Hey! What do you see in me? Can't I change it?

The hard part of Heavenly Grudge was collecting it, not mastering it. Yu learned it on the way to the office with Iruka!

As Iruka walked ahead, Yu asked, "Sensei, how old are you this year?"

Why ask that out of nowhere?

Still, he answered, "Seventeen."

Believe it or not, in Konoha Year 55, Iruka really was only seventeen.

Yu exclaimed, "Wow! You're so young, but you're already an outstanding Chunin, and you even teach at the Ninja Academy! You're amazing, sensei!"

Is he buttering me up...?

Iruka smiled and was just about to say something.

But Yu continued, "If there were a 'King of Ordinary Ninja,' Iruka-sensei would definitely win. Hehe..."

You little brat, are you trying to pick a fight?!

Iruka's face instantly darkened!

Bloop! A small black bubble drifted out from the back of Iruka's head and flew into Yu's hand!

Yu hurriedly covered it and glanced around. The bubble was clearly conspicuous, yet none of the people passing on either side noticed it!

I see... only I can see it? No, that can't be right. That would make this unbeatable. It must be the kind of thing you can't detect without a certain level of ocular power or sensory ability!

Reassured, Yu opened his palm and looked down.

"So this is the bubble formed when resentment takes physical shape? Hehe, it looks a little like Luo Xiaohei's tail."

"Looks like collecting a hundred of these little bubbles will let me create one little resentment bat!"

The little resentment bats were Heavenly Grudge's free-floating form. The amalgamation formed by many little bats gathering together was Heavenly Grudge's true form. The more bats there were, the stronger the resulting Heavenly Grudge would be.

Hehe, Yu had intended to take the opportunity to throw in a few more jabs, but Iruka-sensei looked rather pitiful, so he decided to let him off for now...

In any case, Heavenly Grudge theoretically had an upper limit: its final form would be as powerful as the Ten-Tails before it transformed into the God Tree.

Clearly, the Ten-Tails still deserved its status as the pinnacle of beasts.

Speaking of which, why is Iruka taking me to the office? Is he going to scold me?

Yu pulled a piece of candy from his pocket. "Sensei, have some candy."

"Oh, thank you."

Iruka accepted the candy and held it in his hand.

Yu thought, He took the candy. Looks like he isn't planning to scold me.

They stopped outside the office door.

Iruka said solemnly, "Yu, I'm taking you to meet someone. You must watch what you say, understood?"

Yu nodded. "Yes, understood."

With all this fuss, could I be meeting the Third Hokage?

The door opened.

A man sat inside the spacious office.

Dressed entirely in black, he faced the window with his back to the door.

He was...

Iruka said, "I've brought him."

A deep male voice carried back toward them. "Yes. Thank you for your effort, Iruka-sensei. Please leave us for a moment. I'd like to speak with him alone."

"All right."

Iruka turned around, remembering to pat Yu's shoulder. "Mind your manners."

After leaving, he closed the door.

Yu gazed at the man's back behind the desk, silently waiting for him to speak.

After a long, contemplative pause...

"Yū Hyuga, I've heard about you."

As he spoke, the man's chair slowly turned around.

A sharply chiseled face, sunglasses, and a headscarf!

Although Yu had already guessed who he was, seeing his face still left him bemused.

And here I was wondering who it could be. Isn't this just Ebisu...?

Once he had turned around, Ebisu propped his chin on his hands. Combined with his attire, the pose gave him an oddly profound air. "I heard that you enrolled a year later than the other children, but specifically transferred into the year above yours. That was your own idea, wasn't it?"

"Yes." Yu nodded.

Ebisu asked, "Why did you want to do that? Can you tell me?"

Obviously, it was to be in the same class as Naruto and the others. The students in the year below are practically all extras. Only Konohamaru is somewhat worth a look.

But of course, he couldn't say that.

Instead, he said, "Well, I thought my fundamentals were pretty solid, so I wanted to waste less time on the basic subjects."

"Hmph." The corner of Ebisu's mouth lifted. He was quite satisfied with that answer, but he deliberately tried to put Yu in his place. "The Ninja Academy trains ninja, but it also selects them. Truly outstanding students don't need to complete the six-year curriculum. They graduate early. Take the Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake, renowned throughout the shinobi world, or Uchiha Itachi, one of today's elite ANBU ninja. Both merely went through the motions before graduating!"

"Oh, so that's how it works. I'm so envious!"

"There's no need to be envious. Even the most formidable elite needs proper training."

"Really?"

"I can tell you with complete confidence: yes!"

Ebisu placed both hands on the desk and declared solemnly, "I haven't introduced myself yet, have I? I am Ebisu, an elite educator of Konoha and one of its Special Jōnin! My ambition is to discover talented young ninja. As long as you have potential, I don't care in the slightest about your background! I want to find the finest prospects and raise them into ninja as great as the Hokage. Yū Hyuga, consider yourself fortunate. You've caught my eye!"

Yu thought, Please don't set your sights on me!

He scratched his head, pulled a piece of candy from his pocket, and placed it on the desk.

Ebisu asked, "What's this supposed to mean? Are you bribing me?"

Yu took a step back. "Ebisu-sensei, what exactly do you see in me? Can't I just change it?"

Ebisu froze, then adjusted his glasses.

What's going on? Why isn't this child following the script?

Bloop, bloop, bloop! Three little resentment bubbles flew out from Ebisu's forehead.

He collected himself and said, "I've asked about your conduct in the Hyuga Clan. You usually spend more than half your time making mischief, but even so, your mastery of the Gentle Fist far exceeds that of your peers. You're even a match for that boy Neji."

Yu said, "Then go find Neji!"

Bloop! Bloop! Two more little resentment bubbles flew out!

Ebisu shook his head. "Neji has already been selected for the 'Taijutsu specialization class.' Unless something unexpected happens, after graduating from the Ninja Academy, he will receive instruction from Konoha's Taijutsu master, Might Guy!"

After a pause, Ebisu continued, "Besides, Neji is outstanding, but his excellence lies in his combat aptitude. I evaluate my prospective students comprehensively. Only those I confirm have the potential to become Hokage are qualified to receive my instruction!"

Yu asked, "You've decided I have the potential to become Hokage?"

Ebisu nodded. "Exactly! Nothing escapes my discerning eyes! Those who become Hokage often have difficult backgrounds or life experiences! Yu, this may sound unkind, but your origins are disgraceful. Earning the Hyuga Clan's acceptance despite those origins is precisely what makes you exceptional!"

He raised a hand to push up his glasses. "Furthermore, my extensive teaching experience has led me to conclude that students who follow the rules too closely rarely amount to much when they grow up."

"Looking back at the Third Hokage and the Fourth Hokage, both already showed something extraordinary in their youth!"

"Yu, you beat up three delinquents on your very first day at school. In my eyes, that makes you an unpredictable ninja. Become my student!"

Yu's expression slowly grew composed, and he asked pointedly, "Ebisu-sensei, what do you think of Naruto?"