Shadow Clone and Flying Thunder God

Senju Hashirama, his face bruised and swollen, shoveled food into his mouth while watching Yuya. Yuya was shoveling food with one hand while holding the other in a claw shape, holding his breath as he did so. Curious, Hashirama asked, "Little Yuya, what are you doing?"

Yuya's face turned beet red. "I'm practicing a ninjutsu."

Two question marks appeared on Hashirama's face. "Ninjutsu? What kind of ninjutsu requires you to learn it like that?"

"It's a ninjutsu called the Flying Thunder God Mark that Uncle taught me," Yuya replied before returning to holding his breath.

Uzumaki Mito frowned. "Stop for a moment and eat your meal first."

Yuya: "Wait! I have a feeling! I feel like I can condense the first rune with my chakra!"

Uzumaki Mito set down her chopsticks and looked at Yuya with a smile. "Eat your food first, then we can talk about these things, alright?"

Yuya froze for a moment. Sensing a very dangerous aura, he quickly lowered his hand, picked up his chopsticks, and began to eat.

Uzumaki Mito nodded. "That's a good boy."

Beside them, Senju Hashirama's eyelids twitched. No, Mito, if you treat a child like that, he's going to develop psychological trauma, you know.

However, Hashirama only dared to grumble this in his heart; he certainly wouldn't dare to say it out loud.

The next day, Yuya put on his school bag early in the morning and headed to the Hokage Office Building.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Come in," Tobirama's calm voice came from inside.

Yuya raised his hand to grab the doorknob, pushed the door open, and peered left and right.

Senju Tobirama didn't even look up from the proposal on his desk. "What are you looking for?"

Yuya gave a sheepish laugh. "I was just checking to see if those three uncles from yesterday were here."

"They aren't just sitting around doing nothing." Tobirama frowned and pondered for a long time before finally signing his name on the proposal on his desk.

Yuya scurried over, pressed his hands on the desk, and tilted his head as he looked at the document. "What is this?"

As Hokage, Senju Tobirama's desk was piled high with two stacks of "pending documents," but since he had taken this specific one out and was frowning over it, it meant the matter was likely not that simple.

Tobirama wasn't angry; in his view, it was normal for a child to be curious about everything.

Or rather, it was precisely because of the curious nature of children that they possessed an innate ability to learn.

For Tobirama, he actually enjoyed the days when he was a teacher at the academy.

Unfortunately, he was the Hokage now, with countless matters waiting for him to handle every day, and he hadn't taken on any new students in nearly ten years.

"Hmm? Wetland Bridge proposal? What is this? Oh, requesting five Earth Style jonin to help build a bridge? Why do you need jonin to help?"

Seeing Yuya tilting his head in confusion, Tobirama shook his head. He was just a child, after all; there were many problems he simply couldn't understand, which was perfectly normal.

Tobirama ruffled Yuya's hair and said, "With the help of jonin, this bridge can be built in a single day. Then, by next autumn, everyone will be able to go to the wetland area to gather medicinal herbs and tree fruits."

Yuya looked at Tobirama. "If that's the case, why send jonin? To build the bridge in one day, only for it to be used next autumn?"

Tobirama: "Hmm? Is there a problem with that?"

Yuya frowned at the Second Hokage. "Why not let ordinary people build the bridge?"

Tobirama waved his hand. "The efficiency of ordinary people is too low; it's better to let ninjas..."

"But Uncle, you also said this bridge won't be useful until next autumn, right?"

Tobirama opened his mouth, then frowned at Yuya. "What does a brat like you know? This isn't just about efficiency; it's also about creating a mission for five jonin.

Konoha doesn't have that many missions for ninjas to execute.

If they can't get missions, the jonin won't be able to earn payment, which will affect their strength."

Yuya: "Is that so? But I think, instead of giving payment to five jonin, wouldn't it be better to find a few hundred ordinary people and give them work until the bridge is finished?"

Yuya blinked at Tobirama, looking completely innocent.

Senju Tobirama fell into deep thought as he looked at Yuya's expression, then turned his head away with an expressionless face. "What exactly did you come here for?"

Yuya raised his hand and grinned at Senju Tobirama. "Look, look! I've already completed the first symbol of the Flying Thunder Seal!"

Senju Tobirama: "..."

"You're so proud of just the first one? Get out of here and go back to practicing." Senju Tobirama looked at his grand-nephew speechlessly.

Yuya pouted. "Once the beginning is done, isn't the rest simple? Besides, Uncle, don't forget..."

Yuya narrowed his eyes. "I spent over ten kilograms of gold on this. If we're really talking about it, Uncle, I gave you so much gold, and you're only teaching me this one ninjutsu—isn't that a bit too much?!"

Senju Tobirama understood; so that was the purpose of this kid coming over so early.

He pressed down on his throbbing temple, forced a smile, and said to Yuya, "Little Yuya, this ninjutsu is a very powerful one; it is absolutely worth the price of ten kilograms of gold."

Yuya curled his lip. "That's just what you say, Uncle. Who can guarantee whether it's worth it or not?"

How did that saying go? The artwork of a living man and the artwork of a dead man are two different prices.

Although Senju Tobirama wasn't an artist, the principle remained the same.

When Senju Tobirama was alive, he created over a thousand ninjutsu. Were those thousand-plus ninjutsu really given that much importance?

Not really. Otherwise, Namikaze Minato, a ninja of civilian origin, wouldn't have been given the opportunity to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Of course, one could say there are many reasons why Namikaze Minato was able to learn the Flying Thunder God, such as the Third Hokage's approval, his own war contributions, and his inherent talent.

But to say that this ninjutsu is currently worth a king's ransom would be impossible.

After all, Senju Tobirama himself is right here, and he is not old; he still has decades of life ahead of him.

The world is currently at peace; while there is friction between the various villages, there are no fatal incidents.

Things in times of peace are rarely worth much.

Take gold, for example.

Gold in times of war and gold in times of peace are as different as heaven and earth.

Senju Tobirama was fuming. Yes, this ninjutsu was invented by me!

In your eyes, it might not be worth more than those dozen kilograms of gold, but that is me we are talking about!

Can you learn this ninjutsu from anyone else in this world?! You cannot.

By that logic, my ninjutsu is a priceless treasure!

You couldn't buy it even if you spent all your money!

After Senju Tobirama said this to Yuya, Yuya stared back with dead fish eyes: "Then give the gold back to me."

Tobirama: "..."

Taking a deep breath, Senju Tobirama looked at Yuya and forced a very reluctant smile: "Speak, what ninjutsu do you want to learn? Nothing too outrageous, though."

Senju Tobirama's first thought was that this child wanted to learn those flashy, overpowered ninjutsu of his older brother.

To his surprise, Yuya spoke without the slightest hesitation: "Clone Technique! I want to learn the Clone Technique! The academy exam is in a few days, but I still haven't mastered it, so please teach me, Uncle Master."

Senju Tobirama's long face instantly stiffened, and then, in a fit of rage, he kicked Yuya in the backside: "Get out! Get out of here!"

I thought you wanted me to teach you calculus, and you ask me to teach you the elementary multiplication table?

Are you insulting me, the Professor of Ninjutsu?!

After chasing Yuya away, Senju Tobirama pressed his temples and sat down at his desk, rubbing his aching head while looking back at the construction proposal for the Wetland Bridge in front of him.

A moment later, Senju Tobirama cracked a smile, stood up, and vaulted out the window.

He headed straight for a certain casino on the commercial street of Konoha.