As soon as she heard those words, Naori instantly pushed all distracting thoughts out of her mind and responded at the fastest speed of her life: "I accept!!!"
Her voice was so loud and her reaction so swift that Torifū couldn't help but glance sideways at her. 'This girl is something else... My ears are still ringing.'
"Hahaha, good! From now on, the two of you will train under me," Hashirama declared cheerfully.
Tobirama, however, interjected with a frown. "And what about your duties, brother?"
Hashirama waved his hand dismissively. "I'll leave them to my Wood Clones. Besides, isn't that what you're here for?"
Tobirama's face darkened. He knew this would happen. His elder brother was never fond of handling administrative work, but at least he used to take care of some of it. Now that he had taken on disciples, he would likely push all of it onto Tobirama.
Seeing Tobirama's intense glare, Hashirama awkwardly shifted the topic. "Torifū, come to my house tonight. Your sensei's wife will prepare something delicious for you, and we'll have a good talk about your Crystal Release."
Hearing this, Torifū understood that he was getting special treatment! He happily agreed. While he had already developed a few Crystal Release techniques on his own, their power was still limited, lacking the devastating impact he envisioned. Hashirama's guidance would undoubtedly make things much easier.
Tobirama spoke up again, his tone firm. "Starting tomorrow, neither of you need to attend the academy anymore. You'll train directly under my brother and me. You'll also meet my other students."
Torifū and Naori answered in unison, "Understood!"
After chatting for a while, when a ninja came to report a mission, Torifū and Naori left.
…
As they walked through the bustling streets of Konoha, Naori still felt like she was in a dream. "If this really is a dream, I hope I never wake up..."
Torifū was amused by Naori. This little girl really idolized the Hokage.
Hearing his laughter, Naori turned her head slightly, blushing in embarrassment. "Thank you, Torifū. I really owe you one this time. I never imagined the Hokage would personally take me under his wing!"
"This is just the beginning. If you work hard, becoming his official disciple won't be a problem. After all, your talent speaks for itself."
It was the truth. Naori's potential far surpassed the likes of Koharu and Homura. If she ever awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, her strength would be immeasurable.
Hearing this, Naori's eyes shone with determination. Right now, she was already incredibly grateful. But if she could officially become the Hokage's disciple, it would be even better.
"I'll do my best!" she declared enthusiastically.
They continued strolling, chatting idly about their upcoming training, both filled with high expectations for the future.
Torifū, however, had already begun planning his next moves. His goal of becoming the Hokage's disciple had been accomplished—far beyond his expectations. Now, as Hashirama's direct apprentice, there would be no one in the village with a higher status than him, except for the Hokage himself. In the future, he was practically guaranteed a seat among the village elders.
Not that he cared much for power. Torifū's main goal was to live a stable and enjoyable life. But since he was now Hashirama's student, he had a duty to protect the village his master had built with his life.
"By the way, Torifū, when are we going to have that sparring match we talked about?" Naori asked eagerly. She was itching to see just how much stronger Torifū was compared to her.
"Anytime. You pick the date."
Naori thought for a moment. "You're going to Hokage-sama's house tonight, and tomorrow we start training… So how about tomorrow night?"
"Sounds good to me," Torifū agreed without hesitation. His last fight against Uchiha Kyo hadn't required him to use even a fraction of his real strength—Kyo had basically beaten himself.
Since killing the Hidden Cloud spies, Torifū had focused on refining his taijutsu and ninjutsu, developing new Cloud Release techniques, and continuously improving his combat skills. His chakra reserves had already reached the level of a Jōnin, but his lack of real battle experience meant that his overall strength was still classified as Chūnin level.
A sparring match with Naori would help him gauge his current capabilities.
"Hehe, then I'll head back to the Uchiha compound. See you tomorrow!" Naori flashed a bright smile, waving as she left.
"See you tomorrow."
Torifū watched her disappear into the distance before turning to head home and continue his Cloud Release training.
...
Uchiha Compound
"Have you seen your brother?" a frail, raspy voice asked.
"Yes, I have. He stole and consumed a forbidden drug… He's not going to make it. Who gave it to him?" A young boy, about fifteen or sixteen, stood there with his Sharingan activated, the three tomoe spinning angrily.
"Retract your Sharingan, Setsuna! Do you intend to attack me?" the elder barked.
Startled by the old man's roar, Uchiha Setsuna reluctantly deactivated his Sharingan but remained visibly enraged. "He was only six! He had a promising future! How could this happen?!"
The old man let out a deep sigh. "He stole the drug himself. He probably thought it would enhance his chakra… all to defeat a classmate."
His tone was laced with a mixture of sorrow and disappointment. Uchiha Kyo was, after all, his grandson. While not a genius, he was still a far cry above those civilian ninjas. But to recklessly ingest a drug without knowing its effects, all for the sake of a schoolyard rivalry? Not only had he lost the fight, but he had also lost his life.
And to make matters worse, the clan now had to compensate for his reckless actions. Even as an elder, he could not cover up such a disgrace.
"Which clan was it?!"
The old man's voice turned harsh. "This matter ends here! Kyo brought this upon himself! You will not stir up further trouble! If you do, our branch will lose all remaining influence in the clan!"
But Setsuna refused to accept that. Kyo was his only brother—he couldn't just let this go!
"If you won't tell me, I'll find out myself! I'll make them pay!" Setsuna roared before storming out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
The elder trembled with rage. Blood rushed to his head, and with a violent cough, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
He had spent years carefully building influence, inching closer to reviving Uchiha Madara's legacy. But now, thanks to these two foolish children, all his efforts were on the verge of collapsing.
His only goal was to follow in Madara's footsteps and restore the Uchiha clan to its former glory. But if the clan suffered repeated humiliation because of these idiotic blunders, he might even lose his position as an elder.
"Why must my life be so wretched…?!"
His son and daughter-in-law were gone, leaving behind two talentless, foolish children. And now, he—an old man with one foot in the grave—was left to bear the consequences.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became—until, once again, he coughed up another mouthful of blood.