The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was famous throughout the ninja world, known by titles such as 'Professor' and even 'God of Shinobi.'
It is surprising that someone of his stature would consider training someone like Li Zhenwu in the ways of the ninja.
Li Zhenwu was taken aback and directly asked, "Hokage-sama, are you going to take me as your disciple?"
The Third Hokage paused, not expecting Li Zhenwu to be so straightforward.
He indeed had some intention of training Li Zhenwu, especially given the complicated situation in the village.
After all, Li Zhenwu was a local boy, a civilian belonging to Konoha, unlike Uchiha Itachi, who came from a prominent clan and had a somewhat strained relationship with the village.
Moreover, seeing Li Zhenwu's talent in martial arts at such a young age made Hiruzen Sarutobi unwilling to let that talent go to waste.
He was inclined to nurture him.
However, the question of formally taking him as a disciple still needed to be discussed.
Hiruzen initially just wanted to guide Li Zhenwu and subtly influence him with positive concepts, but he was caught off guard by Li Zhenwu's directness.
After a brief consideration, thinking about the current state of Konoha, Sarutobi fiddled with his pipe and decided with a smile, "Do you want to become my disciple?"
Li Zhenwu's heart swelled with excitement, and he eagerly nodded, exclaiming, "Yes, I do!"
The Third Hokage! The highest authority in Konoha, whose strength is unparalleled and nearly at the peak of this world's ninja prowess.
More importantly, he is known for mastering all of Konoha's ninjutsu—he is like a living encyclopedia of ninja techniques.
Becoming Sarutobi's disciple would not only be a matter of status but would grant him access to a wealth of knowledge that was extraordinary.
Without hesitation, Li Zhenwu accepted.
Sarutobi then pressed his pipe lightly, squinting his eyes.
"Even if you become my disciple, foundational education is still essential. Do you want to attend the ninja academy?"
He brought this matter up himself.
In Konoha, during times of war, many children began school at a very young age and graduated much earlier, often through expedited programs.
Now, with relative peace, the starting age for children in the village had been pushed back significantly.
For example, in the original story, Naruto and Sasuke attended for five or six years before graduating from the ninja academy.
In contrast, during wartime, many ninjas graduated in just a couple of years.
Uchiha Itachi even graduated in just one year.
Now, Sarutobi's request for Li Zhenwu to attend the academy was already a bit of an exception; he just didn't want to hinder Li Zhenwu's talent.
"Let's go!" Li Zhenwu replied emphatically.
He wanted to start school, engage in the world of ninjas, and become one himself, constantly seeking battles!
The day after meeting the Hokage, Li Zhenwu woke up early.
His parents, unusually, did not head to the weapons shop but prepared breakfast instead, waiting for him to eat together.
At the table, Li's father felt proud that his 'monster' son had received special treatment by being allowed to attend the ninja academy early.
Of course, the news about Li Zhenwu attending the ninja academy could not be hidden from his parents.
At first, they were shocked and had difficulty believing how talented their son was.
But once they accepted the reality, Li's father felt an overwhelming sense of pride, even tearing up, as he said, "I knew it! My son is not just a monster! He is clearly a genius!"
Poor Li's father had faced much gossip and cold remarks in the village because of Li Zhenwu, but now, thanks to their son, they felt a bit of pride.
After eating, Li Zhenwu headed to the ninja academy, feeling quite excited.
It had been three years! He was finally about to begin learning about the powers of the ninjas in this world!
As he joined the academy as a transfer student, he entered a class filled with six or seven-year-old children who had already been studying for a while.
Seeing Li Zhenwu walk in, they were taken aback.
One child scoffed, "What's this monster doing here?"
Li Zhenwu gave him a fleeting glance and wasn't bothered.
He simply took a vacant seat.
Although he was only three years old, Li Zhenwu's mind was that of an adult; he naturally wouldn't pay heed to the taunts of six or seven-year-olds.
"Hey, monster! Get out of here and stop causing trouble!"
"This place isn't for you!"
When Li Zhenwu remained silent, several kids stood up to speak out against him.
"Little brats are so annoying," Li Zhenwu muttered, shaking his head.
The next moment, he had vanished from his seat!
With a few sounds of impact, the children who had been yelling for him to leave found themselves piled up like a stack of pancakes in the corner of the classroom.
Afterward, Li Zhenwu casually returned to his seat.
Now, all the kids in the class looked at him with genuine fear, viewing him as a 'monster.'
Before long, a teacher walked in, noted Li Zhenwu's presence without any surprise, and began the lesson.
"In this class, we will discuss the nature and training of chakra!"
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