Haruto Saito was stunned.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's attitude was too calm, to the point that Haruto thought he had misheard. However, that was impossible—Sarutobi Hiruzen had spoken clearly, and Haruto had heard him clearly!
The Hokage wanted to take on a disciple!
Haruto's eyes widened slowly and evenly. He tilted his head slightly, but his gaze remained fixed on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face. He opened his mouth but made no sound—he was too shocked! He was so taken aback that he couldn't respond immediately.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had only ever taken on three personal disciples!
Whether in this world or in the original story, there were only three—Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru! The three of them had become his disciples when they were just six years old and had received his careful guidance. Over the past ten years, Sarutobi Hiruzen had nurtured them into the most outstanding young ninjas of Konoha.
Under normal circumstances, Sarutobi Hiruzen would never take on another disciple. He was no longer young, and with his daily responsibilities, he simply didn't have the time to train another student.
Besides, his three disciples had already grown strong and were in their prime, all in their twenties and full of youthful energy. Even if Konoha produced another genius, Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't need to personally mentor them to keep them in his camp—he could just have his disciples take on students instead.
For example, in the original story, Minato Namikaze was an exceptional genius, so he became Jiraiya's disciple, making him Sarutobi Hiruzen's grand-disciple.
But this situation was completely abnormal!
Sarutobi Hiruzen had personally come forward to take on another personal disciple!
Clearly, this unusual decision had everything to do with how unusual Haruto Saito himself was!
"What's wrong? You don't want to?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked again since Haruto had yet to respond.
"Uh! No, that's not it!" Haruto snapped back to reality and immediately replied, "Hokage-sama, how could I possibly refuse such an honor? But I do have some doubts… Why are you doing this?"
A golden opportunity had been placed right in front of Haruto—one of the strongest figures in the ninja world was offering to mentor him personally. Of course, he wanted to accept! But he also felt uneasy.
He had even checked Sarutobi Hiruzen's attitude toward him—it was neutral! That wasn't enough. A neutral attitude didn't indicate that Sarutobi Hiruzen valued him highly, making the offer seem unreasonable.
Haruto's reaction was unexpected. If it had been anyone else, they would have immediately knelt down, kowtowed, and accepted without hesitation!
Becoming the Hokage's personal disciple—who would refuse?
"You are worth training personally," Sarutobi Hiruzen said after a brief pause, giving a reason that Haruto found unconvincing. But before he could question it, Sarutobi Hiruzen continued, "So, do you accept? This is your last chance."
"I accept!" This time, Haruto agreed without hesitation.
Regardless of Sarutobi Hiruzen's true intentions, Haruto knew one thing—this was a golden opportunity. He needed to grab it first and figure out the rest later. Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't acting with ill intent; he wouldn't harm him.
"Then it's settled. I will make the necessary arrangements." Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke quickly and, without another word, turned to leave.
He took a few steps up the grassy slope, and then, in an instant, his body flickered, leaving behind an afterimage. A moment later, he reappeared at the edge of the distant forest, flickered again, leaving another afterimage, and then vanished completely.
That was it?!
Haruto turned back, staring in the direction Sarutobi Hiruzen had left, dumbfounded.
He carefully replayed their entire conversation in his mind and realized that Sarutobi Hiruzen's sole purpose for coming here had been to take him as a disciple. All of the previous questions had simply been a way to evaluate him—whether his answers were satisfactory determined whether Sarutobi Hiruzen would make the offer.
"Something feels off…" Haruto tilted his head, deep in thought. Then, suddenly, he burst out, "Damn it! What about my reward?! He didn't even mention it before running off! My reward—he better not try to weasel out of it!"
Haruto was genuinely worried that Sarutobi Hiruzen might consider taking him as a disciple to be the reward. After all, personal guidance from the Hokage was an incredible privilege in Konoha.
Being Sarutobi Hiruzen's personal disciple didn't automatically mean he would get to learn forbidden or secret techniques.
Even Tsunade and the others hadn't learned them. When it came to such matters, not even the Hokage's disciples had special privileges—it all depended on the individual!
In the depths of the Uchiha Clan's residential area, within a grand mansion…
"…The Hokage actually went to see that brat in person…" Uchiha Tokugawa held a scroll in his hands, standing by the window with a furrowed brow, his expression shifting unpredictably. "That shouldn't be… The Hokage hasn't personally visited anyone in years, unless it was due to the death of an elder from a major clan or the passing of a retired veteran warrior."
Behind him, Uchiha Fugaku stood respectfully.
Earlier, he had taken Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Iwa, and Uchiha Toku to find Haruto Saito, only to stumble upon Sarutobi Hiruzen speaking with him. Alarmed, he had rushed back to report the situation to Uchiha Tokugawa.
Now, after a long discussion, they were still trying to make sense of it.
This matter could be trivial, or it could be monumental.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's intentions were impossible to decipher. Haruto had just returned from the Land of Rain, so maybe the Hokage had visited on a whim. But that seemed unlikely. If it wasn't just a passing whim, then Sarutobi Hiruzen's visit to Haruto carried significant meaning.
"Father, do you think this has to do with the Black Armor?" Uchiha Fugaku speculated. "The Black Armor is an extremely valuable artifact, and many would covet it. Trouble is bound to follow Haruto because of it. Perhaps the Hokage wants to take it but doesn't want to damage his reputation by forcefully seizing it. If rumors spread that he stole it, his standing would suffer. So, he might have visited Haruto to convince him with reason and sentiment, making him willingly hand it over."
"That is possible." Uchiha Tokugawa nodded, looking at his son approvingly. It was a reasonable analysis.
"But if that's the case, Mikoto and I both saw the Hokage visiting Haruto. Could that be a problem?" Uchiha Fugaku hesitated.
"No need to worry. The Hokage isn't that petty," Uchiha Tokugawa reassured him.
"By the way, Father," Uchiha Fugaku took a step forward cautiously, "Do you think the Hokage mentioned the Hyuga Clan to Haruto?"
"Hmm…" Uchiha Tokugawa pondered, narrowing his eyes. This was a crucial matter.
Haruto was the only third-party witness to the Hyuga Clan's secret nighttime operation. If he spoke about it, and to what extent, it could greatly affect both the Uchiha and Hyuga Clans.
"Unfortunately, he's ultimately a rogue ninja from the Land of Rain, a defector. The Hokage might not fully trust him," Uchiha Fugaku sighed.
Uchiha Tokugawa's frown deepened.
Just then—
Whoosh!
A figure suddenly appeared in the corner of the study, kneeling. "Clan Leader! Just received news—the Hokage has decided to take Haruto Saito as his fourth personal disciple. The induction ceremony will be held soon, and the news has already spread throughout the village…"
Uchiha Tokugawa and Uchiha Fugaku simultaneously turned their heads sharply toward the messenger and then fell silent.
The study was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.