Starting as a pirate, he rose to become the strongest Shinigami in Soul Society.

Chapter 355 Uchiha Sasuke: What if I could become the Spirit Lord's disciple?

The next morning, Kakashi gathered with his three subordinates.

Konoha was very efficient; they tidied up the village in one night and prepared a public funeral for the members who unfortunately sacrificed their lives in the incident.

The Third Hokage, who should have been the main figure at the funeral, personally conducted the mourning for the fallen.

Dressed in solemn black clothes, Kakashi stood in the crowd with Naruto and the other two.

Beside them, Hayate Gekko, who was originally unlucky in the story and died before even appearing as the protagonist of Shippuden, has miraculously survived this time. He stands with his lover, Yugao Uzuki, mourning the dead.

At the funeral, Hiruzen Sarutobi, in the name of the Third Hokage, announced the official start of the war against Sunagakure, which was strongly supported by all the ninja.

In the past, anti-war sentiment was relatively high in Konoha, which is why Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared somewhat 'weak' after becoming Hokage.

Because those hawks don't need to consider public opinion, but as the Hokage, he does need to consider public opinion.

However, this time, the civilians of Konoha also suffered heavy losses. Not every family was in mourning, but many people were affected. Their anger and hatred towards Sunagakure were at their peak. When Hiruzen Sarutobi suggested starting a war, they all supported it, after all, it was about revenge!

With Hiruzen Sarutobi's order as Hokage, Konoha's war machine began to operate.

After the funeral, Kakashi, Naruto, and the other two walked along the road and talked about the related matters.

"The Chunin Exams will continue, and you genin don't need to participate in this war, but I, your teacher, have to go to the front lines," Kakashi said with a hint of helplessness.

He is a rather anti-war guy. After all, he experienced war from a young age, and all the people he cherished died when the war broke out. If he had a choice, Kakashi would not support war.

Unfortunately, he had no choice this time.

At this point, Kakashi paused slightly, then looked at Naruto and said, "Naruto, Jiraiya-sama will come to find you later. He has decided to take you as his personal disciple. Jiraiya-sama is very powerful, the pride of Konoha, and has enough prestige in the entire ninja world. He is one of the 'Legendary Sannin'. He will take you away from the village to train. You must work hard by his side."

"Huh?" Naruto Uzumaki was clearly hearing this for the first time and looked somewhat bewildered.

Sakura Haruno was even more surprised upon hearing this, asking, "What about Naruto's Chunin Exams?"

"Let's see what Jiraiya-sama decides. There will be plenty of opportunities for the Chunin Exams, but there won't be many opportunities to train under Jiraiya-sama," Kakashi said calmly.

Uchiha Sasuke, standing to the side, felt a little conflicted upon hearing this.

On one hand, he was very happy for Naruto. Although he never admitted it, after they went through life and death together in the Land of Waves, Sasuke Uchiha had already regarded Naruto Uzumaki as his only close friend.

His best friend was chosen by a powerful figure to go on a training program, and he was sure that he would return even more outstanding. This was what made him happy.

On the other hand, he was indeed somewhat envious. He believed that his thirst for power far surpassed that of Naruto Uzumaki. If possible, he would also like to train with Jiraiya. After all, according to Kakashi-sensei, Jiraiya was clearly a stronger being than him, the "Number One Technician of Konoha".

"The Legendary Sannin?" Sasuke Uchiha murmured to himself.

Orochimaru's image flashed through his mind. After encountering Orochimaru in the Forest of Death, Sasuke Uchiha had secretly inquired about Orochimaru's information. Compared to Naruto Uzumaki, who was clueless, he understood the value of the "Sannin" better.

Orochimaru, as an S-rank rogue ninja of Konoha, is one of the "Legendary Sannin" along with Jiraiya, and his strength is beyond doubt.

Although I didn't witness it firsthand, I heard that he was the one who orchestrated the village riots and even pushed the Third Hokage to the brink of defeat. Is this level of strength enough to deal with Itachi Uchiha?

Clearly, Sasuke had no idea that his older brother had instantly defeated Orochimaru with just a glance.

Before hearing that Naruto was going to train with Jiraiya, Sasuke Uchiha was able to suppress his desires. He followed Kakashi's advice, restrained his heart's desires, and did not let the power of the cursed seal lead him astray.

But at this moment, he felt a faint burning sensation on the cursed seal on his neck, and he couldn't help but think that if he really went to find Orochimaru, followed him, and gained enough power...

As if noticing Sasuke's absent-mindedness, Kakashi realized something and comforted him, "Sasuke, you can't let your guard down just because Naruto isn't here. During the Chunin Exams selection tournament, that Spirit Lord praised you personally. He thought you were a true genius and that if you trained hard, you would definitely become an excellent and powerful ninja in the future."

"Spirit Lord." Sasuke, upon hearing this, snapped out of his reverie and couldn't help but ask, "Kakashi-sensei, who exactly is the Spirit Lord? He seems to covet the Nine-Tailed Fox inside Naruto. Is he an enemy? But he doesn't seem like one. And even Jiraiya-sama, whom you mentioned earlier, seems to respect him quite a bit?"

"Whether he's an enemy or not is a highly variable situation. You could say his stance is unpredictable and cannot be confirmed, but at least for now, he can't be considered an enemy. However, we must still be vigilant towards him," Kakashi said ambiguously.

Seemingly realizing his explanation was a bit awkward, Kakashi reorganized his thoughts and said, "To be precise, the Spirit Lord is not a ninja, so his position is completely different from ours. His status is very noble; he is the supreme being of Ryuchi Cave, one of the three great holy lands in legend. The title 'Spirit Lord' originated from Ryuchi Cave. Although I have never witnessed it myself, it is said that he is a true dragon."

"Dragon!?" Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura all exclaimed in surprise, their voices filled with disbelief.

"That's right, a true dragon, just like the Fire Dragon Bullet Technique imitates." Kakashi described it, then said, "Logically speaking, the three holy lands don't concern themselves with worldly affairs. The Spirit Lord, as the most venerable being among the three holy lands, hasn't appeared in the world for a thousand years. But for some reason, he has recently become active again. And according to current information, he also has a good relationship with that dangerous Orochimaru. According to him, if he's in a good mood, he will respond to Orochimaru's summoning jutsu. This is the main reason why we believe his stance is uncertain and he might become an enemy. On the other hand, the Spirit Lord seems to be very interested in the tailed beasts. As you know, he has already stolen the tailed beasts from Sunagakure."

Sasuke Uchiha, who was thinking about Orochimaru, felt even more conflicted.

He had never heard of Ryuchi Cave or the Three Great Holy Lands before, and he was very curious. But Kakashi had mentioned Orochimaru, so it seemed that Orochimaru and the Spirit Lord had a closer relationship.

The Spirit Lord also said that he was very talented and gifted. If he used Orochimaru as a medium, would he be able to make contact with that mysterious and undoubtedly very powerful Spirit Lord?

If I could make contact with the Spirit Lord, given the talent he praised, could I become his disciple? What would I learn? What would I master?

If I succeed, won't I be one step closer to avenging myself against that beast Itachi Uchiha?

Thinking of this, Uchiha Sasuke felt inexplicably excited and thrilled.

However, he suppressed these thoughts after only a moment.

Just as Kakashi was saying this, Jiraiya walked over from across the street carrying a large scroll, greeted him with a smile, and said, "Kakashi, I'm here to ask you for someone."

"Lord Jiraiya," Kakashi greeted respectfully, "I can give you the person, but where's the goods I wanted?"

"You rascal." Jiraiya shook his head with amusement, then took a book from his waist and handed it to Kakashi, saying, "I haven't published this yet. You can read this book yourself, but don't spread it around."

Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!

Kakashi, who had been somewhat listless just moments before, was now completely excited. Holding the coverless, unidentified book, he nodded earnestly and said, "Don't worry, I will protect it like a treasure."

"I believe you when you say that." Jiraiya patted Kakashi on the shoulder, then looked at the three little ones.

"Uchiha Sasuke? The Spirit Lord called you and Uzumaki Naruto the two great pearls of Konoha. You must be a person of exceptional talent. Work hard!" Jiraiya praised.

After saying that, he turned his attention to Naruto Uzumaki, patted his chest, and said proudly, "Kid, feel proud! I, Jiraiya, the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, am going to take you as my personal disciple!"

"Kakashi-sensei, this guy is so arrogant! Can I not be his student?" Naruto Uzumaki said with a look of disgust.

"You idiot!" Jiraiya slapped Naruto on the head, cursing, "So many people want to be my disciple but don't even have the chance, and you're already complaining?"

Kakashi, standing nearby, said softly, "Naruto, the Fourth Hokage was Jiraiya's disciple. Don't you want to become Hokage? He has a lot of experience teaching Hokage."

"What!?" Naruto exclaimed excitedly, "The Fourth Hokage's teacher? The Toad Sage! I need your help with my training!"

"Hahaha, you want to become Hokage? That's a great ambition. I think you certainly have the aptitude. Alright, I'll give you this morning to pack your bags and say goodbye to your friends. We'll meet at the village entrance at noon, and I'll take you on a journey of training." Jiraiya said with a loud laugh.

Watching Jiraiya and Naruto Uzumaki chatting and laughing, looking like they had a bright future ahead of them, Sasuke Uchiha inexplicably felt a little lonely and helpless.

What good is it if people just praise you for being talented?

"Orochimaru, Ryuchi Cave, Spirit Lord." These thoughts flashed through Sasuke Uchiha's mind, and a seed was planted as a result.

He needs power, and he desperately needs power!

In particular, judging from what Kakashi-sensei just said, he will soon be heading to the front lines to participate in the war with Sunagakure. Uchiha Sasuke has never experienced war, so he doesn't quite understand the meaning behind this, but he at least understands that Kakashi has gone to the battlefield and will not be able to return for a while.

This means that for some time to come, he will not have a teacher who can help him improve.

The pursuit of power will therefore slow down.

This is something he absolutely cannot accept.

Once the flames of revenge are ignited, they will never be extinguished until everything is over. This flame devours hatred, and the resulting firelight will naturally make people extreme and stubborn.

The update tomorrow might be a little late, but I will definitely update it. By the way, I'd love to see your support and some votes. Thank you so much!

(End of this chapter)