"Lack of flexibility?"
Tsunade summed up.
Kyohiko nodded. "That's right. In my opinion, elite ninja need a lot of theoretical knowledge, but at the Genin and Chunin levels, practice matters more than theory."
Then he used tree climbing and Water Walking as examples.
"As a Genin, do I need to know why climbing trees and walking on water improve chakra control? No. I just need to know that these methods can make me stronger!"
Tsunade fell into thought.
What Kyohiko had said...
She had never considered it before, but at first hearing, it seemed to make a lot of sense.
For most Genin, a great deal of theoretical knowledge was useless. There was no point in studying it in depth.
However.
Some knowledge was essential to advance from Genin to Chunin.
"But the Second Hokage founded the system..."
"The Second Hokage was a great man, but he had his limitations too. The system itself should change with the times."
"But a lot of that knowledge is useful."
Tsunade frowned.
She wasn't arguing for the sake of it. She was debating the matter with Kyohiko and herself.
They had to be very cautious about this sort of thing. They needed to make sure the direction was right before putting anything into practice.
"You think Chunin need this knowledge, right?"
Kyohiko asked.
Tsunade nodded.
"But you also said it's only needed once someone reaches Chunin. So it shouldn't be taught at the Ninja Academy. It should be something they improve and study after becoming Genin."
Kyohiko said.
Tsunade thought it over and couldn't help agreeing.
Genin...
In practice, what they relied on most were a ninja's experience and combat skills.
"Separate it by subject, and by level..."
Tsunade's thoughts gradually became clearer.
They crammed plenty of theory into the Ninja Academy curriculum, but for most children from civilian families, it wasn't enough to help them get stronger.
From their perspective—
Instead of studying all that, they'd be better off learning the basics and spending more time improving their abilities. At least then, after graduating, they might survive on the battlefield and during missions.
Survival was what made a future possible.
That line of thinking was right.
Tsunade considered it, then said, "It's a good idea. Anything else?"
"I'm just telling you what I've encountered and thought of. How would I know what to do about it?"
Kyohiko gave an awkward laugh.
Tsunade rolled her eyes.
"So you're telling me?"
"Of course! Aren't you waiting for news in the village lately? You might as well find something to do. This is better than losing money at the gambling houses."
Kyohiko answered quite naturally.
At first, Tsunade thought he had a point, but by the end, her veins were throbbing with anger.
"You little brat, do you want a beating?"
What was that supposed to mean?
Was she destined to lose every time?
But then she thought about her luck...
All right.
Winning really was less likely than losing.
Tsunade calmed down and said, "Move those inside. That's all I have for now. Once you've finished, I'll go get the rest."
"There's more?"
Kyohiko was astounded.
Tsunade nodded. "Of course. How could anyone create so many ninjutsu without enough knowledge and practical experience?"
She sat off to the side, looking perfectly at ease. She had no intention of helping.
In truth, though, Tsunade was thinking over Kyohiko's words.
The ninjutsu taught at the Ninja Academy were very basic. Combat training consisted of kunai throwing and basic Taijutsu. They hardly taught anything about fighting.
Children from clan families were all right.
But for those from civilian families, it was deeply unfair.
Kyohiko's point...
He was clearly suggesting that she take this on and push for reforms at the Ninja Academy.
Tsunade had the influence to do it, but she had her own reservations.
Kyohiko read nearby while she pondered.
Neither disturbed the other.
After a long while, Tsunade got to her feet.
"Take your time reading. I'm leaving. If you have any questions, ask your teacher."
"Okay."
Kyohiko didn't look up.
He was completely absorbed in the books.
The journal in his hands was filled with a jumble of ideas and organized notes. Judging by what was written, it seemed to be about the process of creating the Shadow Clone Technique.
"Senju Tobirama really was a genius!"
Kyohiko couldn't help exclaiming.
Before he knew it, his stomach began to growl.
He was hungry!
He looked outside.
The sun blazed overhead, the heat was unbearable, and he was drenched in sweat.
"It's already noon?"
Kyohiko couldn't believe it.
He looked down.
He had only read four or five notebooks...
How was he supposed to get through them all?
"I need to prioritize. I'll pick out what I need most and work through the rest little by little."
Kyohiko regained his composure.
The books were precious, but they took time. He couldn't spend all his free time buried in them.
He would focus on what he needed, then turn it into strength!
What he needed most right now...
Was, of course, the Shadow Clone Technique.
He left the house, grabbed a meal, then searched around until he finally found Jiraiya at his home.
Jiraiya seemed to be writing something. There were faint traces of ink on his hands.
"What is it?"
"Teacher, I want to learn the Shadow Clone Technique."
Kyohiko said.
Jiraiya paused. "You want to use it to read?"
"Yeah. I'll practice the techniques I need right now, and have a Shadow Clone read. That way, I can do both at once."
Kyohiko nodded.
Jiraiya's expression turned serious. "That's one way to do it, but it's dangerous. If you're careless, you could even die. You have to know your limits. Don't take unnecessary risks."
"I understand."
Kyohiko nodded.
Jiraiya immediately taught him the hand seals and the tricks behind the Shadow Clone Technique.
It was a B-rank technique.
Kyohiko had already read about some of the principles behind ninjutsu. Learning the hand seals and tricks would save him time he would otherwise spend figuring them out himself.
When he got home, he studied it, then gave it a try...
Thanks to his improved chakra control and the Second Hokage's notes, he quickly grasped the trick.
Before long.
The "Shadow Clone" ability appeared under [Skills].
After trying it a few more times and studying it carefully,
he reached the "Proficient" level.
"These principles and tricks will help me improve faster and save a lot of time."
Kyohiko understood.
That only made him more eager to read.
Shadow Clone Technique!
He created a clone. After they exchanged a glance, it silently sat down to read.
Kyohiko began training.
Following Senju Tobirama's notes and his own ideas, he worked on the process of changing the "compression" property. It could serve as an exercise in "chakra control."
By evening, Tsunade went to see Jiraiya again.
"How did it go?"
"I thought it over carefully, and I think it's feasible. Here are some of the ideas I came up with. There shouldn't be too much resistance."
Jiraiya brought out his outline.
It read—
Tree climbing and Water Walking practice.
Basic ninjutsu practice.
Taijutsu.
Teamwork.
Tsunade handed over a proposal of her own. These were the changes she thought they could make—
Early training!
Jiraiya took it and looked surprised.
"Preparing potential Medical Ninjas in advance?"
"More precisely, we should start training ninja who are interested and have the talent for it early. A lot of the knowledge involved in medical ninjutsu has to be mastered ahead of time. You can't learn it all at once."
Tsunade explained.
Jiraiya nodded.
He understood, but the scale of Tsunade's proposal had caught him off guard—
This wasn't just a matter of adding a course. For the Ninja Academy, it would directly change the system and how it operated.
She had been so dispirited earlier, and now she was suddenly full of energy.
Was Kyohiko really that persuasive?
Could it be...
They'd have to rely on Kyohiko to keep her here after all?
Jiraiya pondered.
Tsunade spoke in a low voice.
"My concern is the Old Man, the old ghost in Anbu, and those two advisors. They're all hidebound. They didn't support my proposal for Medical Ninjas back then, either."
"Ahem. Don't call Danzo that. He was once a student of the Second Hokage, and he's done a lot for the village."
Jiraiya gave a light cough.
Tsunade curled her lip in disdain.
"That was then. Look at what they're doing now."
"Well..."
Jiraiya sighed, knowing she was right.
Take the matter of Hatake Sakumo, for instance.
At the very least, the Third Hokage bore responsibility for turning a blind eye and failing to act. As for the man in Anbu, that was even harder to say. He'd sensed something was wrong at the time, but hadn't expected Sakumo to go to such extremes.
Talking about it left both him and Tsunade feeling dispirited and disappointed.
Still.
Looking at the outline in their hands, Jiraiya and Tsunade felt encouraged again.
"Should we ask Orochimaru?"
"Him?"
Tsunade thought it over, then nodded. "All right. If we can get his support, the three of us can submit it together. We should have a sure thing."
"Yeah."
Before you continue