"Monster"-Like Training Speed

Hinata walked ahead with her head lowered, her pace unhurried.

"Good morning, Hinata!"

Akimichi Denji walked up to her and greeted her.

"De... Denji-kun. Good morning..."

When Hinata saw Denji coming toward her, a flicker of delight passed through her pale eyes. But then she noticed Yamanaka Ino walking beside him in a skirt, and shyly lowered her head.

She was still very timid.

Ino stomped her foot in annoyance and hurried after them.

Denji handed her a bag of scallion pancakes.

"Here's your breakfast. I couldn't finish it."

Hinata was about to refuse, but the boy had already firmly pressed the food into her arms.

She lowered her head and said, "Thank you."

Feeling the warmth of the breakfast in her arms, the corners of her mouth lifted in a small smile.

As they walked past the Nara Clan's home, they saw Nara Shikamaru.

"Everyone's here. Let's go to class together."

"Hey, Ino, you're wearing new clothes today!"

Nara Shikamaru seemed to notice all of a sudden and asked.

"None of your business!"

The girl answered rudely.

Shikamaru's mouth twitched stiffly.

"Women... You can never tell what they're thinking..."

The group headed to the Ninja Academy together.

There weren't many people in the classroom that early in the morning. Sasuke Uchiha, who lived the farthest away, was already there, sitting quietly.

Once everyone had arrived, Iruka walked in.

"This morning, we'll continue with our theory lessons. At the end of class, I'll assign an essay on the Will of Fire."

"Those who write well might even have their work read by Lord Hokage!"

Everyone gasped when they heard that.

"Grandpa Third is going to read it?! Really?!" Naruto sprang up from his seat, the chair legs scraping against the floor with a shrill screech. His face was alight with unrestrained joy.

Grandpa Third might read his essay on the Will of Fire? Just thinking about it made his blood race!

But the very next second, his excitement deflated like a punctured balloon.

Scratching the back of his head with a troubled expression, he said, "Last time, my essay was covered in crosses... We have to write another one... How do I even do that?"

"What a drag..." Shikamaru muttered, promptly slumping over his desk. "Now I've got to use my brain again."

Denji chuckled to himself. The Third really did care about this sort of thing. Was he going to open every speech with "the Will of Fire"?

But his own fellow disciples were the ones who undermined the Will of Fire the most.

Recalling what had happened the previous day, a shadow fell over Denji's eyes.

He glanced at the energy notifications constantly popping up on his panel.

Shimura Danzō... There's no need to rush. Just you wait...

Suppressing his irritation, he focused on the essay in front of him.

In his previous life, he'd only been a fitness enthusiast, but at least he'd endured the nightmarish gauntlet of China's exam-oriented education system.

Writing an essay that echoed the old man's ideas and aligned with Konoha's core values was no problem for him.

Smoke drifted through the Hokage's office.

Akimichi Choza stood before the desk, his massive frame imposing. His voice was low as he said, "Lord Hokage, Lord Danzō approached Denji yesterday."

He paused without saying more, but they both understood what he meant.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's hand stilled around his pipe.

He had already decided to protect Denji. He just hadn't expected Shimura Danzō to approach the boy in private anyway.

"I'll have a word with Danzō. There's no need to worry. Denji is one of Konoha's own."

Reassured by Sarutobi Hiruzen's promise, Choza felt somewhat relieved, but continued, "Although Denji returned from the Land of Rain, Akimichi blood truly runs through his veins."

"Over the past two days, I taught him our clan's Chakra Refinement Technique and Akimichi Secret Technique. He mastered both completely in just two days."

"Two days?!" Sarutobi Hiruzen's pipe, which he had held for years, clattered onto the desk and rolled a few times.

His weathered face bore a rare look of shock. His eyes widened, and a storm roiled in their depths.

As the man known as the Professor of Ninjutsu, he knew all too well how difficult it was to learn secret techniques.

Secret techniques were called that not only because they were controlled by the great clans, but also because they were more difficult to learn and had stricter requirements than other ninjutsu.

Some techniques could only be learned by those with a specific bloodline.

The Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu was one example.

The Akimichi Clan's Butterfly Transformation, the Nara Clan's Shadow Secret Technique, and the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Transfer Jutsu were the same.

If there had still been any doubt about Denji's bloodline, that statement swept it all away.

Without Akimichi blood, it was impossible to learn the Akimichi Clan's secret techniques, let alone master them so quickly.

A ninjutsu genius!

No, no.

Even he, the Professor of Ninjutsu, would need at least a month to master a secret technique.

There was absolutely no way he could learn one in just two days.

Akimichi Denji had only been refining chakra for two days.

He wasn't merely a genius.

He was a monster.

Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but raise Denji's importance in his mind by another level.

Konoha had long since lost its sharpest blade, the White Fang. His three disciples, known as the Sannin, had one after another left the village. His beloved disciple, the Yellow Flash, had died during the Nine-Tails Incident. And the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki had yet to grow up and could not be put to use.

Konoha was in a period where the old generation was fading and the new one had yet to rise. The village was short on fighting strength.

That was precisely why they had to protect the seedlings of the next generation.

Seeing that the time was right, Choza brought up another reason for his visit.

"Also, Denji's constitution is a little unusual. He seems to have untapped potential in Yang Release. I'd like Lady Tsunade to examine him."

Reporting Denji's talent was one reason for coming today, but simply letting Sarutobi Hiruzen know about it wouldn't be enough.

Thinking of the prodigies from the Aburame and Yamanaka clans who had been forced away, Choza couldn't help feeling a shadow of worry settle over him.

So the best way forward was to find Denji a powerful protector. Denji had no roots within the clan, and that alone wasn't enough to bring the Ino-Shika-Cho clans together.

After all, talent was only talent. Until it was realized, it was no more useful than wastepaper.

A genius who hadn't yet grown up wasn't a genius. Too many prodigies in the Shinobi World had died before their time.

Someone powerful enough to shield Denji would be ideal. And if he became Tsunade's disciple, that would be another matter entirely.

"The Akimichi Clan specializes in Yang Release ninjutsu. Even you can't figure out what might be hidden in Denji's constitution?"

"Denji's constitution may have undergone some changes. Our clan only has expertise in combat ninjutsu and medicinal cuisine. We're not skilled in Medical Ninjutsu. That's why I'd like Lady Tsunade to..."

Choza stopped, leaving the rest unsaid, though his meaning was clear.

Sarutobi Hiruzen rubbed his brow helplessly and picked up his pipe. He took a long drag.

Tsunade? With that temperament of hers, there was no way he could persuade her to return. If this gave her a reason to come back, though, it would be a good thing.

Then Sarutobi Hiruzen remembered that he'd assigned an essay on the Will of Fire for the students today. He hesitated, but ultimately decided to see how Denji's essay turned out first.