Chapter 77
<span style="font-weight:400">When the news spread <i><span style="font-weight:400">that</i><span style="font-weight:400"> Konoha’s Anbu operative, codenamed "Ghost," was an eleven-year-old boy, the first reaction across the ninja world was disbelief.
<span style="font-weight:400">No one wanted to believe that this could be true.
<span style="font-weight:400">After all, Ghost was the one who led an Anbu team to wipe out more than eight squads of Iwagakure’s Anbu, and who singlehandedly killed Kamizuru Ishigawa, themander of Iwagakure’s Anbu forces.
<span style="font-weight:400">How could someone with such strength be only eleven years old? The im was simply absurd.
<span style="font-weight:400">"That must be a simple rumor. Who in their right mind would spread such nonsense? Do they think we''re fools?"
<span style="font-weight:400">The Second Mizukage of Kirigakure dismissed the news outright, refusing to believe a word of it.
<span style="font-weight:400">"An eleven-year-old at Kage level? If such a person exists, they wouldn’t be a human."<span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">The Second Raikage gave a simrly skeptical response.
<span style="font-weight:400">As for the Second Kazekage of Sunagakure, he was too busy studying the tailed beasts to pay any attention to the news.
<span style="font-weight:400">The initial response from the five major viges was to dismiss the story as a hoax. Most smaller ninja viges followed suit, with no one taking the rumors seriously.
<span style="font-weight:400">However, the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure stepped forward, publicly affirming the uracy of the information. He dered, under his authority as Tsuchikage, that the news was genuine and could be trusted.
<span style="font-weight:400">At that point, the rest of the ninja world began to take the im seriously. When a leader of one of the five great nations vouches for the validity of something, the likelihood of it being true skyrocked.
<span style="font-weight:400">And if it was true…
<i><span style="font-weight:400">Hiss!</i><span style="font-weight:400">—Everyone collectively drew a sharp breath.
<span style="font-weight:400">Eleven years old. At Kage level.
<span style="font-weight:400">The idea alone was simply too unbelievable. But the implications of this revtion began to dawn on everyone.
<span style="font-weight:400">Iwagakure’s decision to release this information was clear.
<span style="font-weight:400">They were essentially telling the entire ninja world: <i><span style="font-weight:400">Look, Konoha has a prodigy—one who might be the next Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha.</i><span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">And the message was clear to all other viges: <i><span style="font-weight:400">You know what must be done.</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">To ensure everyone understood, Iwagakure took it one step further—they issued a public bounty.
<span style="font-weight:400">Iwagakure officially ced "Light," the Konoha Anbu operative known as Hui, on their "must-kill" list. They announced that whoever could kill this boy would be rewarded with a staggering 50 million ryo.
<span style="font-weight:400">The news sent shockwaves through the ninja world.
<span style="font-weight:400">"It’s true! This is incredible!"
<span style="font-weight:400">"A genius at eleven years old, already a Kage-level fighter. He could be the next God of Shinobi!"
<span style="font-weight:400">"If this talent is allowed to grow, even if he doesn’t be as powerful as Hashirama, he could still easily rival Tobirama."
<span style="font-weight:400">"We must eliminate him before he matures. We can’t afford to let someone like him live!"
<span style="font-weight:400">The other major viges quickly agreed that such a threat could not possibly be allowed to grow unchecked. If a new powerhouse were to rise in Konoha, it could destabilize the delicate power bnce between the viges.
<span style="font-weight:400">The First Shinobi World War had erupted after Hashirama’s death. If he had lived, no one would have dared challenge Konoha.
<span style="font-weight:400">Now, with Hui emerging as a potential new powerhouse, the same fear gripped the other viges.
<span style="font-weight:400">Even though there was no guarantee that Hui would reach Hashirama’s level, no one was willing to take that risk. Moreover, Hui was no pacifist like Hashirama.
<span style="font-weight:400">He had been raised under the tutge of Tobirama Senju, a far more pragmatic and ruthless leader. The viges knew what Tobirama was capable of, and if Hui inherited his ideals, the consequences could be dire.
<span style="font-weight:400">Thus, Hui quickly found himself on the assassination lists of the other major viges. Each of the great nations ced bounties on his head, and orders to kill him on sight were issued.
<span style="font-weight:400">The smaller ninja viges, many of whichcked even a single Kage-level fighter, dared not provoke Konoha by targeting him, but they certainly took note of his name.
<span style="font-weight:400">Hui became famous across the ninja world almost overnight.
<span style="font-weight:400">In Iwagakure, he was known as "Ghost." In other viges, he earned the title "Konoha''s Light."
<span style="font-weight:400">Nearly every ninja in the five great nations had now heard of Hui, the eleven-year-old Anbu who had reached Kage-level strength.
<span style="font-weight:400">When the news finally reached Konoha, the vigers were just as skeptical. Many people in Konoha knew Hui—he was a familiar face, a handsome young boy who always seemed focused and hardworking.
<span style="font-weight:400">To them, he was just another promising genin. There was no way someone like him could be a member of Anbu, let alone a Kage-level fighter.
<span style="font-weight:400">However, as the rumors continued to swirl, and no one could find Hui, curiosity turned to concern. Finally, someone worked up the courage to ask the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, directly.
<span style="font-weight:400">The answer they received was shocking.
<span style="font-weight:400">Tobirama confirmed that Hui was indeed "Light," the Anbu operative who had killed Kamizuru Ishigawa.
<span style="font-weight:400">The revtion sent Konoha into an uproar.
<span style="font-weight:400">"What?! It’s really him!"
<span style="font-weight:400">"Unbelievable! Hui’s only eleven!"
<span style="font-weight:400">"He only graduated from the academy five years ago, and now he’s reached this level?!"
<span style="font-weight:400">"This is incredible! Could Hui be the next God of Shinobi? If he reaches the level of the First Hokage, Konoha would be invincible!"
<span style="font-weight:400">"But the other viges have ced bounties on him, and they’re actively trying to kill him!"
<span style="font-weight:400">"Hmph! Hui is Konoha’s genius, our future. If anyone tries to harm him, we’ll defend him with our lives!"
<span style="font-weight:400">"That’s right! Hui’s safety is Konoha’s priority!"
<span style="font-weight:400">The news spread like wildfire. Even the powerful ninja ns of Konoha, such as the Uchiha, Hyuga, and Ino-Shika-Cho, began to discuss Hui’s meteoric rise and what it could mean for the vige’s future.
<span style="font-weight:400">Among them, the leader of the Nara n seemed to understand the bigger picture. After some thought, he remarked quietly to his fellow n members:
<span style="font-weight:400">"It seems the Second Hokage is not just grooming Hui as a ninja... Could it be that he’s preparing him for something greater? For...a Hokage? Is Hui the future Hokage in Tobirama’s eyes?"
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