Grandma Qiu's Fresh Fish Shop

"Uncle Hai Yi, you said the greater the cost of using other secret techniques, the better the effect. Teach me some S-rank secret techniques. Oh, the Spirit Transformation Technique would be great. Can you teach me that?" Xing Ran suddenly recalled what Hai Yi had said. It was like discovering a new continent. If he trained with more effective ninjutsu, could his growth rate increase as well?

"...Uh, forget about the Spirit Transformation Technique. Although our clan has that technique too, its requirements are extremely demanding. Not only does it require powerful Spiritual Power as a foundation, but the user must also possess exceptional talent. Their body has to be compatible with the technique, and they need control far beyond that of an ordinary person. My Spiritual Power meets the standard, but my body isn't suited for it. If he were still here, he could teach you a little. I can't." At the mention of the Spirit Transformation Technique, Hai Yi's expression suddenly sank. He seemed to be mourning an old friend, with a trace of regret mixed in.

Xing Ran did not ask who "he" was. Based on his memories of the anime from his previous life, that person was most likely Dan Katō, Tsunade's boyfriend. In the original story, he had been very close with Choji Akimichi. As members of Ino-Shika-Cho with similar abilities, it was perfectly normal for Yamanaka Hai Yi and Dan Katō to be friends.

"If not the Spirit Transformation Technique, then the Mind Disturbance Martial Arts Technique will do. That's also a difficult, high-consumption technique." Xing Ran did not give up and settled for the next best thing. This was Hai Yi's ultimate move, so it had to be powerful.

"...That is an important secret technique of the clan. According to the rules, clan members who are still at Genin level are not allowed to train in it." To Xing Ran's surprise, Hai Yi refused his request outright again.

In this world riddled with conflicts, there was always one unavoidable contradiction: the divide between civilian ninja and ninja clans.

For civilian ninja, learning ninjutsu was often extremely difficult. Most had to continuously contribute to the village until they accumulated enough merit to receive ninjutsu as a reward. Other than scrolls captured in battle, their only remaining path was finding a master.

But for civilian ninja, even finding a master was not easy. Moreover, ninja willing to take civilian ninja as disciples were generally not particularly strong, so how many ninjutsu could they possibly possess? The Hokage's master-disciple line was only an exception.

Powerful ninja clans, on the other hand, were different. Not only did every clan possess secret techniques and ninjutsu upon which they depended for survival, but clan resources were also shared to a certain extent. Ninjutsu obtained by chance or gained after becoming independent could steadily accumulate over the years.

Thus, the ninja world became divided into two extremes. Weak civilian ninja remained trapped for years without suitable ninjutsu to train in, making it even harder for them to rise through the vicious cycle. Great ninja clans, however, could more easily obtain ninjutsu suited to themselves. With twice the result for half the effort, even someone at the bottom of their own clan could be a powerful existence among civilian ninja.

Where there was conflict, there was resistance. To civilian ninja from other villages, members of powerful clans were like tempting morsels. Everyone wanted a bite; who knew, perhaps a skill scroll might drop?

As a result, every ninja clan had relevant rules regarding what level of strength was required to train in what kind of ninjutsu, preventing children from flaunting gold in public and attracting greedy eyes.

The Yamanaka Clan's rule was that during the Genin stage, only the basic secret techniques, the Mind Body Switch Technique and Mind Disturbance Technique, could be trained. Once one became a Chunin, one could learn more profound ninjutsu. Of course, this rule only applied to ordinary clan members. If a genius emerged within the clan, they could be taught as an exception; the clan would not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

A genius was still extremely important to a clan like the Yamanaka Clan, one that was neither outstanding nor insignificant.

In this regard, the Yamanaka Clan was more open-minded than the Hyuga Clan. The Hyuga Clan controlled its secret techniques very strictly. Even geniuses rarely had the opportunity to learn them ahead of time.

"Tch, so clan rules are such a big deal? Oh, right, I want to learn Medical Ninjutsu. That isn't restricted by clan rules, is it...?"

After Hai Yi rejected him, Xing Ran grumbled inwardly. Sooner or later, he would become a genius the Yamanaka Clan cherished above all else. Then those old fossils would be crying and begging him to learn the clan's secret techniques and carry the ninja clan forward.

He spent the entire morning at Hai Yi's home, chatting with Hai Yi and playing games with little Ino. Time passed quickly. After a hearty lunch, Xing Ran left Hai Yi's house but did not return home. Instead, he headed toward the Konoha market, the equivalent of a commercial street in his previous life, where villagers bought everything they needed for daily life.

At the same time, beneath Hokage Rock, in the Hokage's Office within the Hokage Building—the political and military heart of Konoha—a cloud of smoke drifted out the window and was soon scattered by the increasingly cool breeze.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was deep in thought. He had received a report from his direct subordinate, Yamaki Atsushi, yesterday. He had anticipated nearly everything in it, including the attack and the Tsuchikage's movements in Iwagakure. However, Yamanaka Xingran's sudden display of potential as a Medical Ninja on the return journey had greatly exceeded the Third Hokage's expectations.

"A gambling addict... but he was willing to generously buy Explosive Tags for his teammates. Perhaps... there's still hope for him. And just how far can this Medical Ninja potential go? They say he taught himself... What a headache. Potential and problems coexist. That previous incident where his entire team was wiped out and he was seriously injured must have severely affected the little fellow. Should I really place great importance on him?" His voice carried a heavy rasp. Years of smoking had made the Third Hokage's voice increasingly aged, and perhaps even he could barely hear his own muttering.

Whoosh.

An Anbu wearing a Raccoon Mask suddenly appeared and knelt on one knee behind the Third Hokage.

"Lord Hokage, Yamanaka Xingran may have learned his Medical Ninjutsu from Yamanaka Qiu. Our people saw him enter Yamanaka Qiu's fish shop." The Raccoon Mask Anbu's voice was muffled through the mask, but to the Third Hokage's ears, it lacked its usual steadiness. Instead, the content of the report made the Third Hokage hesitate even more.

Since someone had taught him, he was not self-taught after all. His potential was naturally far less impressive. Even if he were brought into the Hokage's faction, he would only be a dispensable figure. It was a little regrettable, a little unwilling, but more than anything, there was hesitation. Perhaps... with some cultivation, he could become a decent ninja?

The Third Hokage could not be blamed for repeatedly hesitating over such a minor Genin. Medical Ninja were scarce resources at any time, and every one of them had to be treasured.

Xing Ran still had no idea that the Hokage was agonizing over whether to focus on cultivating him. According to Hai Yi, the Yamanaka Clan also had a senior expert skilled in Medical Ninjutsu, but that person had retired long ago due to injury and was therefore unknown to most people.

The fresh fish shop before him was the destination of his trip. A large sign hung at the entrance, bearing the Yamanaka Clan crest. The shop was called Grandma Qiu's Fresh Fish Shop. It truly was simple and straightforward.

To be continued.

Please vote.