Become the Hokage's Student?

That evening, in the hallway of Konoha's Hokage Office.

Gong Yi had arrived early, hoping to avoid giving anyone the impression that he was late.

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

From the hallway, he couldn't see Kage Rock behind him. Only from the rooftop of the building could he get a clear view of it.

But from where Gong Yi stood, he could look out over all of Konoha.

His gaze followed the main road running through the village, all the way to Konoha Gate. In between lay a crisscross of streets.

At dusk, the villagers who had been doing business or working outside began returning, and the streets grew lively.

Gong Yi leaned on the railing, looking like a carefree young man.

Of course, if anyone knew what he was thinking, they probably wouldn't think so.

"When Orochimaru joins forces with the Sand Shinobi and Otogakure to destroy Konoha, it should happen over there, in that building. There's an open arena there, where the final round of the Chunin Ninja Exams takes place."

"When Pain destroys Konoha... let me think. He faces Kage Rock, right in the center of the village. So, two thousand meters ahead."

"Huh, where does the Nine-Tails get released to attack Konoha? In the village center, or on the outskirts?"

Creeeak!

The office door swung open, and two people on the verge of old age appeared before Gong Yi.

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

The two Advisors of Konoha had never shown off much strength, but they were said to have served in the Second Hokage's elite guard squad.

Among their teammates were Shimura Danzō, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Kagami Uchiha, Torifu Akimichi, and others.

They probably weren't weak.

Mitokado Homura glanced at Gong Yi and nodded. "Not bad, young man!"

Utatane Koharu's voice was rather shrill, but she treated Gong Yi well enough.

"Go on in. Hiruzen is waiting for you. And remember to keep doing your best for the village."

Gong Yi nodded but didn't reply.

To many Naruto fans, these two elders didn't exactly inspire fondness.

But they had indeed made great contributions to the village over the course of their lives. In that respect, they deserved some respect.

Gong Yi stepped into the Hokage Office and paused in surprise.

Someone else was sitting by the window.

A white-haired man in his prime!

Jiraiya!

The man was watching him curiously, too.

"Gong Yi, you're here. Sorry for the wait."

Gong Yi hurriedly shook his head. "I arrived early. There's no need to apologize, Lord Hokage."

The Third Hokage smiled kindly. "Being punctual is a good habit!"

After a brief pause, the Third Hokage explained the main reason he had summoned Gong Yi.

"I had your report verified and discussed it with the Advisors. The information is accurate. Kitsuchi of the Sand Shinobi really did appear in the Land of Rain."

Gong Yi's expression grew serious. Gathering intelligence for a mission usually meant it was classified as at least an A-rank task.

Its accuracy was subject to even higher standards.

Gathering the information was one thing; verifying it was another.

The latter process was usually handled by the Hokage's own Anbu squad.

That helped prevent shinobi from submitting false reports or being deceived by enemy misinformation.

"Since this information involves two major shinobi villages, and you even fought a Jonin-level opponent—someone like Rasa, no less—the difficulty has been upgraded from an A-rank intelligence mission to an S-rank one. So your personal reward will be increased as well."

Gong Yi was delighted, then deliberately asked, "What about my teammates and captain? They put in a lot of effort, too!"

Whether or not they had really put in much effort was debatable, but at least they had helped Gong Yi by drawing off the pursuers.

Still, he mainly asked to show that he cared about his teammates.

The Third Hokage would surely appreciate that sort of thing.

Sure enough, the Third Hokage smiled approvingly.

"You don't need to worry about their rewards. Someone will arrange them. Today, we're here to discuss your reward."

"S-rank missions usually come with generous rewards, especially since you completed this one as a Genin. So I'll let you choose your own reward. It can be Ninjutsu, money, or something else."

Gong Yi fell silent.

He hadn't expected the old man to be so generous as to let him make his own request.

But since the Third Hokage had offered, wouldn't it be a waste not to try to get the most out of it?

"Lord Hokage, I want you to take me on as your student!"

The Third Hokage froze. Jiraiya, who had been lounging carelessly in his chair, was stunned too, and nearly fell off.

Gong Yi looked at the Third Hokage with a hint of nervousness, acting like a child.

Though he didn't like the old man personally, he greatly admired Hiruzen Sarutobi's ability to train students!

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

Every one of them was a force to be reckoned with, renowned throughout the Shinobi World.

His success in teaching so many outstanding students was closely tied to the breadth of his Ninjutsu knowledge.

They called him the Professor of Ninjutsu, and it wasn't a joke.

With the Third Hokage personally guiding him, along with the Scholar System, Gong Yi could imagine how quickly his strength would soar!

The Third Hokage was also somewhat protective of his own.

How to put it? Orochimaru had conducted human experiments for a long time, and the Third Hokage had known all about it.

He had continued to shield Orochimaru. If Orochimaru hadn't extended his experiments into Konoha itself, the Third Hokage wouldn't have ordered his pursuit.

If he really became the Hokage's student, Gong Yi would have a much better chance of making it through the coming Third Shinobi World War and eventually rising to the higher ranks of Konoha.

Of course, the chances of his request being accepted were slim!

"Haha, Gong Yi, you're a clever little fellow. But I'm old, and I already have too much work to do. I don't take on students anymore."

Just as expected!

The answer came as no surprise to Gong Yi. He was only using a bold request to bargain for something better.

After showing a trace of disappointment, Gong Yi looked over at Jiraiya.

"Then could I ask Lord Jiraiya to take me on as his student?"