It had been nearly eight hours since I had gained consciousness, and from that time on, I was in my room in the hospital, kept in total isolation. Well, not total; two ANBU in steel grey armor and animal themed face masks had unobtrusively moved into the room and taken positions at two different corners of the room. And from then on, there was absolute silence in the room. I did not attempt to speak with them, and they did not attempt to make any conversation with me.

I realized that I would be having these two minder's until the Hokage decided upon his next course of action and decided to use that time to conduct an internal analysis on my own body and what was going on. I slowly entered into a deep trance of meditation, which I remembered from my Yoga classes in my old life, and slowly entered what I assumed was my mindscape.

My mindscape was entirely clogged with fog and gas, which I assumed was due to my newly awakened abilities. I slowly took stock of the changes and noticed that my chakra capacity had nearly doubled, which had completely shot my control to hell. My joints and limbs were far more fluid and my reflexes had increased beyond my skill to keep them in hold. My motor functions had lost their rigidity, but on the other hand, I could literally sense every living being around me in a radius of five hundred meters.

But above all else, I was now planning on my next course of action. As of now, it was still only three years since the attack of the fox, and the village was still in the course of rebuilding. Most of the main characters of the Naruto world were still toddlers, and Konoha was currently weak, pitifully weak. Only the facade of its past glory, coupled with the threat of the third Hokage who was at the waning point of his prime, and Jiraiya, coupled with Danzo's underhanded shenanigans had kept Konoha safe until the events of Naruto's graduation.

The most immediate events of significance that were to yet to happen were the attempted kidnapping of Hinata, and then, following it, was the Uchiha massacre. My foremost goal at the moment was to regain control of my body and get a hold of my abilities, and to devise a way to keep my foreknowledge secure.

On that point, I was reasonably secure in my belief that Sarutobi would not allow the Yamanaka to rummage in my mind, partly in the fear that they would not want to risk any psychic damage to me due to the importance of my new abilities, and partly because I had given no cause to the village to doubt my loyalty.

At this point, there were only three options with which Konoha could deal with me. I was very sure that I had been bumped up into the list of potential Hokage candidates by virtue of my new abilities alone, and that the village would start investing significantly in me to reap the rewards in the future.

At the minimum, my days of studying in the academy would be over. Of that, I was certain. The only thing that the village could do was to fast-track my training, either by moving me to ANBU or apprenticing me to a senior figure in the village. I doubted if Sarutobi would allow me to go into ANBU with the shadow of Danzo looming around, but it was a distant possibility, if the cripple could manage to convince the other councilors. If not, then I would be apprenticed to someone senior in the village. I would not be handed off to one of the clans, that much was certain. It would break the power balance within the village.

With regards to my potential teachers, Kakashi and Gai were still too young to be entrusted with training me. Most of the non-clan senior Jonin capable of training me had either perished in the attack of the fox, and those who had survived were too busy running missions to stabilize the village. My Kekkei Touta ensured that they would not risk my training with anyone less than a Kage-level shinobi. The village had very few of those. Tsunade and Jiraiya were out of the question. Danzo would not be permitted, and by default and logical deduction, that left Sarutobi himself.

But that would open a whole new can of worms. There was a reason why Sarutobi had not taken any students again after the Sannin. One, his original set of students had made such a mark on the world, that any future students would always be judged and held to the same standard as those three. Second, at the time when Sarutobi was training those three, Tobirama Senju was still alive and running the show, which gave him a lot of leeway in training the Sannin. Afterwards, with Tobirama's death, Sarutobi had ascended to the post of the Hokage, while those three had grown strong enough to branch out on their own.

Now, the situation was different. Konoha was weak, and the other villages had sensed the blood in the water. Only the combinations of the facts that Minato had emasculated Iwa, coupled with the disappearance of the third Kazekage, the aftershocks of which were still being felt to-date, had stayed the tide. I did not know if Obito had already started the Kiri bloodline purges yet, and the Raikage would soon attempt to probe Konoha for weaknesses.

In this situation, if the news leaked out that Sarutobi had taken on another student, it would send a thunder flash down the other villages. Just because of who he was. If the 'Shinobi no Kami' had finally deigned to take another student, especially considering how his previous students had turned out, then the world would collectively focus on me with a Zen-like focus.

Who is this boy? What skills or abilities does he have to make the Hokage himself take him on as a student? Is Sarutobi training a successor? All these points would be looked at, probed at, and I would receive extreme scrutiny. Not to mention, the level of expectations that would be placed on me would be astronomical. In Konoha, the lineage of Hokage's had been that of an unbroken chain of master to apprentice.

Sarutobi had learned under Hashirama and Tobirama, and Minato had learned under Jiraiya, who himself had learned under Sarutobi. If I was to become Sarutobi's student, it would send an unmistakable signal to the whole world, that I was a potential Hokage candidate. No ifs and buts about it. And if the news of my Kekkei Touta leaked out, the other villages would make a dedicated effort to take me out, as it would threaten the balance of power between the villages.

That meant, that I would have to start focusing on mastering my new abilities at a truly punishing pace. I had decent chakra now, but I urgently needed to regain my control over my body. Also, I would have to start revealing a bit of my intelligence and maturity, in gradual phases, but not enough to spook the higher-ups in the village. I needed to become Jonin level in the next eighteen months, or at least before the Hyuuga incident occurred.

Meanwhile, from a glass panel across the room, Sarutobi watched the boy in silence as he sat deeply in meditation. Homura, Koharu, Danzo and Shikaku, the four top leaders in the village, accompanied by the ANBU commander and the head medic, Yakushi Kinzo, watched the boy with varying levels of apprehension and intensity.

"How long has he been awake?" Shikaku asked Yakushi, who replied back, "For about eight hours."

"And what has he done since then?" Homura asked, even as the ANBU commander shrugged his shoulders.

"Nothing. He simply took stock of the situation when it was explained to him that he was in the hospital, and afterwards, he simply sat in deep meditation. He has not moved or reacted to anything at all, since then."

"Nothing? No questions as to why he is being held here, or why there are ANBU in the room with him, or no attempt to make any sort of conversation at all?" Koharu asked with a bit of worry, to which the ANBU commander shook his head.

"So, he suspects something is amiss, or he believes that he will be informed in due time and has no intention of making a nuisance of himself until he learns what is going on. A remarkable sense of composure for one so young. The reports stated that he was intelligent, clearly, they did not lie," Danzo grunted in agreement, while there were guarded nods from everyone as they agreed with the old man's observations.

"I think it is time I spoke with him and apprised him of the situation, for himself and for what it portends for him, and the village as a whole," Sarutobi spoke out, and nodded to an ANBU, who opened the door, as he walked inside.

While I was deep in my meditation, I suddenly sensed a sense of blazing heat and warmth near my presence. I instinctively realized that someone powerful had entered the room, and I suspected that what I did was just a rudimentary form of sensing. As I opened my eyes, I noticed that Sarutobi Hiruzen, the third Hokage, the 'Shinobi no Kami' himself was in front of me, in all his glory. Instantly, I understood that my guess had been spot on. He intended to take me on as a student.

"Hokage-sama," I greeted the man immediately, with a deep bow, as I stood up, and from the edges of my view, I noticed that the two ANBU who were in the room earlier had removed themselves.

"Hello Ichijou-kun, I hope you are doing well," Sarutobi spoke out with a small smile, and sat on a chair opposite my bed, and indicated to me to sit down.

"Do you have any inkling on what has happened to you, and as to why I am here?" Sarutobi continued, and I took a deep breath before I spoke out, knowing that I was literally putting my jaws in the mouth of the tiger.

"I suspect that it is because of the emergence of what I believe is my Kekkei Touta, Hokage-sama," I spoke out with a bit of hesitation lacing my tones, and I was not surprised to see him flinch at the fact that I acknowledged it so openly.

"How ... interesting! I had no idea that you were capable of realizing it, and even I am surprised that you know something about it in the first place. Knowledge about Kekkei Touta is not something that we teach at the academy," Sarutobi allowed, even as he focused his complete attention on the boy.

The boy's admission of his ability had come out of the blue, and once again, Sarutobi was forced to revise his estimation about the boy, and he decided to evaluate the boy in front of him without any preconceived notions. He would not permit another Orochimaru on his watch.

"I ... spend a lot of time in the library, Hokage-sama," the boy spoke out haltingly before composing himself and continued. "Above all else, I am an ardent lover of history, and I have read the records of the first and second wars. As such, I am aware of the Second and Third Tsuchikage's and what they are capable of. Furthermore, while studying about chakra nature's for a homework assignment, I learned somewhat of how bloodlines are formed, and while I am no expert by a long shot, even I can tell when my own body has been significantly changed. But the main reason as to why I know what has happened, is because I witnessed it myself," the boy admitted with a calm tone, to which Sarutobi widened his eyes in surprise in reaction.

"I don't know how to explain it, but when the Chunin in the academy helped me unlock my chakra, for a second, I believe I was transported to a space, which I believe is either my mind or sub-consciousness or whatever else, where I witnessed three balls of chakra hanging in mid-air in an empty space. I don't know how else to describe it," the boy admitted, while Sarutobi dropped his pipe in shock at the description.

He immediately coughed and straightened himself and picked the pipe back, "What!?" he asked the boy with an eyebrow raised, even as his mind calculated all the possible scenario's.

"Yes," the boy continued, as if he was giving a situation report, "and the weird thing was that each of them were of different colors and had labels on them. The first one was orange colored and the kanji for 'Fire' was upon it, the second was colored like smoke and had 'Air' upon it, and the last was deep blue in color and had 'Water' written upon it. Then those three balls ruptured, and their contents filled up the empty space and I was at that moment, I presume ... knocked out. I really don't know what else to say Hokage-sama! If I assume that those three were my chakra nature's, then it is obvious conclusion to make that with the combination of three chakra nature's, what I have is obviously a Kekkei Touta. I have no means of explaining it further, and if you wish it, I am willing to submit to any form of testing you desire, to verify my words," the boy spoke out and bowed, while Sarutobi remained speechless.

In all his years, he had never ever heard of such a thing. Yes, he knew of mindscapes and how they worked courtesy of the Yamanaka and their studies, but this, this was something out of the blue. Was this what Onoki and Muu had experienced as well, or was it unique to this boy? In any ways, it was not like he could call Onoki and ask him about it.

But, if this was true and the boy was aware of what he possessed, then with his intelligence, he should be aware of what it means to him as well.

"That is ... interesting, Ichijou-kun," he allowed, even as he retook control of the conversation. "While most of the time, we use chakra paper to test for affinities, this is the first time that a Kekkei Touta has manifested in this village, and even we are in the dark as well. Have you noticed any significant changes in yourself since you have awoken?" Sarutobi asked the boy, who nodded in agreement.

"Yes, Hokage-sama, while I was waiting for someone to come and speak to me, I decided to meditate and observe, to check if there were any changes within me, and I have observed quite a few changes," I admitted, while Sarutobi stroked his beard and motioned for me to continue.

"I noticed that the amount of chakra in my body has increased by at least 40%, if my estimates are right. I am not too certain about the exact amount, but I am reasonably certain that my reserves are now at least at the level of a Chunin. It has also ruined any form of control I had over my chakra, and my reflexes seem to have increased as well, beyond my ability to control. My motor-control functions seem to have lost their cohesion, and I suspect, that my immediate task is to establish my control over my chakra again," I admitted, while Sarutobi seemed pensive, and there was a bit of hardness in his eyes.

"A thorough and concise summary, Ichijou-kun," the Hokage replied, before his voice became a bit sterner. "The reports stated that you were a top student, but it seems that reports on your intelligence have been understated," he pointed out, at which my eyes widened.

Fuck! Of course, he is having relapses of Orochimaru! Powerful, young, and very intelligent, and now being outed as deliberately hiding my skills, just like his old traitorous student. By appearing more intelligent than I was expected to be, I was almost close to blowing my own cover! How could I be so stupid? I quickly needed to salvage this.

"There is nothing to understate, Hokage-sama, it was a deliberate action on my part. After all, the nail that stands out the most is also the one that gets hammered the most! Intelligence without the strength to back it up is useless, similarly, strength without the intelligence to wield it is also equally useless. My goal was to use the time spent in the academy to focus and gain complete mastery over the basics of the ninja arts, before I became a Genin. If I had performed further above expectations, I would have been asked to graduate early, and that would have robbed me of the chance to utilize the freedom I gain at the academy and its library to focus on my goals. Which is moot now, anyways," I shrugged, as I looked at Sarutobi unflinchingly. Any hesitation, stuttering or fear on my face at this point would literally destroy any chance of Sarutobi trusting me at all, and I would be carted off to Inoichi Yamanaka without question for a full-scale interrogation.

"Indeed," Sarutobi mused as he gazed at me, with his mind analyzing my responses. "In a way, hiding your capabilities from your teachers at the academy could be considered as a crime, you know? They exist to help students like you, and if you deliberately hide your capabilities, it does not bode well for how you are perceived," he spoke out, and I winced. Man, how badly did Orochimaru's defection screw him up?

Well, in for a penny, in for a pound. "Respectfully, Hokage-sama, I would have to disagree," I spoke out, while Sarutobi narrowed his eyes, "Oh? Do elaborate, Ichijou-kun. I would love to hear your reasoning."

"You are assuming that I hid my abilities, but I remind you that I am consistently ranked in the top ten in my class since the beginning of my joining. The only thing, I allow, that I have kept quiet, is my ability to perceive things and my comprehension skills; which may be better than my fellow students. But Hokage-sama, I know for a fact that I am not the only one in the academy who is hiding my full abilities. Almost all the students from the bloodline clans, have started training in their bloodlines, and are starting to learn skills corresponding to them. I know for a fact that the Hyuuga in my class has started to learn Jyuuken, yet he does not use it in academy taijutsu classes. Similarly, the Uchiha in my class has started fire ninjutsu training. I can see the pockmarks of Jyuuken strikes on the Hyuuga's forearms and the burn marks at the edges of the Uchiha's mouth, indicating that they have made progress with those skills and yet they do not display it in the academy. Compared to that, me keeping secret of the fact that I possess above-ordinary observation and comprehension skills pale in comparison. My only reason in keeping a low profile was that I did not feel comfortable in graduating until I believed I was ready. I leave the rest to your judgment," I replied back and remained silent, even though my heart was pounding in my chest.

For a while, Sarutobi stayed silent as he listened through my tirade, and then he smiled, and began to laugh uproariously. "Oh ... I suppose I needed that," Sarutobi laughed in mirth, even as he composed himself. "Oh, you need not worry, my boy, I was not questioning your loyalty, but your motives. I have seen such cases before as well, where exceptional students have ruined themselves with their over-compensating belief that they are correct in their opinions and that only they know what is best for them, despite the contrary. I just did not wish for you to fall into that trap," he admitted, even as I sighed in relief. However, I knew that he would be keeping an eagle eye on me from now on.

"Which brings us to the matter at hand! What to do with you?" he mused, even as he looked at me. "It is clear that you cannot continue studying in the academy. It would only hinder your growth henceforth. Your new ability and what it means to Konoha as a whole, cannot be understated, and despite all the precautions we take, inevitably it will leak one day. And once it leaks, the blowback will be tremendous. Of that, I have no doubt. Enough to destabilize the power balance between the nations themselves. What we need is time, and someone who can train you so that you can master these abilities to some extent at least, before the news becomes public. As such, I have decided to take you in as my personal student," he replied matter-of-factly, while I became silent.

After a few minutes of silence, Sarutobi replied, "Usually, when offered training by a Kage, the reaction does not include silence," he admitted wanly, as he gazed at me.

"Please don't think me ungrateful for the offer, Hokage-sama, but I have to consider the implications of such a statement before I accept," I spoke out, while Sarutobi raised his eyebrow in apprehension. I guess it is not every day that he sees someone hesitate to accept being trained by a Kage.

"Implications? Well, it is pleasing to see that you are as smart as I suspected you to be," Sarutobi genially smiled at me, even as he looked at me expectantly, indicating me to voice out my thoughts. No doubt, another test for me.

"Being the personal student of a Kage, has a lot of implications in our village, Hokage-sama, especially considering the occupants of the seat. I know not how it is in the other villages, but in this village, every Kage has been trained by his predecessor, or by someone related to their predecessor. You yourself, were trained by the Second and the First, and the Fourth was trained by your student himself. It paints a huge target on my back, if I am to accept being your student, Hokage-sama. I will be held and judged by unreasonable standards by the rest of the villagers who will expect nothing less than miracles from me. I don't know if your aim is to groom me as a candidate for your post in the far future, but whether it is your aim or not, the rest of the world will perceive it to be the case. And if that is the case, then they will aim for me, before they believe I can come into my own. Compounding to that fact is that once the nature of my abilities become known, those suspected attempts will become guaranteed for a fact. Besides that, the fact remains that your former students have cast a long shadow over this village. Everybody will be expecting me to equal them or outdo them. Being the student of a man known as 'Shinobi no Kami' comes with a lot of baggage. I am not certain if I possess the fortitude to bear that weight," I admitted, while Sarutobi nodded in agreement at my thought, though for a second, I thought I saw a gleam of appreciation in his eyes.

"The fact that you are even capable of comprehending these thoughts at your age itself is a mark in your favor, and proof that you can survive learning under Sarutobi," a sharp and clear-cut female voice came out from the corner of the room, and I turned around only to freeze as I saw Koharu, Homura, Danzo and Shikaku standing at the corner.

"I agree with my colleague," Homura spoke out genially, "Of all the children of your age in Konoha at the moment, apart from you, I doubt if there is anybody else who can grasp these thoughts as well as you. The fact that you are aware of what abilities you possess, and the fact that you have the foresight to calculate all the possibilities of what your abilities mean and portend, is in itself, again, another mark in your favor," the old man continued, while he looked at Danzo, who nodded in agreement.

"Usually, unlike other villages, we do not raise someone dedicatedly as a successor to our Kage," Danzo began, even as he looked at me with a deep penetrating stare. "Generally, we permit our shinobi to grow on their own merits, and we choose the one who is the most exceptional of that generation, and then we train them further to ensure that their already considerable skills are enhanced to the point, that they can take over the position of Hokage. That was how Namikaze Minato came to be groomed as the Fourth Hokage. But in your case, we can make an exception. Your Kekkei Touta ensures that you will have the power by the time your body matures. What you need is the knowledge and experience of understanding what a Hokage does on a day-to-day basis. Your training under Sarutobi will be your baptism by fire. All that is needed is to see if you will crumble into ashes or emerge as a diamond in the rough, forged from that heat," the man finished, while I gaped at him in shock. Damn, the man could be charismatic when he wanted to. No wonder everybody thought of him as a rival to Sarutobi.

At the end, Shikaku, who was the last person remaining, spoke out. "Troublesome, but the elders are right, boy! Your skills in comprehending the facts that are laid out before you means that we do not have to explain our rationale for why Hokage-sama has made this offer to you. You are smart enough to know better. All that we are asking is, can you do better?"

After all of them had made their pitch, I realized that my entire conversation with Sarutobi had been observed, and that this was some sort of evaluation test. My own foreknowledge what this world would undergo in the future, sealed the deal. Sighing, I stood up and bowed to Sarutobi, "I would be honored to become your apprentice, Sarutobi-sensei!"