Becoming Naruto's Disciple?

At dusk, in the corridor of the Hokage office building in Konoha.

Gong Yi arrived early, trying his best not to leave an impression of being late.

However, it seemed the Hokage was currently receiving other guests, so he had to wait outside for a while.

Standing in the corridor, one could not see the Hokage Rock faces behind the building; only from the rooftop could one see them head-on.

Yet, from Gong Yi's current position, he could take in the entire village of Konoha with a clear, sweeping view.

Following a central axis, his gaze could trace all the way to the main gate of Konoha, with various streets crisscrossing in between.

At twilight, villagers returning from business or labor were gradually making their way back, and the streets were bustling with activity.

Gong Yi leaned against the railing, looking like a carefree youth.

Of course, if anyone knew his inner thoughts, they probably wouldn't think so.

When Orochimaru joins forces with Sunagakure Ninja and Otogakure to destroy Konoha, it should be at that building over there. There is an open arena where the final round of the Chunin Exams takes place.

Pain destroying Konoha, hmm, let me think. He faces the Hokage Rock directly, positioned in the center of the village. That means, two thousand meters ahead.

Huh, where was the Nine-Tails released to attack Konoha? The center of the village, or the outskirts?

Creak!

The office door was pushed open, and two people nearing old age appeared in Gong Yi's sight.

The man was Mitokado Homura, and the woman was Utatane Koharu.

As the two advisors of Konoha, their strength was rarely displayed, but it was said they were members of the Second Hokage's elite guard squad.

In that group, their teammates included Shimura Danzō, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Kagami Uchiha, Torifu Akimichi, and others.

One would imagine their strength couldn't be too weak!

Mitokado Homura glanced at Gong Yi and nodded, "Not a bad little fellow!"

Utatane Koharu's voice was somewhat sharp, but her attitude toward Gong Yi was decent enough.

"Go on in, Hiruzen is waiting for you. Remember to keep working hard for the village in the future."

Gong Yi nodded without replying.

For many fans of Naruto, these two old people really didn't leave a good impression.

However, they had indeed made tremendous contributions to the village throughout their lives; from that perspective, they were worthy of respect.

Stepping into the Hokage office, Gong Yi was slightly stunned.

By the window, there was actually someone else sitting there.

A white-haired, middle-aged man!

Jiraiya!

At this moment, he was also curiously sizing Gong Yi up.

"Gong Yi is here. Sorry to have kept you waiting."

Gong Yi quickly shook his head, "I arrived early, Lord Hokage, you needn't say that."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled kindly, "Punctuality is a good habit!"

After a pause, Hiruzen Sarutobi brought up the main purpose of summoning Gong Yi.

"Regarding the intelligence you brought back, I have already had it verified and discussed it with the advisors. The intelligence is accurate; Kitsuchi of Sunagakure did indeed appear in the Land of Rain."

Gong Yi's expression tightened. Intelligence gathering missions were often ranked A-level or higher.

The requirements for their authenticity were even stricter.

Collection was one thing, but verification was another.

The latter process was usually carried out by the Anbu teams directly under the Hokage.

In this way, they could effectively prevent ninjas from reporting false situations or being deceived by the enemy with fake intelligence.

"Because this intelligence involves two major ninja villages and involved battles at the Jonin level, and even against someone like Rasa, the difficulty has been upgraded from an A-level intelligence mission to an S-level. Therefore, your personal reward will also be increased."

Gong Yi felt a surge of joy, then suddenly asked deliberately, "What about my teammates and captain? They also contributed a lot!"

Whether they actually contributed much was debatable, but at the very least, they had shared the pressure of the pursuers for Gong Yi.

However, Gong Yi asked this mainly to demonstrate the virtue of caring for his companions.

He figured that old man Hiruzen Sarutobi would be very fond of this approach.

Sure enough, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled with gratification.

"You don't need to worry about their rewards; there are others to arrange that. Today, we are mainly discussing your reward."

"S-level difficulty missions often carry very generous rewards, especially since you completed it at the Genin level. Therefore, I will grant you one opportunity to choose your reward. Whether it be Ninjutsu, money, or something else."

Gong Yi fell silent.

He hadn't expected that old man Hiruzen Sarutobi would be so generous as to let him make his own request.

But since Hiruzen Sarutobi had said so, if Gong Yi didn't try every means to squeeze out some benefits, would he even be human?

"Lord Hokage, I would like you to take me as your disciple!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was stunned, and Jiraiya, who had been lounging in his chair with no semblance of decorum, was so shocked he nearly tumbled off.

Gong Yi watched the man with a hint of nervousness, acting exactly like a young child.

Although he did not particularly care for the old man on a personal level, he held immense respect for Hiruzen Sarutobi's ability to teach.

He had trained the Sannin: Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade!

Each one was a powerhouse capable of standing alone, a figure who struck terror across the shinobi world.

That he could produce so many exceptional disciples was directly tied to the sheer breadth of ninjutsu he had mastered.

Being hailed as the Professor of Ninjutsu was no laughing matter.

If he could receive personal guidance from the Third, combined with the Scholar System, Gong Yi could only imagine the speed at which his strength would skyrocket!

Furthermore, Hiruzen Sarutobi was known to be somewhat protective of his own.

How to put it? Orochimaru had been conducting human experimentation for a long time, and Hiruzen Sarutobi had been perfectly aware of it.

He had shielded Orochimaru for years; it was only when the man extended his reach into Konoha itself that Hiruzen Sarutobi finally ordered his pursuit.

If he could truly become a disciple of the Hokage, whether it was for the upcoming Third Shinobi World War or his future ascent to the upper echelons of Konoha, Gong Yi was confident he could navigate the path ahead.

Of course, the likelihood of this request being granted was extremely low!

"Haha, Gong Yi, you little one are certainly clever. However, I am old, and my daily duties are far too heavy; I am no longer taking on disciples."

Just as expected!

This answer did not exceed Gong Yi's predictions, but he was merely using a tactic of retreating to advance, a way to bargain.

After showing a slight expression of regret, Gong Yi turned his gaze toward Jiraiya.

"Then, Lord Jiraiya, would you be willing to take me as your disciple?"