A Teacher Can Only Help You This Much!

Strong teachers, good missions, and all kinds of benefits would keep coming their way. As for ordinary students, sorry, how far they could go depended on themselves.

Just look at Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya. With the Third Hokage personally acting as their Teacher, how could ordinary Special Jonin and Jonin compare to him?

Although the Third Hokage becoming their Teacher meant he was certainly unable to take them everywhere like ordinary teachers did, if given a choice, at least ninety-nine out of a hundred students would choose the former.

"Oh?! Who?!!"

The students of the Ninja Academy were among those the Third Hokage valued most. Whenever a promising seed appeared, he would spare no effort in nurturing them.

They were Konoha's future pillars. Once the older generation aged, they would continue passing down Konoha's Will of Fire, generation after generation.

The Teacher said, "In reply to Lord Hokage, it's Uchiha Hiko!!"

"Uchiha Hiko?!" The Third Hokage froze for a moment. He had not expected it to be him.

Hiko had once been far too ordinary. Even walking through a crowd, he was not easy to notice. Only after his sudden, dazzling transformation had he gradually begun to catch people's attention. To the Third Hokage, although Hiko had changed considerably and had deep ties to Kagami Uchiha, he had not yet reached the point of deserving special attention.

What the Third Hokage had not expected was for the Teacher to come directly to the Hokage's Office and request that Hiko be placed on the list for special attention.

Looking at the Teacher's serious expression, the Third Hokage knew he was not joking. Nor would anyone dare joke about such matters in the Hokage's Office. A Teacher could submit such a request, but whether it would be approved depended on the Third Hokage's nod.

After thinking for a moment, the Third Hokage asked, "Why? Does this child truly have something exceptional about him?"

If Hiko truly had such qualities, whether for the sake of nurturing the next generation or because of Kagami Uchiha, the Third Hokage would do his utmost to cultivate him.

The prerequisite was that Hiko had the qualifications.

Pouring vast resources into an ordinary person would simply not be worth the cost. Even if they eventually became a Special Jonin or Jonin, the investment and returns would still be disproportionate.

Therefore, those receiving special attention were destined to be anything but ordinary. Sometimes, several would appear in a single class; other times, several consecutive classes would pass without a single one.

The last such person had been Hatake Sakumo several classes ago—the future, world-renowned Konoha's White Fang!!

Only several classes later did Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya appear.

Yet every person who received special attention and extensive resources had achieved great things.

Starting with the very first generation—the Third Hokage's own group—was the best proof. The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had personally taken them in as disciples and begun training them. In fact, even Kagami Uchiha, who had died young, had achieved no small measure of success.

Then there was Hatake Sakumo, Konoha's renowned Kage-level powerhouse. The Sannin were the same, followed by Minato Namikaze...

On the surface, everyone seemed to start from the same line. Unfortunately, that was impossible. So-called fairness was merely something displayed openly; there was no such thing as true fairness in this world.

The Teacher did not hesitate at all. He believed he had not misjudged Hiko and said firmly, "This subordinate believes he can do it. His future achievements will definitely be no worse than Orochimaru, Tsunade, or Jiraiya!!!"

It was an extremely high evaluation, directly placing Hiko on the same level as those three.

The major clans all knew about this sort of secret cultivation, but aside from the academy teachers and the current Hokage, they did not know much. Just like now, in the eyes of the major clans, the Third Hokage's primary targets for cultivation were Orochimaru, who had borne the title of genius since entering the academy, and Tsunade, the little princess of the Senju Clan. As for Jiraiya... no matter how one looked at him, he did not seem like one.

Yet Jiraiya kept slapping them across the face and closely followed the other two all the way.

"Hmm~~~~"

The Third Hokage said nothing. He picked up his Pipe, lit it, and continued smoking. Before long, the Hokage's Office was once again occupied by curling smoke.

A long while later...

"I understand. You may leave. Look after the children well. Also, if this child applies for early graduation, I will not approve it. I will handle the other matters."

"Yes."

The Third Hokage had not made his position clear, leaving the Teacher somewhat disappointed as he left the Hokage's Office.

Uchiha Hiko, a Teacher can only help you this much. The rest will depend on your own efforts and Lord Hokage's decision.

No one could influence the Third Hokage's decision. In the past, because he had been too young and because the Senju Clan and Uchiha Clan had interfered, his reputation had suffered somewhat, and his authority had been weak.

But as the war came to an end, no one stepped forward to question the Third Hokage again. It could be said that he had firmly secured his position. Even if all the higher-ups of the Senju and Uchiha stepped forward now, they might not make the Third Hokage waver in the slightest.

"Uchiha Hiko..."

Opening Hiko's file once more, the Third Hokage stared at Hiko's photograph and took deep drag after deep drag, turning the entire office into an immortal realm!!