Taking on Students!

In the Third Hokage's office, smoke curled through the air as he leisurely puffed on his pipe, seemingly savoring this moment of peace. But to the Legendary Sannin, who had just returned from a mission, his solemn demeanor was undoubtedly testing their patience.

Tsunade planted one hand on her hip and pointed at the Third Hokage with the other, her voice clearly displeased. "Old man, what is it? Get to the point. We've been away on a mission for ages, and I'm exhausted. I want to go home and get some sleep. Besides, I need to congratulate my two little brothers, Nawaki and Liuxia, on becoming Chunin. We can use the occasion to get Liuxia to make another feast. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water."

Her tone revealed an unending longing for good food, as well as an urgent need for rest. She was clearly annoyed by the Third Hokage's stalling.

Jiraiya stood off to the side, looking just as impatient. "Exactly. If you've got something to say, old man, hurry up. I've got research material to collect!" His heart brimmed with curiosity about the outside world and an urge to explore. The young ladies waiting for him to "save" them made him feel pressed for time.

Orochimaru stood quietly to one side, his voice calm but carrying an unmistakable firmness. "Agreed. Old man, I still have experiments to run, so just say what you need to say." His eyes gleamed with a thirst for knowledge, and his focus on his experiments made him impatient with anything unrelated.

The Third Hokage looked at his three students and saw their impatience in their eyes. He tapped his pipe lightly, blew away the last wisp of smoke, and finally spoke. "All right, all right. I'll get to it. You've all worked hard, but I called you here because there's an important mission that needs your skill and strength."

His voice took on a note of seriousness, instantly capturing the Sannin's attention. They knew that when the Third Hokage spoke in that tone, what came next was no small matter.

In the office, the three Sannin protested almost in unison. "You're not going to send us right back out on another mission, are you?" Their three faces were filled with fatigue and displeasure. Clearly, they wanted no part of another deployment.

The Third Hokage smiled faintly. He felt helpless dealing with these unruly students, but he also knew how hard they worked. He waved a hand to reassure them. "No. No, don't make things up. I'm not some kind of devil. You did an excellent job on your mission, so you'll all have some time off."

The Sannin visibly relaxed, but the Third Hokage's next words made their expressions freeze. "Tsunade, His Excellency the Daimyo mentioned that you haven't visited him in a long time. He hopes you'll take Nawaki with you."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. She didn't seem particularly excited about this unexpected family visit. "Grandfather? No problem. It's all your fault, old man, for working us too hard back then."

The Third Hokage felt a little guilty. As Hokage, he knew he had indeed made strict demands of his students, but it had all been for the village's future. "It was all for the village. You're the pillars of the village, after all!"

He cleared his throat and continued. "Ahem. Anyway, there's one more thing. You're all elite Jonin now, so I'd like you to start taking on the work of leading teams. It's something you should have started doing long ago."

But the Sannin's reactions were remarkably unanimous. Their answers rang out almost at the same time:

"No!" Tsunade's voice was firm.

"I refuse!" Jiraiya was just as emphatic.

"Too much trouble!" Orochimaru coolly expressed his reluctance.

The Third Hokage's gaze moved among his three students. He thought to himself that they still needed more guidance and convincing. He gave a small cough, breaking the brief silence. "Then let's do this: all of you can start preparing to take on students! We'll assign Nawaki to you, Orochimaru!"

"Nawaki, you say? I have no problem with that." Orochimaru had no desire to lead a team, but he was willing to take care of Nawaki, whom he had watched grow up. The boy might be a little slow, but in this world without family, Orochimaru had long since come to regard Nawaki as his own, like a younger brother.

"Hm? My little brother, and you didn't ask me?" Tsunade had no objection to Orochimaru taking Nawaki on, but as his older sister, she objected to having no say in who he was assigned to. Her brows furrowed; she was clearly unhappy with the Third Hokage's decision.

"Nawaki? Why not give him to me? We get along great. Last time, I even gave him..." Jiraiya hastily cut in. He'd gotten along well with Nawaki while trying to win Tsunade over. However, he often gave Nawaki his own rather inappropriate books, which made Tsunade furious. She'd beaten Jiraiya up over it and strictly forbidden Nawaki and Liuxia from learning anything improper from him.

Watching the three of them interact, the Third Hokage felt a warmth in his heart. They had very different personalities, but their bond was deep. He knew that bond was Konoha's most precious treasure.

"All right, all right. You're all family to Nawaki, and you'll all have an influence on his growth," the Third Hokage said, soothing them. "Orochimaru, you'll take Nawaki. Tsunade, Lady Mito has already agreed, and Nawaki himself has no objections. Jiraiya, you and Nawaki do get along, but you need to be mindful of how your work affects him."

He paused, then continued. "As elite Jonin of the village, your responsibility isn't just to fight. It's also to train the next generation. I'm sure you can handle that."

The three Sannin exchanged glances. Each had their own thoughts, but in the end, they nodded.

"But if Nawaki's already been assigned, what about Liuxia? Why not let me train him? He has a real talent for Medical Ninjutsu. With a little training, he'll definitely surpass me!" Tsunade began asking about her other little brother's assignment, even if he wasn't always particularly well-behaved when they were together.

"Liuxia? I've assigned him to teach the Will of Fire at the Ninja Academy for a while." The Third Hokage was still pleased with his decision. It would reinforce Liuxia's education in the Will of Fire while preventing him from gaining more prestige through missions. Not bad, if I do say so myself. I'm nothing like Danzo, who only knows how to add seals.

"What? The Ninja Academy is a retirement home! Why would you assign him there?" Tsunade was outraged. The Ninja Academy was usually staffed by shinobi with no prospects or those forced to retire because of injuries. Sending a shinobi as talented as Liuxia there would bury his gifts and waste his potential!

"Tsunade, don't get worked up. It's only a temporary assignment. And you've just gotten back, so you haven't caught up on everything yet. That kid is even more capable than you think!"