"At your age, they probably haven't taught you about chakra natures at school yet, but the Uchiha ninjas must have told you.
"Chakra has several natures: Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, Water, Yin, and Yang. Ninjutsu involves both shape transformation and nature transformation, while Medical Ninjutsu is a form of Yang Release nature transformation.
"Oh, right. Have you tested your chakra nature yet? Never mind, those tests aren't very accurate. Just gather some chakra and let me see it for myself."
In the end, Uchiha Gen decided to learn Medical Ninjutsu from Tsunade. Her words had certainly caught his interest.
Besides, Medical Ninjutsu could come in handy in all sorts of situations.
He raised a hand and gathered a ball of chakra.
"Oh? That's some really 'lively' chakra. You're an Uchiha with such strong Yang Release? You've got all the chakra natures—a genius, just like the other one I found."
After Uchiha Gen gathered his chakra, Tsunade stuck a finger into it. A glimmer of green light flickered at her fingertip, and she spoke softly.
"..."
Uchiha Gen had already tested his chakra natures with Chakra Paper, so he knew full well that he had mastered all of them.
But Tsunade could identify someone else's chakra natures without using Chakra Paper. Her skill in Medical Ninjutsu at this point in time was even greater than he'd expected.
"Before we start the lesson, go catch a few fish. Remember, they have to be alive."
At her words, Uchiha Gen stood up and left.
Before long, he returned to where Tsunade was, carrying several fish. The Naka River was teeming with fish, and catching a few was easy for him.
"That was quick. Hm? Why did you tie them up like that?"
Tsunade was sitting in a nearby tree, studying a bundle of scrolls. Looking at the fish in Uchiha Gen's hands, tied into shapes like bows, she asked in puzzlement.
"They'll stay alive longer this way. Let's begin."
"That's a first. Well, let's start with the simplest Healing Jutsu. Open your Sharingan and watch closely."
While Tsunade was teaching Uchiha Gen Medical Ninjutsu,
on the bank of the Naka River,
Jiraiya was watching Minato Namikaze with a serious expression.
"Minato, your attacks are missing some of their usual edge. That's not like you."
He caught Minato Namikaze's punch with one hand and asked in a low voice.
Minato had been distracted ever since their training began.
"Jiraiya-sensei, is the war really going to start? Why isn't anyone trying to stop it?"
Minato Namikaze looked bewildered. As an orphan, he knew all too well how cruel war could be.
If war broke out again, many children would end up just like him. That was something Minato didn't want to see.
"Minato, your dream is to become Hokage, right?"
Looking at the bewildered Minato, Jiraiya reached out and ruffled his yellow hair with a smile.
"I want to become Hokage and make Konoha better. I also want... to change things. War is something that shouldn't exist in the first place."
Minato clenched his fist and voiced what he thought was an incredibly presumptuous idea.
As he spoke, his fist trembled slightly. He remembered a conversation he'd had with Uchiha Gen one night.
He'd asked Uchiha Gen why there was war in the Shinobi World.
Gen had answered that it was because of greed and self-interest, as well as the instinctive desire to survive.
Minato could understand greed and self-interest, but... what did an instinctive desire to survive mean?
Didn't war bring people closer to death?
Back then, he hadn't pressed Uchiha Gen for an answer.
He'd thought about the question ever since, but even now, he still couldn't figure it out.
As he pondered it, though, another question had occurred to him. If wars started because people wanted to survive, why did they bring people closer to death?
If he could change that outcome, could he bring about peace?
"War... is something that shouldn't exist in the first place? Minato, could it be you? The one the Toad Sage asked me to find... the savior?"
Watching Minato's bewilderment give way to determination, Jiraiya murmured under his breath.
"Jiraiya-sensei, I'll find a way to make sure Konoha is never caught up in war again. I'll become Hokage, change everything, and then... protect...
"Jiraiya-sensei, I think... I've found my own ninja way."
Minato raised his hand and looked at his tightly clenched fist.
"Hahaha, is that so? Then as your teacher, I'll have to train you until you're strong enough to follow your ninja way through to the end. Here, Minato. As a reward for finding your path, sign your name."
Jiraiya looked at Minato and laughed. At that moment, he felt he'd found the person he'd been looking for—the one who could save the world.
Still smiling, Jiraiya formed a Hand Seal, and a huge scroll appeared in front of him. He pushed it open and spread it across the ground, then spoke with a smile.
"Jiraiya-sensei... what is this?"
Minato stared at the scroll on the ground and the names written on it, momentarily stunned.
"This is the greatest Present I can give you, Sensei. From now on, you'll be the next inheritor of Mount Myoboku."
Jiraiya reached out and ruffled Minato's hair vigorously.
"Old man, I think I finally understand the Will of Fire you spoke of. New leaves, grow strong and tall."
In the nearby woods,
"Tch, the Sharingan sure makes learning new Jutsu convenient. Now use that Healing Jutsu you just learned to save it, but don't damage its nerves or flesh."
Tsunade grabbed a fish from beside her and slammed it onto the ground. Then she spoke to Uchiha Gen, whose hands were covered in a faint green glow.
"..."
Looking at the fish Tsunade had smashed into a pancake, Uchiha Gen fell silent.
Aside from the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique, he couldn't think of any way to save a fish like that.
Before you continue