Naruto: The Hidden Shadow Style

Because the Third Hokage was about to participate in a series of politically symbolic events, all held in relatively secure locations within the heart of the Land of Fire, his guard unit during these events wasn't entirely composed based on strength and protective capabilities… The composition of this escort team also carried strong symbolic significance.

If even the Hokage himself was nothing more than a figurehead, then naturally those around him were no different.

Later on, when Haseo learned about the specific composition of this guard unit, he realized just how unnecessary his previous concerns had been… Including the Hokage himself, the entire escort team numbered sixteen people in total. The Hokage's "core unit" consisted of himself and his three disciples—Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade. Next came Haseo Squad, followed by a temporary team made up of two Uchiha and two Hyuga ninja, and finally a four-member Anbu squad.

Each of these teams clearly represented certain factions—they respectively symbolized the Hokage's direct lineage and successors, commoner-status ninja, Ninja Sect representatives, and currently the Hokage's most reliable force, the "Anbu."

Among them, the only truly dependable individuals who could be relied upon in any situation were actually just those four Anbu ninjas. The Uchiha and Hyuga clan ninja might be somewhat useful, but their absolute loyalty couldn't be guaranteed—especially the Uchiha. As for Haseo and others like Jiraiya, they were merely filling seats.

Haseo Squad was clearly a squad composed entirely of ninja from non-clan backgrounds… Although Nagisa Nara belonged to the Nara clan, at this time the Nara clan didn't yet hold the status it would later enjoy within Konoha. They were somewhat awkwardly positioned—in comparison to true commoners, they could be considered part of the Ninja Sect, but compared against powerful sects such as the Uchiha or Hyuga, they were treated as commoner-ninjas themselves… Because Haseo had previously displayed remarkable performance on the battlefield, he gained a bit of reputation. Therefore, he and his squad joined the Hokage's guard unit as representatives of commoner-status ninja. It was a sensible decision—it served to demonstrate that the newly appointed Hokage valued this particular segment of Konoha's social structure.

Of course, this probably also included some degree of recommendation from Sansho-sensei.

Therefore, although for a brief moment Haseo had mistakenly believed that the Hokage genuinely wanted them to serve as actual bodyguards, that was nothing more than an illusion.

He had a general understanding of the Hokage's upcoming plans, so naturally he had no objection toward this mission—after all, working directly alongside the Hokage would greatly broaden his own experiences, which certainly wasn't a bad thing.

After finishing the serious discussion, the Third Hokage shifted back to personal matters with Haseo, saying, "By the way, earlier you gave Jiraiya some advice, trying to persuade him not to act too recklessly on the battlefield? That was commendable, however… I'd like to know exactly what ideas were going through your mind at that time. Could you explain in more detail?"

"The Hokage closely monitors the mental states of his disciples, always vigilant against any foreign ideological influence... although such caution is entirely unnecessary, considering his three students were exactly the type to corrupt others rather than be corrupted themselves. Still, a teacher's concern must ultimately be understood and respected."

"Huh?"

Haseo was taken aback by the Hokage's words. How did he know about that half-baked "Doctrine of Balance" Haseo had explained to Jiraiya? And it seemed like the Hokage actually took the matter seriously?

That wasn't good. If the Hokage believed Haseo held views different from Konoha's ideology, that would truly become a dangerous situation.

"Third Hokage, I was only joking with Jiraiya."

"Is that so? I actually found your idea quite interesting. Ninja are extreme warriors, and having them possess more balanced thinking might not necessarily be a bad thing," the Hokage continued, yet his tone carried no warmth whatsoever.

At this moment, Haseo finally realized he needed to say something more. He inhaled deeply and explained: "Let me put it this way—eventually, there will come someone who leads a dramatic transformation of the world, just like the First Hokage twenty years ago. He will succeed. Yet long before him, countless other would-be reformers will fall into failure and death. That much is obvious to everyone. But what many overlook is that even before the reformers meet their deaths—which is already terrifying—there are always others who perish first: the thinkers who inspire change. Often, their ideas live on, but they themselves die quickly."

"Third, I value my life highly. Do you really think I'd entertain unnecessary ideas?"

Change will inevitably happen eventually. Thinkers guide reformers, and reformers renew the world, but all of these were things Haseo had no interest in participating in.

Ninja aren't meant to have extra thoughts—it's not about whether they're capable of it, but whether they're allowed to. At present, Konoha doesn't need any changes, so any kind of thought—whether beneficial or harmful—is merely noise disrupting the stable order. Clearly, Haseo has no intention of being that kind of disruptive element—or giving the Hokage any reason to suspect he might be.

The Third Hokage studied Haseo in silence. It was clear—the boy, for now, possessed a complete personal philosophy about dealing with the world, complex and uniquely his own. Just as he had said earlier, ordinary ninja would never reach such depths of reflection.

Sarutobi felt he hadn't said much at all, yet Haseo had already seen through to the darkest implication beneath his words—an ideological threat. And Haseo had no desire to become one.

"That's why you were chosen by the Second Hokage in the end," Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but think inwardly. Whether he was cunning or not aside, Haseo was at least a deep-thinking person who never voluntarily revealed his inner thoughts.

But since the Hokage had gone that far, Haseo figured it was only fair to be a little open in return. "Moreover, my thoughts aren't really that important—whether I want to become the Hokage, help Konoha conquer the Ninjutsu World, or have some hidden agenda to undermine Konoha from within… These thoughts don't really matter in the end."

Haseo was an outsider to Konoha anyway—there was no way he could become Hokage. And with his current power, how could he even dream of turning against Konoha? So Haseo believed that compared to ability, "thoughts" weren't crucial.

However, for rulers like the "Hokage," while ordinary ninja ideally shouldn't have their own ideas, this was simply impossible. Everyone would inevitably have their own thoughts, making it critical what those thoughts were.

"To put it bluntly then," said the Third Hokage, "Haseo, what exactly is Konoha to you?" This was the one thing he needed to get straight.

The Third Hokage didn't understand why Sansho valued Haseo so highly, so at the very least, he needed to ensure Haseo posed no threat to Konoha. It was a chain reaction: the Senju were gone now, yet Sansho's stance would accelerate the transfer of Senju's legacy toward Haseo. Despite Haseo seeing himself as just an average ninja, from the Hokage's perspective, his power would inevitably grow someday.

This growth must benefit Konoha… or at the very least, do no harm.

Haseo smiled slightly—so the Hokage still paid attention to this issue after all.

His tone turned solemn. "Konoha… means absolutely nothing to me."

"Absolutely nothing?"

"Yeah, absolutely nothing. But… in this world, this might be the only place where I can find a foothold."

What Haseo said came off as cold—but it was honest.

Compared to hearing words like "spill his blood for Konoha," the Hokage naturally preferred believing what Haseo spoke now, considering it convincing enough.

After all, as long as someone is human, they will always consider things primarily from their own perspective. Therefore, while people may request others to be great, they cannot demand others to be selfless. Self-interest—that's what people truly stick to in the end.

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