Changes Brought About By Hokage’s Discipleship

"Xuming, I feel that the Rasengan still has room for improvement. What should I do next?" Orochimaru asked, voicing a question that had been on his mind for a long time.

"It's simple," Xu Ming replied confidently. "Since its shape transformation is already at its peak, we just need to add the missing element."

"Something that hasn't been done yet?"

Orochimaru was momentarily stunned, then suddenly understood. Admiringly, he said, "I see... Returning to the original idea of ninjutsu—adding Nature Transformation on top of Shape Transformation... Xuming, you're truly a genius."

"You're not bad yourself," Xu Ming said with a smile, patting him on the shoulder.

Orochimaru could only smile helplessly. He didn't know what part of him was outstanding.

"Alright, I'm done eating," Xu Ming said as he wiped his mouth with a tissue. Getting up, he added, "I still have some time, so I'll go back, take a shower, and change my clothes."

"Alright," Orochimaru nodded.

Over the Next Few Days

Xu Ming continued his daily routine—going to and from school, then relaxing at home.

For now, he had no intention of pushing Orochimaru too hard.

Even cattle and horses need rest—let alone people.

Xu Ming decided to give Orochimaru some time to recover. After all, they were only ten years old, with bright futures ahead. There was no rush.

"However, I have a lot on my plate right now," Xu Ming sighed in exhaustion.

The night he became a disciple of the Third Hokage, word spread quickly. By the next day, many people had come to see the Fourth Disciple of the Hokage for themselves.

The first ones to meet him were, naturally, his teacher's old comrades—

Utatane Koharu Mitokado Homura Shimura Danzō Uchiha Kagami Akimichi Tekkaze

At this point in time, all five elders were still alive.

The Third Hokage boasted openly about his new student.

"Creating his own ninjutsu?"

"Without hand seals?"

"A-Rank difficulty?"

"Inspired by the Tailed Beast Bomb?"

"What? That strong?"

Xu Ming demonstrated his technique in public, earning a wave of shocked expressions.

The five elders stared at him as if he were a monster.

Then, their excitement flared up. They surrounded Xu Ming, bombarding him with countless unrelated questions, completely sidelining the Third Hokage.

Xu Ming felt overwhelmed but had no choice but to endure the situation with a polite "Mmm," "Yes," "Understood," while barely paying attention to the conversation.

By the next morning, he was greeted with a shocking sight—a mountain of gifts.

Clothes, cash, ninja tools, medicinal herbs, dried meat, and more...

His family's storage room was completely filled.

"Is... is this what it means to be the Hokage's disciple?"

Xu Ming was speechless.

A quick calculation revealed that the total value of these gifts exceeded five million ryo.

But according to the elders, this was just a small welcome gift.

"I never imagined I'd one day become the child of a wealthy and powerful family," Xu Ming thought, feeling a little overwhelmed.

When he asked the Third Hokage about it, the response shocked him even more.

"Five million ryo is nothing."

As status and power increase, money flows naturally.

Besides, among the five elders were members of the Shimura, Uchiha, and Akimichi clans—all of which were financially secure.

Had it not been for Homura and Koharu—who were from civilian backgrounds—Xu Ming could have received over ten million ryo in gifts!

"When five million is divided among five people, each one only gave you one million ryo."

These were the exact words of the Third Hokage.

Xu Ming was stunned.

That casual tone—that dismissive "only"—made him truly grasp what it meant to be wealthy and powerful.

"Damn these rich people... Wait, does this mean I'm one of them now?"

"Well, in that case…"

Xu Ming adjusted his mindset and accepted the gifts without hesitation.

After the five elders, the Third Hokage introduced him to even more people—

The Ino–Shika–Chō clans, loyal to the Sarutobi clan. Supporters of the Third Hokage from the Senju clan. Uzumaki Mito, the Third Hokage's elder and current Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. The Uchiha clan affiliated with the Third Hokage. The Hyuga clan, fans of the Hokage. Representatives from the Aburame, Inuzuka, Kurama, and Moonlight clans. The younger generation, led by Hatake Sakumo.

For several days, Xu Ming was busy meeting people.

The Sarutobi clan's welcome banquet lasted for five days straight.

"My head is spinning…"

Xu Ming began to feel the burden of being the Hokage's disciple.

"Is this what rich and powerful kids do? Socializing every day, talking about nonsense, eating and drinking all night, then stumbling home drunk?"

Physically and mentally exhausted, he found no sympathy from Orochimaru and the others.

"You have to suffer what we suffered," they said, gloating over his misfortune.

"This is torture."

Xu Ming exhaled weakly.

Thankfully, the social events didn't last forever.

After a week, they finally ended.

A Few Days Later

"Xu Ming, you've worked hard lately," the Third Hokage said with concern.

"But don't worry. This only happens during the holidays and New Year—just two or three times a year."

"What? Two or three times a year!?" Xu Ming paled in shock.

"Hmm? You think that's a lot?" The Third Hokage looked puzzled.

"Isn't it!?" Xu Ming stared at him, exasperated.

"Hahaha, you'll get used to it after a few more times. If it's too much, you can do what Jiraiya does—show up for a bit, then sneak away." The Third Hokage laughed, patting him on the shoulder.

Xu Ming's eyes lit up.

"Sneaking away... That's an option?"

If all he had to do was show his face, then that was manageable.

"Oh, that reminds me," the Third Hokage said, turning to point at a specific location. "You know where my personal library is, right? I've already given you permission to browse freely. If there's any jutsu you want to learn, just let me know—I'll teach you."

Xu Ming followed his gaze and nodded.

That was the Third Hokage's private collection—housing knowledge from the Sarutobi, Senju, and Konoha archives. Its worth was comparable to the resources of a small hidden village!

"You have a much greater talent for ninjutsu than I do, so I won't interfere," the Third Hokage continued.

"If you have any doubts or questions, ask me anytime. Otherwise, I'll let you study at your own pace."

"Understood," Xu Ming replied immediately.

Self-study with minimal supervision.

Now that was a teaching style he could get behind.