Start with Naruto Awakening - Awesome!

　Ye Chen suppressed his excitement and stored it in the system space.

　Although he put away his kunai, he looked at the examiner and calmly said:

　"Teacher, can we announce the results now?"

　Chunin teacher was taken aback, then immediately said:

　"The ultimate victor of the Ninja Tournament is Ye Chen!"

　The stadium erupted in tremors and deafening roar!

　Minato Namikaze left the field looking quite dejected, without saying a word.

　As a genius, suddenly losing

　(2/3)

　It's hard to accept defeat right away.

　Ye Chen ignored Minato Namikaze and left the arena alone, walking off the field.

　Kushina walked over with a group of her underlings, cheering and celebrating!

　"Ye Chen, you're amazing!" Kushina exclaimed, her heart filled with joy.

　"Yeah, boss, you're amazing! I'm completely in awe of you!" said the little kid behind him, his face flushed with excitement and his eyes filled with admiration.

　"Big Boss? What kind of weird title is that?" Ye Chen couldn't help but chuckle.

　However, looking at Kushina's flushed face and the group of children cheering her on, she was quite pleased.

　Even though he was aloof, a gentle smile appeared on his cold face.

　The girls surrounding him were instantly smitten when they saw the cool and handsome guy's smile; their eyes were filled with hearts as they swooned over him.

　On the suspended spectator stands, however, a completely different scene unfolds.

　"This child is good. There's no need for him to study at the ninja academy; it's a waste of time. Joining my Root is the right choice."

　At the entrance, a man with spiky hair walked over, his tone leaving no room for argument.

　Upon seeing the newcomers, the expressions of the three future Sannin changed.

　The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, changed his expression drastically and said decisively:

　"Danzo, what do you mean by this?" (3/3)

Chapter 23 A Secret Visit to Hiruzen Sarutobi (Seeking flowers and favorites)

　Hokage's office.

　"No, this child cannot join Root. Yoruichi is out of the question, and Minato Namikaze is even less likely. Danzo."

　Hiruzen Sarutobi stood at the window of the Hokage's office, his face solemn and resolute.

　Danzo, with his spiky hair, stood to the side, his face even more arrogant. Others might fear the Hokage's authority, but he was not.

　Both of them were disciples of the second generation and inherited his ideology.

　Hiruzen Sarutobi is lenient, Danzo is ruthless! One is in the light, the other in the dark, complementing each other.

　“Yoshitsu is just a kid from another village. Isn’t it perfect for him to join Root? Sarutobi? Root needs a kid like him to join. Don’t you understand?” Danzo said.

　He was determined to have Ye Chen; he would make him his own weapon, the one he could use to strike wherever he wanted!

　This is the fate of ninjas!

　"Danzo, don't think I don't know what you're thinking. Using Yoruichi against the Uchiha is ruining this child's path as a ninja. He has a much better future. The ninja world is about to be thrown into turmoil, and Konoha needs a talented ninja like him," Hiruzen Sarutobi said.

　"So what? It's just a child from another village sacrificing himself. What's wrong with that? If you don't agree, then it's Minato Namikaze. You have to choose one of the two," Danzo said firmly.

　"No, I will not agree to this. You don't need to say anything more. Danzo, you must remember, I am the Hokage now."

　Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but use strong language, displaying the authority of the Hokage.

　Danzo clenched his fists and trembled, his anger causing him to tremble.

　He looked unwilling. He should have been in this position, but it was the Second Hokage's will that he could not disobey.

　They can only plunge into darkness, take root deep within Konoha, do all sorts of shady things, and be hated by others.

　Danzo, filled with rage, said angrily, "Sarutobi, you'll regret this. Not to mention Minato Namikaze, I bet that kid Yoruichi has a rebellious streak in his head. Don't you know how calm he was when he killed Uchiha Shinobu? Do you think you can control him? If you can't control this kind of person now, you can't control him in the future."

　On the surface, no one in Konoha knew that Ye Chen had killed Uchiha Shiro, but the Anbu and Root witnessed the entire process from beginning to end.

　Danzo had a premonition; he understood that this child possessed a certain degree of danger and terrifying talent, so he was eager to take control.

　"Danzo, you're wrong. What do you think Konoha has been able to maintain until now? It's because of the bonds between ninjas," Hiruzen Sarutobi said slowly.

　"Hmph, that's ridiculous!"

　Danzo snorted coldly and turned to leave.

　Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed as he watched his friend walk further and further away from him, and said to the empty office:

　"Come out."

　As soon as he finished speaking, a loud "bang" was heard, white smoke billowed out, and a ninja wearing a Jonin vest appeared out of thin air in the center of the Hokage's office.

　This ninja has sharp, angular features and exudes a sharp aura from within. His short white hair stands out among the Jonin.

　"Sakumo, what do you think of this matter?" Hiruzen Sarutobi watched as the man slowly returned to his seat.

　This man is Sakumo Hatake, the current head of the Hatake family and the father of the future Hatake Gouwukai.

　His swordsmanship was so superb that he was hailed as the White Fang of Konoha by ninjas from other villages!

　Even ninjas from other villages would abandon their missions and dare not confront Hatake Sakumo.

　(1/3)

　Sakumo Hatake, with a respectful expression, looked at the Third Hokage before him and said:

　"Lord Danzo is a bit too extreme. Why don't you let this child join the Anbu? The Anbu is a place to train ninjas, and it's more suitable for him than Root."

　“That’s what I think too. Sakumo, you’re the captain of the Anbu. Yoruichi has talent, and I’m at ease letting him train with you. If we really give him to Danzo, a good seed will be wasted,” the Third Hokage said.

　"Rest assured, Hokage, I will leave this matter to you," said Sakumo Hatake.

　"Alright. But I need to see the child first."

　Hiruzen Sarutobi said that he was going to go on an incognito visit to see what Ye Chen was doing on a daily basis.

　……

　On the border of the Land of Fire, a group of Konoha ninjas hid in the jungle, proceeding cautiously and concealing their tracks.

　One of the ninjas was Okamoto, Ye Chen's school teacher. Unfortunately, he didn't get to see Ye Chen win the ninja tournament.

　He was seen leaning against a large tree branch, using the massive trunk to conceal himself, with a companion beside him.

　"Okamoto-kun, we must be careful on this secret mission to infiltrate the Land of Rain, and try to avoid fighting with other ninja villages."

　The ninja said his name was Shiranui Genka, he belonged to the Anbu, and he was skilled in tracking and reconnaissance.

　“I understand.” Okamoto smiled wryly.

　They were just Chunin, insignificant in the grand scheme of things, especially in a battle between massive ninja villages.

　Although the major ninja villages had not yet started fighting during this period, the situation was still fraught with danger.

　If they were ambushed, the weaker ones might be alright, but against a powerful ninja village, they would have almost no chance of survival.

　This is the fate of ninjas: knowing they will die, they will still carry out orders.

　At this moment, their team took a short rest, and Okamoto gazed thoughtfully in the direction of Konoha.

　Not far from where they were resting, a small wooden lizard puppet suddenly burrowed into the ground.

　……

　Konoha Village, located in the mountains behind the village.

　In a grove of trees, a breeze occasionally blows, rustling the leaves.

　boom!boom!boom! !

　A series of rhythmic striking sounds rang out as Ye Chen stood in front of a thick wooden stake, repeatedly punching it.

　It is worth noting that the surface of the wooden stake is covered with a thick layer of iron sheet, which is two or three centimeters thick!

　There was a deep dent in the iron sheet of the wooden stake, and Ye Chen's fist was still punching that dent again and again.

　There were still faint traces of blood in the dent.

　Although Ye Chen's fist was wrapped in bandages, the bandages were already stained with blood, a mixture of blood and sweat.

　Keep throwing punches like this, hundreds or thousands of times!

　His eyes were unwavering, filled with an indomitable will!

　Even with all three types of Haki and Devil Fruit abilities, Ye Chen still did not slack off in his training.

　This was the second day of the ninja tournament. He was training hard, undergoing rigorous training, and also reflecting on his battle with Minato Namikaze.

　"what?"

　Ye Chen frowned, using his Observation Haki to sense that someone was nearby.