Sora really wanted to refuse Sarutobi Hiruzen. He only wanted to develop quietly and discreetly, and did not want to join the Anbu.
But the one speaking before him was the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the very top of Konoha's power pyramid.
Sora had no choice but to say firmly, "I am willing to serve the village!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen laughed heartily, "Good! You truly are a worthy inheritor of the Will of Fire!"
He stood up, walked over to Sora, and patted his shoulder, "Do you remember what I said at the Ninja Academy? Where the leaves dance, the fire burns bright. Your efforts will become the flame that illuminates Konoha's future."
Sora nodded emphatically, "Of course I remember. I will definitely live up to the Hokage's expectations!"
...
After leaving the Hokage Building.
Walking back, Sora silently calculated the information Sarutobi Hiruzen had just given him.
First, his body possesses the constitution of the Uzumaki clan.
Second, after graduation, he can be directly promoted to Chunin, but afterward, he must enter the Anbu!
Third, for now, the Azure Dragon Fruit does not seem to be exposed. Furthermore, due to his Uzumaki clan bloodline, he can appropriately display his physical strength later.
The first point is definitely a good thing. The Uzumaki clan possesses extremely strong vitality and recovery power, as well as enormous chakra reserves.
"But why is my body's chakra amount so low? Could there be a problem with my mind?"
Chakra is a mixture of physical energy and spiritual energy. If Sora has the bloodline of the Uzumaki clan, his physical energy is certainly not the problem. Then the problem must lie with his spirit.
"..."
"Others who transmigrate get enhanced souls. How come I ended up with a problem!"
"Looks like I really have to stick to the path of pure taijutsu all the way!"
Sora was extremely speechless but had no solution for this.
Shaking his head to clear the chaotic thoughts, Sora began to consider the second piece of information.
Although joining the Anbu conflicted with Sora's training plans, entering the Anbu also had quite a few benefits.
First was resources. Anbu members could access Konoha's most core training methods. Whether it was taijutsu secret manuals, ninjutsu scrolls, or special techniques for chakra refining, as long as one had sufficient ability and made contributions, they could obtain them with priority.
Second was the speed of growth. Anbu missions spanned all nations, directly confronting the most brutal battlefields and the most troublesome enemies. Rogue ninja, spies, even elite ninja from other hidden villages. Being honed on the edge of life and death, the increase in strength was often several times faster than in ordinary units.
More crucially was authority. Although Sora knew the major events from the original story like the back of his hand, the countless minute events constituting this world were like hidden in a fog. He could only rely on his adaptability and feel his way forward. But the Anbu directly took orders from the Hokage and could access the village's most core secrets. Those intelligence reports never made public, from the minor movements of a certain clan to the secret actions of a neighboring hidden village, all could be known.
If this first-hand intelligence was cross-referenced with the plot he knew from memory, he could act with more certainty and less passivity when dealing with future crises or making plans.
As for the third point, the existence of the Azure Dragon Fruit, it seemed Sarutobi Hiruzen attributed Sora's extraordinary physical qualities entirely to his Uzumaki clan bloodline.
"As long as I don't display the dragon transformation form, just relying on the enhanced human form should be fine."
But Sora still had a question in his heart, "Why did Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly investigate my file?"
Sora pondered to himself. He had never overly displayed the power of the Azure Dragon Fruit, always presenting himself as the persona of a 'hardworking taijutsu genius.' Even beating an Uchiha could somewhat be explained within this setting. Logically, an orphan from outside the village shouldn't have attracted the Hokage's special attention.
Thinking it over, the problem might lie with his training volume. Ever since eating the Azure Dragon Fruit, he had always held back, never training to his body's limit. Even developing the fruit's abilities was done secretly in his room at night. Perhaps, what he saw as 'restraint' still appeared extraordinary to others. And all this was covered by the reputation of the Uzumaki bloodline.
Sora clenched his fist, looking down at his own body.
"No wonder Might Duy always says I'm a genius. I always thought it was because of the Azure Dragon Fruit. It seems this Uzumaki constitution is also a big reason."
"Good thing the Uzumaki bloodline serves as a cover, otherwise it would have been exposed long ago."
But soon he shook his head, "No, that's too one-sided. Without the Uzumaki constitution, my training intensity would be stuck at the limit of an ordinary person. Sarutobi Hiruzen might not have noticed me, so naturally there would be no risk of exposure. But precisely because of the Uzumaki bloodline, even if he finds my talent astonishing, he would logically attribute it to the clan's characteristics."
In the end, the Uzumaki bloodline brought both success and potential failure. This is an unavoidable inevitability.
Fortunately, the result was good. The Azure Dragon Fruit was not exposed.
Walking on the road, Sora silently pondered the information he had just received. Before long, he had returned to the orphanage, right at lunchtime.
Thinking of lunch, Sora showed a slightly awkward expression. Although Nonō had asked him to look after the other children when she left, most of the time it was Miyamoto Ichirō and Uesugi Rin who took care of them. Sora was basically in the role of a hands-off manager, spending every day either exercising or training in the Eight Inner Gates.
"Just two weeks, and I can already open the Second Gate: Rest Gate. That's a pretty good speed."
Recalling from the original story that Rock Lee started training in the Eight Inner Gates at age 12, opened the Fifth Gate at 13, and by the Fourth Great Ninja War at 17, had fully mastered the Sixth Gate.
Sora compared privately. His speed of opening one gate in two weeks was extremely fast. With the recovery ability of the Azure Dragon Fruit, the Eighth Gate: Gate of Death was within reach!
...
In the blink of an eye, it was evening.
Sora ended his afternoon routine training early and returned to the orphanage.
At this moment, Sora was doing push-ups in the yard, his eyes glancing toward the gate from time to time.
"Sora!" Yumi suddenly rushed out of the house, shouting excitedly, "Sister Nonō is back!"
Sora stood up abruptly and indeed saw Nonō pushing open the courtyard gate, her face wearing the familiar gentle smile.
"I'm back," Nonō said softly.
Sora looked her up and down. Her clothes were tidy, with no bloodstains. Her walking posture was also natural. She didn't seem injured.
"Sister!" Yumi and Ayumi rushed over and hugged Nonō's legs.
"Good girls, did you miss me?" Nonō crouched down and rubbed the two little girls' heads.
"Yes! Brother Sora's cooking is terrible!" Yumi pouted, lodging a complaint.
"Hey!" Sora was speechless.
Nonō chuckled softly, looking up at Sora, "Thank you for your hard work, taking care of everyone."
Sora shook his head, "It's nothing. Ichirō and Rin did more."
Nonō stood up, picking up a small package, "I brought some gifts back. I'll distribute them to everyone tonight."
Sora noticed her fingers were trembling slightly. Although the movement was very faint, he still detected it.
Indeed, the mission wasn't that simple...