Naruto: Starting with Tsunade

Chapter 11 Graduation

Konoha 19th year.

It's graduation season again.

With war raging and the front lines in dire straits, the school has extended the graduation period. Anyone who wishes can stay at the Ninja Academy for a full year to graduate, and then receive guidance from a dedicated Jonin.

Some eager students applied to graduate.

Located in the central area of ​​Konoha.

The Hokage's office building, inside.

A white-haired man with a solemn expression sat at his desk; he was none other than Tobirama, the Second Hokage who held immense power in Konoha.

"Monkey, I am now relieving you of your current duties."

The one called "Monkey" was a Jonin of medium build with a somewhat dull appearance. His real name was Hiruzen Sarutobi, but because Sarutobi's name had a metaphorical connotation of a monkey, the Second Hokage affectionately called him "Monkey."

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi wondered if he had done something wrong, and asked sincerely, "Teacher, is there something I did wrong?"

"No, but I have an even more important task for you now." Tobirama, who was usually stern, managed a rare smile: "Go and become a Jonin instructor."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was somewhat puzzled.

Instructing Jonin is different from ordinary Jonin. Their main job is to nurture the young shoots of Konoha and help them become capable ninjas.

Although it was a very important task, at this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that the work at hand was more important. However, since it was his teacher's order, he didn't ask any more questions, assuming that his teacher had his own reasons.

Suppressing his doubts, he respectfully accepted the information handed to him by his disciple, and suddenly everything became clear.

"Teacher, what's wrong?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared blankly at the three lists of disciple information in his hand.

Orochimaru, the top student of this year, is outstanding in every aspect. At only six years old, he already possesses strength comparable to a genin.

Jiraiya has very obvious strengths and weaknesses. He's not particularly bright, but he possesses unparalleled physical abilities and a vast amount of chakra.

Tsunade, a genius whose academic performance was second only to Orochimaru in school.

The fact that Tobirama specifically instructed them to possess exceptional ninja skills naturally meant they had outstanding abilities. However, what truly surprised Hiruzen Sarutobi was the identity of one of them.

Tsunade, whose full name is Senju Tsunade, is the granddaughter of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama. Hashirama is the older brother of the current Hokage, Tobirama. What is the meaning behind arranging such a special person to join the team he leads? Hiruzen Sarutobi was excited just thinking about it, and his breathing suddenly became rapid.

He is now twenty-four years old. He is no longer the impetuous young man he used to be. With age, he has become more mature and considers things more comprehensively.

Tobirama-sensei is planning to groom a successor.

"The torch is passed on; the seed of Konoha is entrusted to you."

In a few years, Tobirama will be 50 years old. Although he is still in his prime, he knows that this situation will not last long. Born in the Warring States period, he has fought all the way through the years. His body has long suffered from a lot of ailments. As he gets older, these hidden dangers may erupt at any time, and he will go to see his dead older brother.

Tobirama has always been meticulous in his work, and he naturally takes precautions to deal with unexpected events.

It just so happens that this year's graduates are special. Besides Tsunade's identity, it's also because these three are so exceptionally talented that it would be difficult for anyone to surpass them all in the future. That's why he decided to appoint them as the successors to the Hokage and have them all become the Monkey King's disciples, thus establishing a master-disciple relationship.

If properly trained, these three will become the monkey's most capable assistants.

Hiruzen Sarutobi said excitedly, "Tobirama-sensei, I will definitely live up to your expectations."

"Do a good job."

Tobirama stood up and patted Hiruzen Sarutobi on the shoulder, entrusting him with an important task.

Just then, there was a knocking sound outside the door; someone was knocking.

"Come in."

Upon hearing the reply, the person knocking outside let him in, and a handsome, black-haired man entered.

Uchiha Kagami.

Like Hiruzen Sarutobi, he was one of his most prized students.

"Tobirama-sensei, these are the materials you asked me to compile last time."

Jing placed the documents on the table. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."

Tobirama nodded, acknowledging his work.

Watching Jing's departing figure, he sighed inwardly.

Born into a prestigious family, he is exceptionally talented, handsome, and gentle. What's even more remarkable is that he possesses a vision that transcends his family and loves his village more than his own.

It would be hard to find a more outstanding man in this village. If it weren't for the Uchiha surname and the eyes he possessed, to be honest, Kagami would be the most suitable successor to the Hokage in Tobirama's mind.

If Tobirama hadn't spoken back then, he might have actually considered Kagami Uchiha as a potential successor to the Hokage.

However, with the death of his elder brother, the lack of absolute power to suppress the Uchiha clan, and the recent incident where Setsuna Uchiha led a rebellion that nearly caused chaos, Tobirama could never include the Uchiha clan in the position of Hokage successor.

…………

…………

In the classroom, Aokiji offered his heartfelt congratulations to his three close friends who were graduating at the young age of six: "Congratulations! You're so young, yet you're already contributing to the development of Konoha. I really envy you."

These words sounded so harsh. Tsunade frowned and said, "With your strength, you could have graduated earlier, right?"

Am I stupid? Why would I rush to be reincarnated?

The steady Aokiji shook his head: "You know me, my ambition isn't to be a ninja. I'll stay in school for a few more years, then I'll go into business and support myself."

"snort."

Tsunade was furious at his lack of ambition and left in anger. He clearly had such great talent, yet he was so lazy all day long.

Watching her departing figure, Aokiji sighed helplessly.

To outsiders, it seems that because he hasn't practiced much in a long time, his swordsmanship has become rusty and his grades have started to decline, even worse than when he started school. No wonder his friend Tsunade is disappointed in him.

Shortly after Tsunade left, Jiraiya and Orochimaru went to another classroom to wait for their Jonin instructors.

Watching his friends leave one by one, Aokiji had no reason to stay any longer. As a student, he still had to suffer through his studies.

There were fewer classes today, so school ended early. Instead of going straight home, Aokiji wandered around aimlessly with a certain purpose in mind. Luckily, he stumbled upon an adult training three children at a training ground.

The three children are Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade.

Jiraiya was particularly badly beaten; he was even tied to a pillar.

Tsunade held the bell, shook it, and scolded, "Hehe, Jiraiya, you want to beat me? You're a hundred years too early. As expected, you're still in last place."

Jiraiya, unable to withstand the ridicule any longer, snapped: "Shut up! You're as flat-chested as an airport runway or a washboard!"

Tsunade was furious upon hearing this. She was no longer the girl who knew nothing about "breasts" and mistook battle for something precious: "You want a beating, don't you?"

Watching the two argue fiercely, Hiruzen Sarutobi, their teacher, shook his head helplessly: "Have these two always been like this?"

Orochimaru chimed in, "I suppose so."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed as he watched Jiraiya arguing back. He thought that while Jiraiya possessed immense strength, he wasn't exactly bright; it seemed he needed some special guidance. "It's getting late, Orochimaru, Tsunade, you should head back now."

"Yes."

Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to give this disciple some special advice.

With a victor's smile, Tsunade waved, and as soon as she turned around, she saw a familiar figure.

"Yo~"

Aokiji took the initiative to greet him.

"What brings you here?" Tsunade asked in surprise. "Could it be that you actually still want to become a ninja?"

"Don't get me wrong, I'm just wandering around, looking for some fun." Aokiji took out a pillow from his backpack, then skillfully lay down on his side, propping himself up on the pillow with his elbow: "Never mind me, you guys carry on..."

After saying that, he shifted his gaze to the adult.

Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Aokiji thought to himself.

The Konoha residential area is only so big, and Aokiji knew his identity through careful observation.

He had a question: in the anime, weren't the three legendary ninjas supposed to be eleven or twelve years old when they became disciples of Hiruzen Sarutobi?

How come he became an apprentice at the age of six?

Moreover, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked quite old back then, with a beard, and didn't look like the young man he is now.

However, upon closer reflection, it makes sense. In a few years, Tobirama, the Second Hokage, will probably be preparing to step down, and then Hiruzen Sarutobi will go back and become Hokage directly. It's impossible for him to have time to instruct ninjas after becoming Hokage; that doesn't make sense.

Even if we take a step back, given Tsunade's special status and Orochimaru's extraordinary talent, it's still barely acceptable. But Jiraiya shouldn't be at that level yet. Let the Third Hokage, who is also the Hokage, personally guide him.

Therefore, this explanation simply doesn't make sense. Aokiji didn't think much of it and could only blame the chaotic timeline of Naruto, claiming it was a bug the author came up with on a whim.

As Aokiji was lost in thought, he suddenly felt his vision darken. It turned out that Tsunade was standing in front of him, fiddling with her knuckles: "Since you like sleeping so much, I'll let you sleep for the rest of your life."

Tsunade swung her fist and charged at him. Aokiji was so frightened that he picked up his pillow and ran away.

"Stop right there!" Tsunade chased after him, while Aokiji ran ahead. "You think I'm stupid for telling me to stop?"

Watching the two playfully bickering, Yuan Fei Ri Zhan laughed and said, "Is he your classmate? He seems like a rather interesting little rascal."

"Aokiji is indeed a very interesting guy," Orochimaru chimed in with a smile. "If he were to get serious and use his sleep time for training, he might not be the champion this year."

Yuan Fei was shocked when he heard this. His talent was even better than Orochimaru's. What did that mean?

Although he didn't spend much time with Orochimaru, Orochimaru's obvious talent left a deep impression on Hiruzen Sarutobi.

While there might be an element of flattery involved, to receive such praise from Orochimaru, one must possess exceptional talent.

Recalling Tsunade's earlier conversation, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but ask, "Tsunade just said that she seemed unwilling to be a ninja, is that right?"

"Yes, Aokiji has no interest in being a ninja; he wants to be a ninja himself."

Although Orochimaru understood the thought of not being able to fight alongside his friends in the future, he still felt a little regretful deep down.

What does "日日人" mean?

Yuan Fei Ri Zhan was a little confused; it was the first time he had ever heard of this term.

"To paraphrase Aokiji, it's about living a good life, with a wife, kids, and a warm bed."

Yuan Feiri nodded: "That's really a simple and unpretentious dream."

It is truly remarkable that someone so young has achieved such profound understanding.

But understanding is one thing, and agreeing with it is another.

In peacetime, such an ideal would be acceptable, but now we live in a time of war and chaos, a special era.

The prosperity of the village is closely related to everyone present.

A strong village means a strong people; a weak village means a weak people.

Personal interests must always be placed after the village's interests.

We cannot tolerate such narrow-minded thinking.

If Aokiji's talent were mediocre, it wouldn't matter much; one more or one less wouldn't make a difference. But since Aokiji possesses a talent that even Orochimaru praised as rare, with proper training, he might become an important figure who influences the course of battle in the future.

Looking at Aokiji, who was playfully fighting with Tsunade, Hiruzen, who had been entrusted with an important task by Tobirama, had a far-reaching gaze. For the long-term interests of the village, he should perhaps pay attention to him when he had time and guide him onto the right path.

After all, he is not only a Jonin of Konoha, but also the Hokage successor designated by Tobirama-sensei, the future Third Hokage.

While enjoying the protection of the previous generation, this generation bears the same heavy responsibility of protecting the next generation.

But one day, their generation will eventually grow old, and then perhaps the next generation will shoulder this burden.

Where leaves dance in the air, the fire burns eternally.

(End of this chapter)