Everyone Get Out of the Way, I'm About to Show Off!

After the brief, dazzling white light faded, Kuming and the others slowly opened their eyes. However, due to the effects of the Third Hokage's technique, Kuming saw many illusory white spots, which gave him a sense of vertigo.

"This feeling is just like being hit by a flashbang."

Because his eyes were uncomfortable, Kuming closed them again. After a while, he slowly adapted, and when he opened his eyes once more, his vision returned to normal.

"Damn old man, couldn't you have given a heads-up before using that technique?" On the sidelines, Kotaro Sarutobi's reaction was far more miserable than Kuming's, who had been closer. His reflex to close his eyes hadn't been as quick as Kuming's; he was currently wiping his eyes with his hands while tears streamed down his face. Beside him, Minato Namikaze had already recovered and was busy fussing over Kushina.

"It is indeed a very practical ninjutsu."

Kuming regained his focus and nodded.

Although this ninjutsu only required three simple hand seals and was merely a basic C-rank technique, its utility was undeniable. If the enemy was caught off guard, it was easy to seal their vision; by acting with intent against the unprepared, this single burst could easily create an opportunity for a sneak attack.

Even for escaping, it was quite practical; when smoke bombs were unavailable, the value of this technique became apparent.

"If I use this technique in conjunction with my Mind's Eye of the Kagura, it will be very easy to seize the initiative."

"The only drawback is that the duration is a bit short, and it's not even on the same level as Kabuto the Sage's Sage Art: White Rage Technique."

Uzumaki Kuming secretly compared it to the White Rage Technique. Kabuto the Sage's White Rage Technique generated intense light and high-frequency vibrations, capable of sealing both the opponent's vision and hearing. Furthermore, its duration was quite long; during combat, relying on the sensory capabilities of the Snake Sage, it had easily locked down the joint assault of Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha at the time.

While this technique couldn't compare to the White Rage Technique, it was perfectly suited for Kuming at his current stage.

"How about it, Kuming? Try this technique."

"The sequence of seals is..."

The Third Hokage was about to demonstrate the hand seal sequence for Kuming again, fearing that Kuming hadn't seen it clearly the first time.

But before he could even begin, Kuming, standing before him, mimicked the posture Hiruzen Sarutobi had just used. He interlaced his fingers to form the "Snake" seal and softly called out: "Lightning Style: Lightning Pillar!"

"Kuming, the Lightning Pillar requires three seals, not one—" The Third Hokage intended to correct Kuming's sequence, but before he could finish, a dazzling, intense light erupted from Kuming's hands. It was even more intense than the light from the technique he had just performed, and the sound of "crackle-crackle" electricity echoed through the air, stinging the eardrums of everyone present.

Uzumaki Kuming actually had no idea what the principle behind the Lightning Pillar's seals was; he only knew the purpose of the technique was to generate intense light to seal an enemy's vision. Therefore, he simply tried to channel his chakra to produce a bright light—it was that simple. As for the hand seal, it was entirely superfluous; he just thought it would look cooler to have one.

"Ah! Again?"

Kotaro Sarutobi, who had only just adjusted to the current light and opened his eyes, was immediately hit by Kuming's technique once more. He failed to dodge it again, and the intense light forced him to shut his eyes tightly. On the other hand, Minato, standing to his side, seemed to have been prepared; he stood face-to-face with Kushina, shielding her vision with his back to Kuming.

As for Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was standing with Kuming, he was caught directly in the blast and couldn't open his eyes for a moment.

"So that's how it is. As long as I keep injecting chakra, this technique can be maintained indefinitely."

"However, the chakra consumption rate is quite high. Based on my current reserves, I could probably only maintain it for about an hour."

Uzumaki Kuming closed his eyes to calculate the chakra consumption of the technique, stopping after a short while. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Hiruzen Sarutobi standing there with his eyes squeezed shut and a dazed expression.

"Well, Teacher Hiruzen, I've already learned this technique."

"It's quite useful, though it does consume a fair amount of chakra."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, standing before Kuming, heard his words. It took a long time for his vision to recover, and as he slowly opened his eyes, he looked shocked but nodded nonetheless. "I never expected your talent for ninjutsu to be so astonishing."

"You are correct about the drawback. As everyone knows, Lightning Style ninjutsu is the most chakra-intensive of all."

"Don't be fooled by the fact that this technique only lasted about three seconds; for an average Genin, they would be out of chakra after using it four or five times."

"Therefore, when using this technique, you must choose the right moment to release it to maximize its effect."

The Third Hokage clearly hadn't expected Kuming to learn the technique instantly, nor that he would completely ignore the standard hand seal rules. Despite his shock, he cleared his throat and assumed the air of a strict teacher, instructing Kuming on how to properly utilize the technique.

"Teacher, what did you just say? An average Genin can only use it four or five times? And the duration is only about three seconds?"

Kuming instantly caught the key point in Hiruzen Sarutobi's words.

"That's right. Lightning Style ninjutsu is inherently very taxing on chakra. For an average Genin, being able to perform four or five C-rank ninjutsu is already quite impressive. A Genin capable of performing five C-rank Lightning Style techniques is already a standout among their peers."

"Come to think of it, you are of the Uzumaki Clan; your chakra reserves far exceed those of your peers. Kuming, how many times do you estimate you could perform this technique with your current reserves?"

Hearing Kuming's question, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly realized something, stroked his beard, and asked thoughtfully.

If I calculate it fully, an average Genin's limit is probably 15 seconds. Based on my current chakra, that's equivalent to about 240 Genin. I wonder how many 'kaks' that would be...

Although he was calculating this in his mind, Kuming didn't say it that way when answering Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Me? Based on my current chakra levels, I should be able to release it about eight times."

Uzumaki Kuming lowered his head, pretending to think for a moment before speaking. Upon hearing Kuming's answer, Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't look surprised this time; instead, he said with an approving expression: "As expected of the Uzumaki Clan. Kuming, you're only seven years old this year, right!"

"To possess such vast chakra at only seven years old is truly outstanding!"

"Even average Genin don't have as much chakra as you."

"Truly impressive."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face was full of satisfaction, seemingly pleased by Kuming's talent for ninjutsu. After a moment of thought, he turned to Kuming and said: "In that case, I might as well teach you a B-rank ninjutsu."

"Given your current chakra levels, performing a B-rank ninjutsu shouldn't be a problem."

"As for the C-rank ninjutsu, I will have someone send you a scroll later so you can study it on your own. If you encounter anything you don't understand while studying, just come to the Hokage's office and ask me."

"Looking at you, it seems you don't need to practice basic chakra control; Lady Mito has trained you very well in that regard."

The so-called training for chakra control was nothing more than tree-climbing and water-walking. Kuming had mastered these basics when he was three or four years old. Although Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't know the exact level of Kuming's control, after seeing that display just now, even a fool would know that Kuming didn't need to practice such basic exercises.

"A B-rank Lightning Style ninjutsu? Great, I want to learn it!"

The B-rank ninjutsu Hiruzen Sarutobi mentioned referred to the power of the technique, but in terms of learning difficulty, the one he was about to teach Kuming was actually more challenging than the average B-rank technique.

The classification of ninjutsu is generally based on its destructive power, and as a rule, the difficulty of learning a technique is directly proportional to its potency. Conventionally, it is impossible for an S-rank power technique to have a C-rank learning difficulty; only with a sufficiently deep understanding of the art can one unleash a truly powerful ninjutsu.

The technique Hiruzen Sarutobi intended to teach Jiuming was, in truth, entirely unsuitable for a genin. He merely wanted to give Jiuming a bit of a hard time; after all, Jiuming's talent was too overwhelming. If he taught him something and the boy mastered it in an instant, what use would he be as a teacher?

This technique was, in essence, a show of force from Hiruzen Sarutobi to humble Jiuming.

"The difficulty of learning this technique is very high. Even if an average genin manages to master it, they rarely have the opportunity to unleash it."

"Because those genin cannot keep up with the hand seal speed; they would be interrupted before they could even finish the sequence."

As Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke, his hands began to form seals with incredible speed. It was so fast that Jiuming's naked eye couldn't track it, forcing him to activate his Mind's Eye of the Kagura to observe the sequence through sensory perception.

"Here goes! Lightning Style: Thunder Dragon!"

For some unknown reason, Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted excitedly. After completing forty-four hand seals, he clapped his hands together and roared. A dragon composed entirely of lightning appeared out of thin air. The nearly five-meter-long beast circled in the air before diving straight toward the open space of the training ground.

The next second, the Thunder Dragon dissipated. The area within nearly ten meters where it landed was completely engulfed in lightning. A moment later, sand and stones flew as a powerful gust of wind struck, causing Jiuming to lose his footing.

"What a powerful ninjutsu!"

The Lightning Style technique unleashed by the Third Hokage generated such a violent gale that even Kushina and the others watching from afar had to lean their bodies to resist the aftermath. Once the strong wind subsided, a clear depression had appeared in the clearing where the dragon had struck, and the weeds that once covered the ground were long gone, leaving behind only gray ash.

Between the cracks in the soil, flickers of electricity still danced, and visible steam rose from the scorched earth.

"So... so amazing!" At this moment, Jiuming truly witnessed the strength of the Third Hokage. Against such power, an ordinary ninjutsu wouldn't even stand a chance of blocking it. Aside from the cumbersome hand seals, once this technique succeeded, its attack speed, range, and sheer destructive power were enough to easily crush most ninja.

"However..."

"Why does this technique feel so familiar? Could this be the lightning-version of the Water Dragon Bullet?"

"Do I really need forty-four seals? Is the old man trying to mess with me?"

After regaining his composure, Jiuming realized something was off. Although this technique was far more powerful than the Water Dragon Bullet, it looked eighty percent similar.

Jiuming vaguely remembered watching the battle between Zabuza and Kakashi, where they traded Water Dragon Bullets. At the time, he thought it was incredibly cool to see them frantically weaving seals to clash.

But later, he saw the battle between the Second Hokage and Izuna Uchiha, where the Water Dragon Bullet required only a few seals. He realized then that Zabuza was just a scrub.

Requiring forty-four seals for a single Water Dragon Bullet was absurd. And Kakashi, who fought him, was even more ridiculous for foolishly copying all forty-four seals; why not just use a different ninjutsu to finish it?

Waiting for the opponent to finish their seals was just plain bizarre.

I suspect you're teaching me this to get me killed, but I have no evidence.

Thinking this, Jiuming's expression toward Hiruzen Sarutobi became strange. Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi was feeling quite pleased, a smile hanging on his face as he thought, Kid, you must be stunned by my technique. Can you learn this one in a flash?

"How is it, Jiuming? This technique isn't bad, right?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked with a smile.

"You really got me, Teacher Sarutobi. Jumping straight from three seals to forty-four."

"Are you teaching advanced mathematics? I zoned out for a second in class, and you went from 1+1=2 to filling the entire blackboard?"

Looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi, Jiuming sighed inwardly, as if recalling his old math classes—even though he hadn't actually zoned out today.

"Stupid old man, your seals are so fast, how could someone as young as him possibly learn this!"

"And with so many seals, how could he remember them all at once!"

Before Jiuming could reply, Sarutobi Kotaro, who was watching from the side, shouted out. At first, he had been astonished that Jiuming mastered the Lightning Pillar instantly, thinking his father had indeed taken on a genius. But the next moment, he saw Sarutobi teaching the Thunder Dragon, and even as his own son, he couldn't stand the sheer leap in difficulty.

"Teacher, you were a bit fast with the seals just now. I didn't catch a few of them; please do it one more time."

Jiuming hadn't slacked off on his hand seal training over the years, but since Sarutobi had used forty-four, even though he had seen them clearly through his Mind's Eye of the Kagura, he hadn't memorized the sequence that quickly. Recalling the order in his mind, he asked for a repeat to consolidate his memory.

"Alright, I'll slow down and perform the sequence again. Watch closely, it goes like this..."

Hiruzen didn't think for a second that Jiuming could learn it all at once, so he had already planned to do it again. He even intended to write down the sequence so Jiuming could practice it for a while to get familiar with the seals first.

He could also take this opportunity to plan how to guide a genius. After all, there was a huge difference between a genius ninja and an average one; only a customized training plan could fully develop a genius's talent, whereas average ninja could just follow the standard curriculum.

As Hiruzen Sarutobi pondered how to teach Jiuming, his hands moved through the seals. With his level of familiarity, he could multitask without making a single mistake.

This time, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a full twenty-two seconds. A steady pace of two seals per second was as slow as a turtle for him. However, to Sarutobi Kotaro and the others, his speed was still incredibly fast.

"Amazing, the Third Hokage's seal speed is so fast." Kushina couldn't suppress her admiration for the Third Hokage.

"Indeed, Lord Hokage's strength is the greatest in the village. Even when slowed down, it's not something an ordinary ninja can compare to."

Minato echoed Kushina's words, and the praise from his companions made Sarutobi Kotaro feel a sense of reflected pride.

While the group on the sidelines chatted, Jiuming was focused entirely on memorizing the sequence. Forty-four seals seemed like a lot, but if you viewed them as a single sentence, it was actually quite short!

"Lightning Style! Thunder Dragon!" Soon, Hiruzen Sarutobi completed the seals once more. With a soft call, another lightning dragon appeared out of thin air, though this one was smaller than the previous one. It seemed Hiruzen had used less chakra for this demonstration.

"Jiuming, this is the sequence for the technique. Did you memorize it this time?" Although Hiruzen asked, he didn't truly believe Jiuming could remember such a complex sequence.

"If you haven't, I can demonstrate it again." When it came to teaching, Hiruzen Sarutobi showed plenty of patience.

However, just as Hiruzen was preparing to watch the show, Jiuming had already begun.

Back when I was a sign language interpreter for Zhu Guangquan, even though I was forced to quit and become a teacher, my hand speed is still among the best in the country!

Jiuming steeled himself and began weaving the seals rapidly. His speed was no less impressive than Hiruzen's two-seals-per-second pace. The extreme speed and precise sequence made Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils shrink.

"How is this possible?" Hiruzen watched in shock, forgetting to even check if Jiuming made any mistakes.

"So fast! This guy's seal speed is so fast!" Sarutobi Kotaro had already exclaimed aloud.

"Lightning Style: Thunder Dragon!"

Jiuming had already finished forming his hand seals and let out a loud shout; the next second, his entire body was rapidly enveloped by his own chakra.

"Nani? What is this? Did the brat mess up the seals?" Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the anomaly emerging from Jiuming's body, his heart skipping a beat as this was clearly not the sign of a Thunder Dragon technique.

The next second, a formidable lightning-attribute chakra rapidly surged outward from Jiuming. Hiruzen Sarutobi was quick-witted and agile, retreating instantly, though he did not forget to grab the three children watching the training on the sidelines as he left. However, by the time he arrived, Minato Namikaze had already scooped up Kushina Uzumaki in his arms and sprinted several meters away.

Hiruzen Sarutobi snatched up his own son and fled, and soon, the turbulence of Jiuming's chakra reached their position.

"BOOM!!!"