Wherever Hiko Is, Tsunade Is There!

Tobirama Senju had been ruthless toward other clans, including his own Senju Clan, continually stripping the major clans of their rights. Although it was done to consolidate the Hokage's position and authority, these actions also revealed the kind of person Tobirama Senju was.

He treated even members of his own clan that way, let alone the Uchiha, whom he had always disliked.

For the Uchiha to compete for the position of Hokage was simply an uphill battle.

Though the Uchiha had always worked hard, the Hokage's seat remained far beyond their reach.

"Phew~~~~"

The Third Hokage took deep drags from his pipe, his gaze fixed on several photographs spread across the desk.

At that moment, Hiko had no idea that his existence had left the Third Hokage deeply conflicted and hesitant, unsure whether he should place Hiko together with the others or deliberately separate him.

His request for early graduation had been rejected, so Hiko could only settle down and wait for the next suitable opportunity. Of course, his training would not stop. It was just that training in certain areas gradually slowed, while he focused on Taijutsu and Ninjutsu training.

Hiko had already decided when he would next apply for early graduation: together with Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya. The three would graduate when they were six years old, and the Third Hokage would personally take them in.

Hiko did not ask to receive the same treatment as them. He only hoped to meet a suitable teacher. Their graduation would coincide with the graduation of the class above them, making team assignments much easier. Even if he was not assigned to a team and became part of a Rogue Team or a wanderer instead, Hiko would have nothing to complain about.

He refused to believe that the Third Hokage would reject his application for early graduation again then.

Because the Third Hokage had personally intervened, the Uchiha shifted their attention away from Hiko and Tsunade. Unfortunately, neither Hiko nor Tsunade, as the people involved, knew about any of it. They only felt that things had been much quieter recently.

Time flew by, and half a year passed in the blink of an eye. Hiko, Tsunade, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and the others from the same group who had been born around the same time all turned six years old.

Just as in the original story, Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya had no intention of advancing to the Advanced Class. They wanted to graduate early.

As for those children with average aptitude and limited ability, they still had to remain at the Ninja Academy for classes. It was impossible for them to graduate in a short time. Many children stayed at the Ninja Academy until they were twelve or thirteen before graduating, which was quite common.

This was especially true for ninja from civilian families. Children from the major clans usually graduated much earlier.

"Hiko, are you planning to move up to the Advanced Class?"

At the Training Ground, Tsunade and Jiraiya sat on the grass and watched Hiko practice side kicks tirelessly, again and again. A deep mark had been carved into the huge wooden post, clearly Hiko's handiwork. Training equipment like this would need replacing within just a few days.

What Hiko had not expected was that he had yet to discover many of the God-tier Evolution Potion's effects, such as its restorative power. Hiko's recovery ability was incredibly strong. Even if he left himself covered in injuries during training, after going home and sleeping for a night, he would still be full of energy the next day.

This saved Hiko quite a bit of trouble. At the very least, he did not need to keep running to the hospital and worrying about his small wallet.

Gradually, Tsunade and Jiraiya began to enjoy following Hiko around. The relationship between the three of them deepened, and they became inseparable friends, especially Tsunade and Hiko.

A saying had begun circulating throughout Konoha: wherever Hiko appeared, Tsunade would always be there.

For some reason, Tsunade always liked following Hiko around. Being with Hiko made Tsunade feel at ease. Unlike when she was with Jiraiya, who could infuriate her into exploding within minutes, or with Orochimaru, who could go half a day without saying more than a few words and bore people to death.

Combined with Hiko's food strategy, their relationship progressed by leaps and bounds. Of course, it was mostly Tsunade who took the initiative to get close to Hiko, rather than Hiko deliberately following Tsunade around.

As for Jiraiya, his reason for liking to follow Hiko around was even simpler. He could occasionally get free meals, and being with Hiko was neither boring nor likely to get him beaten up. Before long, Jiraiya had nearly become Hiko's little tagalong.

Only the relationship between Orochimaru and Hiko remained as cold and distant as ever. When they met, a nod counted as a greeting. If there was no reason to talk, neither would say an extra word.

Hearing Tsunade's question, Hiko's raised foot paused in midair, holding a crane stance.