Hiruzen walks thoughtfully with his hands behind his back while the sunlight warms his body and a breeze rustles through the trees. It's been too long since he's been down here at the training fields. A small distance away he spies Jiraiya working with his students and he catches reflections of himself with Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru when they were as young as Jiraiya's pupils are now. The Third Hokage sighs thoughtfully reminiscing before he returns his mind to the issue at hand. He watches Tsunade approach with a young woman who has a giant sword strapped to her back and small boy in tow. As soon as they are face to face the woman bows respectfully to Hiruzen and speaks
"Hokage, it is an honor to meet you. I am Sayonakidori and this is Tenzo. We are sincerely grateful for your gifts and are unable to express the depths of our thanks"
"It was my pleasure young lady. Will I be seeing Tenzo at the academy here soon?"
"To be honest I hadn't given it much consideration yet, but maybe"
"I would love for him to become a student so I hope to see him there"
"Oh, yes sir. Of course"
"Now lets get down to business. Please tell me a brief description of your element nature and techniques you have proficiency in along with a demonstration of your techniques from low to high ranking."
"Yes sir. I am a fire type with some ability in lighting and a user of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and kenjutsu."
"Before you start your demonstration, I think I would prefer to see them performed in more of a live situation if you don't mind. Would it be alright if I selected a sparring partner for you?"
"That would be fine sir"
The Hokage beckons to Jiraiya, and as he and his team closes in, Hiruzen speaks
"Jiraiya, do you remember Miss Sayonakidori?"
"Yes, certainly"
"Well today I'm doing an evaluation of her ninja skills and I was hoping you would oblige me by sparring with her"
Jiraiya gulps at the prospect. Normally he wouldn't have a problem being asked to engage in close movements with a young woman, but he's slightly unnerved by the fact she is pregnant. Then again, he supposes to himself, perhaps that's why his old sensei asked him to do it as opposed to a young member of Team Jiraiya.
"It would be my pleasure."
"Oh good! Please step out onto the field to begin"
Jiraiya and Sayonakidori walk about ten meters out before they stop and face each other. He asks
"Are you ready?"
"The real question is, are you?"
Catching him off guard, she charges him and and initial reaction is only to rear back. As he does, Sayonakidori pushes off of his own knee and into a back flip and before Jiraiya can wonder why she did such a move he finds his body being directed to the ground as at least half a dozen kunai pin his clothing with their momentum directing him down. When she lands back on her feet she blows a petite, blue, fireball technique at him. It doesn't look intimidating but knowing that underestimation can be a shinobi's greatest downfall, Jiraiya rips the blades through his clothing leaving the knives in the ground as he makes his escape. As the fireball hits the spot where he was just a moment earlier, the intense heat of the flames instantly melts the kunai.
Happy he didn't foolishly linger, Jiraiya closes in on Sayonakidori for some hand to hand combat. Her strikes are quick, furious, and sharp as he cautiously counters to make sure he doesn't accidentally strike her swelled abdomen. She can tell he's not putting forth all his effort so in annoyance she uses a raw chakra push to propel themselves away from each other. Now at a distance she wields her mighty zanbato, he was beginning to wonder when she was going to use it, but when she pushes her chakra down it's length, he grows cautious.
Sayonakidori's chakra fans out from the blade in the shape of blue flames. Despite being out of reach, she swings the mighty blade in Jiraiya's direction which he smartly avoids by leaping straight up into the air. When he lands back down he doesn't notice any effect of her sword stroke until the small cropping of trees behind him slide to the ground, all cut at the same angle. Jiraiya quickly summons a toad and attacks back with a toad oil fire release combo. Sayonakidori drives the blade of her zanbato into the ground and ducks behind it for shelter.
Waiting for Jiraiya to run out of breath, she begins forming hand seals and when the flames finally ebb, she leaps up and balances herself on the hilt of the sword. Pressing her palms together as the final seal she calls out for plasma rain. Jiraiya has never encountered this before and looks up as purple lightning rips through the sky. Purple rain begins to fall, but rather than soaking the environment each drop begins melting everything. The initial drops that land on Jiraiya and his summon are enough to make his summon flee and engage Jiraiya to use an earth release to protect himself. Calculating his next move a giant purple fist smashes through his earth shield.
Remaining under what's left of his cover his hair explodes with his needle jutsu. To his dismay, Sayonakidori has used her chakra to shroud her entire body in a purple armor that seems simultaneously fluid and solid. As his needles pierce the armor he watches as it seems the armor itself absorbs them then dissolves them once inside. With his hair still surrounding his body in a cloak of needles he's unsure of what to do next. He could escalate the fight even further but he doesn't know if he could prevent damaging the unborn child if he did.
Jiraiya lets the earth fall completely away, relaxes his stance, smiles, then shrugs his shoulders and says
"Okay, I give up!"
Sayonakidori wears an expression of disbelief, and being wise enough to not immediately believe an opponent when they concede defeat she performs a fuinjutsu technique that changes the plasma from the armor she's wearing to creating a dome around his body. By now their battle has taken them almost one hundred meters away from where the Third Hokage stands with Tsunade, Tenzo, and Team Jiraiya. Maintaining the translucent purple sphere of plasma chakra around Jiraiya, she performs another technique and at the final seal she grabs the sphere. Their images streak across the landscape and in an instant they appear before the spectators.
Sayonakidori releases Jiraiya, dropping him on the ground with a heavy thud, then she bends and places her hands on her knees. Tsunade comes to her side and asks
"Are you okay?"
Slightly out of breath Sayonakidori answers
"Yes, it's just been a long time since I've done anything that strenous"
"It probably doesn't help matters that you're with child as well"
"I suppose there's that too..."
Tsunade maintains a hand on her back as Sayonakidori straightens herself to standing. When she does she finds herself face to face with the Hokage.
"That was quite an impressive display young lady!"
"Thank you sir"
"I can see that you are a quite powerful kunoichi, jonin level even, but I worry about your health-"
"If I may interject sir," Tsunade interrupts, "but you do have the final discretion to determine which ninja receive which assignments, do you not?"
"Yes of course Tsunade, you know this"
"Then could you not assign her tasks with low levels of risk and exertion?"
"Yes, but those missions are more fit for genin who are still learning and not worthy of Sayonakidori and her jonin level caliber"
Mustering the sweetest, wide eyed face she can express, Sayonakidori locks eyes with Hiruzen
"Please sir, I'm sorry I only know how to be an excellent kunoichi and I'm not fit for other duties. I promise you I understand my body has limitations far below that of my skill level, but all I'm really asking for is a way to earnestly provide for myself and Tenzo. Could you please find it in your grace to enable me to do so?"
Feeling softened by her passion and pressured by the onlookers, the Hokage sighs and relents.
"Yes, I can do that for you. Please arrive at my office by eight o'clock sharp tomorrow morning"
"Oh thank you sir! I will not let you regret this!"
Sayonakidori bows respectfully again and the Third smiles.
"Tsunade please show Sayonakidori where my office is located so she is prepared for tomorrow"
"Yes sir"
"Team Jiraiya, please return to the field you were training at. I need a moment to speak with your sensei"
"Yes Hokage-sama"
The three youths speak simultaneously. At once all the parties dismiss except for Jiraiya who stands there looking curiously at his former mentor
"Is there something I can help you with sensei?"
"Yes, please walk with me"
"Jiraiya, do you understand what the village's greatest treasure is?"
"The children"
"And why is that?"
"Because they hold the village's future in their hands"
"Jiraiya... I would like to pass onto you the duty of guarding Konoha's treasure..."
"But sensei... my travels? The prophecy I told you about..."
"Do you not feel you have traveled long enough after the Second Shinobi War? Then those years you spent with the Amegakure orphans?"
"The world is so vast, I've only just begun to scratch the surface"
"Could you at least consider it?"
"For you master, I will... I do have one favor to ask of you though"
"Yes Jiraiya?"
"I would like to nominate my student Minato for the rank of jonin"
"Jonin? Already? Aren't the rest of your team still genin?"
"Yes sir. They are ready for the chunnin exams now, but Minato far eclipses his teammates"
"That boy is quite exceptionally gifted... How about this, to give both of us some time to think on these matters, you come back by my office in three days and we'll discuss our answers then"
"That would be fine"
"Wonderful, I'll meet with you then"
The Hokage continues walking into the village while Jiraiya returns to his students. Hiruzen really has no objections to promoting Minato to jonin, despite being a teenager the boy is quite prodigious, but he's hoping that making Jiraiya wait on the answer will tip Jiraiya's hand in favor of accepting the Hokage position. Hiruzen takes a deep breath and smiles as he observes the people of his village, he nods as he passes three boys who are the latest Ino-Shika-Cho trio, tips his hat at the Umino family as they walk hand in hand with their young son, and enjoys the aroma filling the air from the Uchiha Senbei. Seeing his village flourish like this fills the Hokage with great joy, but it's not enough to distract him from the lingering thoughts in the back of his mind which have been torturing him.
Returning to his office, he sits and weaves his fingers together while trying to collect his thoughts on how to handle Orochimaru.
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The next morning rises beautifully as the Third Hokage is already pacing in his office when he hears a gentle knock at the door
"Enter"
Timidly Sayonakidori steps into the office with Tenzo following closely behind. Sizing up the boy, Hiruzen doesn't notice anything outwardly remarkable about him, but the Hokage is wise enough to know an individual's value can't be determined from looking at the outside in.
"Ah yes, young miss Sayonakidori! My apologizes, I've misplaced myself and have forgotten you were coming this morning. Please give me a moment to gather myself then I'd like to show you around"
"Certainly"
Picking up his hat then straightening it on his head, he moves to lead the pair out of his office. After pointing out the all the administrative features of the building, he turns towards the academy. Hiruzen understands that Tenzo is still too young yet to enter, but perhaps if Sayonakidori is wooed into staying in the village the boy will be enrolled. They stroll into a courtyard where several young students are practicing taijutsu. Sayonakidori recognizes the silver haired Kakashi as he faces off against against another young boy donning a green jumpsuit and a bowl haircut. Next to them are two girls, one with long wavy black hair and red eyes and the other with short black hair that closely frames her sweet face, and further down is a tall boy with short black hair squaring off with a boy wearing a bandanna covering his head and dark glasses. Tenzo is instantly interested and he tugs at Sayonakidori's kimono.
"I want to play..."
"I'm sorry sweetheart, they're not playing, they're training"
"I want to train too!"
Hiruzen speaks up
"That is a wonderful attitude to have! I bet you would make a superb student here at the academy in a couple years"
Sayonakidori responds
"That's awful young, isn't it?"
"We base their admittance on each child's individual abilities. Some children do start young such as Kakashi over there, he for example began last year at age four and to be honest he is primed to graduate at the top of his class later this year. It's fairly common for children to begin their time at the academy when they are a little bit older and then graduate late in their childhood or in their early teens. If you look at the end and notice the tall, strapping, young lad sparring with his comrade in the glasses, the tall one is my son. He's a very good student as well, but I don't project he'll be ready to graduate for at least a couple more years"
"I see"
The Hokage and Sayonakidori continue chatting as the academy instructor tells the class to take a break and get some water. Recognizing the change in the dynamic, Tenzo walks over to where Kakashi is standing
"HI! You fight good!"
"Well, yea. Why wouldn't I?"
"You play fight with me?"
"I don't spar with babies, sorry"
Tenzo's face forms a pout, and being a more sensitive child than Kakashi the jumpsuit wearing student chimes in
"Hey buddy, my name is Might Guy and I would love to spar with you for a little bit"
"Okay!"
Kakashi steps back with the other students and chuckles as Guy steps up against Tenzo. Hiruzen and Sayonakidori stop talking and watch as Guy shows Tenzo a proper stance then waits for Tenzo to come after him. When he does, Guy evades his small maneuvers and gently directs Tenzo backwards. Seeing an opportunity, Kakashi walks around the duo and as Tenzo gets completely wrapped up in what he's doing, Kakashi sticks a foot out and trips Tenzo. Tenzo falls to his rear, rolls up his back, over his head then lands back seated again before his momentum stops. Kakashi is overcome with laughter while Guy moves to help the little boy up.
"Kakashi, that was pretty mean spirited! ...Hey little buddy, let me give you a hand up"
Guy holds his hand out for Tenzo, but for a toddler it is just too much. Tenzo begins bawling and as the tears fall away from him they grow in size before landing on the ground. In a matter of seconds he's sitting in a swampy puddle and vines spring forth out of the ground and smack Kakashi across the cheek instantly ceasing his laughter. The academy instructor wades through the muck and picks up Tenzo then hands him back to Sayonakidori. In her arms, Tenzo immediately begins to quiet as Sayonakidori soothes him with a look of shock on her face. Hiruzen directs them away from the courtyard before he speaks again
"I didn't want to believe it was true..."
"Believe what?"
"After Tsunade filtered Tenzo's blood samples to understand Orochimaru's experimentations, she discovered Tenzo's DNA had been modified with the DNA of our first Hokage, Senju Hashirama. Hashirama was a powerful shinobi who excelled at the Wood Release which is a combination of using both Water and Earth elements. His technique was rather unheard of and no other ninja has ever been able to perform it, until now..."
Sayonakidori is silent as she holds Tenzo close to her chest. The Hokage watches a fear creep into her eyes and he interprets it as fear of the unknown for both Tenzo's future and the future of Sayonakidori's unborn clone. Hiruzen clears his throat before speaking again
"I know you do not intend on staying in the village long, but perhaps it would be in Tenzo's best interest if we began him on a special tutoring program with masters of earth and of water. Thankfully that last display was just a small incident, but he could be a real danger to himself or to others if we try to ignore his innate abilities"
By now they have walked out the front of the academy and Tenzo's sniffling has finally stopped. Sayonakidori pulls him back to look at his face, then wiping away his final tears she sets him back on the ground.
"Hey sweetheart, do you see that swing hanging from that big tree over there?"
"Uh-huh"
"How about you go play on it for a moment, okay?"
"Okay"
Tenzo races off as Sayonakidori slowly rises and addresses the Hokage.
"You're right. And I want what's best for Tenzo. How early can he start?"
"I can arrange something for him as early as tomorrow which brings me back to what I originally brought you here for today. I am in need of someone to assist me with basic administrative duties at my office and I would like to offer the position to you first before I appoint anyone else"
"It would be an honor Hokage-sama"
"If we're going to be working closely together, please just call me Hiruzen"
"Yes Hiruzen-sama"
"Well, it's a start. Please come back with me to my office. I'm sure my wife Biwako won't mind entertaining little Tenzo while you begin your first official duty; choosing element masters for Tenzo"
"Yes sir."
Sayonakidori bows respectfully then turns her attention to the little boy on the swing.
"Come along now Tenzo!"
"Okay Sayonakidori!"
Tenzo hops off the swing and races over to where the adults are standing. As he approaches, the old man smiles down at him and they re-enter the building.
::::
The day speeds away quickly and by mid-afternoon with Hiruzen's guidance, Sayonakidori is confident in her selection of Tenzo's tutors. As they walk home, they stop to pick up groceries on the way. After entering the apartment and putting away the food, Sayonakidori doesn't get a moment to sit down when she hears a knock on the door. Upon opening it there is a hand attached to an unseen body holding a bouquet of flowers. Sayonakidori places her hand over her chest and exclaims
"Oh my, they're lovely!"
Which prompts the man attached to that hand to show himself. Sayonakidori moves her hand from her chest to the side of her face and smiles girlishly before speaking again
"Hello Sakumo! Please, come in..."
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