Second Hokage's Demise, Hiruzen's Era Begins

A month later, Jiogan had become proficient in the Three Body Techniques. Combined with his frequent sparring sessions with Might Duy, his Taijutsu Skill had also improved. He was only one step away from the First Gate, lacking only the right opportunity. In terms of overall combat strength, he was close to the graduating class. Compared to the Anime Timeline, he definitely possessed Genin-level combat power. The Ninja Academy's overall standard at this time was considerably stronger than in the Anime Timeline.

One day, a peaceful day, was shattered by troubling news.

The Second Hokage Tobirama Senju was ambushed during talks with the Second Raikage by the Kumogakure rebels, the Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers, and their forces. The Second Raikage died on the spot. The Second Hokage voluntarily stayed behind to cover his comrades' retreat and unfortunately perished. Before his death, he entrusted the title of Third Hokage to his disciple, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

This news shook the entire Ninja World. Scouts and spies from other villages continuously poured into and infiltrated Konoha and Kumogakure. There were even small-scale incursions along the borders. Friction throughout the Ninja World suddenly intensified, and another Ninja World War seemed poised to erupt.

Inside the Ninja Academy Classroom, the students whispered among themselves, sharing the news they had heard. Most wore worried expressions.

The Third Hokage was too young and came from a second-rate Ninja Clan. Konoha had first-rate Ninja Clans such as the Senju, Uchiha, and Hyuga, along with a whole host of second-rate clans. They were not afraid of a Ninja World War; they feared Konoha would descend into internal chaos first.

Jiogan, who knew the plot well, was not particularly worried. The Senju Clan had begun withdrawing from public affairs after the First Hokage's death. The Uchiha were kept in check by Kagami Uchiha, the Second Hokage's disciple. The Hyuga were an extremely insular clan and rarely interfered in village matters. To stabilize the situation, Hiruzen Sarutobi established the Council of Elders and delegated some authority to it, stabilizing morale within Konoha. He also won over Mito Uzumaki, the First Hokage's wife and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, gaining a powerful backer. Combined with his own formidable strength, having entered the Kage rank, the internal situation was quickly brought under control.

However, the external situation only grew more intense. Every village wanted to use this opportunity to tear off a piece of the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning, obtaining the resources they desired.

Still, only local wars would occur, because the Second Shinobi World War was the war that made the Sannin famous. Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya were only thirteen years old now. There should be around ten years before the Second Shinobi World War truly broke out.

There is no risk of graduating early for now. The situation in the Ninja World is still within a controllable range. I will graduate at the normal time, then have some time to grow—provided I can survive the small-scale conflicts that come later. Looks like I need to work even harder on the Eight Inner Gates Technique. I'll have to rely on it to stay alive, Jiogan thought.

I also need to intensify my shuriken and kunai throwing practice. My current throwing skill is so-so, around average. I have to improve my offensive options, Jiogan resolved.

Over the next few months, Jiogan trained diligently in the Eight Inner Gates and Shurikenjutsu. He successfully opened the First Gate. The side effect was that he entered a period of physical weakness after two minutes, though he recovered quickly and was back to normal within half a day. His Shurikenjutsu also improved significantly, reaching the top ranks of the class, second only to several Uchiha students.

Before long, the Second Semester of the First School Year also ended. The Second School Year would bring more advanced courses, including practical lessons, Trap Setting, and theoretical knowledge of intelligence gathering.

When the break arrived, Jiogan continued training with Might Duy as usual. In addition, he began practicing Water Release Ninjutsu, starting with the defensive Water Release: Water Wall.

Water Release training was neither particularly difficult nor particularly easy. Training near water yielded twice the results with half the effort, but without water, it took twice the effort for half the results. The same applied to the power of the Ninjutsu.

At Training Ground 3, where there was a river, Jiogan's Water Release: Water Wall could reach the power of a C-rank Ninjutsu. But at Training Ground 6, where there was no river, it could not reach C-rank strength at all. He could only barely form a short Water Wall, capable of blocking at most a few kunai and shuriken.

Jiogan knew this was related to his Chakra Amount and control. Near water, he could currently cast two Water Walls at normal strength. But without water, the difficulty of the Ninjutsu rose sharply, making it hard for him to control.

Therefore, all he could do now was practice water walking and tree climbing to improve his Chakra control. There was no way for him to increase his Chakra Amount significantly in the short term.

In the months since Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi took office, he had largely continued the policies of his teacher, the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju. Though still young, he already possessed the bearing of a Ninja Hero. The fact that the Second Shinobi World War had not immediately erupted was also related to Hiruzen Sarutobi's methods. After taking office, Hiruzen Sarutobi acted twice: once to repel the Second Kazekage and once to repel the Third Tsuchikage. His strength and reputation resounded throughout the Ninja World.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was a master of all Elemental Ninjutsu, and Enma aided him in Taijutsu as well. He had no weaknesses and could wield all kinds of high-level Ninjutsu with ease. His opponents found it difficult to find any means of countering him, while he could easily identify and exploit their weaknesses. It was utterly shameless.

Konoha's Council of Elders was also highly capable. There was none of the scheming seen in the plot's era; they wholeheartedly assisted Hiruzen Sarutobi. At this stage, Shimura Danzō had not yet established Root, and his ambitions remained hidden in darkness.

Walking through Konoha's streets and looking at the village, which continued to grow more prosperous, Jiogan could not help but sigh. As expected of the Second Hokage's disciple and the Third Hokage who held power the longest. Whether in strength or political skill, he is exceptionally capable.

"Hey, Jiogan! My family is having an outdoor picnic today. I've invited a lot of classmates, so come along too!" a voice called from afar.

Jiogan came back to his senses and looked at the figure waving to him in the distance. It was Inuzuka Yoru.

"Sure, Yoru. I'll be right there," Jiogan replied.

Inuzuka Yoru was the classmate who had been the first to introduce himself. Jiogan and he were also good friends.

At the picnic site, Jiogan saw that most of those present were from small Ninja Clans or civilian families. The Inuzuka Clan is a small Ninja Clan. They mainly fight alongside Ninken and specialize in Taijutsu and sensory abilities, making them suited for tracking and ambushes.

Their standing in Konoha is neither high nor low. The major clans look down on them, and there are no powerful figures in the clan, so they cannot enter the village's core circle. Even during the plot's era, Kiba Inuzuka, one of the twelve rookie ninjas, was among the weakest.

So, in order to survive, they have always maintained good relations with small Ninja Clans and outstanding civilians, preserving their own circle of survival.

However, Jiogan would not look down on the Inuzuka Clan because of this. Small Ninja Clans had their own way of surviving. Aside from the Uchiha and Hyuga, the other second-rate Ninja Clans tended to band together, such as the Ino-Shika-Cho clans, or the Sarutobi and Shimura. Everyone was a comrade. On the battlefield, they could trust one another and entrust their backs to each other.