He had never learned the Eight Trigrams Palms, yet he had voluntarily conceded when challenged by Kakashi.
And you called a child like that a genius?
"He hadn't learned the Eight Trigrams Palms, but after I acknowledged him, I tried teaching him Genjutsu. To my surprise, he had an extraordinary talent for it. He could learn C-rank and D-rank Genjutsu after only a few attempts. He could not cast B-rank Genjutsu only because he lacked sufficient Chakra, but I believe that once he was older, even B-rank and A-rank Genjutsu would not be a problem!" Yūhi Shinku said.
He had still played down Hyuga Ningyuan's talent. Rather than saying he mastered it as soon as he was taught, he said it took him several tries.
Even that was already incredibly talented. Wasn't Yūhi Kurenai unable to learn it no matter what?
In short, I don't know whether he was a genius at the Eight Trigrams Palms, but when it came to Genjutsu, he truly was a genius!
"Such a thing?" Hiruzen Sarutobi was genuinely astonished. He had not expected a child from the Hyuga Clan to possess such talent.
Was he an exception? Or did everyone in the Hyuga Clan have a talent for Genjutsu?
If it was the former, that would be easy enough to deal with. Konoha would merely have one more genius. But if it was the latter...
The Uchiha Clan alone was troublesome enough. If the Hyuga Clan also turned out to excel at Genjutsu...
"Yes!" Yūhi Shinku nodded. "He has the potential to inherit all of my Genjutsu. With his intelligence, he may even surpass me in the future and become an Elite Jonin specializing in Genjutsu!"
"Mhm." Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. If Hyuga Ningyuan truly was as talented as Yūhi Shinku claimed, then it really was possible.
Moreover, the Hyuga Clan did not share the weakness of Genjutsu Ninja, who would be helpless once enemies got close. The Hyuga Clan excelled at Taijutsu as well!
Genjutsu at range, Gentle Fist in close combat—this Hyuga Ningyuan might one day become a powerful Elite Jonin without any weaknesses!
"So, you came to recommend this fine son-in-law of yours to me?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked. "I can grant him access to some of the village's Genjutsu. As for a teacher, you can guide him for now. After all, aside from you, the only people in the village proficient in Genjutsu are the Uchiha!"
They could hardly have the Uchiha Clan teach him, especially when he was a Hyuga.
The Yūhi Clan was a staunch supporter of the Sarutobi Clan. Since Yūhi Shinku had rarely come to ask him for help, he had to show some consideration.
"That's not it!" Yūhi Shinku said. "Here's the matter: Hyuga Ningyuan wishes to learn Medical Ninjutsu, so I ask for your support. Could you arrange for him to study at Konoha Hospital?"
"He has talent for Genjutsu, so why does he want to learn Medical Ninjutsu as well?" Hiruzen Sarutobi was completely baffled.
Did this child have too many thoughts going through his head?
"It should be because of Nogiko!" As Yūhi Shinku mentioned this, an uncontrollable smile appeared on his face again. "Ningyuan has visited my home twice. After seeing Nogiko's condition, he developed the desire to study medicine!"
"Ah... what a good child!" Hiruzen Sarutobi instinctively felt that something was off. Perhaps Hyuga Ningyuan had done it deliberately.
But on second thought, Hyuga Ningyuan was only five years old. How could he possibly have such complicated schemes?
"Still, Medical Ninjutsu isn't easy to learn!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said.
Leaving aside whether a child was merely acting on a fleeting impulse or a brief burst of enthusiasm.
The scope of Medical Ninjutsu was also enormous. The vast amount of anatomy and Herbal Medicine Studies knowledge gave even him a headache!
And there was another crucial point. Yūhi Shinku came from a small clan and did not know the secrets of Chakra, but Hiruzen Sarutobi did.
Medical Ninjutsu such as the Mystical Palm Technique relied on Yang Release, while Genjutsu relied on Yin Release.
Ordinary people either excelled at Yang Release or Yin Release. If their Yin and Yang Chakra were balanced, that did not mean they excelled at both—it meant they excelled at neither.
Since Hyuga Ningyuan excelled at Genjutsu, that meant his Yin Release Chakra was more prominent. His Yang Release Chakra would likely be less outstanding, which meant he probably could not learn Medical Ninjutsu.
Still, Yūhi Shinku was one of his supporters, so he could not put it so bluntly.
"How about this? Have him come to my home tomorrow. I'll have Biwako take him to Konoha Hospital to give it a try!"
It would naturally be good if he could learn it. During the Second Shinobi World War, Konoha had seen the importance of Medical Ninja and was now vigorously training them.
If he could not learn it, then he could only blame his own lack of talent!
"Thank you for your support, Lord Hokage!" Yūhi Shinku hurriedly lowered his head in gratitude.
"Not at all, not at all. I'd be delighted if a child wished to learn Medical Ninjutsu. You shouldn't be thanking me—I should be thanking you!" Now that the matter was settled, all that remained was some small talk to build rapport.
It was not until half an hour later that Yūhi Shinku left the Hokage's Office.
Watching Yūhi Shinku's retreating figure, Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped his pipe.
As the Hokage, he could not avoid considering the political implications of his actions.
Hyuga Ningyuan had become Yūhi Shinku's son-in-law, and Yūhi Shinku was a staunch supporter of the Sarutobi Clan. That meant Hyuga Ningyuan had become one of his own as well.
What did that mean?
It meant he had opened a crack in the impregnable Hyuga Clan!
Even if Hyuga Ningyuan was from the Branch Family, with his life and death controlled by the Hyuga Main Family, he could still be useful.
For example, he could serve as a spy and report on the Hyuga Clan's movements from time to time.
But the premise was that Hyuga Ningyuan had the aptitude to learn Medical Ninjutsu. If he did not, Hiruzen Sarutobi would not even know how to win him over.
Besides...
Thinking of something, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately stood up. After forming a hand seal, a crack opened in the wall beside his desk.
There was actually a door there!
Beyond the door was a sizable room filled with bookshelves. Thick and thin scrolls of every kind lay upon them, labeled Hyuga, Nara, Akimichi, and more.
It actually contained the secret techniques, Ninjutsu, and bloodline techniques of every clan in Konoha!
However, these were not collected by Hiruzen Sarutobi. Senju Tobirama had acquired them from the major clans long ago, intending to draw upon the wisdom of all beings to research various Forbidden Jutsu.
Hiruzen Sarutobi ignored the techniques of the other clans and went straight to the Hyuga Clan's scrolls, opening them one after another and studying them.
Senju Tobirama had researched the Uchiha, even specifically studying the principles behind the Uchiha Clan awakening their eyes. Naturally, he had not neglected the other clans either.
He simply had not studied them as deeply as the Uchiha Clan.
"The Hyuga Clan's Chakra possesses strong vitality and strong disruptive properties, making it impossible for them to learn Genjutsu?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi could understand that statement. Genjutsu Chakra needed to infiltrate another person's brain and affect their five senses, which required subtlety.
But the Hyuga Clan's Chakra was too active. If it invaded another person's brain, not only would it be impossible to conceal, but its destructive power would directly kill them.
That was why Hyuga Clan Ninja could not learn Genjutsu.
Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief, but with that sentence came a new question.
"If that's the case, then what is going on with Hyuga Ningyuan? Could it be..."
Had the Hyuga Clan bloodline weakened in Hyuga Ningyuan, greatly reducing the vitality of his Chakra?
But Hyuga Mie and Hyuga Yuuki were both members of the Hyuga Clan.
By all logic, Hyuga Ningyuan's bloodline should be very pure.
Still, bloodlines could produce such cases. Sometimes, a bloodline reverting to its ancestral roots could produce a genius. Then it was not impossible for a declining bloodline to produce someone mediocre!
At that thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes immediately lit up.
If his Chakra vitality was weak, that meant Hyuga Ningyuan not only could not use the Void Palm, but would also learn the Eight Trigrams Palms less efficiently than other members of the Hyuga Clan.
A Hyuga like that was destined to be looked down upon by the Hyuga Clan, perhaps even ostracized...
If he gave him a little guidance as well, wouldn't Hyuga Ningyuan be likely to lean toward him?
Before you continue