Writing The Legend of the Condor Heroes

"But I'm sure you've realized it too, Tsunade..."

The Third Hokage's aged expression blurred behind the smoke. "This was an unprecedented feat that only the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, could accomplish..."

Tsunade looked stunned and said nothing.

That was right. It was something only the prodigious Fourth Hokage could have done.

Minato Namikaze's talent for Fuinjutsu was one in tens, perhaps even hundreds, of years. Even his wife, Kushina Uzumaki of the Uzumaki Clan, could not compare.

Applying a Fuinjutsu of the Four Symbols Seal's level was already quite difficult. How much harder was it to nest another Four Symbols Seal outside the first?

And besides...

A formula that converted the Nine-Tailed Fox's Chakra had to be inscribed into the outer Four Symbols Seal.

Converting different types of Chakra was an extraordinarily difficult technique to master.

Thus, only the Fourth Hokage, who possessed both exceptional Fuinjutsu talent and the skill to convert different types of Chakra, could have created the complex seal on his son, Naruto Uzumaki.

The Third Hokage took a drag from his pipe and sighed. "Normally, infants are not chosen as Jinchuriki for Tailed Beasts. A child's emotions are unstable, making it easy for the Tailed Beast to lose control... Yet in Naruto's twelve years, no matter how difficult his circumstances became, no matter how depressed or miserable he felt, he never leaked even a trace of the Nine-Tailed Fox's Chakra. The Eight Trigrams Seal that Minato created by layering two Four Symbols Seals can be called a peerless masterpiece even in the entire history of Jinchuriki!"

"..." Tsunade clutched the Four Symbols Seal scroll. Thinking of Nakamori Wu Yu complaining to her Mysterious Clone about his mediocre Stamina and Chakra Reserves 2 aptitude, she said to the Third Hokage, "What was just sealed inside me is no different from a Tailed Beast. Old man, why not imitate Minato and add another layer with a Chakra-conversion formula? Don't tell me you studied Naruto's Eight Trigrams Seal for so many years without learning a thing?"

The Third Hokage replied speechlessly, "Some things cannot be learned just because you understand the principles! You possess both Water and Earth attributes. If you use those two Nature Transformations together, you can perform your grandfather's Wood Release. It sounds simple enough—but can you do it?"

Tsunade snorted. "You've gotten old, old man. Your mouth's gotten nastier too."

The Third Hokage chuckled. "Likewise..."

"Lady Tsunade?"

Shizune's voice pulled Tsunade out of her recollection and back to reality.

The two of them were currently at Nakamori Wu Yu's home.

Kneeling on the floor, Shizune picked up the scattered "Tsunade Scroll" while reading it, crying out in surprise, "You even wrote down the Yin Seal and the Hundred Healings Technique, Lady Tsunade. You truly held nothing back for this child!"

She did not know about Tsunade's Mysterious Clone and assumed this scroll had been left behind by Tsunade herself.

If Wu Yu can learn the Yin Seal...

Tsunade sat on the windowsill, silently watching the lively yet peaceful streets of Konoha outside.

"From today onward, you are Genin. But Genin are merely ninja in training—the hard days have only just begun! ..."

In the Ninja Academy's large classroom, Umino Iruka announced the three-person Genin team assignments one by one according to the list issued by the Hokage. He was soon nearing the end.

"...Team Seven: Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki."

Sakura Haruno was thrilled to be assigned with Sasuke Uchiha. Naruto Uzumaki was annoyed to be assigned with Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke Uchiha, meanwhile, was somewhat disappointed that he was not assigned with Nakamori Wu Yu, and completely ignored the noise made by his two teammates beside him.

"And the final team..." Umino Iruka turned to the last page, then looked at Wu Yu, who seemed detached from the classroom's clamor at its edge. "Team Zero: Nakamori Wu Yu!"

"..."

Wu Yu waited for a moment, then realized Iruka appeared to be finished. Pointing at himself in surprise, he asked, "Wait, it's just me?"

"That appears to be the case." Umino Iruka waved the list in his hand and raised his voice to the new Genin in the classroom. "Then return to this classroom this afternoon. Each team's Jonin instructor will come here to meet you. Dismissed for now!"

"Yeah!!"

Hardly anyone cared about Wu Yu's unusual situation. The newly graduated Genin, still just twelve- or thirteen-year-old children, scattered in a rush. Before long, only Team Seven's trio and Wu Yu of Team Zero remained in the classroom.

"Looks like you still enjoy standing out," Sasuke Uchiha said with a cool smile as he walked over to Wu Yu's desk, his hands tucked into his pockets.

"I'm honored to hear you call me someone who stands out!"

Wu Yu curled his lip. "Are you serious? Do you think I wanted special treatment?"

He glanced at Sakura Haruno, who had looked over at them. After hesitating for a long while, she still did not dare approach them and quietly left.

Naruto Uzumaki ran off even faster. After shooting Sasuke a resentful glare, he jumped out the window and vanished.

"Want to train together?" Sasuke Uchiha asked.

"Food first!" Wu Yu got to his feet. "Maybe you're not hungry, but I am..."

"Seriously, you're the young master of a great clan. Why do you eat rice balls every day?"

On a rooftop somewhere in the Ninja Academy, Wu Yu helplessly caught the rice ball Sasuke tossed at him like a Shuriken.

Sasuke Uchiha said, "Those who come empty-handed have no right to be picky."

With the wind blowing and food in hand, it was actually rather pleasant.

It would have been perfect if Sasuke Uchiha were replaced with a beautiful woman. Tsunade would be pretty nice...

Wu Yu thought of something and suddenly laughed. "Hey, Second Pillar, what do you think about me writing a novel for fun? I'll call it The Legend of the Condor Heroes..."

Not hearing Sasuke's retort, Wu Yu glanced over and saw Sasuke Uchiha gazing into the distance. Following his line of sight, he saw Naruto Uzumaki sneakily transform into Sasuke Uchiha near a bench on a distant street by the academy, then walk toward Sakura Haruno, who was eating her bento alone on the bench.

"That idiot..." Sasuke Uchiha muttered to himself. Then he suddenly realized something and turned around. Sure enough, Wu Yu was staring at him with a thoroughly mischievous expression.

Wu Yu grinned wickedly. "That's really gay!"

"What?" Sasuke looked completely bewildered.

"Nothing much. Did you bring the light bulb?" Wu Yu patted him on the shoulder, casually wiping the rice grains stuck to his rice ball onto Uchiha Sasuke. "Keep training!"

Sasuke Uchiha took a light bulb and copper wire from his pouch, then suddenly asked, "Your Jonin instructor wouldn't happen to be that Tsunade, would it?"

"I don't think she has that much free time..." Wu Yu said. "Besides, I have a bad feeling about this..."

After the other Genin teams in the large classroom had been taken away by familiar or unfamiliar Jonin such as Kurenai Yuhi and Asuma Sarutobi, only the Team Seven trio and Wu Yu from Team Zero remained.

A bad feeling...

As Wu Yu pondered this, he vaguely heard approaching footsteps in the hallway outside the classroom.

[Little Jade, ten seconds!]

[Okay, Wu Yu!]

Wu Yu pulled up the hood of the sleeveless hooded top he had specifically chosen, covering his head. Deep crimson three-eyed Sage Face Markings emerged on his face, while his ears quietly grew long and pointed—his hearing was greatly enhanced.

"...So, Kakashi-senpai, you'll just have to take on more work since you're more capable."

"You're one year older than me. Shouldn't I be the one calling you senpai?"

"I am one year older. When I was thirteen, you were twelve. When I was thirteen, I'd only just become a Chunin, but when you were twelve, you were already a Jonin. Of course you're the senpai."

"Give me a break..."

Kakashi Hatake muttered as he pulled open the classroom door. Entering alongside him was Tsunade's disciple, Shizune, with her short black hair.

Shizune quickly spotted Nakamori Wu Yu in the empty classroom and waved. "Nakamori Junior, nice to meet you. I'm Shizune."

"Shizune-senpai." Wu Yu stood up. "Don't tell me you're my Jonin instructor?"

"As for that..." Kakashi Hatake revealed a dead-fish eye. "The four of you should come up to the rooftop first."

"What exactly is going on?" Wu Yu quietly asked as he walked over to Shizune's side.

"Well... hehe..." Shizune gave an awkward laugh and evaded the question.

"In other words—"

On the rooftop, Shizune stood beside Kakashi Hatake and explained to the four Genin seated on the steps opposite them, "In principle, Team Zero's Jonin instructor is Lady Tsunade, the master of both Wu Yu and me. But Lady Tsunade is rather busy, and I also have many matters to attend to at Konoha Hospital. Therefore, Wu Yu from Team Zero will usually act alongside everyone in Team Seven as a Genin. That's all!"

Just as I thought, this feels bad... What era is this? Why are they pulling this routine again?

Wu Yu rolled his eyes inwardly.

Sasuke Uchiha was quite pleased. With an expert like Wu Yu acting alongside him, he believed he could improve even faster.

Sakura Haruno did not feel much about it. She was simply like, "Oh, I see. Got it."

Naruto Uzumaki raised his hand and shouted, "Hey, hey! Doesn't that make us four people? Isn't that unfair to the other teams?"

"Yeah! Isn't that super unfair?" Wu Yu also raised his hand in protest. "How are mission rewards supposed to be divided? Other teams split them among three Genin—are we supposed to split ours among four? Hell no, I don't want that!!"

Shizune immediately formed a one-handed seal. "I still have some matters at the hospital, so I'm leaving first!"

With a whoosh, a cluster of leaves was left behind, and she vanished with the Body Flicker.

"One after another..."

Kakashi Hatake's dead-fish eyes grew even deader. Propping up his chin, he explained to them one by one, "Naruto, anyone who complains about unfairness cannot be considered a true ninja. Wu Yu, don't worry about that. Given our special circumstances, Lord Hokage has specially approved that the village will not take a cut from the mission rewards of Team Seven and Team Zero, and it will be used to cover your share."

"Y-Yeah, I can't complain..." Naruto Uzumaki said, folding his arms.

"Oh, then it's fine." Wu Yu lowered his hand.

Kakashi Hatake spread his hands. "All right, everyone, introduce yourselves first..."