The Hokage Is Coming to School?

"Hehe, Tsunade told me Lord Hokage is coming to the Ninja Academy today.

"Apparently, we're having combat training. Anyone who does well will get guidance from one of the village's outstanding ninja, or might even become their student." Kushina Uzumaki did not keep him guessing. "And it's not just Tsunade. Her teammates are coming too, along with some famous jonin from the village, including Jonin Hatake."

Uchiha Yi was startled. He had not expected anything like this.

Why had no word of it reached the Uchiha?

Yi glanced around at the other students. Aside from Kushina, none of them seemed to know either.

It looked as though Tsunade had given Kushina an inside tip. Judging by that, Kushina was doing fairly well living with the Senju Clan.

Become a student of one of those powerful ninja?

Yi's eyes gleamed as he looked at Minato Namikaze, seated in front of him. Perhaps this was the opportunity that would catch Jiraiya's eye and eventually lead to Minato becoming his student.

Nawaki was at the Ninja Academy too, and he would become Orochimaru's student.

As for Kushina, she had no shortage of guidance. Mito Uzumaki, Konoha's hidden powerhouse, was already teaching her with great care.

The Ninja Academy held combat classes, and Yi could clearly see Kushina growing stronger at a rapid pace. When she had first arrived in Konoha, she had been weaker than Uchiha Mikoto. Now, Yi felt Mikoto would have a hard time beating her.

That did not necessarily mean Kushina was stronger than Mikoto. In a ninja battle, intelligence and the ability to adapt on the spot were both indispensable.

All sorts of possibilities ran through Yi's mind. Was the Second Shinobi World War about to begin? Were Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others assessing the students so they could start cultivating the next generation early?

Come to think of it, he had been spending time with Kushina for over a month, yet Hiruzen and the others had shown no reaction. Even Mito seemed to have overlooked his existence.

"Oh, and I'll tell you a secret." Kushina lowered her voice so only he could hear. "Lord Hokage wants Tsunade and the others to take on students. Orochimaru has already picked Nawaki. If Mikoto performs well and graduates alongside Nawaki, she might become Orochimaru's student too."

Kushina had been in Konoha for over a month now, and she had learned quite a few things.

A good teacher could make an enormous difference. Orochimaru had never taken a student before, so nobody knew whether he could teach one. But he was a student of the Third Hokage and one of the finest ninja of his generation.

Tsunade had personally chosen him to teach Nawaki. How bad could he be?

Kushina had met both Orochimaru and Jiraiya. Compared with Jiraiya, Orochimaru certainly seemed much more reliable.

Orochimaru? Yi was tempted. The Orochimaru of the future would be deeply untrustworthy, someone to guard against. After all, he would become obsessed with the Sharingan.

But Nawaki was still alive, wasn't he?

Krillin's death had pushed Son Goku to become a Super Saiyan. Nawaki's death would likewise push Orochimaru to put his faith in science.

The one worry was how many uncertainties surrounded Nawaki. If becoming his teammate meant facing danger after danger, would Mikoto survive?

What if she and Nawaki stepped on an Explosive Tag one day? Wouldn't the girl he had been looking after be gone?

Then should I try to become Orochimaru's student too?

Yi would have liked to finish his studies at the Ninja Academy before graduating, but reality would not allow it. War could break out at any moment, and the village would not simply let students like him remain at school indefinitely.

Besides, good teachers would not wait around forever.

Once war came, those outstanding ninja would head to the front lines. They would have no time to take on students.

Graduating early was inevitable. Two years would be enough time for Yi to grow stronger.

Orochimaru was still worth getting to know at this stage. By the time he became a problem, Yi would have grown strong enough to handle it.

As for Jiraiya, forget it. Those toads on Mount Myōboku had already led him badly astray. Becoming his student would be dangerous.

Tsunade, though... Hehe. In the past, Yi would not have thought her a suitable teacher. But now that he had fused with Nawaki's physique, he felt rather like a Senju himself.

"And Yi, make sure you do your best later! I've already spoken to Tsunade. If you perform well, she'll introduce you to a good teacher!" Kushina looked at him expectantly.

"Don't worry!" Yi said with a confident smile. It looked as though he would have to take this chance to show off seriously.

Just as Kushina had said, Sarutobi Seiichiro entered the classroom before lessons began. "Give it your all in today's combat class," he told them gravely. "Lord Hokage will be watching."

Afterward, his gaze lingered on Yi, Minato and Kushina.

Those three children had his confidence. Part of his job at the academy was to find talent for Hiruzen Sarutobi and give promising students some support.

Yi and Kushina already had people to guide them. Minato, on the other hand, appeared to be a civilian ninja—at least on the surface.

In terms of current strength, Minato might still lag behind the children from established clans. But his talent ranked among the best in the class.

His exceptional reflexes, ability to analyze a fight, aptitude for learning and dedication had all impressed Seiichiro.

When it came to the speed of improvement, Minato was the fastest of them all.

Seiichiro had already mentioned Minato to Hiruzen. Hiruzen's visit was partly a chance to assess him. If Minato seized the opportunity, he might astonish everyone.

Hearing the news Kushina had told Yi confirmed, the students in the classroom grew excited.

Lord Hokage! Most of them had only seen Hiruzen at the opening ceremony. Meeting him again—and drawing his attention—was something they could only dream of.