The Third Stage Begins

After becoming Tsunade's apprentice, Gengetsu grew even busier, and that sudden assassination attempt made him train even more desperately.

His Main Body plus six Shadow Clones had become his standard setup. One attended the Ninja Academy, while five trained in Water Release: Water Severing Wave, Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet, Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall, and the Secret Technique: Spirit Transformation Technique. His Main Body trained under Tsunade.

The reason he had replaced Lightning Release with the Fire Release he had not originally intended to choose was that Fire Release was relatively easier to control and easier to combine with other types of ninjutsu.

Carrying massive boulders as he raced across cliffs and rushing rivers, practicing all kinds of Chakra fine-control methods, exchanging taijutsu blows with Tsunade, studying all kinds of medical knowledge from the world of the Hokage... Gengetsu ended every day's training utterly exhausted.

Yet under such frenzied training, his progress was tremendous. Whether it was taijutsu, ninjutsu, or his reserve of knowledge about various ninjutsu, everything was growing explosively.

On the last day of his first month training under Tsunade, Gengetsu finally mastered Yang Release Chakra and learned his first Medical Ninjutsu: Healing Technique!

And after mastering Yang Release Chakra, the concepts of Yin Release and Yang Release suddenly became much clearer to him.

He had previously guessed that Yin Release and Yang Release were pure yin and pure yang—pure spiritual energy and physical energy—but that idea clearly contradicted the fundamental definition of Chakra.

But as his understanding of the Spirit Transformation Technique deepened and he mastered Yang Release Chakra, the veil over Yin Release and Yang Release was immediately lifted at one corner.

"So that's how it is. Yang Release Chakra is formed by combining the yang spiritual energy within spiritual energy with physical energy. In Chinese Medicine and Taoist teachings, that is what is known as yang within yin."

"Then Yin Release must be formed by combining spiritual energy with the yin-attributed energy within physical energy—the yin within yang!"

This discovery sent Gengetsu into ecstasy. He could not even be bothered to train the Spirit Transformation Technique and directly assigned a Shadow Clone to cultivate Yin Release Chakra.

But understanding was one thing; separating yin-attributed energy from physical energy was definitely no simple task. A month passed, and Gengetsu still had not even found the threshold.

"Brother Minato has been going on missions more and more frequently lately, while Sister Kushina rarely leaves the village. It seems the Shinobi World is becoming increasingly unsettled..."

From the frequency with which Minato and Kushina went on missions, Gengetsu had already sensed a growing urgency. He could not remember when the Third Shinobi World War broke out in the original story, but without question, it had been a brutal war.

Kakashi had nearly died, and Obito had faked his death. Then Minato became Hokage, and the Nine-Tails Rampage erupted!

"I must master Yin Release Chakra before graduation, then begin training in Adamantine Sealing Chains!"

Gengetsu had already decided to graduate from the Ninja Academy next year.

September, Year 42 of Konoha. Early autumn.

Before a mountain wall, Gengetsu closed his eyes and gathered himself for a moment. Then he opened them, clenched his fist, and the instant his punch struck the stone wall, Chakra erupted. Amid a thunderous boom and billowing dust, the wall caved in, shattered rocks shot into the air, and spiderweb-like cracks rapidly spread outward from Gengetsu's fist as fragments of pulverized stone pattered down.

"Monster Strength, finally mastered!"

Gengetsu withdrew his fist, revealing a satisfied smile. He had trained in Monster Strength for a month, and today, he could finally use it in actual combat to inflict massive damage on his enemies.

Not far away, Tsunade leaned against a tree. Her gaze sharpened at the sight. "So he finally mastered it? That really wasn't slow at all!"

She had not intended to teach Gengetsu Monster Strength so soon, but his progress in Medical Ninjutsu had simply been too astonishing. In pure surgical treatment and rescue, he had already surpassed her, his teacher.

For the past two months, one of Gengetsu's Shadow Clones had been permanently stationed at Konoha Hospital. He had become Konoha Hospital's youngest doctor and gained quite a reputation among the ninja. Most ninja knew that Tsunade had taught an outstanding disciple with superb medical skills.

But who could have imagined that Gengetsu had been a surgeon in his previous life?

"Teacher, I've basically mastered Monster Strength. What training should I do next?"

Gengetsu walked over to Tsunade and asked. Nearly nine years old, he had already grown rather tall, only a head shorter than Tsunade.

"This Kid really doesn't know how to rest. At this rate, I'm afraid it won't be long before I have nothing left to teach him!"

"Being the teacher of someone like this really isn't easy!"

Tsunade's face darkened, then she stretched lazily and waved a hand. "Well, take a break for a while. You've been working too hard these past six months, keeping your mind constantly tense. Be careful, or you won't grow any taller!"

Does she think I'm a child...

Cold sweat streamed down Gengetsu's face.

"Of course it's true. Are you not going to listen to your teacher anymore?"

Tsunade's fist cracked loudly. Gengetsu slightly shrank his neck. Tsunade's fists had left a very deep impression on him.

"All right, then I'll rest..."

"One month!"

Tsunade interrupted him and raised one finger. "I'm giving you a month of vacation for now!"

Whoosh!

Before Gengetsu could react, Tsunade had already used the Body Flicker Technique and left.

"Then I'll take a break..."

Gengetsu plopped down, leaned against the tree, and closed his eyes to rest.

Gradually, he fell asleep.

"No!"

Suddenly, Gengetsu shouted in his sleep and jolted awake. He could not help gasping for breath, his head drenched in cold sweat.

"I actually dreamed about the Nine-Tails Rampage..."

Wiping away his sweat, Gengetsu smiled bitterly to himself.

He had originally come to Konoha intending to make use of Uzumaki Kushina, but after more than half a year, Kushina's gentle care and Minato treating him like a real younger brother had completely worn away at his heart.

Though he had seen plenty of life and death as a doctor in his previous life, his heart had not turned into a cold stone.

"Looks like this isn't the time to let my guard down!"

Wiping away his sweat, Gengetsu stood up. Feeling the cool autumn wind, his thoughts churned. "Other than Lightning Release, I've completely mastered the other four types of ninjutsu. I've also basically mastered the Spirit Transformation Technique. Next, I only need to continuously improve my proficiency. My Medical Ninjutsu is sufficient for now, and Monster Strength was unexpected. Next, I should seek out the Yin Seal, but I don't know whether that Sealing Technique is suitable for men to cultivate..."

"Although I haven't succeeded in cultivating Yin Release Chakra yet, I already have some clues. I must master Adamantine Sealing Chains, which can suppress a Tailed Beast!"

Two months earlier, he had already begun learning Sealing Technique from Kushina. He had basically mastered Four Symbols Sealing and was currently training in Five Elements Sealing.

"Brother Minato's Eight Trigrams Sealing Style should be nearly finished as well..."

"Then it's time for me to begin my third stage of training!"

Gengetsu clenched his fist. His initial decision to begin with Chakra Nature Transformation had not merely been to train in ninjutsu faster.

His true goal was Kekkei Genkai, even Kekkei Tōta and Kekkei Mōra!

Given his current circumstances, if he cultivated step by step, his greatest future achievement would probably only be rivaling the current Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Of course, Hiruzen Sarutobi was also very strong. He could freely use and combine all five basic elemental releases and was known as the Professor of Ninjutsu.

But Hiruzen Sarutobi was not Gengetsu's goal. He had no desire to be wrapped up like a dumpling and hung from the God Tree.