The days flew by quickly.
Might Duy was finally being released from the hospital.
Sarutobi Ryo went to see him early in the morning, bringing a gift of fresh fruit.
At the hospital entrance, Might Duy stood tall and strong, looking completely recovered.
Unlike the original story, Might Duy was not as naturally gifted as Guy would be. Opening the Six Gates had taken a heavy toll on him, leaving him bedridden for a week.
But to protect his friends, Might Duy had ignored the risks and fought with all his might.
He had bravely faced and held off the Eight Tails Jinchuriki almost single-handedly.
Even though Hatake Sakumo had arrived and forced Ai to retreat, Might Duy's achievement was still remarkable.
Guy stood next to his father, his eyes shining with admiration.
Before, Guy had seen his father as a never-promoted Genin who always tried to stay positive, someone whose life was sad.
But after this mission, Guy's feelings for his father changed completely.
Might Duy had done something truly important for the village.
He had successfully retrieved a secret scroll, giving Konoha valuable information.
For example, they learned that Kumogakure was planning to create a "Space-Time Chakra Cannon" within the next twenty years. This weapon would fire at nearly the speed of light, with the goal of destroying the moon, which was over three thousand kilometers wide.
The other secrets in the scroll were just as alarming.
It was clear that Kumogakure was heavily investing in weapons and preparing for war.
Sarutobi Hiruzen seized this moment to suggest changes to the Chunin Exams.
The most important change: even those who weren't skilled in Ninjutsu could become Chunin.
Might Duy's brave act had silenced all opposition.
This Genin, who had been laughed at for so long, suddenly became famous and was the talk of the village.
Naturally, Might Duy was promoted to Chunin by the village leaders.
This was a big change for Konoha.
It meant recognizing people based on their abilities, not just following old rules.
Might Duy's promotion gave hope to others who dreamed of becoming Ninja or rising through the ranks.
And this would help his son, Guy, in the future.
With these changes, Guy would have a much easier path to becoming a Chunin himself.
"Senior Duy, congratulations on your release from the hospital," Sarutobi Ryo said, handing the fruit to Guy.
Might Duy looked grateful. "Young Master Ryo, I owe my promotion to you for arranging that last mission..."
That mission had added an important achievement to Might Duy's record.
The money he earned from it would support him for a long time.
"This is your reward for the mission."
Sarutobi Ryo also gave him an envelope.
Might Duy was surprised by how heavy it felt. He quickly checked inside and saw that the amount was more than he expected.
Sarutobi Ryo was clearly giving him extra support.
"Young Master Ryo, I can't accept this much..."
Might Duy started to refuse, waving his hand.
Sarutobi Ryo stopped him. "Guy trains hard in Body Art every day. A growing child needs good food and training equipment, right?"
"Uh..." Might Duy thought for a moment. He knew that Young Master Ryo was being kind, so he stopped refusing.
"I'll still need Senior Duy's help with tough missions in the future..."
Sarutobi Ryo smiled slightly, hinting at another reason.
Someone who could use the Eight Gates Formation like that was someone you could count on. The mission to save Hatake Sakumo had proven it.
"No problem."
Might Duy, filled with the Will of Fire, agreed immediately.
After chatting for a bit, the father and son said goodbye to Sarutobi Ryo.
Watching them leave, Sarutobi Ryo felt a sense of satisfaction.
Konoha was built by people like them, who truly cared for the village.
The more people like them, the better.
Compared to selfish people, Might Duy and others deserved praise and trust.
Selfish people?
Sarutobi Ryo slowly turned, looking down the hallway.
The Anbu gave off a feeling of alertness. The person they were guarding seemed delicate and elegant.
Her face was beautiful and noble, with striking red hair styled in a bun, adding to her charm.
She wore a flowing white robe, and her simple clothing gave her a dignified presence, like a goddess.
"..."
Sarutobi Ryo stared at her, his eyes fixed.
He knew that he had never seen anyone as noble as her.
Her noble nature wasn't the spoiled attitude of Princess Tsunade.
It was a true, ethereal quality.
This caused Sarutobi Ryo's calm mind to change slightly...
Everyone is drawn to beauty.
And... Sarutobi Ryo admitted that he had a dark side within him.
He usually kept it hidden, so most people wouldn't notice it.
The previous two times this dark side had surfaced were when he injected the Will of Fire into Yamanaka Hui and Ringo Ameyuri.
Now, facing this incredibly beautiful woman, the darkness in Sarutobi Ryo's heart rose up again.
"Lord Mito!"
"Lord Mito!"
Medical Ninjas and nurses greeted this beautiful woman as they passed by.
They showed her respect and admiration.
She was the wife of the First Hokage, and the grandmother of Senju Nawaki and Princess Tsunade: Uzumaki Mito.
Sarutobi Ryo silently watched her approach.
As she passed, a delicate fragrance filled the air.
Sarutobi Ryo knew it wasn't shower gel or perfume. It was the natural scent of this woman.
She was undeniably beautiful.
The sweet fragrance only added to her unique charm.
"Lord Mito," Sarutobi Ryo said calmly.
"..."
Uzumaki Mito turned her head, but didn't stop walking.
A hint of disgust flashed in her eyes, so quickly that it was almost impossible to see.
Unless someone used the Byakugan or Sharingan to see subtle changes, they wouldn't notice the slight shift in her expression.
But Sarutobi Ryo was using his right eye to zoom in on Uzumaki Mito's face.
He saw her expression clearly.
Uzumaki Mito had the ability to sense evil.
This was why she had recognized Namikaze Minato back then.
"Mm."
Uzumaki Mito nodded slightly, then turned away and continued walking.
Sarutobi Ryo knew that she could sense the darkness within him.
He didn't try to hide it.
But...
What Uzumaki Mito didn't know was that her grandson, Senju Nawaki, also knew about it.
The key difference between them was this:
Uzumaki Mito judged people by their inner thoughts, not their actions.
Senju Nawaki judged people by their actions, not their inner thoughts.
Having grown up together, how could Senju Nawaki not know about the darkness in Sarutobi Ryo's heart?
But he chose to be tolerant and judge him by his actions.
He didn't simply decide what kind of person someone was based on their thoughts.
In the end, Senju Nawaki had entrusted the Will of Fire to him.
Passing on the torch.
Sarutobi Ryo had truly decided to change Konoha and the Ninja world!
Even with darkness in his heart, he could still walk the path of light and lead the village to a better future!
"Uzumaki Mito..."
Sarutobi Ryo murmured, watching her walk away.
One day, I'm going to make you a weapon FOR the Will of Fire!
After looking at her intently, Sarutobi Ryo turned and left.
Uzumaki Mito stopped and looked back.
"Lord Mito, is something wrong?" one of the Anbu guards asked.
"Nothing."
Uzumaki Mito stared at Sarutobi Ryo as he walked away.
Was the evil he had been hiding finally starting to surface and abandon its disguise?
She was now even more confident that choosing Namikaze Minato as the successor to the Will of Fire had been the right decision.
That child Nawaki... was just too kind and made bad friends.
Just like Hashirama back then.
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[T/N:
Final Total Power Stone Collection : 59 PS
Goal : Every +50 Total PS = 2 Bonus Chapters next day 🚀
This is today's last chapter release for Young Master, Please Become Hokage!, which by the way includes the bonus chapter(s)! Thank you all so much for reading along and for your support. Final thoughts or a review would be amazing! ❤️🎉
Want to support my work and get early access to chapters? Check out my Patreon! 👇
Plus, Patrons get all their early access chapters instantly – no waiting for staggered releases! ✨
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]