The last time he stepped into the Hokage's office must have been more than half a year ago.
Back then, he'd just been tagging along on a mission with his squad leader.
As soon as he walked in, Maruyama Shin immediately sensed that the atmosphere inside the Hokage's office was completely different from before. There was a faint tension in the air, heavy and oppressive.
And off to the side, seated quietly in a chair with a cane in hand, was a man whose mere presence sent a chill through the room.
Shimura Danzō.
Shin said nothing.
If there was anyone he didn't want to have anything to do with, it was Danzō.
Just don't come bothering me about corpses, and I won't get in your way while you ruin the lives of loyal shinobi. We can pretend we don't even exist to each other.
Fortunately, with his current strength and status, Shin was unlikely to attract Danzō's attention. They weren't even in the same league yet.
For now.
As a flurry of thoughts ran through his mind, Shin told himself he was just being paranoid.
While he was lost in thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi's calm voice interrupted the silence.
"Shin, you're here."
"Hokage-sama."
Shin greeted him respectfully, standing dumbly in place, waiting for orders.
Hiruzen tapped his pipe gently against the edge of the desk, his gaze sharp. Then, without warning, he said, "...Don't smoke too much with Asuma."
"..."
Shin glanced at the pipe in the Hokage's hand, lips twitching slightly, but still nodded. "Understood."
Now that he thought about it, Asuma was the Hokage's youngest son. Who he spent time with and what he did each day—did Hiruzen really not know?
It wasn't that Asuma had ratted him out.
No... it was more likely that Hiruzen felt he was a bad influence on his own son and was now trying to make Shin pay for it.
Didn't expect you to be this kind of Hokage!
Hiruzen didn't respond to his reply. Instead, he asked again, "How's your training lately? You haven't been slacking, have you?"
Trying to gauge his intentions, Shin cautiously replied, "I haven't been out on missions in a while, and the work in the morgue's been pretty busy. I'm afraid I've grown a bit rusty."
He wasn't lying. He really hadn't trained much lately, and Hiruzen probably already knew that.
The old Hokage stared at him for a long moment before letting out a faint sigh. His tone softened.
"The shinobi world has grown restless again. You can't afford to fall behind in your training. I have no choice but to assign you this next mission. It's not ideal, but it must be done."
There it is!
He really was coming down on him!
He'd just admitted that his skills had dulled, and now Hiruzen still wanted to give him a mission? What else could that be but intentional?
Shin swallowed nervously. "W-what kind of mission?"
If you dare throw me on the front lines, I swear I'll complain out loud, Shin thought bitterly.
But Hiruzen didn't answer right away. Instead, he waved his hand.
The office doors opened again, and in walked three well-equipped shinobi.
One of them Shin immediately recognized—silver hair, dead fish eyes, a mask trying way too hard to be cool. Who else but Hatake Kakashi?
"Hokage-sama," Kakashi greeted.
Shin met his eyes, and it became instantly clear what Hiruzen was planning.
The Hokage pressed his fingers against his temple, visibly troubled as he looked at the four assembled ninja.
"Kakashi's squad lost another member on their last mission," he said. "After giving it some thought, I realized you're the best fit to fill the spot, Shin. After all, you and Kakashi are... familiar with each other."
That was true enough.
In the past two months alone, Kakashi had come by to collect four corpses. How could they not be familiar?
Who knew—maybe this mission would add more bodies to the morgue.
This wasn't a mission.
This was a death sentence.
Definitely a grudge.
Shin was full of silent resentment.
But before he could say anything, Kakashi spoke up. "Hokage-sama, I don't think he's suitable."
I agree, Shin wanted to echo.
Hiruzen rubbed his temple again.
The truth was, he was already overwhelmed, yet still had to manage Kakashi.
"This is an order, Kakashi," Hiruzen said, firm and unyielding.
"If he dies, I won't be responsible," Kakashi replied coldly.
Shin clenched his jaw in irritation.
Kakashi really was completely unlikable right now.
As if you've ever cared about your teammates dying.
"Don't worry. This is a one-time thing. The mission is a special case. It's just a temporary team," Hiruzen explained.
Kakashi nodded at last.
"Let's go over the mission details." Hiruzen stood and walked around his desk, speaking as he moved. "Mist Village has been growing restless in the east. The scouts we sent to Kirigakure were almost completely wiped out. However, according to the latest intel, one team managed to escape from the Land of Water with crucial information."
"But due to pursuit by Mist ninja, they were gravely wounded. Before dying, they transmitted their location using a special method. They're in the Land of Hot Water."
"Your mission is to recover and return all of their bodies to the Leaf."
The ninja world was becoming more volatile by the day, and in times like this, information became even more valuable.
Hiruzen looked at Shin. "You haven't been on a mission for some time, but when it comes to dealing with corpses, you're practically an expert."
"Understood," Kakashi said before Shin could open his mouth.
Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction, then addressed the four of them. "Any questions?"
Shin slowly raised his hand. With a nod from Hiruzen, he asked, "Hokage-sama, for something this important... isn't our team a bit underqualified?"
Shouldn't this be handled by a group from the ANBU, supported by a few elite Jōnin-led squads?
Hiruzen wasn't surprised. Smiling, he replied, "You're right. The mission is critical and dangerous. But don't worry. I've already sealed off the borders of the Land of Fire, and multiple ninja squads are stationed nearby for support. Their top fighters won't dare make a move."
"Your small team won't draw much attention, and that's exactly what we need."
Shin got the message.
The simplified version: you're all weaklings, and that's your biggest advantage. Sending stronger shinobi would only alert the enemy.
"Alright, if there are no further issues, prepare to depart immediately."
The four of them responded in unison.
As they stepped out, Kakashi glanced over and said flatly, "Fifteen minutes. Meet at the village gate."
With that, he disappeared in a flash.
The other two sighed, gave Shin a helpless look, and left as well.
Shin clicked his tongue and headed home.
Once they were gone, the previously silent Danzō finally spoke.
"Hiruzen, with Kakashi's current temperament, if you let me take over his training, I guarantee he'll become Konoha's sharpest blade—more exceptional than Sakumo ever was."
Clearly, this wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation. Hiruzen firmly shook his head. "There's no need to bring that up again, Danzō."
Danzō frowned but didn't back down. He stood and stared at Hiruzen with cold eyes. "You've seen how Kakashi is. No ordinary ninja could possibly command his respect. Hiruzen, you can't let your personal sentiment ruin one of Konoha's most promising talents."
"In the end, someone has to walk through the darkness. He's the most suitable."
"Kakashi is a genius, and Konoha needs him to shine in the light. That's the best morale booster we could hope for. Besides, I've already found the perfect person for him. Once they return from this mission, it'll be settled."
Kakashi's team had an unacceptably high casualty rate. Even Hiruzen couldn't keep turning a blind eye.
"Who?" Danzō narrowed his eyes, a suspicion forming in his mind.
"Minato," Hiruzen answered with certainty. "Minato used to lead Kakashi. It was only due to mission reshuffling that they were separated. But with the current turmoil, no one is better suited than him."
Danzō fell silent at the name.
If Kakashi was a rising genius, then Namikaze Minato was a fully realized powerhouse—his reputation already spreading across the ninja world.
"But the two of them aren't enough to form a full team. It's not graduation season. Who else will you fill the squad with?" Danzō pressed.
Hiruzen tapped his pipe and slowly exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. "Maruyama Shin... he'll do just fine."
"Him?" Danzō sneered at the memory of Shin's simple, dopey expression. "He might not even survive this mission."
"Then let's see if he does."
Hiruzen remained calm. He'd made up his mind, and wouldn't change it over a single life.
As much as the life of a no-name genin was important, geniuses like Kakashi were far more crucial to Konoha's future.
After all, on the battlefield, genin were little more than cannon fodder.
And in troubled times, you needed a different kind of mindset. Otherwise, Hiruzen would never have let Kakashi's team suffer loss after loss, only to keep replacing the dead with fresh recruits.
*********
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!