Zhou Cheng was utterly dumbfounded.
What did you say?
Take me as your disciple?
Like hell I'd trust you, you rotten old geezer!
Become your disciple? Not a chance.
Becoming your disciple would mean tying myself to you.
In the end, if I wanted out, I'd either have to become a rogue ninja like Orochimaru.
Or leave like Tsunade and Jiraiya, barely coming back even once a year.
Neither option was what Zhou Cheng wanted.
Granted, becoming Hiruzen Sarutobi's disciple would allow him to grow at lightning speed in the short term.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi might sell him out in the future. He was a schemer through and through, ruthless enough to plot against even his own teacher's Senju Clan.
What would a disciple he picked up along the way count for?
But what reason could Zhou Cheng give for refusing now?
Receiving personal instruction from the Hokage was something countless people could only dream of.
As an orphan from another village, Zhou Cheng would be expected to give his life in Hiruzen Sarutobi's service.
Refusing Hiruzen Sarutobi would only make Zhou Cheng deeply suspicious.
Zhou Cheng felt he had fallen into an enormous crisis, one set to hell difficulty.
What do I do? What do I do?
There's absolutely no reason I can give for refusing!
Do I just agree and become the next Orochimaru?
Just as Zhou Cheng was breaking out in a cold sweat...
Another voice rang out from outside the hospital room.
"Hiruzen, you can't do this!"
As those words rang out, someone pushed the door open.
Danzo walked in, wrapped in bandages from head to toe.
"Hiruzen, I want to take Zhou Cheng as my disciple too!"
"You already have three outstanding disciples. Why not let me have Zhou Cheng?"
"I'm getting old too. I'd also like a disciple to pass all my ninjutsu on to."
As he spoke, Danzo reached the bedside.
"Zhou Cheng, how about becoming my disciple?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression turned hideous, his fierce eyes almost blazing with fire.
"Danzo, enough!"
"You're going too far!"
"This is the child I've chosen!"
Danzo stood firm, meeting Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze.
"You may have chosen him, but he isn't your child!"
"Why should he have to be your disciple?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi rose in anger and glared at Danzo.
Zhou Cheng watched the two old men trade barbs with keen interest.
He couldn't have felt more pleased.
Hehe, take your time arguing.
Better yet, forget all about me.
I don't want either of you old geezers as my teacher.
Tying myself to you won't end well.
Especially Danzo. What wouldn't he do to become Hokage?
He might sell me out the moment I turn my back.
Only then did Hiruzen Sarutobi remember Zhou Cheng and put on his kindly expression again.
"Well, child? Have you agreed?"
"Don't listen to him. Become my disciple. What's so good about being the Hokage's disciple? You'll always be in the spotlight, having to weigh every little thing you do."
"As my disciple, you'll have absolute freedom!"
Outwardly, Zhou Cheng seemed deep in thought, but inwardly, he was overjoyed.
Keep arguing! Keep fighting over me!
Better yet, start throwing punches!
These two old men are already trying to sell me empty promises?
I'm not buying a single one.
He put on a troubled expression, looking from Hiruzen Sarutobi to Danzo.
"You're both among Konoha's most important figures. Whichever one I choose as my teacher, I'd be disrespecting the other."
"Why don't you discuss it and reach an agreement first? Otherwise, I wouldn't dare choose either of you!"
Zhou Cheng wanted to stir up Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo's emotions, making them argue or even come to blows.
"Well..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi was clearly in a bind. He glanced at Danzo, who wore the same expression.
They both knew they couldn't persuade the other to give up. What was there to discuss? They couldn't get anywhere!
"Third Grandpa, I'm a little tired. Could you let me rest?"
Only then did Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression soften, and he put on a concerned look.
"Of course. Get some good rest. We won't disturb you!"
With that, he glared at Danzo and left using the Body Flicker Technique.
Danzo didn't leave immediately. Instead, he took a scroll from inside his clothes and placed it beside Zhou Cheng's pillow.
"This is a ninjutsu scroll for Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique."
"It's yours. If you decide to take a teacher, remember to come find me!"
Without waiting for Zhou Cheng to speak, he opened the hospital room door and walked out.
Zhou Cheng was a little stunned. Danzo really is going all out to win me over.
The Great Waterfall Technique was an A-Rank ninjutsu!
A-Rank ninjutsu were extremely valuable no matter where you went.
No reason to turn down a free gift. I'll learn it first!
Zhou Cheng eagerly opened the ninjutsu scroll and began studying it carefully.
A few minutes later, he closed the scroll and let out a long breath.
With my current chakra reserves, I can only use the Great Waterfall Technique once!
Chakra reserves... If only I had a sage body!
Being a tailed beast in human form isn't just an empty boast!
Time to work hard and get stronger!
Before he knew it, evening had arrived.
Haku finally woke up. His memories of the previous night had already been altered.
He only remembered being attacked, then the ANBU arriving like divine warriors to rescue them.
Naturally, Zhou Cheng wouldn't tell him the truth. Seeing Haku suffer the night before had broken his heart.
It was better not to remember an experience like that!
Then, with Naruto and Hinata's help, they returned home.
Afterward, Ino came to Zhou Cheng's house too.
The two girls took charge of the cooking and prepared a simple meal.
They all ate happily together, laughter filling the room.
After dinner, Naruto pestered Zhou Cheng to teach him the Shadow Clone Technique.
Left with no choice, Zhou Cheng took them out into the yard.
He then explained the Shadow Clone Technique's key points and precautions in detail.
Haku succeeded after only a few attempts.
Of the other three, Naruto was actually the quickest to learn the Shadow Clone Technique.
As expected of someone who built his success on shadow clones.
Ino came next, followed by Hinata.
By the time they had roughly mastered the ninjutsu, it was already late at night.
Zhou Cheng told everyone to go home and get some rest so they would have energy for class tomorrow.
Naruto headed off without a care, of course.
Zhou Cheng, however, insisted on walking Ino and Hinata home.
His stated reason was that he couldn't let girls walk alone at night.
Hinata was surprised, and Ino was touched.
Hinata was surprised because it felt just like when Naruto had walked her home as a child, filling her with warmth and a sense of security.
But as they grew older, Naruto had never done that again.
Perhaps he had already forgotten!
Ino, meanwhile, was deeply moved. In the ninja world, no one treated you gently just because you were a girl.
The sight of Zhou Cheng walking her to her doorstep left an indelible memory in Ino's heart.
Every time she recalled it, she felt warm and safe.
It also deepened her affection for Zhou Cheng.
The next day, Zhou Cheng sent a shadow clone to attend school.
His real body stayed home to train hard.
After school in the evenings, Naruto, Hinata, and Ino all liked coming to his house to eat together.
Several days passed like this, yet neither Hiruzen Sarutobi nor Danzo came to see him again.
Soon, a month had passed.
The refinement of Hiruzen Sarutobi's talent was complete.
Zhou Cheng connected his mind to the Purple Crystal Gourd, and talent original liquid immediately flew out of it.
Zhou Cheng counted carefully. The talent of a Kage Level expert had yielded twelve drops of talent original liquid.
Zhou Cheng was so excited he almost rushed into Haku's room to drag him out of bed and dance together.
"Hehe, once I allocate these twelve drops of talent original liquid, I'm going to soar!"
"Neji, a genius?"
"Just you wait!"