"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you, Uncle."
Renye watched Tobirama Senju's departing back and murmured softly.
Ever since Tobirama Senju had begun instructing him, Renye could clearly sense that the man was deliberately, or perhaps unconsciously, instilling in him the ideal of loving the village.
An ordinary child would have been subtly influenced over time.
But Renye was different. He had lived through two lifetimes, and his values had long since taken shape. They would not be easily changed.
Tobirama Senju had always been subtly telling Renye that, for Konoha Village, he should even be willing to give up his life when necessary.
The village's safety took precedence over everything, including his own life.
But Renye did not see it that way. At the end of the day, he was an outsider and had no particularly strong sense of belonging toward either the village or the clan.
In his eyes, staying alive was the most important thing.
He kept working hard to grow stronger so that he could survive the shinobi wars in the future.
Renye rose to his feet, gazed into the distance, and said softly, "If I become strong enough someday, I wouldn't mind helping you protect the village..."
As the saying went, cultivate yourself when poor; aid the world when prosperous.
If he had the ability, he would naturally be willing to help.
If he did not, taking good care of himself was more important than anything else.
Renye resumed his grueling training. Growing stronger was a long process. Unless one had cheat-like abilities, it would take years, perhaps even decades.
Sarutobi Clan Compound.
The Sarutobi Clan had joined Konoha during its founding days and could be considered one of its veteran clans.
Members of the clan often possessed mastery over all five elemental transformations and formidable combat strength, which was an important reason Hashirama Senju had valued them and invited them to join.
At that moment, Sasuke Sarutobi, the current head of the Sarutobi Clan, was flushed with excitement.
The reason was simple: Tobirama Senju, the First Hokage's younger brother and the man most likely to become the Second Hokage, had actually come to visit his home!
"Lord Tobirama, may I ask what brings you here today?" Sasuke Sarutobi asked cautiously.
Over all these years, Tobirama Senju had only visited once before, when the Sarutobi Clan had joined Konoha alongside his elder brother.
One did not visit a temple without a reason.
Since Tobirama Senju had come, he must have some important matter to announce.
Sasuke Sarutobi unconsciously rubbed his fingertips together as he tried to guess Tobirama's intentions.
Tobirama Senju's personality and way of doing things were vastly different from those of his elder brother, Hashirama Senju.
One had to be careful when speaking with someone like him. It was best not to try to guess what he was thinking, or one could easily suffer for it...
Sasuke Sarutobi abandoned the thought of trying to read Tobirama Senju's mind.
Tobirama Senju did not answer immediately. Instead, he picked up the black tea on the table and savored it at an unhurried pace.
Sasuke Sarutobi was not in a hurry either. He simply watched in silence.
After a long while, Tobirama Senju set down his teacup.
Sasuke Sarutobi's expression tightened.
Was it coming? What exactly was the purpose of his visit?
"Clan Head Sasuke, I would like your son to become my disciple. Would you be willing?"
The expression on Sasuke Sarutobi's face shifted from tension to shock, then delight, and finally excitement.
"Y-You... you truly wish to take my son as your disciple?" His voice was hoarse, and his hands trembled involuntarily.
Was he dreaming?
Lord Tobirama actually wanted to take Hiruzen as his disciple!
Given Tobirama Senju's prestige in Konoha Village, his becoming the Second Hokage was all but certain.
That way, Hiruzen would have a Hokage teacher backing him.
In the future, once he retired and Hiruzen became clan head, what clan in Konoha Village would dare refuse to show the Sarutobi Clan respect?
Under Hiruzen's leadership, the clan's standing would surely rise with the tide.
Perhaps the Sarutobi Clan might one day become a great clan like the Senju and Uchiha!
The more Sasuke Sarutobi thought about it, the more excited he became. He nearly fainted from happiness.
It might have looked like a simple matter of taking on a disciple, but there was much more involved.
Tobirama Senju nodded. "Hiruzen Sarutobi is a very outstanding child. With my guidance, I believe he will certainly become an excellent shinobi."
"On behalf of my son, I thank Lord Tobirama!" Sasuke Sarutobi bowed deeply, his eyes gleaming.
Whether the Sarutobi Clan could rise to prominence would depend on you, Hiruzen!
Only then did Hiruzen Sarutobi arrive belatedly.
He had been training when he learned that Lord Tobirama wanted to take him as a disciple, so he had rushed over without stopping.
Tobirama Senju noticed the traces of training on Hiruzen and gave an almost imperceptible nod. "Hiruzen Sarutobi, are you willing to become my disciple?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's breathing grew heavy as he hurriedly replied,
"Yes, I am! More than willing!"
He had dreamed of becoming Lord Tobirama's disciple...
Just yesterday, they had been fantasizing about being chosen by Lord Tobirama. He had never expected that dream to come true today, and it all felt unreal.
Seeing Hiruzen agree, Tobirama Senju said, "Tomorrow at the Tiger Hour, meet me at the training ground in Konoha Forest. Remember, do not be late."
With that, he turned and left.
"Understood, Teacher!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said excitedly.
Tobirama Senju was speechless. This kid had changed how he addressed him rather quickly...
Next, he sought out Kagami Uchiha, Danzō Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado one after another.
Koharu Utatane had not originally been within Tobirama's considerations, but after remembering her potential as a Medical Ninja, he made an exception and accepted her.
After all, when carrying out missions in the future, the team would need a Medical Ninja, wouldn't it?
Besides, with a Medical Ninja among his disciples, he could raise the intensity of their training even further. If they got hurt, they could be treated immediately anyway.
"Heh heh, now these brats won't be able to use injuries and illnesses as excuses." Tobirama Senju smiled sinisterly.
Having taken in several talented disciples, he was in an excellent mood.
He would not study the Uchiha today. He would research a Forbidden Technique for fun instead.
Constantly putting Mengkhan Medicine in Renye's milk was not a long-term solution.
As time passed, Renye's resistance to drugs was growing stronger and stronger. If this continued, the Mengkhan Medicine would no longer work.
While researching Forbidden Techniques, Tobirama Senju planned to develop a new type of knockout drug as well.
Otherwise, the matter of the Mengkhan Medicine would be exposed sooner or later.
When that happened, Renye would definitely slap him with labels like pervert, evil scientist, and someone who would not even spare a child.
Just imagining that scene made Tobirama Senju's scalp tingle.
No matter what, this matter absolutely could not be exposed!
Never mind how Renye might react—if his elder brother found out that he had been using Renye for research, he would definitely beat him to death...
That night, Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others were too excited to sleep.
They were all looking forward to seeing what tomorrow's training would be like.
Yet that night, Renye suffered from insomnia for the first time in a long while.
Why couldn't I sleep?
He had been in the Shinobi World for over a year, and this was the first time he had suffered from insomnia. He did not even feel the slightest bit sleepy.
Normally, he would fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow, but today he simply could not sleep no matter what.
Renye could not figure it out.
Before you continue