After the first diagnostic test, the school curriculum suddenly became much heavier.
The age of five or six is a crucial time for building foundations. While the proportion of cultural subjects was appropriately reduced, simple courses like addition were self-explanatory, and most commoners' children could manage to read and write.
At this point, the teacher distributed a Chakra extraction manual, requiring students to study it at home.
To give students a more intuitive understanding of Chakra, the emphasis on basic physical training increased significantly.
Basically, they exercised all morning, studied cultural subjects, and then continued exercising until school was dismissed.
The cultural subjects were numerous and varied: Chinese language, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and politics. Most of the daily cultural lessons focused on Chinese language and politics.
The main goal was to learn and understand that thing called the fire will.
It consisted of some nascent, still rough, grand, and empty ideological content.
It wasn't a practical capitalism or socialism, but an extremely naive and idealistic devotion.
Complete selflessness and devotion with no personal benefit is anti-human.
Therefore, this was Hiruzen's political agenda, a beautiful-looking but empty promise; anyone who believed it was foolish.
And Shinobi are not foolish at all.
Especially the Shinobi Clans who emerged from the Warring States Period.
Currently, there is a clear division between the Village and the Shinobi Clans. The new generation of Shinobi raised in the Village has not yet matured, and as the Sandaime, he is constrained by the Shinobi Clans at every turn.
Even though he is in his prime, he is at his wit's end.
The most troublesome Shinobi Clans are the Uchiha, followed by the Senju, and then the Hyuga.
These are Konoha's Three Great Clans.
As for the smaller Shinobi Clans below them, the Ino–Shika–Chō are the Sarutobi Clan's long-standing allies.
The others are not to be underestimated.
Among them, the Kurama Clan is almost on par with the Uchiha; as a large Clan, its very size is a problem.
Then there's the Shimura Clan, which has gradually gained influence due to his childhood friend Danzo.
There's the Inuzuka Clan, which is fiercely wolf-like, tightly knit, and exclusive.
And finally, the Aburame Clan, which seems to have little presence, fully embodies Shinobi secrecy, and is extremely exclusive and mysterious.
As the Sandaime, he must resolve these Clan issues. In the long run, Konoha will no longer be Konoha; it will either fall apart or become a Clan masquerading as Konoha.
The Second Hokage, with his foresight, had already left a viable path: the Konoha Ninja Academy, to support the commoner Shinobi population against the Shinobi Clans.
However, the effectiveness of this approach still requires time to mature.
The Ninja Academy was founded in Konoha Year 8. It has been eight years since then. Excluding his peers who were disciples of the Second Hokage, the most outstanding students from the first graduating class are only Chunin.
They have no say in the Village whatsoever.
The current strategy is mainly to win over some and suppress others.
At the same time, as the Sandaime, he also needs to cultivate a successor to inherit the position of Fourth Hokage.
As the strong supporters of Hiruzen's ascension, Princess Tsunade must be the Sandaime's disciple.
This is the unyielding will of the Senju Clan.
Since these Shinobi Clans cannot be trusted, the remaining disciples must be chosen from commoners.
If he chose from other Shinobi Clans, the Senju would never agree, to prevent any unforeseen obstacles to Tsunade's path to power.
Therefore, the Hyuga and Uchiha are excluded.
Similarly, the Kurama Clan won't do; she is no weaker than the Uchiha.
The Shimura Clan is even less acceptable; Danzo cannot be allowed to continue growing.
The Inuzuka Clan has a fierce temperament and is not very likable.
Their inherited Ninjutsu is excellent, but not exceptionally excellent.
A Shinobi's talent has its limits.
Although this Clan would not provoke the Senju's animosity.
As for the Aburame Clan, this very inconspicuous Clan is isolated from the Village. The Third Hokage finds it difficult to ascertain this Clan's true intentions, vaguely feeling that they are merely observers in Konoha.
It's more accurate to say that the Aburame, with little connection to the Village, are more like tenants, maintaining an attitude of non-involvement in the Village's internal affairs.
It's a bit difficult to easily pull them onto the bandwagon and make them take sides.
And because they are a small, secretive Clan with few members, do not intermarry with other Clans, and rely on secret techniques to control insects, they are very unpopular.
Therefore, it is difficult for them to grow large enough to incur the Senju's animosity.
So, taking a genius from such a Clan as a disciple should not be a problem.
He is the Third Hokage after all; completely catering to the Senju would be too demeaning.
Even if the Senju misunderstand that he is trying to win over other Shinobi Clans, it doesn't matter; currently, they must rely on him to stabilize the Village's situation.
With a cigarette holder in his mouth, Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the little girl's figure in the crystal ball.
He had been observing this child for a week.
He hadn't seen the child make any special moves; there was no extra training whatsoever. After school, she headed straight for the Death Forest, a forbidden area that was very dangerous for these Shinobi students.
For many Chunin, the Death Forest is equally dangerous.
Yet, this child walked through it with the relaxed demeanor of strolling through her own garden.
This surprised the Third Hokage and made him appreciate her even more.
What made the Third Hokage even more suspicious was that this child was very likely the first Bloodline Limit user in the history of the Aburame Clan.
To what extent she could go, surpassing the historical Aburame Clan was foreseeable, but he didn't expect her to surpass the First Hokage's level.
As long as she could reach or even surpass his own level, it would be worth the effort he put in today.
And now, this child has indeed surpassed many, and her future is worth looking forward to.
However, the child's actions at the moment truly baffled the Third Hokage.
Why was she neglecting good training to come here and stare at insects? What did that mean?
After a week of not figuring it out, the Third Hokage decided to test her himself.
The gaze disappeared. The gaze that had been following her since the end of the exam left early today.
This was very unusual. Miki, who had endured for a week without going to her secret base to tinker with her little darlings, didn't mind enduring a bit longer.
Anyway, the experiment's progress hadn't stopped; it was just a bit more troublesome to operate, and the gene mutations that required her personal guidance couldn't be performed.
Not going home early was also a consideration that her mother might ask about the reason for her early return, potentially revealing some information.
While she was thinking about some experimental matters, a sudden whooshing sound came from behind Miki.
Without warning, a swarm of insects erupted, enveloping the Kunai behind Miki, forcing it to stop.
"Kid, your insects are truly terrifying."
As a Ninjutsu master, the Third Hokage was familiar with many Ninjutsu and secret techniques in Konoha and even the Ninja World.
The average Aburame Clan member needs to direct insects to attack and defend.
The insects themselves are unconscious.
This means that if there's an undetected sneak attack, the Aburame Clan would react too slowly and get injured.
The Third Hokage felt there was no way his stealth could be detected by a child.
Therefore, this was the insects' spontaneous act of protecting their master.
But this was only how it seemed. Insects do not automatically protect their master; essentially, Insects are biological machines that require instructions to activate their actions.
So, the truth was that Miki had detected his stealth.
This forest was filled with Miki's insects, which is why she could move around as freely as if she were strolling through a garden.
What was truly terrifying was never the insects, but Miki herself.
Hearing this, Miki turned to look at the newcomer.
He was dressed in Anbu attire, wearing a forehead protector from another Village.
She tilted her head in confusion.
"Are you an idiot?"
"Huh?" The unexpected question made the Third Hokage look at Miki, awaiting her answer.
"Someone from another Village like you couldn't possibly infiltrate Konoha to this extent," Miki said, crossing her arms. "You're one of Tsunade's Clan members sent for revenge, aren't you?"
Of course, this was impossible.
Miki knew that too.
A rather clever little one, though she guessed wrong, the Third Hokage thought.
"I am a spy lurking in Konoha!"
Miki sighed and said, "So what? Why would a spy wear a forehead protector and seek death?"
"Of course, it's to start a Shinobi World War!" the Third Hokage growled fanatically.
"But I'm not that valuable, idiot." With a helpless, indifferent tone, as if looking at an idiot, Miki said, "There's someone named Tsunade over there; you should go find her. She's Konoha's Princess."
The direction she pointed was his Clan's compound.
The Third Hokage's mouth twitched.
Is it a woman's talent to lie without batting an eye? How can she say it so naturally?
What was I doing at her age?
"It's a shame. Since you've seen my true face, I can't let you live."
Saying this, the Third Hokage pulled out a Kunai and looked at Miki.
Miki looked at the Third Hokage, showing no intention of moving.
"Why aren't you taking out a weapon?"
"I don't have one."
An unexpectedly simple answer.
The Third Hokage raised an eyebrow and growled, "Then die!"
He raised his hand and threw the Kunai.
The swarm of insects flew up. This time, Miki didn't even bother to form a single hand seal.
The result of their encounter was the same as before.
The Kunai remained suspended within the clustered swarm of insects.
The Third Hokage's eyelid twitched. The fact that she didn't form a hand seal, seeing it again, still made him incredibly alarmed.
What kind of monster is this!