Genius, Worthy of Being My Grandstudent

Inside the Hokage Office.

With a smack, Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed the mission report onto the desk.

"You're saying it took you over three weeks to complete a C-Rank Mission? Do you know the ninja war just ended, and the village needs manpower now more than ever?!"

Facing his teacher's anger, Jiraiya said indifferently, "Three weeks and three days isn't that long, is it?"

"Did you encounter a tailed beast during the mission? Why did it take over three weeks? Or did you run into the Third Kazekage?"

"Not that, but I met someone several times more terrifying than a tailed beast."

Seeing Jiraiya suddenly turn serious, Hiruzen Sarutobi grew serious as well. He wondered what kind of person could make Jiraiya so nervous.

"Someone this dangerous has appeared in the Land of Fire? Tell me who it is. If necessary, take ANBU there. We must eliminate such a hidden danger."

"There's no need to eliminate her, Teacher. I ran into Tsunade," Jiraiya said with lingering fear. "I was gathering material outside the Women's Bathhouse when I suddenly saw Tsunade enter it.

"Teacher, you know how I get whenever I see Tsunade. My heart races, my mind becomes a mess, even my chakra goes berserk. You can't blame me for failing to control my chakra. Tsunade didn't know I was outside at first, and at the time, she was only wearing..."

"Enough!" Hiruzen Sarutobi hurriedly cut off Jiraiya's nonsense. There were still three genin standing behind him.

Tsunade was one of Konoha Village's great figures and its public face. Jiraiya could not be allowed to defile her image in front of the younger generation.

Seeing that Jiraiya was practically eager to say more, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep drag from his pipe and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.

This was truly painful. His three disciples clearly bore the title of the Konoha Sannin, yet every one of them had their own problems. Each gave him a headache.

There was no need to mention Jiraiya. He was forever wild and unruly, never serious.

Ever since Kato Dan and her younger brother Nawaki had died, Tsunade had retained only a surface-level strength. In truth, she had developed hemophobia and no longer wished to remain in the village.

As for Orochimaru, he had a twisted worship of power and was growing closer and closer to Danzo.

"Teacher, don't be angry either. Although I took a little more time, I did properly teach my disciples along the way. Especially Minato Namikaze—he has already mastered the powerful A-Rank Ninjutsu you taught me, the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique, originally created by the Ninjutsu Professor, Hiruzen Sarutobi!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his head and looked at Minato Namikaze behind Jiraiya.

He knew that the reason lazy Jiraiya had been willing to become an instructor was Minato Namikaze.

Minato Namikaze was the Child of Prophecy Jiraiya had spoken of, someone recognized by Mount Myōboku, one of the Three Great Sage Lands.

"Hmph. I taught my signature ninjutsu to the three of you. Other than Orochimaru using them occasionally, which of you ever took my signature techniques seriously? Cough, cough."

Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed awkwardly. Though each of his disciples had their problems, their strength and insight were both first-rate.

He had once reflected on this. Could it be that his self-created A-Rank Ninjutsu was not as formidable as he imagined?

Could it be that his talent for ninjutsu was not as great as the title Ninjutsu Professor suggested?

For a moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt dejected. If only his strength were as formidable as those two teachers of his, the First Hokage and the Second Hokage. Then he would not have needed to make so many concessions to the other ninja villages during the Second Ninja World War.

His gaze toward Minato Namikaze grew brighter.

Perhaps this grandstudent could prove that his talent for ninjutsu was also among the very best.

Minato Namikaze felt extremely guilty. His attention had been entirely focused on the Soil-Turning Ninjutsu for Reforming the Ninja World. When had he ever practiced the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique?

"Come. Let's go see how well Minato Namikaze has mastered my original ninjutsu."

Jiraiya was full of confidence. "Come on, old man. I'll give you a surprise."

The group left the office and did not go far, arriving at the courtyard behind the Hokage Building.

There were several fire-prevention pools in the courtyard. Hiruzen Sarutobi leaped to the opposite side of one pool and said, "Minato, use the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique on me."

Minato Namikaze gritted his teeth and stepped forward.

This is bad. I focused too much on the Power of Reformation and completely forgot Hiruzen Sarutobi's showpiece ninjutsu.

Whatever. I'll follow the casting essentials I remember and brute-force a miracle.

In the world of ninja, it was not necessarily the more difficult a technique was, the more powerful it became. The greater one's chakra reserves, the greater its power.

The B-Rank Fire Release: Great Fire Destruction wielded by Uchiha Madara was on the same level as a Tailed Beast Ball.

Overwhelming force was the ultimate secret of ninjutsu.

Minato Namikaze focused completely and began recalling how to perform the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique. The clones created by Shadow Clone were tangible, so one shuriken could become more than ten, even dozens, in midair.

The key to the technique—and the point Hiruzen Sarutobi was most proud of—was speed.

Within the brief second, or even half-second, of the shuriken's flight, one had to rapidly complete the shuriken's Shadow Clone Technique according to the chakra circulation method developed by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

After a rather long period of thought and recollection, the atmosphere beside the pool grew increasingly solemn.

Akimichi Jirokuma and Haneina were both a little nervous.

Teacher Jiraiya had taught them, but neither of them had the ability to use such a powerful ninjutsu. They could only watch Minato Namikaze perform it.

Minato had been building up for a long time, and no one knew what he was waiting for.

Yet Jiraiya remained utterly confident. He did not think waiting a little was a problem at all. Minato's talent for ninjutsu was inversely proportional to Jiraiya's talent for naming things.

A gust of wind blew by, carrying several fallen leaves.

Minato Namikaze felt he could not wait any longer. It would be somewhat impolite to keep the village's Hokage waiting any further.

He hurled a shuriken with all his strength, then used the Shadow Clone Technique on it.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyebrows suddenly rose. He noticed Minato Namikaze's immense chakra reserves, extraordinary for a newly graduated genin.

In his perception, chakra billowed from Minato Namikaze like steam and surged toward the shuriken in the air.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slightly. This amount of chakra was astonishing, practically comparable to several of his assistants, those Elite Chunin.

The next instant, a smile appeared at the corner of Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth.

Not bad. Very not bad.

Not only had the shuriken turned into more than ten under the effect of Shadow Clone, but the occasional drifting leaves had also gained Shadow Clones, becoming dozens of leaves.

Amid the dazzling swirl of leaves, the shuriken became far more concealed.

Minato also noticed that he had accidentally stumbled upon something useful. He had actually created a cover of leaves for the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique.

"Ninja Art: Chaotic Leaves Blinding Super Chaotic Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"

A wall of water suddenly surged up before Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Water Release: Water Formation Wall!

The shuriken and chaotic leaves struck the water wall, where they were all caught by the water and fell into the pool.

Jiraiya let out a strange cry from behind. "Worthy of being a genius like me, Minato! You actually improved Teacher's famous self-created ninjutsu!"

Within the water mist, Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his pipe and contentedly smoked his tobacco.

Not bad, not bad. With the support of Mount Myōboku, Jiraiya had a discerning eye and found a genius. Truly worthy of being my grandstudent.

Minato Namikaze wiped the sweat from his forehead. Thank goodness. I managed to talk my way out of that.