Chapter 352: Ch.352 Disciple Controversy
The previous combat trial at the Shinobi Academy had not only showcased Kurama Yakumo's overwhelming strength but also revealed the overall excellence of this batch of students.
The talented youths from the other villages were completely helpless when facing the Academy's "Four Great Talents" and Kurama Yakumo, who possessed 'Wood Release'.
Even the rest of the Academy students performed admirably and were deserving of praise.
The more outstanding the students, the more they deserved nurturing. Thus, Kakashi had proposed to the Third Hokage that the jōnin be allowed to select exceptional students from the Academy as disciples.
This tradition had long been part of the Hidden Leaf's heritage.
Back in the day, the Third Hokage had personally selected Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru this way.Jiraiya had done the same for the Fourth Hokage.And the Fourth Hokage had chosen Kakashi, Obito, and Nohara Rin in the same manner.
In fact, the succession of Hokage and their disciples was deeply intertwined with selecting promising candidates from the Academy — a tradition passed down for generations.
If a shinobi from the Hidden Leaf didn't manage to enter this system — didn't become the disciple of someone within the Hokage lineage — then politically, they would have no real eligibility to become Hokage.
No matter how high their reputation or how strong their power, it would be extremely difficult to ascend through official channels.
On the other hand—
Those who did enter the Hokage disciple system — like Naruto being Jiraiya's student, Yakumo under Tsunade, or Sasuke training under Kakashi — were automatically considered qualified candidates for Hokage.