The Hokage Tower.
Inside the Hokage’s office, thick smoke drifted through the room, giving it the appearance of being shrouded in mist.
Seated behind his desk, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, silently reviewed Naruto Uzumaki’s file.
It contained everything.
Surveillance reports.
Behavioral records.
Psychological evaluations.
Combat assessments.
And under Interpersonal Relationships...
A single word had remained unchanged for the past two years.
None.
After carefully reading every page, Hiruzen closed the file and slowly exhaled a stream of smoke.
Setting his pipe aside, he rested his elbows on the desk, folded his hands beneath his chin, and sank into thought.
Tonight...
The Nine-Tails’ chakra had leaked through the seal.
Although his inspection confirmed there was no serious damage...
The incident had sounded an alarm.
This time...
They had discovered it early.
Naruto hadn’t been influenced by the Nine-Tails’ malevolent chakra or lost control.
But...
That didn’t guarantee they would be so fortunate next time.
Nothing had happened during the past three years.
Had tonight’s incident been caused by the Nine-Tails deliberately attacking the seal?
If so...
Would it try again after failing this time?
He couldn’t afford to ignore that possibility.
Moreover...
The ANBU assigned to monitor Naruto were only Chūnin and Special Jōnin.
If the Nine-Tails attacked the seal again...
If Naruto lost control and the Jinchūriki rampaged...
Those guards wouldn’t be able to stop him.
According to every psychological evaluation...
Naruto’s mental state had never been considered healthy.
Cold.
Withdrawn.
Emotionally isolated.
People with personalities like that were far more vulnerable to negative emotions.
And the darker a person’s heart became...
The easier it was for the Nine-Tails’ chakra to influence them.
That was one of the primary reasons Hiruzen refused to teach Naruto ninjutsu at such a young age.
Training chakra strengthened one’s spiritual energy.
Once Naruto’s mind became strong enough...
His consciousness would naturally be able to enter the sealed space within the Eight Trigrams Seal.
If Kurama ever tempted him...
Or corrupted his mind...
The consequences would be unimaginable.
With that thought, Hiruzen opened a drawer and removed two additional dossiers.
He placed them on the desk.
For a long time...
He hesitated.
The only known powers capable of suppressing a rampaging Jinchūriki were Wood Release...
And the Sharingan.
Wood Release had disappeared with the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
As for the Sharingan...
The Uchiha Clan had never been fully trusted by Konoha’s leadership.
The only Uchiha Hiruzen truly trusted was Shisui Uchiha, the descendant of Kagami Uchiha.
Aside from him...
There was one more shinobi in Konoha who possessed a Sharingan.
Kakashi Hatake.
The two dossiers on Hiruzen’s desk belonged to Shisui Uchiha...
And Kakashi Hatake.
Both were extraordinary prodigies.
Both had already reached the rank of Jōnin.
Both could complete S-rank missions independently.
In every hidden village...
A Jōnin was one of its greatest military assets.
In smaller villages...
A single Jōnin could even serve as the village leader.
Naruto’s situation wasn’t especially dangerous yet.
Assigning someone of that caliber to monitor him...
Seemed like a waste.
"Haa..."
Hiruzen picked up his pipe again, took a slow puff, and released another cloud of smoke.
Finally...
He put both dossiers away.
He had made his decision.
"Someone."
An ANBU operative immediately emerged from the shadows and knelt on one knee.
"Lord Hokage."
"Notify Jōnin Kakashi."
"Tell him to report here."
"Yes."
Compared to Shisui—who still belonged to the Uchiha Clan—
Hiruzen trusted Minato’s former student...
The lone wolf with no clan ties...
Far more.
...
A short while later...
"Lord Hokage."
Kakashi Hatake knelt respectfully inside the Hokage’s office.
Hiruzen nodded.
"Kakashi."
"I have an important mission for you."
"What mission, Lord Hokage?"
Kakashi’s half-lidded eye remained as lifeless as ever.
"Naruto’s seal weakened tonight."
"A small amount of the Nine-Tails’ chakra leaked out."
"Fortunately, nothing happened."
"But to prepare for the worst..."
"I want you to secretly protect Naruto."
"If the Nine-Tails’ chakra leaks out again..."
"If the Jinchūriki loses control..."
"You are to stop it."
Naruto...
Sensei’s son...
Kakashi remained silent for several moments before speaking.
"Wouldn’t the Sealing Team be more appropriate?"
Hiruzen’s gaze shifted toward the Sharingan concealed beneath Kakashi’s forehead protector.
"The Sealing Team can only reinforce the seal after the Jinchūriki has already been subdued."
"They lack the strength to suppress the Jinchūriki themselves."
In other words...
The Sealing Team wasn’t powerful enough.
Unless someone else restrained the Jinchūriki first...
Sending them in would only get them killed.
Kakashi understood immediately.
The Third Hokage wasn’t interested in him.
He wanted...
His Sharingan.
"I only have one Sharingan."
"I’m not sure how much help it’ll be."
"It doesn’t matter."
Hiruzen shook his head.
"Naruto’s condition isn’t severe."
"My concern is simply that the Nine-Tails may attempt another assault on the seal."
"We must prepare in advance."
"Kakashi..."
"I’m entrusting Naruto to you."
Although the Sharingan was famous for controlling Tailed Beasts...
Only two people in recorded history had truly accomplished that feat.
Madara Uchiha.
And the mysterious masked man responsible for the Night of the Nine-Tails.
Hiruzen never expected Kakashi to control Kurama.
He only hoped Kakashi could interrupt the Nine-Tails’ influence long enough for Naruto to regain control.
Once Kurama’s chakra stopped affecting him...
The Jinchūriki would naturally recover.
Furthermore...
Advanced sealing techniques possessed a limited ability to repair themselves.
Even if Kurama attempted to interfere again...
He would first have to weaken the seal all over again.
That brief window...
Would give Konoha enough time to respond.
"How long?"
Kakashi accepted the mission.
But Naruto was only three years old.
He couldn’t guard him forever.
Hiruzen thought for a moment.
"Until we find someone more suitable."
"..."
Kakashi frowned.
He clearly wasn’t satisfied with that answer.
Realizing his request was unreasonable, Hiruzen amended it.
"If there are no further chakra leaks within one year..."
"The mission will end automatically."
"...One year."
"Understood."
...
Meanwhile...
Inside the sealing space...
Minato wrote furiously.
One advanced ninjutsu after another filled an ordinary notebook worth only a few ryō.
If another shinobi saw it...
They would probably faint from shock.
To most ninja...
High-level techniques were priceless family treasures.
Yet Minato didn’t care.
He had only one thought.
When Naruto woke up tomorrow...
He wanted to give his son a birthday present that truly meant something.
Certainly not...
A single kunai.
Suddenly...
Minato’s pen came to a halt.
Thanks to Kurama’s chakra replacing his own consumption...
He could afford to keep his sensory abilities active at all times.
At that moment...
A familiar chakra signature entered the area around Naruto’s apartment.
Kakashi?
The Sharingan...
After a moment’s thought...
Minato quickly understood Hiruzen’s arrangement.
...So it’s Kakashi.
Then another thought crossed his mind.
He hasn’t visited Naruto even once...
A bitter smile appeared on Minato’s face.
Forget it.
That child has already suffered enough.
He remembered Kakashi’s own childhood.
His father had taken his own life after enduring endless criticism from the village.
The accusations and ridicule had left deep emotional scars.
Kakashi had closed off his heart.
Even after graduating from the Academy at the age of five...
He struggled to connect with his teammates.
Only after joining Minato’s squad did he gradually begin to open up.
Then...
Obito Uchiha died protecting him.
Before his death...
Kakashi had promised to protect Rin Nohara.
But he failed.
In the end...
Rin chose to throw herself onto his Lightning Blade.
Minato had always blamed himself for the deaths of both Obito and Rin.
And in the end...
He and Kushina died as well.
Slowly shaking his head, Minato pushed those painful memories aside.
Then he picked up his pen once more...
And continued writing.