Training?
Why didn't you experience this kind of training yourself? Calling other people's suffering "training"—how ridiculous!
Naruto continued listening calmly to Hiruzen Sarutobi's account. No matter how eloquently Hiruzen spoke, it would not change Naruto's decision to make friends with him after achieving Essence, Qi, and Spirit Unity.
"Naruto, do you blame Grandpa for not announcing to the village, after your birth, that you were the Fourth Hokage's child?" Hiruzen asked as he looked at Naruto.
Naruto smiled. "No. I think Grandpa Third chose not to announce my identity because he was training me."
Hearing Naruto's answer, Hiruzen felt greatly comforted. He nodded and said, "That's right. It seems Naruto has truly grown up and learned to consider things more comprehensively. You really are a qualified chunin now."
"Back then, your father came to me and asked me to take care of you. He wanted me to treat you as the orphan of a hero, so that everyone in the village would respect you. At the time, I truly intended to follow your father's final wishes."
"Until I saw someone at home. That was when I wavered! Naruto, guess who I saw?"
"Who?" A curious expression appeared on Naruto's face. He couldn't let Hiruzen perform a one-man show all by himself.
"It was Asuma. My son, Asuma." A deep reminiscence filled Hiruzen's eyes. "I held you in my arms and returned home. Before I arrived, I had not wavered in the slightest. But when I pushed open the door and saw Asuma lying on the sofa smoking, I immediately began to waver."
"Asuma was a disappointing child. As the Hokage's son, he enjoyed resources ordinary people could never have, along with all kinds of glory. Yet everything has its pros and cons. It was precisely because he was the Hokage's