only had to say a few vague words, and the children could take it as they wished. It wasn't his job to educate them, and by the time they grow up to be great shinobi, he will hopefully live a peaceful retired life. Whoever it will that becomes the next Hokage by then, can worry about the future.

Hiruzen thought he would only meet the graduating class today, but he seemed to be mistaken. He was led into an auditorium full of children. Some looked no older than six, and others looked to be about ten or twelve years old. There were dozens of them, probably reaching the number of a hundred.

As much as he didn't like all of their eyes on him, staring at him, expecting something great, like he was about to show them a magic show. Hiruzen was quickly forced to get used to public speeches. Nothing could be as scary as giving a speech at a mass funeral. They were just children; what was the worst they could do?

"Why are your steps so loud? Shouldn't Shinobi be silent?"

'Well, I am not a shinobi. I never was trained to be a shinobi, and I am walking normally like every normal person would walk.' Of course, Hiruzen said nothing as he looked at the kid who asked him so innocently. He had never been questioned because of how he walked before, so it surprised him. The speech he had prepared to give was now forgotten as he tried to think of a suitable answer.

…

Shisui Uchiha, was a genius. Or at least that's what others called him. At eight years old, he was considered to be the best the academy had this year. He didn't take these words to heart, though, as he knew one genius who surpassed him in everything and was four years younger than him.

So, saying he was a genius didn't give him much confidence. When there was someone like Itachi in his clan and even outside of the clan, there were people more deserving to be called genius. Like Kakashi, who became a chunin at age six. Or even shinobi without clans, like Minato Namikaze, who was the youngest Hokage in history.

Lastly, there is probably the most respected shinobi in the world: Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage. This man has fought in all three shinobi wars, done countless missions, fought countless dangerous shinobi, and survived. Even the Uchiha clan, which was proud of its strength and achievements, showed nothing but respect for the Third Hokage.

That is why Shisui was excited to see the man in person. Sure, he had seen the Hokage multiple times, but never so close. And that's why he was a bit disappointed. He didn't look anything like a legendary shinobi. He was short, his eyes unfocused, and even his steps were loud like he wasn't even trying anymore.

"Why are your steps so loud? Shouldn't Shinobi be silent?" Shisui knew he shouldn't have asked that, but he was so surprised by the Third's appearance that he just blurted it out. Now everyone was staring at him, and the Hokage looked at him, too. The teachers seemed ready to reprimand him, too. But then, the Third broke the silence with a chuckle.

"You are right; a shinobi should be silent like a falling leaf," The Hokage answered, seemingly amused by the question. "The shinobi should not be heard nor seen for they live in the shadows. But young man, in whose shadow do you think the shinobi live?" Shisui didn't have an answer and he waited for the Third to tell him. "They live in my shadow."

Those last words gave Shisui chills. Hokage didn't raise his voice, nor did he lower it. He kept it a calm and even tone, but somehow, as his eyes met the Third's, he felt like a giant was looking down on him. Like the sun was glaring at him. He couldn't breathe, nor could he move. But it wasn't fear that bound him so much. It was respect. At this moment, Shisui felt more respect for the Third than he did for his clan's head.

"I am not a simple shinobi. I am Hokage of Konohagakure. I do not need to hide. No, rather, my presence needs to be shown, no matter where I am. Because my duty is to protect the village. And the village is you: the children who are studying hard to become shinobi who would serve the village, the shinobi who are ready to give their everything to protect your friends and home."

Shisui wasn't the only one who looked up at the Hokage. Every child, even the most boisterous and ignorant, didn't dare to let out a sound as they listened to the Hokage. Every notion that the Third wasn't something special disappeared with his first words. Somehow, he had a presence that overshadowed everyone else. He possessed a shadow that covered everyone else, a pinnacle of shinobi.

"Unlike you, I never attended an academy. I wasn't taught as you are today. When I was your age, I was expected to be able to fight, to kill, and to die. So, I am a bit envious of you—the teachers who are putting their hearts into teaching you, and you who would rather do anything else rather than listen to their boring lessons."

'So cool!' Shisui, like everyone else, chuckled at the Third's comment. He spoke so normally now and felt so approachable. It was impressive that he could control the atmosphere around him so easily. Shisui couldn't think of anyone else but the Third who could do so. Just imagining the clan's head speaking to him made him cringe. The children would probably try not to cry under his stare.

"The academy is to teach you the basics. Some of you might be more talented than others, but every single one of you is an important part of the village. As long as you do your best and try to surpass your past self rather than your classmates, you will accomplish amazing things. But never forget that if you need help, you should ask for it. Would it be from your teachers or your classmates. After all, soon, you will become comrades, watching each other's backs. And I am sure that the next Hokage is listening to me now. To them, I only have one thing to say. The paperwork is your worst enemy."

And just like that, the Third Hokage left the podium. It was a short speech, but it was more than Shisui could have ever asked for. He now realized how much he was lacking. He thought that the academy couldn't teach him anything anymore. But he understood that he wasn't giving his all. He could have helped his classmates who were slower to understand things, he could have helped them train if they were lacking at anything.

All he was thinking was about himself. How could he be so selfish? Of course, it wasn't that simple. The teachers were already overworked dealing with all of them; how could he think that he needed more from them? The academy was a team, and they should have helped each other. For the first time, Shisui knew what his goal was.

He would help those who needed help. He would protect those who are weaker. He will be a Hokage like the Third. A shadow that shields everyone else.

A.N. As always, If you want more, up to seven advanced chapters, you can support me on pa treon. com \ ironwolf852. And if you have any requests for stories, I will only take them on my pa treon.