"So that's how it is...
Haowen, have you noticed anything else interesting? Or made any other special discoveries?
If you have, could you tell Grandpa Hokage about them...?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen continued asking. He wanted to glean some clues from Ito Haowen's words, and he also wanted to know whether the place Haowen had just visited was one of the legendary Three Great Sage Regions!
Ito Haowen, meanwhile, put on a thoughtful expression.
"Anything interesting? Oh! Actually, there is!"
"What is it?!" Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes burned with excitement. Could Konoha really be about to produce another powerhouse like Jiraiya?!
If that was true, it would be wonderful!
Konoha was in a difficult position, with the old generation fading and the new one not yet ready. His three students had either left or gone into hiding, and the next generation of Konoha shinobi seemed to be falling short in more ways than one!
"Grandpa Hokage, it's not really anything interesting. I just had a really strange feeling...
It was like I'd gone too early! Yes! That strange feeling was telling me I'd gone too early! After I felt that, I came back..."
Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen thought to himself:
He'd gone too early?!
It seemed Ito Haowen had already been acknowledged by that place. Perhaps the time wasn't right yet, or perhaps the boy was still too weak, so it had sent him back?
How strange...
Jiraiya hadn't encountered anything like that back then!
Still, this was a good thing. According to the boy, he would have another chance to visit that place in the future, and might even be acknowledged!
Hmm... Maybe he should tell Jiraiya about this.
Jiraiya had experience. If possible, he could even take the boy on as his student!
Even without this incident, the boy had considerable talent!
And he was the young clan head of the Ito Clan. It might not be a major clan, but that was still more than enough for him to become Jiraiya's student.
He'd tell Jiraiya when he returned...
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, reached out and gently rubbed Ito Haowen's head.
"If anything else interesting happens, you can come tell Grandpa Hokage, Haowen. Grandpa Hokage is very curious about this too!
"You might not know this, Haowen, but one of Grandpa Hokage's students experienced something similar. While using the Summoning Technique, he accidentally went to another space...
"What happened to the two of you is very alike!"
Ito Haowen put on a curious expression after hearing this.
"Really, Grandpa Hokage?!"
Of course, Ito Haowen knew who Sarutobi Hiruzen was talking about. It was Jiraiya, one of the Sannin!
"Of course! Grandpa Hokage can introduce the two of you sometime. My student is an incredibly powerful shinobi!"
The people present reacted differently to Sarutobi Hiruzen's words. Shimura Danzō's brow furrowed tightly!
This brat had been his target, but now it seemed Hiruzen wanted Jiraiya to take him on as a student!
Ito Yamato and his son, Ito Aoyama, were delighted. They knew the Third Hokage meant Jiraiya, one of the Sannin. And wasn't the Hokage saying he wanted Jiraiya to take Ito Haowen as his student?
This was wonderful news!!!
With Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, teaching him, Ito Haowen's future would be limitless!
"Hokage-sama! Thank you so much!!!"
Ito Aoyama hurriedly bowed to Sarutobi Hiruzen!
"Don't mention it! Yamato is an old subordinate of mine. I'm delighted to see his grandson achieve something!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen had been about to say more, but Danzō beside him cut him off.
"Hiruzen!"
"Danzō, come to the Hokage Building with me. We'll talk there!"
"Hmph!!!"
And so Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzō left. Ito Yamato and Ito Aoyama also departed one after another. After all, classes still needed to be held at the Ninja Academy, and they couldn't keep everyone there too long.
Iruka saw how curious all the students in the classroom looked and realized that if he continued teaching now, no one would pay attention anyway.
Besides, Iruka was curious about Ito Haowen's experience too, so he waved his hand and gave everyone a break to do as they pleased!
Uzumaki Naruto sprang to his feet at the news and rushed straight over to Ito Haowen!
"Iruka-sensei is the best!!!
"Haowen! Hurry up and tell me what happened! What did you just experience?!
"That was incredible! Was it some special ninjutsu? Why did you disappear all of a sudden?!!!"
All the other students in the classroom turned to look, equally curious.
Just then, Uzumaki Naruto suddenly grew bashful, his eyes fixed on Ito Haowen with a strange look...
For some reason, he felt like his friend had become a little different!
It was like the feeling he got from that smug Sasuke!
No, no, no! How could that be? Haowen was his best friend! How could he be anything like that smug Sasuke?!
"Haowen! Why do I feel like you're a little different...?"
Sasuke, some distance away, froze when he heard Uzumaki Naruto say that!
So even that idiot could sense it?
Ever since Ito Haowen had appeared, Sasuke had felt that something about him had changed. But he couldn't quite put his finger on it...
He just felt as if he had some inexplicable connection to Haowen.
Unlike that idiot Uzumaki Naruto, Ito Haowen gave him the feeling that they came from the same lineage!
Could Ito Haowen be his brother from another mother and father?!
That was ridiculous...
Or could it be... that this guy had Uchiha blood?!!!
At the thought, Uchiha Sasuke's pupils contracted slightly.
Ito Haowen was taken aback when he heard Uzumaki Naruto's words.
Was Uzumaki Naruto's perception really that sharp?!
His body had definitely changed. After all, he now possessed Indra's Chakra!
Could this be the legendary mutual attraction between Indra and Asura's Chakra?!
Damn it!!! Uzumaki Naruto! Your best buddy is Uchiha Sasuke! Don't look at me like that!
Before you continue