As he soaked in the Senju Clan's advanced secret medicine, Ning Feng finally understood—completely and thoroughly—
why the Senju Clan had been able to stand unshaken during the Warring States Era, even before Konoha was founded.
He had only just begun soaking, yet he could already clearly feel how much more vigorous his life force had become. If he were to fully absorb all the effects of the Senju Clan's advanced secret medicine, just how terrifying would that be!?
Thus, Ning Feng lay comfortably in the hot spring filled with the Senju Clan's secret medicine, allowing his body to absorb this precious potion without restraint.
Time passed quietly like this—how long, he didn't know.
When Ning Feng finally awoke, he discovered that his limbs were now smooth and lustrous, almost like fine jade, radiating a faint glow, as if they belonged to a newborn infant.
The sensation was indescribably wonderful.
Stepping out of the hot spring, Ning Feng decided to test his vitality recovery speed. He took out a kunai and lightly scraped it across his hand.
Sure enough, the wound left by the blade healed at an astonishing speed, closing up almost instantly.
During the healing process, Ning Feng even sensed a force distinct from the Sharingan—gentle and nourishing, like a spring breeze—strikingly similar to the feeling of Wood Release.
However, this sensation vanished in the blink of an eye before he could examine it more closely.
"Such exuberant vitality… wounds healing this fast. Not bad, not bad at all."
Ning Feng couldn't help but sigh in admiration, nodding slightly. In the original story, Senju Hashirama possessed this same terrifying regenerative ability.
Next, Ning Feng tested his chakra recovery speed.
As expected, just as the secret medicine's description stated, his chakra regeneration had increased dramatically.
After consuming chakra, he could clearly feel it surging back at a frantic pace, almost as if it were endless.
After finishing with the Senju Clan's medicine, Ning Feng didn't hesitate and immediately used the other advanced secret medicines he had purchased as well.
Their effects were similar in nature, and once all the medicines had taken effect, Ning Feng could clearly feel his overall abilities rise by a significant margin.
Most notably, after using the A Clan's advanced secret medicine, his attack speed and movement speed increased to unprecedented levels.
But more shocking than that—
his entire body's cells began to activate.
His metabolism accelerated dramatically, and faintly, a thin layer of chakra armor even seemed to form over the surface of his skin.
"So this is the cellular activation effect before fully entering Lightning Chakra Mode…?"
Ning Feng carefully felt the changes.
For the rest of the time, he immersed himself completely in experiencing the effects of the advanced secret medicines, carefully sensing the massive transformation of his body.
Unknowingly, a full day passed.
Early the next morning, Ning Feng received a message from ANBU squad leader Kakashi, instructing him to report to ANBU headquarters.
Since he had already been there once before, this time Ning Feng was completely familiar with the route. He quickly arrived at the ANBU base.
Inside the office, the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, sat quietly behind his desk, calmly waiting for everyone to arrive.
Bang!
With the sound of the door opening, the moment Ning Feng stepped into the ANBU office, nearly every gaze in the room snapped toward him.
Those eyes were filled with shock, envy, jealousy—every emotion imaginable.
Although the Rain Village infiltration had been a secret mission, Ning Feng's presence as a five-year-old participant had inevitably drawn attention from other ANBU members.
And when those members vaguely learned that this seemingly "tagalong" child had actually led the latter half of the mission—
their shock was indescribable.
If they knew that even Hanzō the Salamander, a top Rain Village powerhouse, had been killed by Ning Feng, they would probably be frozen on the spot, unable to utter a single word.
"Alright," Minato said calmly from behind the desk.
"All ANBU assignments have been issued. You may proceed with your missions."
"Number 7, you and your squad stay. Everyone else, leave."
As he spoke, Minato cast a deep glance at Ning Feng—the youngest by far in the room.
The moment his words fell, aside from Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi, all other ANBU members vanished without a trace, as if they had never existed.
"Number 7," Minato continued, lifting a classified report,
"I've read the report you submitted. The mission was completed extremely well."
"However, in your report you stated that during the latter half of the operation, Number 9 acted as the squad leader. Is that correct?"
Minato looked at Ning Feng once more.
The moment he received the report, Minato had actually suspected Kakashi had made a mistake—so he wanted to confirm it personally.
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Kakashi replied immediately.
"If not for Number 9, we likely wouldn't have been able to complete the mission so safely."
As he spoke, Kakashi recounted the entire Rain Village infiltration in detail.
At first, Minato remained composed, but as Kakashi continued, the shock in Minato's eyes grew heavier and heavier.
Especially when he heard that Ning Feng's sensory ability surpassed that of many sensory-type ninja—
that shock deepened even further.
Yet just when Minato thought he had already heard the most unbelievable part, Kakashi went on to explain how Ning Feng had discovered Danzō's secret collusion with Orochimaru.
Minato fell into a long silence.
But it wasn't because Danzō and Orochimaru were difficult to deal with—
it was because he never imagined that a five-year-old child could display such terrifying potential.
He had originally intended to send Ning Feng out merely for tempering and experience.
He never expected… this.
"So as the squad leader," Kakashi said seriously,
"I hope Hokage-sama can reward Number 9 with more resources and focus on cultivating him."
"I believe that given time, Number 9 will surpass me and become your most powerful right-hand man!"
Even Kakashi didn't know why, but he simply felt compelled to see Konoha invest everything into cultivating Ning Feng, unwilling to see such talent go to waste.
Minato was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked:
"Number 9, if I remember correctly, you haven't even attended the Ninja Academy yet. You've never been assigned to a class, and you still don't have a mentor—am I right?"
"I've also seen that you can use the Flying Thunder God Technique. You're clearly a prodigy in space–time ninjutsu."
"How about this—would you like me to be your teacher?"
The moment those words were spoken—
Not only did Kakashi freeze in place, but Uchiha Itachi did as well.
Because everyone knew exactly what that meant.
For the Hokage himself to take someone as a disciple—
That significance was extraordinary.
It was almost the same as being tacitly designated as the next Hokage.
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