Starting From Being Adopted by the Second Hokage!

"Why are you all staring at me like that?"

Renya felt a little creeped out by the intense stares directed at him.

"Renya-kun, do you know if Tobirama-sama is planning to take on a disciple?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked cautiously.

The others stared at Renya, waiting eagerly for his answer.

Renya shook his head.

"He didn't mention anything to me."

At those words, they looked a bit disappointed.

They'd hoped to get first-hand news from Renya.

"But…" Renya suddenly changed tack. "Based on what I know about him, he'll probably choose students who ranked near the top."

"Haha! That's great news!" Sarutobi Hiruzen was so excited he nearly jumped.

If what Renya said was true, and Tobirama-sama chose his disciples based on academic rankings, then Hiruzen was practically guaranteed a spot.

Shimura Danzō clenched his fists nervously.

He was ranked fifth in the class. Under normal circumstances, that was a pretty solid result.

But if Tobirama-sama selected based on rank… fifth might not cut it.

What if he only took on three disciples? Wouldn't that leave him completely out?

Renya noticed Danzō's pale expression and immediately guessed what he was thinking. With a mischievous tone, he added:

"Well, the top three are pretty much locked in. Who knows about the rest."

Danzō's face turned ghostly pale in an instant.

He couldn't believe it. If he wasn't selected, that would be utterly devastating!

Especially if he had to watch Hiruzen become Tobirama-sama's disciple right in front of him.

Just imagining that made it hard for him to breathe.

Danzō silently prayed in his heart, hoping he would be chosen by Tobirama-sama.

Seeing Danzō's face cycle through shades of blue and white, Renya felt incredibly satisfied.

For some reason, the more upset Danzō got, the happier he felt.

As for Tobirama taking on disciples, Renya didn't really care much.

He was already frequently guided by Tobirama in private—basically a half-disciple already.

...

After dinner, everyone returned to their homes, each lost in their own thoughts.

...

Hyūga Clan Grounds

Hyūga Muki had just arrived at the clan's gate when he saw a stern-looking middle-aged man standing there.

The man wore a grim expression and asked coldly,

"Where have you been?"

Hyūga Muki kept his head lowered and said nothing.

The man didn't speak either. He simply stared at him silently.

After a long moment, Hyūga Muki finally raised his head.

"Father, I went out to eat with some classmates."

"Oh? What, is the food at home not good enough for you?"

"No…"

"Then why go out to eat?"

"Father, I was wrong."

"This is your first offense. Do one thousand rounds of Gentle Fist before dinner. No food until you finish."

"Yes, Father!"

...

Senju Tobirama's Residence

Renya returned home and didn't see any sign of Senju Tobirama.

That old man was probably holed up somewhere again, tinkering with forbidden jutsu.

So he began his daily training.

Renya wasn't lacking in talent. As long as he trained diligently, he could hold his own in the coming Shinobi Wars—not just be cannon fodder.

He'd never had lofty ambitions. His only reason for getting stronger was simple: to survive.

Nothing more.

Renya was very clear about his role.

He wasn't some overpowered cheat character like Naruto or Sasuke. He hadn't been brainwashed by the Will of Fire either.

He wasn't going to go around shouting about "the Will of Fire" and charge headlong into death like an idiot…

...

That night, Tobirama returned with a head of disheveled hair.

He hadn't slept since the night before, having been fully absorbed in researching the origins of the Senju and Uchiha clans—but he'd made no progress.

Seeing his mess of a look, Renya became even more certain: this old guy was secretly experimenting with forbidden jutsu again.

At this time period, he was probably starting to research the Edo Tensei, right?

"Hey brat, how'd your test go?"

He'd seen Renya reviewing before the exam, so the results should've been decent.

These basic questions were the kind you could ace just by glancing at them…

"Haha, not bad, not bad." Renya laughed it off.

Tobirama didn't press further. After a simple dinner, he went straight back to his study.

Renya breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good thing that old man didn't ask any more questions."

There was no helping it—ranking fifth from the bottom was just too embarrassing!

"Academic classes are my weakness. I've gotta catch up this summer!"

No sooner thought than done—Renya pulled out his textbooks and started studying seriously.

"Thirty days of hard work—I'll become number one in the grade!"

...

Five minutes later.

With a blank expression, Renya closed his book.

"Actually, all a ninja really needs is strength. Academic studies don't matter much…"

Look at Uzumaki Naruto—he didn't even know what the word [rabble] meant!

That alone showed how little academics mattered in the shinobi world.

"Yup, it's not that I can't learn—it's just that I don't need to," Renya reassured himself.

"Time to sleep!"

"The feeling of knowledge entering my brain… it's just so addictive…"

Renya recalled what he'd just studied.

Nothing.

He hadn't absorbed any of it, but that didn't stop him from drifting into a peaceful sleep.

...

In the Study

Senju Tobirama had searched through countless shinobi records before finally finding a relevant passage.

Brushing the dust off the last page of an ancient scroll, a faded mural gradually appeared on the yellowed paper.

In the painting, an elderly man with a staff floated in midair.

Beneath him, two young boys knelt on either side.

The one on the left wore a robe adorned with vine patterns.

The one on the right had crimson ripples swirling in his eyes.

Text carved faintly at the edge of the mural read:

"Indra and Asura, twin sons of the Sage of Six Paths."

According to the record, Indra inherited powerful ocular jutsu and a talent for combat but fell into darkness due to his obsessions.

Asura, on the other hand, trained in Wood Release with a heart full of compassion and protected the world with healing powers.

"Ocular jutsu… Wood Release…" Tobirama murmured.

Though the notes were vague, he understood what they meant:

The Uchiha and Senju clans—

They were descendants of the Sage of Six Paths!

He speculated that the ideological conflict between Indra and Asura had led to the thousand-year war between Uchiha and Senju.

Just as he was about to keep digging for more evidence—

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the end-of-term report card on the table.

He'd had Senju Takuzen deliver it, but had been too busy with research to look.

So Tobirama opened the grade sheet.

[1st Place: Sarutobi Hiruzen]

[2nd Place: Hyūga Muki]

[3rd Place: Uchiha Kagami]

[4th Place: Mitokado Homura]

[5th Place: Shimura Danzō]

Tobirama nodded with satisfaction.

These were the future of Konoha!

"Wait… why don't I see that brat's name?"

He searched carefully and finally found Renya's name—

Sixth from the bottom.

"Full marks in the practical exam, and he's still near last place?"

He blinked, baffled—until he saw Renya's theory exam score.

Senju Tobirama: "???"

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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