Suzuki hadn't fully realized the absolute magnitude of what he had just done. But in front of the Third Hokage, he had just practically proven to the world that a ninja didn't need literal God Eyes—like the legendary Rinnegan—to master all the elements.
You just needed an advanced degree in physics.
Unfortunately, there were no universities offering PhDs in the hidden villages of the Naruto world. But fortunately for Suzuki, he had direct multiversal access to the mind of his Jujutsu Kaisen counterpart, who was actively studying to be a future doctor of physics.
Frankly, Suzuki knew his "Universal Source" theory had limitless potential. If he relied on the Manager to run the mental calculations, he could figure out the exact "recipes" required to mix different elements together. He could theoretically recreate artificial Kekkei Genkai—the unique, highly-guarded bloodline traits.
If you mix Fire and Earth chakra together, you get Lava.
If you mix Water and Wind, you get Ice.
If you mix Water and Lightning, you get Storm Release.
With the Universal Source theory, Suzuki reasoned that anyone could replicate those mythical bloodline elements, as long as they understood the exact scientific ratio and rhythm required to mix them!
When Suzuki casually explained this theoretical extension to Hiruzen, the Hokage nearly dropped his pipe in sheer excitement.
The two of them sat right there in the dirt of the training ground, completely ignoring their formal appearances as they eagerly discussed jutsu theory. They debated ratios, chakra frequencies, and the possibility of artificially creating new elements, completely losing track of time.
Hiruzen's previous students—Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru—had all been brilliant in their own right, but their paths were fundamentally different from his. Tsunade focused purely on biology and medicine. Jiraiya was driven by emotion, espionage, and sealing arts. Orochimaru was perhaps the only one whose intellect matched Hiruzen's, but Orochimaru's research was incredibly morbid, focusing on genetic manipulation and immortality.
Hiruzen had always just wanted to understand the absolute core foundation of chakra. He didn't want to study the branches of the tree; he wanted to study the seed itself and understand exactly how it grew into so many different elements.
In Suzuki, Hiruzen had finally found a mind that perfectly synchronized with his own.
However, while their academic debate was thrilling, Hiruzen was still the Hokage.
"Um, Hokage-sama... I deeply apologize for interrupting," a masked ANBU suddenly materialized a respectful distance away, "but the council and your staff are currently waiting for you at the administration office."
If the Hokage went missing for too long, the village's massive bureaucracy would grind to a halt.
"Oh, sweet kami..."
Hiruzen closed his eyes, an expression of profound, soul-crushing exhaustion washing over his aged face. He desperately wanted to cry. Having ultimate political power and authority was nice, but the endless, suffocating mountains of paperwork were sheer torture.
Hiruzen honestly couldn't remember the last time he had slept a full eight hours. He usually collapsed at his desk long after midnight, only to be woken up at dawn, leaving him chronically groggy. He silently suspected his sheer physical exhaustion was the primary reason he occasionally made terrible political decisions.
But he was used to the grind. He sighed heavily and looked down at his new apprentice. "I am sorry, Suzuki-kun. We will have to cut our first lesson short."
"Please don't apologize, Sensei," Suzuki said, immediately standing up and dusting himself off. "The village needs you to function. I have enough theoretical material to study on my own for now."
Hiruzen nodded, feeling a deep wave of relief. He knew Suzuki was incredibly smart and highly self-motivated. Out of all the prodigies Hiruzen had ever overseen, Suzuki was the only one he didn't have to constantly worry about. The boy's daily schedule consisted entirely of studying, working at his charcoal shop, training, and occasionally eating BBQ with his friends. There was absolutely no dark ambition or hidden malice.
"Very well. I will have the basic C-Rank scrolls for the remaining elements delivered to your home tonight," Hiruzen promised. "What do you plan to focus your training on today?"
"Thank you, Sensei. I plan to focus primarily on my natural affinities—Wind and Fire," Suzuki replied logically. While he could use all five elements by shifting his chakra's rhythm, it required intense mental calculation and focus. In a life-or-death battle, it was tactically smarter to rely on his native elements. "After that, I plan to head to the hospital. I want to expand my knowledge of medical ninjutsu. It would be a waste not to learn the biological applications of Yang chakra."
Medical ninjutsu...
Hiruzen mentally nodded, suddenly thinking of Tsunade. It might be incredibly beneficial to eventually put his new disciple in contact with her. But for now, he needed to give the boy the resources he requested.
"Cat," Hiruzen called out calmly.
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
An ANBU operative wearing a porcelain cat mask instantly materialized from the trees, dropping to one knee.
"Escort Suzuki to the central hospital. Inform the administration staff that he is my personal disciple and is granted full, unrestricted access to their medical archives and training facilities."
"Understood, Hokage-sama," the ANBU replied, bowing her head. She stood up and turned to the young boy. "Shall we depart, Suzuki-sama?"
"...Please do not call me that," Suzuki said, his face completely deadpan. "I am absolutely not qualified for that kind of title yet."
He was genuinely speechless. He had been a standard Genin ten minutes ago, and now elite ANBU assassins were attaching the highly respectful "-sama" suffix to his name.
"Just Suzuki is fine," he insisted.
The Cat ANBU didn't respond immediately. She glanced at the Hokage, who offered a small, approving nod.
"Very well. Please follow me, Suzuki," she said, her tone softening slightly.
"Study well today, Suzuki," Hiruzen smiled.
"I will, Sensei."
Suzuki bowed deeply to the Hokage before turning to follow his ANBU escort toward the village center.
Was he physically exhausted from fighting Mizuki all night? Yes, absolutely. But he had just been handed the keys to the kingdom. He now had unrestricted, VIP access to the hospital's entire medical library, classified techniques, and biological records. Why on earth would he go to sleep when there was a monopoly to build?
Time to learn everything, Suzuki thought, his corporate ambitions flaring.
As Suzuki disappeared into the trees, Hiruzen stood alone in the clearing, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He remembered that Suzuki had previously expressed interest in Sealing jutsu and Genjutsu. Combined with Hiashi Hyuga's aggressive demands from the previous night regarding his daughter's team placement, Hiruzen began mentally drafting the Genin squad rosters.
Forgive me, Hiruzen thought, mentally crossing out an original team member's name to make room for his new apprentice.
As they leaped effortlessly across the rooftops of Konoha, the Cat ANBU suddenly broke the silence.
"You were incredible back there, Suzuki."
Her voice was surprisingly soft and warm, muffled only slightly by the porcelain mask. It was obvious she was a young woman.
"Not really. I was just incredibly lucky to be accepted by Sensei," Suzuki replied smoothly, maintaining his humble persona. He knew his political status had skyrocketed, which was fantastic, but arrogance bred enemies. "Because he was kind enough to accept me, I just have to work twice as hard to prove I'm worth his time."
The Cat ANBU stared at him through the slits of her mask as they landed on a telephone pole. "If you ever need assistance, you can ask me. My understanding of chakra theory is nowhere near yours... but my swordsmanship is quite good."
"..."
Suzuki blinked in mild surprise. "Thank you. If I ever need to refine my close-quarters weapon techniques, I will absolutely ask for your help, um..."
"Neko. Just call me Neko, Suzuki-kun."
"Thank you, Neko-san," Suzuki nodded politely.
He wondered just how deadly her sword skills were if she was confident enough to offer training while serving on the Hokage's personal detail. He was also mildly curious about what she looked like under the mask, as her voice was quite pleasant.
No, focus, Suzuki mentally scolded himself. I am physically twelve years old. Leave the romance alone. I have a medical monopoly to establish.
With the ultimate political backing secured, it was time to devour all the knowledge Konoha had to offer.
---
Do any of you hate Hiruzen?
Well, it doesn't matter since Hiruzen is necessary for his growth, as among all the ninja in the world of Ninja, he is the greatest commoner ninja.
You might say that Tsunade, Jiraiya, or even Orochimaru, but all of them were trained by Hiruzen before.
Lastly, what do you think of the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique?
What do you think he can do with it except for just making a rain of shuriken?
Also, it seems everyone likes Arifureta, and frankly, I have thought of a perfect mundane profession for the fourth Suzuki, so please look forward to it.
As for those who expect Gotoubun, don't worry, I have thought of the good plots, too, but it might not be a harem, so look forward to it.