Three Years Later!

Clap! Clap! Clap!

In a courtyard, an old man and a young boy only about four feet tall were sparring. Both were locked in hand-to-hand combat, trading blows for several rounds before both retreated a few paces to create distance. The boy's face remained entirely composed, while the old man was slightly out of breath.

"Fire Release! Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

After stepping back, the boy immediately began weaving hand signs, then opened his mouth to spew a massive torrent of flames. The fire roared toward the old man like a sea, engulfing most of the courtyard and even causing the nearby small pond to boil.

"Earth Release, Earth Style Wall!"

The old man's expression shifted, and he hurriedly used Earth Style to defend himself. The two forces stalemated for a moment before the boy ceased his fire. As the flames dissipated, they revealed the earth wall, now charred black and collapsed on one side.

"Sigh, I'm getting old. This is the era of you youngsters now!" The old man stood up, looking at the scorched wall with a face full of nostalgia. However, he quickly straightened his expression, nodded at the boy, and said, "Li, your current strength is no less than that of an average Jonin, but you must not grow complacent. You know, Madara Uchiha was a man who could defeat the First Hokage. You are still far behind him, do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand!"

The two were the Great Elder and Li. Three years had passed since their last meeting, and Li was now nine years old. The little brat who had only been half-grown was now four feet tall, looking like a twelve-year-old youth. Of course, such rapid growth was thanks to the Life Potion. Over these three years, the supply of Life Potion had never ceased. It could be said that Li's body was far stronger than an ordinary person's; while a normal person might take at least half a month for a finger cut to heal, Li needed at most three days. His recovery rate was five times that of a normal person, nearly approaching a Sage Body.

Li's strength had now reached the level of a Jonin, and he had mastered numerous Fire Release Ninjutsu. Compared to three years ago, the current Li could easily crush a dozen of his former selves.

"Well, let's stop here for today. This old man needs to rest!" The Great Elder nodded with a smile, his aged face crinkling. He was very satisfied with Li; not only was he highly talented, but he was also humble and not the least bit arrogant. More importantly, the longer they spent together, the more the Great Elder could see the shadow of Madara in Li—that thirst for power, that desire for strength capable of looking down on all life, was exactly like Madara back in the day.

"Understood, I'll be heading off then!" Li nodded with a faint smile. He had a decent impression of the Great Elder. Although the man spent all day bragging about how Madara Uchiha had led them to conquer the four corners of the world and how incredible he was, the old man's temper was very straightforward. If he was dissatisfied, he would say it directly without hiding anything. He had also taught Li with all his heart, passing on almost all the Ninjutsu left behind by Madara.

The Great Elder's name was Zhan Uchiha. According to him, he had been a very powerful elite Jonin in his youth, and true to his name, he was extremely combative, which had forged his blunt, direct temperament—a trait he hadn't lost even in old age. The old man had said his greatest wish was to see the Uchiha regain their former honor and glory, which was why he had placed all his bets on Li.

Watching Zhan Uchiha's hunched back, Li narrowed his eyes slightly and muttered, "Old man, soon. Just wait a few more years, and I will definitely fulfill your wish!"

Nine years since he was reborn into this world, he had been adopted by Hao Uchiha in his early years. Although it appeared on the surface that Hao Uchiha was doing it to make amends to Li's parents, Li could sense that Hao Uchiha was a narrow-minded man; such a person could not be trusted. Later, he met the Third Hokage, who appeared harmless on the surface, yet for the sake of Konoha's interests, he had pushed a six-year-old Li to the front lines. One had to say the Third Hokage's character was lacking. Finally, this Great Elder was the most to Li's liking—no pretense, no relying on seniority. Zhan Uchiha believed that might made right, regardless of rank. Therefore, in private, Zhan Uchiha held no airs and treated Li as an equal, which was why Li cared so much for him.

After leaving the Great Elder's courtyard, Li was about to head home when he was blocked by a clansman. Having followed Zhan Uchiha for three years, Li knew which members belonged to the Hardline Faction and which to the Moderate Faction. The ninja before him was a member of the Moderate Faction.

"Mirai Uchiha, the Third Hokage wants you to go to the Hokage Office Building!" The man was a middle-aged Chunin wearing a green flak jacket. He likely knew some of the internal clan affairs, so his attitude toward Li was not very good. How could the Moderate Faction not know that Li had been frequenting the Great Elder's courtyard for the past three years?

"Understood!" Li nodded indifferently. Too lazy to waste his breath, he replied and turned toward the Hokage Office Building.

"Hmph, what an ingrate. The Clan Head raised him for years, yet he ends up hanging around with the Hardline Faction!" Watching Li's back, the middle-aged man showed a trace of disdain and anger. The Hardline Faction and the Moderate Faction had always been rivals, frequently clashing, their relationship as severe as that between the main and branch families of the Hyuga Clan.

Upon arriving at the Hokage Office Building, Li knocked on the door and heard the Third Hokage's calm response. After pushing the door open and entering, he found several people already inside, one of whom was Hao Uchiha. However, seeing Li arrive, Hao Uchiha did not show any warmth; instead, he wore a faint look of dissatisfaction. Ever since Hao Uchiha had transferred Li to the Military Police Force, the two had rarely met. Later, as Li began visiting Zhan Uchiha's residence frequently, Hao Uchiha naturally saw it all. As the leader of the Moderate Faction, he felt betrayed.

"Greetings, Lord Hokage!" Li ignored Hao Uchiha and bowed slightly to the Third Hokage.

"Oh, Li, you're here!" The Third Hokage was busy. After finishing a document, he looked up at Li and offered a habitual smile. "Li, I called you here because I want you to oversee the graduation exams for a few students. You might know these people; they are all in your year!"

Hearing this, Li frowned slightly. He didn't understand why the Third Hokage would entrust this test to him. Although he certainly had the strength to test those taking the graduation exam, there were so many Genin and Chunin in the village—couldn't he just find anyone else? Did the Third Hokage have some hidden motive? However, what piqued Li's interest was: which of his peers were applying for early graduation?