Three Years

"Danzō Shimura, what are you doing?"

Renye shouted at Danzō, who was sprawled on the ground,

"Get up! Get up, now!"

"I can't... I can't do it anymore..."

Danzō lay face-down on the ground, exhausted like a dead dog.

He had lost track of how many laps he had run. He only remembered that from the moment training began, his legs had never stopped moving.

This training was several times harsher than his usual routine.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others were not doing much better. Their legs felt like they had been filled with lead, incapable of moving even an inch.

They stared at Renye in shock. Though he was drenched in sweat, his voice remained strong and steady. He clearly still had strength to spare.

So this was Lord Tobirama's training method?

No wonder Renye was so strong...

"Trash. Get up. Everyone's waiting for you. You don't want to hold back the entire team because of yourself, do you?" Renye said coldly.

Danzō gritted his teeth, forced himself up, and painfully climbed to his feet.

"I... I understand..."

"Ten more laps. Hang in there, everyone," Renye encouraged them.

By this point, their stamina had long since been drained dry. They could only rely on sheer willpower to force themselves through the training.

This kind of physical training that pushed the body beyond its limits often did more to awaken its potential.

Of course, those limits needed a threshold.

If they exceeded that threshold, not only would they fail to unlock their potential, but they would also suffer irreversible damage.

Especially children whose bodies were still growing.

That was why Tobirama Senju watched from the side: he was worried they might overtrain on their own.

Renye sat on the ground, watching the others lie scattered across the ground and gasp for breath. He could not help recalling how he had looked during his first training session.

He had only been seven then, and his body was still developing. The training plan Tobirama Senju had made for him had not been overly brutal, but it had still been enough to put him through hell.

A year had passed, and Renye's training volume had already doubled.

That was why Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others were exhausted like dogs...

Danzō Shimura stared at the azure sky, his mind completely blank. He was too tired to think about anything.

All he could hear was the rapid pounding of his heart.

The others were much the same. Of them all, Hiruzen Sarutobi was in slightly better condition, but not by much.

He turned to look at Renye, who sat on the ground with a pale face, and wondered, "How did eight-year-old Renye manage to complete the teacher's training?"

After all, he was two years older than Renye.

He did not dare imagine how terrifying Renye would become in another two years.

By then, he probably would not be Renye's match.

"I have to train hard and make sure Renye doesn't surpass me!" Hiruzen Sarutobi clenched his fists, his eyes filled with the desire to become stronger.

He was the Sarutobi Clan's genius. Naturally, he did not want anyone else to surpass him.

Just then, Tobirama Senju walked over to them.

Ignoring their exhaustion, the children hurriedly climbed to their feet and stood properly.

Tobirama Senju gave a slight nod and praised them. "Not bad. You all persevered."

He had seen these children's determination. As expected of the disciples he had personally chosen!

With his personal guidance, they would surely become outstanding ninja who loved the village and devoted their lives to it.

Perhaps even the next Hokage could be chosen from among them.

"Starting today, I will personally guide you in becoming stronger," Tobirama Senju said.

Hearing Tobirama Senju's words, everyone present began breathing heavily, their faces full of admiration.

"Teacher, we'll train hard!"

Renye's mouth twitched as he looked at their expressions.

Had they already forgotten the suffering they had just endured?

A moment ago, they had looked half-dead. Now they were full of enthusiasm again.

He was rather looking forward to the expressions on their faces during the next training session.

Tobirama Senju looked at their excited expressions and slowly said, "Physical fitness is the foundation of a ninja. Next, we will continue with physical training."

The expressions on their faces froze.

What? Again?

Didn't we just finish running?

Why did we have to run again?!

Renye looked at their expressions and curled his lips. "Did you really think getting stronger would be that easy?"

Danzō snorted coldly. "Hmph. It's just running. I can keep going!"

Renye wore a strange expression. "Who said anything about running?"

Danzō looked confused. "If it's not running, then what is it?"

Renye smiled and rattled off more than ten training methods in one breath. "Push-ups, squats, rock climbing..."

Danzō: "..."

The morning training ended.

The group was so exhausted that they collapsed on the ground, unable even to crawl.

Today's training had made them realize just how terrifying Lord Tobirama's training plan was. Nearly every exercise squeezed out the body's potential.

They began questioning their lives. Could they really endure this training in the future?

In the end, the five of them supported one another as they left.

Tobirama Senju said, "Kid, what do you think of them?"

Renye's heart stirred. This old man was testing him again.

He looked in the direction they had left and said, "They have perseverance, and they are willing to work hard. Their futures are limitless."

Tobirama Senju stared at Renye's profile and continued, "Do you think they love the village?"

"Of course. They definitely love the village," Renye answered without hesitation.

"And you?" Tobirama Senju suddenly asked.

"Of course I love the village too." Renye smiled.

"For the village's development, would you be willing to give your life?"

Renye did not answer immediately. After thinking for a long time, he said, "Perhaps..."

Loving the village and giving one's life for it were two different things.

Compared to the village's safety, he cared more about his own.

Tobirama Senju did not ask any further questions. He merely nodded thoughtfully.

He had long noticed that Renye had no sense of identification with or belonging to the village.

It would have been fine if this had happened to someone else, but it was somewhat dangerous for it to happen to an Uchiha...

Over the years, he had tried his best to instill in Renye the idea of loving the village, but it had not had much effect.

Still, there was plenty of time. He believed he could slowly change Renye's way of thinking.

"Kid, go home and eat."

"What does Uncle want to eat today?"

Three years passed in the blink of an eye, and it was now the Ninth Year of Konoha's Founding.

This year, Renye was ten years old and had reached a height of 1.5 meters.

Renye was quite satisfied with his height. He was no longer the little short-legged kid he used to be.

Well, his legs were not exactly long now either...

Over the three years, Renye's strength had improved rapidly, and he was beginning to show signs of surpassing Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He thought it might be because his body had begun developing. Both his physical abilities and Chakra reserves were growing rapidly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi feared being surpassed by Renye, so he trained desperately.

Seeing his good friend work so hard, Danzō Shimura was unwilling to fall behind.

The others were the same, endlessly caught up in internal competition.

With Tobirama Senju's guidance and their diligent training, the Ninja Academy's teaching model was no longer suitable for them.

At their request, Tobirama Senju agreed to let them graduate early.

Though it was called early graduation, compared to ordinary students, they were only graduating one year ahead of schedule.