Teacher Selection

At the end of the first grade, Kizaru applied for early graduation and underwent an assessment, battling against a top shinobi!

As the Shimura clan released this news, discussions about Kizaru heated up again in the village.

Normally, students applying for early graduation only battle against Chunin, but Kizaru was challenging a Jonin. The difference in difficulty between these battles was immense.

Whether the just-turned-six Kizaru had the skills of a Jonin became the hot topic of discussion among everyone.

Representatives of the pro-Shimura ninjas, expressing their views, highlighted Kizaru's abnormal physical qualities, abundant chakra comparable to a Tailed Beast, and mastery of chakra nature transformation. Considering these facts, they believed Kizaru already possessed Jonin's, if not Elite Jonin's level of abilities.

On the contrary, the representatives from the Uchiha clan primarily questioned Kizaru's improvement in Ninjutsu. Then they pointed out that Kizaru lacked any real combat experience, making it challenging for him to display his full combat capabilities against highly skilled Jonin. Hence, they argued that Kizaru's true strength couldn't reach Jonin, let alone Elite Jonin levels.

The Uchiha's focus on Kizaru wasn't due to jealousy over his talent. Instead, it stemmed from Kizaru defeating one of their clan's juniors. Their doubts about Kizaru arose from their disdain for Danzo.

Following the ideology of the Second Hokage and an even more extreme approach, Danzo held strong dislike for the Uchiha clan and had been persistently oppressing them.

This led the Uchiha ninjas to hold a deep grudge against Danzo and, by extension, the pro-Shimura and its influential supporters.

Facing the Uchiha's inquiries, Danzo didn't personally intervene but silently noted down their concerns in a small notebook, planning their downfall.

"The Uchiha? Daring to question my nephew? Being insolent, aren't they? Clearly traitors. They'll meet their end sooner or later."

Although his animosity towards the Uchiha escalated, Danzo temporarily had no time to retaliate against them.

Danzo's recent thoughts were entirely focused on selecting a mentor for Kizaru.

His exceptionally talented nephew naturally required an outstanding teacher.

Danzo spent a great deal of effort considering the choice of a mentor and narrowed it down to two potential candidates.

The first was Hatake Sakumo, an Elite Jonin from the ANBU, outstanding in combat with considerable experience in swordsmanship.

The second was Orochimaru, a disciple of a close friend, an equally top-tier genius as his nephew, proficient in all Nature Transformation.

Choosing between these two troubled Danzo, as both were exceptionally skilled ninjas in the village.

The arrangement of Kizaru's mentorship wasn't just a concern for Danzo but also caught the attention of Hiruzen.

With Kizaru's exceptional talent, as long as nothing unforeseen happened, he was undoubtedly a sure-shot candidate for becoming an elite Kage-level shinobi in the future.

Hiruzen couldn't allow such a prodigy to grow unchecked. If Kizaru deviated in the future, it would be a huge loss for the village.

Regarding Kizaru's mentor, Hiruzen's preferred candidate was his own disciple, Orochimaru.

This choice also reflected Hiruzen's own considerations. Although a close ally of Danzo, their ideologies didn't align completely, leading to some internal conflicts.

Over the years, their close cooperation and united front had been due to external and internal pressures.

Now, with Danzo having such a remarkable successor, Hiruzen naturally wished to nurture him as an heir to his own ideology.

The plan was for Kizaru to graduate early and then have Hiruzen's disciple become his mentor. Through their mentor-disciple relationship, the goal was to instill the right mindset in Kizaru, preventing him from being swayed by his uncle towards extreme measures.

This was also Hiruzen's true intention when he proposed Kizaru's early graduation on the school playground.

To actualize the appointment of Orochimaru as Kizaru's mentor, Hiruzen specially invited Danzo to his office today for a discussion.

Leaving his chair and standing up, Hiruzen, waiting for Danzo, slowly walked over to the window.

Taking out his beloved pipe, filling it with tobacco, lighting it, inhaling deeply, and slowly exhaling, Hiruzen looked out at the village streets through the window, contemplating how he could persuade his old friend to accept Orochimaru as Kizaru's mentor.

Danzo, upon receiving the invitation, didn't keep Hiruzen waiting long. Just as Hiruzen took his third puff from the pipe, Danzo walked into the office, pushing the door open.

"Hiruzen, what's the matter?" Upon entering the office, closing the door behind him, Danzo asked directly.

Extinguishing the tobacco in the pipe, Hiruzen turned with a smile to face Danzo.

"Please, take a seat first!" Saying so, Hiruzen walked to his spot and settled down.

Danzo sat in front of Hiruzen, observing the smile on his old friend's face, already guessing his purpose for inviting him.

"Danzo, have you chosen someone for Kizaru's mentor?" Leaning back casually in his chair, Hiruzen asked in a relaxed tone.

A slight upward twitch at the corner of Danzo's mouth indicated he had already guessed his old friend's thoughts and felt splendid about it.

"I have two candidates. The first is Hatake Sakumo," pausing deliberately here, hoping to gauge his friend's reaction, Danzo noticed Hiruzen maintaining a consistent smile without any change in expression. Danzo continued, "The other is your disciple, Orochimaru!"

Upon hearing the first candidate proposed by Danzo, Hiruzen's expression remained unchanged, but internally, he tensed for a moment.

It wasn't that Hiruzen disliked Sakumo; in fact, Hiruzen held great respect for him. He was an exceptional ninja, bordering on perfection.

However, Sakumo was more suited to be a ninja rather than a leader. He could become an excellent blade, but not someone to lead others forward and illuminate the path.

Having the immensely talented Kizaru follow Sakumo for learning would be a waste.

Upon hearing Danzo's next suggestion, Hiruzen felt greatly in agreement and even more delighted. His smile widened a bit more.

Never had he thought that he and his old friend were so much in sync. Hiruzen silently praised Danzo in his mind for this alignment of thoughts.

"Sakumo is busy with missions and might not have time to mentor Kizaru," Hiruzen gently negated Danzo's first suggestion.

Danzo immediately understood his friend's implication. He nodded lightly and replied, "Then I'll handle it, Hiruzen."

"Having a talented disciple like Kizaru, I believe Orochimaru will be delighted," Hiruzen answered for Orochimaru.

"Hahaha!" Danzo modestly laughed and turned to Hiruzen, saying, "Kizaru is also looking forward to being Orochimaru's disciple."

In the office, the two old foxes smiled at each other, both satisfied with this arrangement.