— — — — — — —
"We have no objections!"
Renzo added, "Perfect timing! We were already planning an intensive training session for Kurenai and Asuma. This mission revealed quite a few weaknesses, and we all agree it's necessary to improve!"
"Oh?"
The Third Hokage raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. He glanced at Asuma. "Is that so?"
"Hmph!"
Asuma lifted his chin proudly. "Of course! Renzo thinks Kurenai and I are too weak, so he volunteered to train us. This isn't even the first time!"
"Old man, you're so annoying."
The Third Hokage: "..."
Why did this brat come back even more rebellious than before?
"Wait a second!"
Noticing the clear dissatisfaction in Asuma's eyes, the Third Hokage suddenly understood. "So, he's upset because I pulled them back from the frontlines? Heh... ungrateful brat."
Others would kill for the chance to step away and rest in times like these.
Not knowing how good they have it.
The frontlines aren't some playground—one wrong step, and you're dead.
But overall, these kids are rather promising.
The stronger Asuma gets, the better.
If he's willing to accept Renzo's training, that's a good thing. Besides, Renzo's training methods have proven effective.
The Third Hokage shot Renzo a grateful glance. "Then I'll have to trouble you, Renzo. Take care of Asuma for me!"
Suddenly, the Third Hokage's mood brightened.
"Oh, it's nothing!" Renzo waved his hand modestly. "You're too kind, Lord Hokage. As teammates, it's my responsibility!"
Afterward, the Third Hokage chatted with Renzo and the others for a while, discussing the recent battle.
At the same time, he subtly probed Renzo with carefully worded questions.
But from what he could tell, Renzo was still the same—a loyal young man with the Will of Fire, unchanged in his beliefs.
"Oh, right!"
After some thought, the Third Hokage decided to keep Renzo behind for a private conversation.
"You performed exceptionally well this time! Your current rank is Jonin, so promoting you further isn't feasible for now."
"Instead, I've decided to reward you with two jutsu from the Scroll of Seals. Take a look and see if anything interests you."
With that, the Third Hokage retrieved a massive scroll from a nearby room, unrolling a section before Renzo to let him choose.
This was both a gesture of goodwill and a test.
People often reveal their true nature when faced with great temptation, especially children like Renzo.
Even if there were no issues, the jutsu he picked would give the Third Hokage insight into his thoughts and personality.
Besides, Renzo's contributions were undeniable.
If the village didn't reward him properly, people would be disheartened, and it would reflect poorly on the Hokage himself.
Compared to giving him power, the Third Hokage preferred giving him jutsu.
"Building a bond through personal favors was the right call!"
Renzo could sense the Hokage's change in attitude.
If the initial warmth was mostly an act—about 99% performance—then now, at least 30% was genuine.
Not bad.
After scanning the Scroll of Seals, Renzo made his decision.
"Then, I'll choose the Flying Thunder God Technique and Water Release: Hard Whirlpool Water Blade."
"Would that be alright, Lord Hokage?"
For clarification, the scroll was densely packed with seals, and he could only see a directory and brief descriptions.
That was to be expected—something this important would be heavily guarded.
Renzo couldn't help but recall the scene from the original story where Naruto stole the scroll so easily.
What a joke. Only Naruto, a clueless kid, believed he could do it.
Also, even though Renzo had already acquired the Flying Thunder God Technique from his dealings with Orochimaru, he still chose it from the Scroll of Seals.
Why?
So he could use it openly in the future.
This way, he could mask his instantaneous movement under the guise of the Flying Thunder God.
As for whether he could learn it?
Renzo was confident.
His advanced spatial awareness, enhanced by his other abilities, gave him an edge. And even if he struggled, eventually, there would be other Renzos with strong spatial talents, right?
"Oh?"
The Third Hokage was surprised by his choices.
"I recall you have Lightning and Fire affinities, yet you chose a Water Release technique?"
"And the Flying Thunder God... I assume you got interested after seeing Minato use it? I should warn you, this jutsu is extremely difficult and requires extraordinary talent."
"To this day, only the Second Hokage and Minato have ever mastered it. Are you sure about this?"
The Third Hokage had expected Renzo to go for some flashy forbidden jutsu.
But this?
"Heh, just a kid after all."
"Sees something cool and wants to learn it."
"Classic."
"Yes, I'm sure!" Renzo nodded firmly. "I recently discovered I have a natural talent for Water Release, so this jutsu is a great fit!"
"As for the Flying Thunder God..."
Renzo scratched his head with a grin. "Heh! Yeah, I admit, I was inspired by Minato-sensei's use of it."
"Especially when he saved my Sensei with it. I just thought... if I could learn it, I'd be able to protect my teammates, my teacher, and my loved ones better!"
A flawless answer.
"I see. Then I approve." The Third Hokage nodded with a smile.
At the same time, he offered one last piece of advice.
"Just keep in mind, this jutsu is extremely challenging, and even with your talent, there's no guarantee you'll master it."
"Don't push yourself too hard, and don't feel pressured—no one will judge you if you can't learn it."
It sounded like encouragement.
But for a proud, competitive genius?
It was a challenge.
A subtle way of nudging him into investing a lot of time into training it.
Was this the Hokage's intention?
The Third Hokage was always balancing between controlling and nurturing talents.
Renzo briefly considered this before dismissing the thought.
It didn't matter.
"You may not take the scroll with you. You have two hours per jutsu, for a total of four hours. Make the most of it."
The Third Hokage then unlocked the seals, revealing the contents of the jutsu.
Renzo immediately sat down and began reading with full concentration.
The Hokage chuckled silently.
"Heh... four hours? He'll be lucky if he can memorize even part of it."
---
Four hours later...
Renzo hadn't moved an inch, engrossed the entire time.
"This kid's discipline is truly impressive."
"If only Asuma had half his diligence... but at least he's improving under Renzo's influence."
"Lord Hokage! I've finished! Thank you again!"
"Oh? Already?" The Third Hokage smiled warmly. "No need to thank me. Just continue serving the village well."
"Now go get some lunch before you starve. And I told you, call me Uncle Hokage!"
"Yes! Uncle Hokage! See you later!"
With that, he left as it was time for the Renzos Group to meet.
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