The training ground was bustling.
Hizashi Hyuga wore a kimono as he watched the sparring on the field. With a smile, he said to Uchiha Miya beside him:
"In the past, our Hyuga Clan relied too heavily on Nintaijutsu and neglected the other techniques."
Uchiha Miya: "That's the Hyuga Clan's way of survival. The Hyuga system may not be powerful, but it's extremely good at surviving."
Hizashi Hyuga: "When all is said and done, the Byakugan is highly versatile."
Uchiha Miya: "The Byakugan and Sharingan are both highly versatile. Mm, and there are also the physiques of the Senju and Uzumaki. Simply having a lot of Chakra is useful too. If you can use enough techniques, your combat power rises sharply."
They were all great clans that had survived the bloody slaughter of the Warring States era and remained after layer upon layer of selection. There was a reason they had endured.
"Having a lot of Chakra... I'm so envious." Hizashi Hyuga stroked his chin thoughtfully.
After all, the Byakugan was not very good at increasing Chakra.
The Sharingan on the Uchiha side was better in that regard. It seemed that every evolution increased the user's Chakra by quite a bit.
"...Hmm?" Uchiha Miya froze.
"What is it?"
"No, I just thought of a Civilian Ninja. Many Civilian Ninjas rose to prominence during the war, and they all followed Namikaze Minato. That fellow should be on leave this time too."
"Who?"
"Ogawa Gō. His Chakra is several times that of an ordinary Jonin. He specializes in Earth Release and Water Release. Should I call it innovation...? No, it's probably more like a return to the old ways. He created a technique that makes earth and stone cling to his body, forming armor and increasing his defense, while using flowing water beneath his feet to improve his mobility."
"I didn't know there was a method like that."
"Exactly. In the end, it's simply a difference in approach, just like the change in how the Byakugan is used nowadays."
The old way of using the Byakugan: see through the enemy's meridians, then engage in close-quarters taijutsu.
The modern way of using the Byakugan: scout the surroundings, then throw Kunai, Explosive Tags, or techniques from a distance.
Ninjas in the past had also worn armor.
But armor slowed them down. Once they lost their mobility, they became targets on the battlefield, so over time, things evolved into the current practice of not wearing armor to improve mobility.
This was the first time someone had used Water Release to increase mobility.
"Only someone with a lot of Chakra could play around like that," Hizashi Hyuga said.
The two fell silent for a while.
"Ogawa Gō... Could he be..."
"Mm. A Civilian Ninja who was targeted by Root and then turned into a test subject. Although only Namikaze Minato knows the specific details... judging by these characteristics, he must be a descendant of the Senju."
"Sigh... The Senju Clan." Hizashi Hyuga sighed.
"They abandoned their surname and scattered their family, yet they still failed to protect their clansmen, leaving them to become test subjects. I wonder what expression that 'Princess' would have upon learning about this... Hmph."
Uchiha Miya sneered.
He then rose and left.
"I'm going back. Sparring with Big Brother Fugaku will improve my skills. You can't."
Who asked you?
"Yes, yes..." Hizashi Hyuga waved goodbye to Uchiha Miya with a bitter smile.
Konoha, the wilderness.
Uchiha Aoi looked thoroughly displeased, but she was obediently grilling meat.
And she was doing it on two fronts at once.
Fish soup was simmering in a pot beside her, and Ogawa Gō had added the water.
"A new partner has joined us. Start with introductions," Ogawa Gō said with a smile.
"Inuzuka Bon..." said a wild-haired girl who gave off a dusty, grayish impression. A large dog stood beside her.
"Aburame Suihei." The other boy wore sunglasses and a long robe. He looked quite fashionable as he spoke in a low voice.
Two Konoha Great Clans.
Su Nuo watched everything from inside Ogawa Gō.
It seemed that Ogawa Gō's outstanding performance on the battlefield had moved these great clans as well.
When he had been an ordinary Jonin, his apprentices had consisted of two Civilian Ninjas and one Uchiha underachiever.
Now that he was an Elite Jonin, two disciples from great clans had immediately been added.
That was because an excellent teacher could have a tremendous effect, allowing their students to benefit greatly.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was proficient in the Five Elemental Ninjutsu as well as Fuinjutsu. The Sannin he trained, and even the Sannin's disciples, were all proficient in Fuinjutsu.
Moreover.
Sending a child to become the apprentice of a powerful Civilian Ninja could trigger a low-probability event.
As a "genius Civilian Ninja," Namikaze Minato's apprentices were Kakashi, Rin, and Obito.
The Uchiha were a great clan, but Obito was an underachiever.
The Hatake Clan specialized in swordsmanship. It was not considered a great clan, but it was not an ordinary civilian family either.
There was also Rin Nohara, who had a civilian background.
Yet this lineup of apprentices belonged to the Fourth Hokage.
If nothing had happened to Obito, he would have become a bridge between the Uchiha Clan and the Fourth Hokage.
This was like drawing a lottery.
In the world of Naruto, this kind of teacher-student succession was extremely common.
The First Hokage and the Second Hokage had a student named Hiruzen Sarutobi, who became the Third Hokage.
Then the Fourth Hokage became Hiruzen Sarutobi's apprentice's apprentice.
If Rin Nohara had not died, she could have risen straight to the top, becoming a direct subordinate of the Fourth Hokage after starting as a civilian.
Ogawa Gō's achievements were the same.
After Ogawa Gō's strength improved, Konoha had also assigned him two more disciples because of the pressure of the war.
Now.
Ogawa Gō's team consisted of five people: three from great clans and two civilians. It was an extremely impressive lineup.
In fact, the two Civilian Ninjas could practically be left out. It was essentially three disciples from great clans.
But a Civilian Ninja like Ogawa Gō had virtually no political influence, so even if people were sent to him, they would only be mediocre members of their clans.
And that was indeed the case.
Inuzuka Bon and Aburame Suihei had each belonged to different teams, with two Civilian Jonin as their teachers.
Both teachers had died in the war.
Quite a few Konoha Ninjas had been killed or wounded over the past month.
After their teachers were gone, the teams had to be reorganized, and it just so happened that they were transferred under Ogawa Gō.
"Introductions are over. Then the second lesson is combat," Ogawa Gō said, clapping his hands.
"Huh?"
Inuzuka Bon looked bewildered.
The Aburame Clan member beside her remained silent.
"Two versus two, with rotating matches after the teams are rearranged," Ogawa Gō said with a grin, planting his hands on his hips.
"What kind of training method is that? You just want to be lazy!" Inuzuka Bon pointed at Ogawa Gō and shouted.
Biu!
A small stone struck Inuzuka Bon, making her clutch her head and cry out. The large dog beside her barked, only to be hit by another stone as well. The girl and dog crouched together, clutching their heads.
"Hurry up." Ogawa Gō put on a stern face.
"Damn it..."
After that, the five of them took turns fighting one another.
Ogawa Gō raised a podium from earth release nearby, then casually mixed water and soil to make clay and molded it into cheap trophies.
After a day of rotating matches.
All five of Ogawa Gō's disciples were completely drained, without a drop of Chakra left.
But because of that, they had gained a fairly deep understanding of one another by the end of the fights.
They had also worked up some tempers.
After all, they were still young and hot-blooded.
The rankings were also obvious: Uchiha Aoi first, Aburame Suihei second, Inuzuka Bon third, Kujo Mutsuki fourth, and Koizumi Subaru fifth.
Ogawa Gō laughed heartily. "Come on, I'll treat you to a big meal. Then get a good rest when you return. Tomorrow, the five of you will go to the Hyuga training ground and fight a four-person team formed by the Uchiha and Hyuga."
"What?!" The two civilian apprentices had already turned pale, as if their souls were about to leave their bodies.
"I'm fighting the Uchiha? Seriously?" Inuzuka Bon shouted.
Aburame Suihei: "..."
Uchiha Aoi curled her lips. "You're being lazy again, aren't you?"
"Don't worry. I'll find opponents similar to you. After all, they have a youth group too. Hahaha!"
"And tomorrow, you can also witness your teacher's heroic fighting style."
"Hahahaha!"
Ogawa Gō laughed loudly with his hands on his hips.
"Stupid teacher..." Uchiha Aoi muttered under her breath.
Then a small stone struck her on the head.
Before you continue