Three Years Later!

Smack! Smack! Smack!

In a courtyard, an old man and a boy barely four feet tall were sparring. They fought with Taijutsu, trading blows for several exchanges before both retreated a few steps and put some distance between them. The boy showed no sign of fatigue, but the old man was breathing a little hard.

"Fire Release! Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

After taking a few steps back, the boy immediately began forming Hand Seals. Then he opened his mouth and spewed a vast sea of flames toward the old man. The fire covered most of the courtyard, even making the nearby pond boil.

"Earth Release: Earth Style Wall!"

The old man's expression changed, and he hurriedly used Earth Release to defend himself. The two jutsu clashed for a moment before the boy stopped releasing flames. When the fire died away, it revealed a section of earthen wall, charred black and crumbling on one side.

"Ah, I'm old. The world belongs to you young people now!" The old man rose and looked at the scorched wall, his face full of rueful sighs. But soon he grew serious. He nodded at the boy and said, "Li, your strength is already on par with that of an average Jonin. But you can't let up now. You should know that Lord Madara was able to defeat the First. You're still a long way from matching Lord Madara. Understand?"

"Yes, I understand!"

The two of them were the Great Elder and Li. Three years had passed since their last meeting, and Li was now nine years old. The little runt who had once stood only half as tall as an adult had grown to about four feet tall and looked like a twelve-year-old boy. Of course, his rapid growth was thanks to the Life Potion. Its supply had hardly ever stopped over the past three years. Li's body was far stronger than an ordinary person's. A cut finger would take most people at least half a month to heal, but Li recovered in three days at most. His healing was five times faster than normal, nearly on par with the Sage Body.

Li was now a Jonin, and he had mastered many Fire Release Ninjutsu. Compared to three years ago, he could now take on more than ten opponents at once.

"Mm, let's call it a day. This old man needs to get some rest!" The Great Elder nodded with a smile, his wrinkled face bunching up. He was very pleased with Li. Not only was he talented, he was also humble and not at all arrogant. More importantly, the longer the Great Elder spent with him, the more he saw of Madara in him. Li's hunger for strength—his desire for power that could make him look down on everyone—was just like Madara's had been.

"Mm, then I'll be off." Li nodded and smiled. He had a good impression of the Great Elder. The old man was always boasting about how Uchiha Madara had led them in battle and how incredible he'd been, but he was straightforward, saying exactly what was on his mind instead of hiding it. He also devoted himself to teaching Li, passing on nearly every jutsu Madara had left behind.

The Great Elder's name was Zhan Uchiha. According to him, he'd once been a formidable Elite Jonin. Just as his name suggested, he'd loved to fight, which had made him blunt and direct. Even old age hadn't changed that. He'd told Li that his greatest wish was to see the Uchiha reclaim their former glory, so he'd placed all his hopes on Li.

Watching Zhan Uchiha's stooped back, Li narrowed his eyes slightly and murmured, "Old man, it won't be long. Just give me a few more years, and I'll fulfill your wish!"

Li had been reborn into this world nine years ago. When he was young, Uchiha Hao had taken him in. On the surface, it seemed Uchiha Hao had done so to make amends to Li's parents, but Li could sense that Hao was narrow-minded and not someone to trust. Later, he'd met the Third Hokage. The Hokage seemed harmless enough, but for Konoha's sake, he'd pushed a six-year-old Li into danger. That said a lot about the Third Hokage's character. Of all the people Li had met, the Great Elder suited him best. He was genuine and never pulled rank. Zhan Uchiha believed that might made right, and didn't care about seniority. In private, he treated Li as an equal, without putting on airs. That was why Li valued him so much.

Li had just left the Great Elder's courtyard and was about to head home when a clan member stopped him. After spending three years with Zhan Uchiha, Li knew which members belonged to the Hardline Faction and which to the Moderate Faction. The ninja in front of him belonged to the latter.

"Uchiha Li, the Third Hokage wants you to come to the Hokage Office Building!" The man wore a green flak jacket and was a middle-aged Chunin. He seemed to know a little about the clan's internal affairs, so he treated Li rather coldly. Li had often visited the Great Elder's courtyard over the past three years. How could the Moderate Faction not know?

"Mm." Li gave a faint nod. He couldn't be bothered to say more. After answering, he turned and headed for the Hokage Office Building.

"Hmph, what an ungrateful wretch. The clan head raised him for years, yet he's gone and joined the Hardline Faction!" Watching Li's retreating figure, the middle-aged man looked both scornful and angry. The Hardline Faction and the Moderate Faction had always been at odds, constantly clashing. Their relationship was as bad as that between the Main Family and branch family of the Hyuga Clan.

When Li arrived at the Hokage Office Building, he knocked on the door. The Third Hokage replied in a calm voice, and Li entered. Several people were already inside, including Uchiha Hao. But when Hao saw Li, he showed no warmth—only a faint trace of displeasure. Ever since Uchiha Hao had assigned Li to the Military Police Force, the two had rarely seen each other. Then Li started visiting Zhan Uchiha's residence regularly. Uchiha Hao had naturally noticed it all. As the Moderate Faction's leader, he felt betrayed.

"Greetings, Lord Hokage." Li ignored Uchiha Hao and gave the Third Hokage a slight bow.

"Oh, Li, you're here!" The Third Hokage was busy. After finishing a document, he looked up at Li and gave him his customary smile. "Li, I called you here because I'd like you to oversee the graduation exams for a few students. You may know them. They're all in the same year as you."

Li frowned slightly, unsure why the Third Hokage had assigned him this test. He was certainly strong enough to test the students taking the graduation exam, but there were plenty of Genin and Chunin in the village. Why not ask one of them? Did the Hokage have some other purpose in mind? Still, Li was curious about one thing: which of his classmates had applied for early graduation?