Gento fell into deep thought.
Even the figures of Itachi and Shisui flashed through his mind.
Of these two, one was the top genius of the Uchiha, while the other was his most trusted Anbu commander.
In the end, he shook his head, throwing this absurd thought aside.
Itachi only had the clan and his younger brother in his eyes, and Shisui's loyalty was unquestionable.
If it wasn't them, who could it be?
Ultimately, he raised his head and said to Mabui:
"Use the Heavenly Transfer Jutsu immediately to inform the Leaf and the Mist about this, and have their Anbu help investigate where this information was leaked from."
Mabui's heart stirred.
She knew that Gento was already beginning to distrust the Uchiha Anbu.
At least, not completely.
Although the intelligence system of the Hidden Gento Village was highly efficient, it was entirely composed of Uchiha clansmen.
If the traitor was among them, letting the Anbu investigate themselves would be no different from asking a thief to catch a thief.
By leveraging the external forces of the Leaf and the Mist, they might find a breakthrough faster.
She dared not to delay, taking out two blank scrolls and using special chakra ink to write down the details of the situation.
The intelligence on the Two-Tails, Three-Tails, and Nine-Tails had been leaked, a high-level traitor was suspected within the clan, and assistance was requested to trace the source of the leak.
After finishing, she formed hand seals and activated the Hidden Cloud Village's secret Heavenly Transfer Jutsu.
The scrolls were enveloped in blue chakra light and vanished instantly.
"The scrolls have been delivered to Tsunade and Mei."
"But to thoroughly investigate this matter, it will likely take some time."
Gento nodded.
Looking at his worried expression, Mabui took the initiative to change the subject:
"Sir, the Leaf shinobi have been waiting for several days."
"They have come from so far away, it is time to make arrangements for them."
Gento raised his head, the gloom in his eyes dissipating a bit.
Finding the traitor within the Uchiha indeed required time. Before that, he should handle the matter of taking disciples first.
"You're right. Go ahead and notify them, and then you'll come with me to meet them."
...
An hour later.
Gento walked out of the palace with Mabui, crossing the bustling streets of Cerulean Harbor and heading toward the Hidden Gento Village Ninja Academy.
Along the way, the Uchiha shinobi bowed one after another upon seeing him, while the citizens cast reverent and worshipful gazes.
Gento walked past expressionlessly, though his mind was plotting the next steps.
On the training ground of the Ninja Academy, the two hundred Leaf Genin had already lined up.
The four Jonin stood at the very front of the procession, each with different expressions.
Kakashi was still leaning against the wall, holding Make-Out Paradise.
Guy was on the ground, continuously doing push-ups.
Asuma stood at the end of the procession with a cigarette in his mouth, his eyes somewhat hollow, lost in thought.
Yugao stood on the other side of the procession, her posture upright and her face expressionless.
The Genin had clearly been waiting for some time.
Some were whispering to each other, others were secretly sizing up their surroundings, and some were talking in low voices about the legendary figure they were about to meet.
"I heard Gento is coming in person?"
"That's the man who defeated the Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki!"
"Not only is he a powerful fighter, but he is also the Feudal Lord of the Land of Hot Water… the ruler of a country, coming to meet us in person!"
"Stop talking, he's here, he's here!"
Gento's figure walked over from the entrance of the training ground.
He wore simple, dark, everyday clothes, with the Lust Gourd hanging from his waist, his steps leisurely and composed.
Mabui followed behind him, her dark professional attire highlighting her curvaceous figure.
The whispers on the training ground abruptly ceased.
Gento walked to the front of the procession, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone.
In the eyes of the two hundred Leaf Genin, there was both curiosity and reverence.
His gaze swept across the crowd of Genin.
Right after, system prompts began to ring in his mind one after another:
[Ding! Suitable Dual Cultivation kunoichi detected.]
[Name: Tenten]
[Strength: Genin]
[Overall Evaluation: A-rank]
[Name: Hinata Hyuga
[Kekkei Genkai: Byakugan]
[Strength: Genin]
[Overall Evaluation: S-rank]
[Name: Ino Yamanaka]
[Secret Technique: Yamanaka Clan's Mind Secret Jutsu]
[Strength: Genin]
[Overall Evaluation: A-rank]
[Name: Sakura Haruno]
[Strength: Genin]
[Overall Evaluation: S-rank]
Gento understood in his heart.
Hinata and Sakura were both S-rank.
It seemed that the prominence of their roles in the original story significantly influenced the system's evaluation.
Hinata possessed the Byakugan Kekkei Genkai, while Sakura had the potential of Tsunade; both were excellent prospects.
Although Ino and Tenten were only A-rank, it would be foolish to turn them away.
He had always been one to never turn anyone away.
Of course, for now, he still had to wait a few years for them to grow.
Gento pulled back his thoughts and began to introduce himself:
"I am Gento Uchiha."
"Welcome to the Hidden Gento Village."
Pausing, his tone became increasingly easygoing:
"To tell the truth, I also came from the Leaf. The Uchiha spent many years in the Leaf."
"Furthermore, your Hokage, Tsunade, and I frequently engage in deep cooperation."
"So there's no need to be formal. Just treat the Hidden Gento Village as your own home."
The Genin's expressions relaxed slightly, and some began to whisper among themselves.
Gento changed the subject:
"To express the Hidden Gento Village's valuation of this cooperation, I have decided to personally take on three Leaf Genin as my disciples."
The Genins' eyes widened one after another, even wondering if they had misheard.
"What? He wants to take disciples?"
"Are you kidding? How could someone of his level take Genin as disciples?"
"Did... did I hear that right?"
Following the shock was pure ecstasy.
The eyes of the two hundred Genin turned incredibly eager.
Almost everyone perked up, trying to stand out in the crowd and attract Gento's attention.
That was Gento Uchiha!
Becoming his disciple was equivalent to taking a single step to heaven!
Even the four Jonin revealed surprised expressions.
Such a matter was not within the scope of the cooperation agreed upon by both sides.
Tsunade had not mentioned this before coming either.
Yet none of the four spoke up to object.
It was certain that Gento's decision was beneficial to the Leaf.
This action would not only cultivate a stronger new generation of shinobi but also promote deeper cooperation between the two villages.
They were more than happy to see it happen.
Gento's gaze swept over the crowd in a seemingly casual manner.
In the end, his finger pointed toward Hinata Hyuga, Ino Yamanaka, and Sakura Haruno:
"The three of you, step forward."
Among the crowd, the three girls froze at the same time.
Hinata's face turned all red.
Lowering her head, her hands wringing her collar, she shuffled out of the procession step by step, as if measuring the ground with each stride.
Her pale eyes avoided the gazes of her surrounding peers, so nervous she felt as if she might pass out.
Today, she wore an off-white training uniform, her long hair draped over her shoulders, her figure small yet already showing the nascent curves of a young woman.
Ino's reaction was quite different.
She was startled at first, but then the corners of her lips curled upward into a confident smile.
She walked out of the procession with complete confidence.
Sakura was the last to walk out.
She pointed at her own nose, her lips parting as if to confirm, "Is it really me?"
It wasn't until Ino frowned, turned back, and tugged at her sleeve that she snapped out of it and stepped forward quickly.
Her figure was well-proportioned, and while she lacked Ino's showiness and Hinata's shyness, she possessed the pure innocence of a girl next door.
The three girls stood side by side at the front of the procession, each possessing her own unique charm, so beautiful that one could not look away.
Gento's gaze swept over the remaining Genin who were not selected.
Their faces were filled with disappointment and reluctance.
Some pouted, some sighed, and others secretly cast resentful glares at the three "lucky ones."
Gento smiled and offered words of comfort:
"Those who weren't chosen don't need to lose heart. The Hidden Gento Village will arrange Uchiha shinobi to serve as your instructors, each of whom is an experienced and powerful Jonin."
"As long as you are willing to work hard, the future is equally promising."
Only then did the Genin's expressions soften.
Gento turned to Mabui once more:
"Arrange the instructors for the remaining Genin according to their respective circumstances as soon as possible."
Mabui nodded:
"Yes."
Gento looked back at the three girls still standing at the front of the procession:
"From today on, the three of you are my disciples."
"Follow me. We will go to my palace first to get to know each other."
Hinata lowered her head, her face flushing even deeper.
The smile at the corner of Ino's lips widened, her face brimming with a smug expression.
Sakura took a deep breath, as if trying to calm herself down.
All three walked toward Gento.
[Ding! Suitable disciples successfully taken, triggering Main Quest.]
[Main Quest: Nurturing Feelings]
⟩ The establishment of a teacher-disciple relationship is merely a beginning; true trust must be nurtured through shared experiences.
› The host is requested to execute a memorable mission together with the three disciples.
› The difficulty, completion rate, and emotional connection established during the mission will directly impact the final evaluation of the quest.
› During the quest, the host needs to gain a deep understanding of the disciples' personalities, talents, and weaknesses, and let them understand the host's teaching style and way of conduct.
› A successful mission can significantly increase the trust between teacher and disciples, laying a solid foundation for subsequent instruction.
› Reward: Draw Chance ×1
Looking at this system quest, Gento felt somewhat amused and helpless.
With his current strength, he actually had to take these three Genin to grind missions and nurture feelings.
Originally, he had only planned to teach some ninjutsu in the village, offer some guidance on chakra control, and casually get by with the title of teacher and disciples.
He hadn't expected the system to remain unsatisfied, insisting that he lead a team on a mission in person.
However, the quest reward was a single draw chance.
This meant an SSS-rank reward.
Of course, he would not refuse.
---
If you want to support, please consider Patreon and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going! [Patreon.com/RedZTL]