"Is this... your choice and goal?" The Third Hokage's eyes sparkled with wisdom as he looked into Li Zhenwu's eyes, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

He slowly tapped his pipe on the table and said, "I see. If that's the case, then you should go..."

Li Zhenwu stepped out of the Third Hokage's office.

Exiting the Hokage building, he looked up at the sky and felt quite optimistic about the days ahead, especially looking forward to the battles he would face in the future.

However, he hadn't walked far when someone stood in front of him.

A ninja, dressed in white and black, with a bandage over one eye, stood before Li Zhenwu.

"It's Shimura Danzo..." Li Zhenwu recognized this infamous Konoha figure, known for his ambitions and for representing the darker aspect of the village.

"Uncle, why are you blocking my way?" Li Zhenwu asked.

"Li Zhenwu, at just four years old, you possess the strength to stand out in the Chunin Exams—Konoha's strongest genius," Shimura Danzo spoke, still youthful and sharp, his eyes scrutinizing Li Zhenwu closely.

"I am Shimura Danzo. Nice to meet you, Li Zhenwu."

"Is there something you need?" Li Zhenwu felt no particular animosity toward Danzo, but he certainly had no good feelings for him either, as he was excessively extreme in his views.

So Li Zhenwu directly inquired.

Danzo smiled slightly and continued, "I know you've just graduated from the Chunin Exams. Now, you can delve deeper into the village's inner workings, and it's time for you to make your own choices."

"I want to ask you: Would you be willing to join the Anbu? To protect the village and contribute your strength to safeguard Konoha!"

Danzo attempted to entice him with his usual rhetoric, which had already attracted many ninjas to the Anbu.

"Aren't the Anbu directly under Sarutobi-sensei's command?" Li Zhenwu smiled faintly.

"If I wanted to join the Anbu, I would go to Sarutobi-sensei directly. Why go through your invitation?"

After a few retorts, Li Zhenwu sighed, "Moreover, I have no intention of joining the Anbu, so please don't waste your time, Uncle."

With that, he simply walked around Danzo and continued on his way.

Danzo stood there, momentarily stunned.

He hadn't expected Li Zhenwu to refuse so categorically, as if he were a child throwing a tantrum.

Furthermore, according to Danzo's analysis, Li Zhenwu, coming from a civilian background, should have some affection for Konoha; why would he refuse the invitation to join the Anbu so readily?

Baffled, Danzo's gaze towards Li Zhenwu grew deep and uncertain: "What kind of talent is this? It's hard to say whether he's good or bad for the village."

Li Zhenwu's rejection of Danzo presented no inconveniences for him. While Danzo represented the darker side of Konoha, Li Zhenwu had the confidence that as long as Danzo didn't provoke him, he would be fine; if he did push the issue, Li Zhenwu's Saiyan-like power was formidable.

...

Bored, Li Zhenwu had just passed the Chunin Exams and discussed future plans with the Third Hokage, feeling quite good about himself.

Despite the brief encounter with Danzo, nothing had dampened his spirits. As he strolled through the village, he thought about his team.

Therefore, Li Zhenwu decided to go find them and share this piece of good news.

In recent days, Inuzuka Hana and Shiranui Gensui had been busy with miscellaneous tasks around the village. Li Zhenwu easily gathered information on their whereabouts.

Thus, he prepared to head over.

However, on the way, his gaze was drawn to two little girls by the roadside.

One girl was dressed in red, and the other in orange, their cuteness captivated Li Zhenwu's attention.

At a glance, he recognized these two as none other than two members of the future Konoha Eleven, popular figures in his previous life: Yamanaka Ino and Sakura Haruno.

Their large eyes and small bodies were adorable, and their charm made Li Zhenwu pause to admire them a little longer.

After a moment, when the two girls turned and spotted Li Zhenwu, he was about to leave but suddenly had an idea and stopped in his tracks.

He walked straight over to the flower shop behind the two girls.

"I should buy some flowers for Inuzuka Hana," Li Zhenwu thought. After such a long time knowing her, he had never given her a gift. Seeing the flower shop sparked this impulse.

While he intended to buy flowers, Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura began to panic.

The notorious "monster" of Konoha was coming toward them!

The two little girls felt inexplicably nervous; Li Zhenwu's name carried quite a fame in Konoha, often spoken in hushed tones by parents trying to scare their children.

So at this moment, the two little girls were quite anxious.

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