Naruto: Power in Play

Chapter 38

The heavy wooden doors shut behind them, muffling the sounds of the outside world. Inside, the Hokage's temporary office was dimly lit, the scent of old parchment, ink, and faint tobacco smoke lingering in the air.

At the far end, seated behind a sturdy wooden desk covered in reports and scrolls, was Hiruzen Sarutobi. His eyes lifted from his documents the moment Ibiki and Ando entered.

After a brief exchange of greetings, the trio fell into a contemplative silence—a pause that granted the Hokage a precious moment to assess the situation.

Hiruzen had seen thousands of faces over the years, shinobi and civilians. He had watched generations rise and fall under his leadership, had personally trained some of the greatest shinobi the village had ever seen. And the thing that helped him through it all, was his near eidetic memory.

A single look was all he needed to recognize the young boy standing before him, despite the changes in appearance and demeanor.

He came from Bright Orphanage.

One of the many children left behind in the aftermath of the Kyubi's assault. A little oddball, more serious than his peers, with a build that had been a little more muscular than the other orphans his age. There had been something different about him even then, an innate awareness, a quiet maturity far beyond his years.

At the time, Hiruzen had seen it as the natural caution of an orphaned child who understood that the world owed him nothing. A survivor's mindset, even before training. An excellent quality that would make the child into a remarkable shinobi.

His growth during his first year at the academy was proof of it.

But... he had changed.

Gone was the barely hidden curiosity in his eyes, the spark of cautious intellect. That quiet but undeniable presence, the one that marked children who could one day grow into powerful shinobi, had been hollowed out.

The boy before him was no longer a child shaped by hardship. The dark eyes that he now possessed had nothing to do on a child his age. And it made a painful reminder for Hiruzen, a reminder of yet another one of his failures.

Hiruzen's grip on his pipe tightened slightly before he slowly exhaled, his deep voice breaking the silence. "... You remember me."

It wasn't a question.

But Ando still gave a small nod in response.

Hiruzen leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "From the orphanage?"

Another nod.

Hiruzen sighed, setting his pipe aside. "You've changed, Ando."

A simple statement, but one with weight. Ando didn't respond right away, wondering where the hokage was going with this. His fingers flexed slightly at his side before he finally said, "Two years is a long time."

"Yes... yes, it is..."

The quiet stretched, not tense, but expectant. Hiruzen was waiting for Ando to elaborate, but it seemed like the orphan wasn't too keen on that. So, he settled on observation.

There was something... contained about the kid. As if every movement, every breath, every thought was carefully structured. Ando wasn't waiting for orders. He was waiting to see. To gauge. Absorbing the information to help him decide what came next.

Hiruzen's gaze softened just a fraction. "Ando... what do you want to do?"

For a moment, surprise flickered across Ando's face. Clearly, he hadn't expected that kind of question. He lowered his gaze slightly, just enough to hide that light, or was it to indicate that he was thinking? Hiruzen wasn't sure.