𝑾𝑰𝑻𝑯 𝒀𝑶𝑼 | 𝑲.𝑰𝑵𝒁𝑼𝑲𝑨

|I{•------» [26] «------•}I|

Uneasiness and anxiety consumed her, causing a deep sense of discomfort. It felt as though an anxious cat was scratching at her insides, begging to be let out. The more it gnawed at her, the more these feelings tore her apart, gradually escalating her irritation.

Abruptly, she shot up to her feet, but her timing was unfortunate, as a sudden wave of pain pierced through her mind, leaving her slightly off balance. Cursing irritably, she struggled to regain her composure and finally found herself out of the reach of the gust of wind.

"Naruto!" she exclaimed as he landed before her, straightening up from his crouch. Grimacing, he noticed his drenched and slimy clothing. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she assured him, scrunching her nose in disgust at his disheveled appearance. "What happened to you?"

Naruto shivered as if a cold breeze had struck him. "I was swallowed by this enormous snake and had to cut my way out. There was slime everywhere, and it was really gooey..."

"Did you just say a giant snake?" Ruka interrupted, her eyes widening.

"Yeah, why?" Naruto asked, puzzled.

"Oh no..."

---

Five-year-old Ruka stared at the dragon figurine with curiosity, sitting on her grandfather's seat in the Hokage's office. "What's this? It looks like Uncle Rokuro's dragon."

Her gaze shifted to the next figurine. Setting down the dragon, she picked up the second one and examined it closely. At first, she wasn't sure what she was looking at, but then she noticed the delicately carved streaks running vertically down the middle and sides of its body. "It's Katsuyu!" she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with delight.

"And this must be Gamabunta!" Ruka turned to her grandfather, who regarded her with a soft smile. "To this day, I still carry all of my students with me, and as you continue to grow and blossom, Ruka, I would like you to carry them with you too."

Her eyes flickered between the figurine in her hand and the other three resting on the table. Her excitement dimmed as she returned her gaze to the figurine resembling Katsuyu.

"Ruka... You must not blame her," Hiruzen said, noticing her solemn mood. "What happened... she still blames herself. Everything she has done, she did to keep you safe."

"I can take care of myself," Ruka responded, looking at her grandfather. "I'm the strongest."

Hiruzen chuckled. "My students," he trailed off. "Aren't without fault, and much of it has to do with their failure as their own teacher. These figurines will remind you that you had so many teachers to guide you through the path you choose. Learn from them, their past, their mistakes, and even my own."

"Even him?" the girl asked, watching her grandfather's gaze drift across the snake figurine.

"Especially from him," regret swept over Hiruzen. "You don't have to talk about it," Ruka reassured her grandfather.

He smiled gratefully at her. "You two are alike in some ways, after all." Ruka stared at him deadpanned. "That's even worse than when you said I'm just like Kakashi."

"The path he chose is one of greed, and I will never approve of it, no matter how much I still hope for his return," Hiruzen continued. "You were just like him in that you are both highly intelligent and capable of wielding the power that comes with numerous jutsus. And had he wanted the position, I believe he would have been a great Hokage, just as I believe you could be one day."

"I can't be a Hokage," Ruka stated, causing him to look at her curiously. "What if one day I am no longer here? What if one day I or another Hokage falls? By taking this position, you have the power to protect those you love."

Her hand hovered above the dragon figurine, her fingers twitching ever so slightly as she seemed to take in the full weight of his words.

"There are many who would see this village destroyed, and he is certainly one of them. What happens when the worst comes to pass, and the position of Hokage is all that's standing between the destruction of this village and everyone in it?"

"Grandfather, I don't need to be a Hokage in order to protect the people I love," she said, smiling reassuringly at him. "It'll be fine. I'm the strongest, after all."

Silence weighed heavily in the office for several tense moments as he watched his granddaughter playing with the figurine. Hiruzen had always worried about his first grandchild since he heard the prophecy.

With Hashirama's cells and an immense chakra level, possessing rare chakra nature, her power was exceptional. She was already worth more than a hundred million yen.

Balance played a crucial role in the world of shinobi, with the moon and the sun, until there was her.

The balance of the shinobi world was altered when she was born.

Because of that, Hiruzen would do anything to keep her safe, allowing her to have a normal childhood until the day she would be needed to defeat the second six paths.