Sign in From Naruto

Just as Xu Fan had anticipated, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, arrived at the Senju clan's compound the next day.

The Cloud Ninja Village's leader had targeted the Hyūga clan's Byakugan, so they naturally wouldn't harm Hinata. According to Xu Fan's calculations, Hinata would have woken up by last night at the earliest, or this morning at the latest.

The name "Senju," combined with the description of a teenager, left no doubt about Xu Fan's identity.

Even if Hiruzen hadn't come personally, he would have sent someone.

"Hokage-sama," Xu Fan greeted as he strolled back and forth at the entrance of the compound. He had been waiting for this moment.

"Senju Xu," Hiruzen smiled and nodded.

As the Third Hokage, Hiruzen made it a point to memorize the names and chakra levels of the younger generation in the village, especially the descendants of the Senju clan.

"I've been able to refine chakra," Xu Fan said, getting straight to the point. "I want to enroll in the ninja academy."

Five years ago, Xu Fan had expressed this intention but was rejected due to his weak body and insufficient chakra.

Hiruzen's heart tightened.

Could it really be Xu Fan who had defeated the Cloud ninja yesterday?

No... that couldn't be possible.

The Cloud Ninja Village had sent an elite jōnin, and Hiruzen himself had seen the aftermath of the battle. The level of destruction was something even the village's top jōnin couldn't achieve.

A mere thirteen-year-old child?

Hiruzen's gaze sharpened slightly as he recalled the legends surrounding the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju—the man hailed as the God of Shinobi.

Could Xu Fan have awakened Hashirama's unique Kekkei Genkai at such a young age?

Before deciding to visit the Senju compound, Hiruzen had asked Kakashi of the Anbu to retrieve a photo of Xu Fan and confirm his identity with Hinata.

Hinata had indeed identified Xu Fan as her savior.

However, she had no memory of Xu Fan battling the Cloud ninja. This left room for doubt—was there someone else present at the time?

"Xu, you've grown so strong. Can you show Grandpa Hokage what you can do?" Hiruzen asked with a kind smile.

If Xu Fan had truly awakened the First Hokage's Kekkei Genkai, it would be no small matter.

"Of course," Xu Fan replied with a smile.

However, Xu Fan had no intention of revealing his full strength. His goal was simply to enroll in the ninja academy and eventually rise through the ranks of Konoha—perhaps even become Hokage. He wasn't here to show off.

He decided to display only ten percent of his chakra. Even among his peers, this amount should be impressive.

Hiruzen watched carefully, his curiosity masking a deeper purpose—he was testing Xu Fan's chakra.

But what he saw left him stunned.

The Xu Fan before him was a completely different person from the weak boy he had once known.

In less than a breath, Xu Fan spread his chakra evenly throughout his body, causing it to overflow and form a faint chakra coat around him.

This level of chakra control was something Hiruzen had only seen in jinchūriki.

For a moment, Hiruzen was frozen in place.

Even at a conservative estimate, Xu Fan's chakra reserves were over a hundred times greater than Kakashi's.

"Only thirteen years old, and already with such immense chakra..." Hiruzen murmured inwardly.

This was just the beginning. If Xu Fan reached his peak, how powerful would he become?

This boy... was he a monster?

No, not a jinchūriki. This boy... was inheriting the legacy of the First Hokage.

That's right!

The Senju clan, whose strength and numbers had been dwindling, had finally produced a genius!

"Phew..."

Xu Fan exhaled deeply and stopped. "Unfortunately, this is my limit for now."

"Your limit?" Hiruzen repeated, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Xu Fan had truly changed. Just this level of chakra alone was enough to surpass many so-called genius ninjas.

And yet... he seemed unaware of it!

Of course, Hiruzen couldn't have known that the "limit" Xu Fan referred to was far beyond what he imagined.

"If I go further, I might form a visible chakra coat. But for enrollment purposes, there's no need to go that far yet," Xu Fan said, shaking his head.

Even he hadn't expected to simulate the chakra coat typically seen only in jinchūriki. It was a testament to how overwhelming his chakra reserves were.

With enough chakra, one could truly do anything.

"Grandpa Hokage, can I enroll in the ninja academy?" Xu Fan asked with a smile.

"Of course," Hiruzen replied, gently patting Xu Fan's head.

Although the academy's enrollment period had just ended, making an exception wouldn't disrupt the curriculum.

More importantly, Hiruzen was filled with anticipation for Xu Fan's growth.

No matter what, Hiruzen's age was catching up to him. He needed a successor who could inherit the Will of Fire.

"When the time is right, I'll strip Danzō of his advisor position and disband his Root division," Hiruzen thought.

He had considered this for a long time, but Xu Fan's emergence had solidified his resolve.

Meanwhile, in the Root division, Danzō received a report from one of his operatives.

"Senju Xu?" Danzō repeated the name, his grip tightening unconsciously and crushing the teacup in his hand.

"Are you certain?" Danzō asked, his expression calm but his mind racing.

According to all the clues, it was highly likely that Xu Fan was the one who had killed the Cloud ninja and caused the destruction at the border forest.

"Absolutely certain," the Root operative replied, kneeling on the ground. As a sensory ninja, he couldn't have misjudged.

The amount of chakra that teenager possessed was greater than anyone he had ever encountered.

"I see," Danzō said, his fists clenched.

It was one thing to possess immense chakra, but if Xu Fan could also use Wood Release...

"You may go," Danzō said expressionlessly, though his mind was already calculating his next move.