Context: A week after Kichiro's arrival in Konoha after the Uzushiogakure massacre, he was coerced into becoming a ninja. Here is the Sandaime's role in that coercion.
Sarutobi Hiruzen
There was more than a little panic in the village after Uzu's destruction. Six merchants lost their entire livelihoods, and several dozen others lost massive investments. Two civilian clans went from being among the richest in the village to barely scraping by. When the team sent to reinforce Uzu returned with only a few small children, the village mourned. I was very well-acquainted with Uzu's defensive systems, but to know that they failed forced me to reinforce Konoha's existing systems in the middle of the crisis. ANBU hovered around the rescued children, making sure no one pursued to finish the job. As soon as a second team confirmed that there were no survivors on the island and that it was perpetrated by Kiri, I banned all trade to the island nation. Most of the world breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that the reputedly unstable clan was no longer a threat. More than one country started considering an attempt to take back what they lost in the previous war.
Over one hundred shinobi seal masters, nearly two thousand civilians, half of which were seal masters, were lost over the course of one day. It was the biggest massacre in recorded history. The only positive was that Kiri lost almost twenty percent of their active ninja before the defensive seals failed and all of the ninja who attacked died before they left the island. Before the other villages could start poking through the ruins, I ordered several ANBU teams to burn all the bodies and destroy anything useful. Even so, the entire ANBU team died from the same malady that murdered the attacking Kiri ninja. Mito explained that it was seal sickness and cursed the young ninja who had unleashed it in an attempt to defend the island. Mito, the only living ninja immune to seal sickness, followed up on the ANBU's mission.
Her report was chilling. The entire library and several private libraries had been completely cleared of the scrolls and books they had contained, but the security seals were not tampered with or alerted. Someone had stolen the information before the attack even began—something only and Uzumaki could have accomplished, which indicated the Uzumaki were betrayed by one of their own.
I wanted to ask the children if they knew anything about the theft, but when I used the Tōmegane no Jutsu to check on the children, they were having enough problems adjusting. An interrogation would have hurt them more than it would help us.
Observing the children was something I did as frequently as possible. The younger orphans were adjusting poorly, but the oldest two, a brother and sister, had more success. Something Hatake Sakumo had said about the oldest of the children stuck with me and I observed him through my crystal ball as the Chuunin interrogated him for placement and aptitude.
In five minutes, I knew the child had an extremely poor attitude. His answers were sarcastic and antagonistic. He slouched in his chair and played with the key around his neck—I wondered who came up with the idea to string the key on a necklace and prevent the boy and his sister from losing it, but I suspected it was the boy's idea. More than once, the Chuunin interrogator had to repeat the question. I made a note to praise the Chuunin for not reacting to the boy's subtle insults.
The boy wasn't particularly adept at lying, but his answers were extremely intelligent. When the questions started to become personal, he answered with a mixture of truth and lies. All but a handful of answers made him appear, on paper, extremely unsuited to become a shinobi. Unfortunately for him, the answers that said otherwise marked him as a genius and proved him to be manipulating the test.
When brought to the classroom, he subtly defied the sensei at every opportunity. By the time he stopped passing notes with his new desk mate and his sister, the two Chuunin assigned to interrogate the siblings knocked on my office door.
I gestured towards the kunoichi who interrogated the girl first. Her report was exemplary. She would most likely graduate early. Once she learned a few ninjutsu and some proper taijutsu, she would be ready for a Genin team and would be a Jōnin before she turned twenty. The biggest surprise was that she knew the basics of fūinjutsu. Kushina went so far as to claim that the only way Konoha could help her was to give her examples of seals to dissect. I made a note to speak with Mito about whether she was telling the truth or simply boasting.
I dismissed the kunoichi and turned to the man who interrogated Kichiro.
"There's no need to summarize what happened, I was watching the entire time. What are your thoughts on the boy?"
"He doesn't want to be a ninja. In fact, he is extremely antagonistic towards the idea, but as far as I can tell, he holds no antagonism towards ninja in general. He's obviously under an unexpected amount of stress for his age. I suspect it's the stress of trying to care for himself and his sister but introducing him to a caretaker would most likely cause more problems."
"What about his raw abilities?"
"His physique and intelligence indicate he could make Jōnin in ten years, probably less. If he has the proper training and dedication, he could be S-rank before his twentieth birthday. The kid is smart, probably smarter than me, and very mature, for his age, although his general maturity leaves much to be desired. Some of it is a façade, a front to make his intelligence less obvious, but it also is his way to vent his frustrations on those around him. I checked his apartment before the interrogation. His clothes are neatly folded in a box. His bed is well-made, I could bounce a ryō off it, but it's not obsessive-compulsive. It was at the strangest angle, as if it had been propped against the wall and he just pulled it down."
"Future specializations?"
"Mid or long-range Ninjutsu specialist. If given the choice, the boy will stay on the defensive, so close combat wouldn't suit him. Once he grows, he might be competent at Taijutsu or weaponry. If we start him on chakra control early, he might make a decent Genjutsu specialist; he has the creativity for it."
"Interesting. What do you think about him attending the Academy?"
"He'll intentionally fail out as soon as possible. The little asshole has no respect for authority and isn't intimidated. If he spends too long around the other children, they'll start to follow his lead."
I frowned. That didn't match up with the reports of him throughout the week. According to ANBU, he was polite and respectful of others, even the police. "Could this be a ploy to obtain an apprenticeship?"
"I doubt it. Apprenticeships are very rare for Academy-level students, there hasn't been one in over a decade. He has no way of knowing they exist."
"What do you think his reaction would be to being placed in one?"
"It would depend on who he's apprenticed to. If it's someone he respects and trusts, they might have more success than the Academy would. If it was someone he has no respect for or is easily riled by his taunts and attitude, it would be a disaster. The kid might end up inadvertently provoking is sensei too far and get himself killed."
"How would he react to force?"
"I don't know. The kid is unpredictable and he's tough as nails, or thinks he is."
"Thank you. You're dismissed."
As soon as the Chuunin left, I stood up and left the tower, steadily making my way through the village, stopping to have short conversations with the merchants, asking about the families of several shinobi, stopping a runaway from escaping one of the Military Police, even playing with some of the very young children at one of the parks I passed. This was my favorite part of being Hokage. Knowing that I was responsible for these people, that I had the authority to make sure their lives were as safe as possible. I loved how just my presence brightened the days of the merchants struggling to rebound after losing Uzu's goods and resources. I bought a handmade trinket from an underfed child wedged between two fruit stalls and tucked it into my pocket.
I made it to Hatake Sakumo's house sooner than I expected. He opened the door before I finished knocking, looking utterly exhausted. I suspected he had returned from an ANBU mission the night before.
"Hokage-sama! Please, come in. I was about to begin preparing lunch if you would like to—"
"Don't trouble yourself, Sakumo-kun, I won't intrude for long." I said once he closed the door behind me. "Is there a secure place we can talk? I have an important assignment for you, but it's completely optional."
"The main room has privacy seals that will make it difficult for eavesdroppers. Right this way." I followed him into a room with four comfortable chairs angled around a large window that faced the street. I sat down in the one facing away from the door, the window on my left. Sakumo activated the seal array beside the door then sat down in the chair opposite me. "To what do I owe the visit?" He asked pleasantly, but there was an undertone of worry in his voice and the way he fidgeted with his littlest finger.
"Uzumaki Kichiro."
Sakumo sighed in exasperation. "What kind of trouble did he start? I honestly expected him to last more than a week."
"Today is his first day at the Academy and I recently debriefed the Chuunin who assessed his aptitude."
"And the results?"
"You were right, the boy is not taking kindly to being in a classroom. In fact, he hates the idea of becoming a ninja."
"He what?"
"He is antagonistic towards the idea of becoming a ninja."
"The kid keeps getting weirder. What can I do, Hokage-sama?"
"I would like to apprentice the boy to you."
He frowned. "Why me? I've never taught a kid before."
"Kichiro trusts you more than anyone else in the village. You have the best chance at getting through to him."
"The kid is stubborn, stubborner than I am. If he doesn't want to be a shinobi, I'm not going to be able to change his mind."
"I disagree."
"You said this was optional, correct?" I nodded and gestured for him to continue. "Who would the boy be placed with if I refuse?"
"That's an interesting question. Why do you ask?" He knew something about the boy he wasn't sharing.
"You know who my sensei was. I grew up with a foot in the general corps and ANBU, plus a responsibility to my younger sister and an orphan. Kichiro may be capable of handling it, but he deserves better than that. His life is hard enough as it is and he's younger than I was when I had to take on the burden of both an orphan and ninja."
"I see. Unless something goes horribly wrong, I will not allow the boy in ANBU. If you refuse, however, I will place the boy with your sensei."
"The world thinks he's dead. You'd have to give up that advantage if he were to take another student."
"I am aware, and it would be particularly dangerous for his family to do so at this time. Since Mito refused to have any contact with the boy before I asked, the only other person I trust enough to keep their composure in the face of his attitude is my old friend, Danzō."
"I don't know Danzō-sama well, but he has taught me on occasion. Kichiro will learn, Danzō-sama's style of teaching does not allow for anything but success, however, both parties would hate the arrangement."
"I am aware."
"If I may ask, why are you asking me first? Both Sensei and Danzō-sama are far more capable teachers and have the political sway to take the kid without severe repercussions."
"I am aware. I'm asking you because the boy trusts you. I'm not fool enough to think you left nothing out of your report. He confided in you and you respected his privacy. It might have been extenuating circumstances, but it doesn't change the fact he trusted you enough to say something." Sakumo tensed in front of me. "I won't ask you what he said. The boy is still a child and it doesn't matter."
"I see, thank you.
"I'm not going to force you to take a student, much less one as difficult as Kichiro will be. The clans, council, and myself will be monitoring and directing the boy's progress carefully. You won't have to worry about thinking of things to teach him."
"No, I'll take the kid." I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows in surprise. "But on one condition: I decide when the kid learns new material and I reserve the right to prevent him from learning something."
"Why do you ask that?"
Sakumo looked down at his hands and answered. "I don't think the kid will abuse anything he learns. I would be genuinely shocked if he ever acted out of malice. It's just that if the council and the clans have control, they'll push him to learn too fast. That almost happened to me. When I was a kid, I barely managed to master one skill before another was shoved at me. Sensei couldn't do anything about it and nearly lost the apprenticeship several times because of the pressure and the fact he was an Uchiha. Most of all, I don't want another kid to be put in my position, not if I can do anything about it."
"Why would you want to prevent him from learning something?"
"I'm in ANBU because my sensei was. I trust that you won't break your promise to keep the kid out of ANBU, but considering who I am, who my sensei is, and who the boy is, it's only a matter of time before something goes horribly wrong. I barely know the kid, but I do know this: he will never be able to take the kind of missions ANBU does with impunity. If I can make sure he doesn't learn certain ANBU skills, I can delay that eventuality as long as possible."
"I see. That is very wise of you, Sakumo-kun."
He didn't react to the praise.
"I accept your terms, but I have a condition of my own."
He nodded and looked up at me.
"The boy will become a ninja by any means necessary, even if it requires inhumane manipulation or abuse. You have three days to begin his training."
"Understood, Hokage-sama."
"The Academy's break for lunch should be beginning soon. I would prefer it if the boy did not return to the classroom."
"Understood, Hokage-sama."
I stood up and left, leaving Sakumo deep in thought.
