Hiruzen had mentioned two names—
Yet somehow completely overlooked Orion.
That alone showed just how inconspicuous Orion had been.
Even someone like the Third Hokage—
Who paid close attention to the younger generation—
Barely knew him.
Kakashi shook his head.
"Neither of them."
Hiruzen frowned.
"Not Honda Taiko?"
"…Then could it be… the third child?"
He couldn't even recall Orion's name.
He could only refer to him as "the third kid."
Kakashi nodded.
"It's Orion."
"Orion?"
"I truly have no impression of this child."
Hiruzen said helplessly.
Kakashi wasn't surprised.
He gave a bitter smile.
"That's normal."
"Even his classmates—who studied with him for six years—hardly know him."
Hiruzen frowned.
"Come to my office."
With that—
He disappeared instantly.
Kakashi followed.
Inside the Hokage Office
Hiruzen pulled out the files for this year's graduates.
There weren't many—
Only about thirty students.
Out of them—
Only twelve passed and became genin.
Originally—
Only nine were supposed to pass.
But Orion's presence allowed Team 11 to pass the exam.
Which meant—
Without Orion—
Yamada Jumu and Honda Taiko would have failed.
This was because—
Many ninja didn't even graduate from the Academy.
Clan members often skipped it entirely—
As long as they passed village evaluation.
Hiruzen quickly found Team 11's file.
When Orion's profile appeared—
Hiruzen thought he was seeing things.
"This… this is far too ordinary."
"Are you sure it's this child?"
He looked at Kakashi with suspicion.
Kakashi nodded.
"It's him."
"He hid his talent for six years in the Academy."
"No one noticed."
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.
"Why would a child do something like that?"
"How could someone so young think this way?"
Kakashi explained:
"He's very mature for his age."
"And… how should I put it…"
"He's a bit lazy."
Hiruzen immediately thought of
Shikamaru Nara.
"…Lazy, huh?"
Kakashi nodded.
"He doesn't like attention."
"He doesn't want to be bothered by others."
"I tested him—he was telling the truth."
"Tōichi tested him too."
Hearing that—
Hiruzen's doubts faded.
"…Another troublesome genius."
He sighed.
Why did every talented ninja have quirks?
"To think someone like
Minato Namikaze
is so rare…"
"He's the most balanced genius I've ever seen."
Most prodigies—
Had flaws.
"Where is he now?"
Hiruzen asked.
Kakashi replied:
"At home."
"He fainted after using that technique."
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? What happened?"
"That jutsu… was accidental."
"It drained all his chakra at once."
"He's still unconscious."
Hiruzen frowned.
"Why didn't you take him to the hospital?"
"I checked him."
"He only passed out from chakra exhaustion."
"No injuries."
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.
"This is what I don't understand…"
"How does a twelve-year-old have such massive chakra reserves?"
Kakashi thought for a moment.
"His chakra is indeed enormous."
"But tonight's attack…"
"Was not powered solely by his own chakra."
"At most—his current level is comparable to a jōnin."
"That's not enough to support that kind of technique."
"I suspect…"
"He has some kind of hidden power inside him."
"And even he doesn't understand it."
"There's something else."
"His chakra is different."
"It's similar to when
Jiraiya
enters Sage Mode."
Hiruzen froze.
"…Could it be…"
"A natural Sage Body?"
He was shocked.
Hiruzen had personally known
Hashirama Senju—
And had even been his student.
He knew very well—
Hashirama possessed a natural Sage Body.
That was a physique even more terrifying than the Sharingan.
"If he truly has that…"
"Konoha may rise again."
Even within the Senju clan—
Only Hashirama had possessed such a body.
Kakashi, however, looked confused.
"Lord Hokage… what exactly is a natural Sage Body?"
Hiruzen explained:
"A natural Sage Body means…"
"Being born with a body comparable to a sage."
"These individuals—"
Have far greater chakra than normal ninjaPossess extraordinary life forceCan naturally use senjutsuHave bodies filled with sage chakra
"The First Hokage was one."
"He was called the God of Shinobi."
"His techniques could reshape landscapes."
"Every battle he fought…"
"Was like mountains collapsing and seas shifting."
"Only the
Uchiha Clan
could rival him."
"Their battles…"
"Were like natural disasters."
Kakashi was stunned.
"…Does someone like that really exist?"
Then he remembered—
Orion's attack tonight.
That level of destruction…
Matched it.
Hiruzen sighed.
"They existed."
"And they dominated the entire ninja world."
"If Konoha produces another First Hokage…"
"We could secure decades of peace."
Hiruzen looked at Kakashi.
"You've interacted with him."
"How talented is he?"
"To what extent?"
There was anticipation in his eyes.
The reason Hiruzen wasn't overly wary of Orion—
Was because Orion was a civilian.
No dangerous clan background like the Uchiha.
Kakashi thought for a moment.
"I've only known him for a few days."
"In the Academy—"
"He was no different from ordinary students."
"He only knew the Three Basic Jutsu and basic weapon use."
"Then Tōichi taught him tree climbing and water walking—"
"He mastered both instantly."
"Today was my first time truly teaching him a real jutsu."
"And…"
"If not for the accident…"
"He already learned it."
Kakashi paused—
Then said something shocking:
"He also has all five chakra natures."
Hiruzen froze.
"…He has all five chakra natures?!"
Kakashi nodded.
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