Boom!
The Great Fireball Technique engulfed the Third Hokage, and a series of explosions rang out. Li watched from a distance and slowly let out a breath. His chakra was nearly depleted. With the reserves of a Genin, he had used the Great Fireball Technique twice in a row, then launched a surprise attack by hooking a Kunai with Chakra Thread. Now, his chakra was completely spent.
When Li attacked the second time, he had planted two Kunai in the ground, with Chakra Thread tied to their ends. Then he'd used the Great Fireball Technique to obscure the Third Hokage's vision and thrown three Kunai connected to the two buried in the ground. Once Li tightened the Chakra Thread, the three Kunai embedded in the log the Third Hokage had used as a substitute would be pulled back and sent flying at him again. It was this chain of carefully linked steps that had made the surprise attack possible.
Still, this little trick could only cause the Third Hokage a bit of trouble. To think he could hurt him, even a little, was pure wishful thinking.
Sure enough, when the flames died down, the Third Hokage stood before Li without a scratch. His clothes weren't even dirty. He was looking at Li with a smile.
"Li, you have a real talent for combat. Not bad. Let's go again!" the Third Hokage said, settling into a stance.
Li frowned slightly and silently calculated the time. Three minutes had passed, leaving two minutes until he'd held out for the required five. But his chakra was already depleted.
Still, if I rely on that Genjutsu, I might be able to last another five minutes! With that thought, Li narrowed his eyes and fixed his gaze on the Third Hokage. He pushed off the ground and charged forward. If his chakra was gone, he'd make up for it with Taijutsu.
Smack! Smack!
This time, the Third Hokage was a little more serious. After only a few exchanges, he seized both of Li's hands, pinning him in place. Li turned his head slightly, his eyes a deep crimson as he looked at the Third Hokage. The moment their eyes met, the Third Hokage's mind went hazy. Realizing Li was using Genjutsu, he was amazed by the power of the Sharingan, but quickly turned his gaze away.
"Li, let's call it here for now. I've got a general idea of your abilities. Next..."
Before the Third Hokage could finish speaking, Li, whose hands he was holding, suddenly blurred and broke apart into a flock of black crows.
Caw! Caw! Caw!
The crows' cries sounded especially eerie. Dozens of them gathered in midair and re-formed into Li, whose pair of crimson Sharingan stared coldly at the Third Hokage as countless black feathers swirled around him.
"Is this Genjutsu?" The Third Hokage was startled, but quickly dismissed the possibility. Although he'd met Li's gaze, he'd broken free of the Sharingan's influence almost immediately. There'd been no sign that he'd fallen under a Genjutsu.
The water still flowed, and the breeze still blew. Everything seemed so real that it couldn't possibly have been caused by Genjutsu. But Li had undeniably transformed into a crow, something no human could do—or at least, the Third Hokage had never heard of anyone doing it.
"Release!"
The Third Hokage formed a few hand seals, disrupting the flow of chakra within his body. A strange sensation arose in his heart. It wasn't exactly unpleasant, but it was a little uncomfortable. Once he'd disrupted his chakra, the scene before his eyes suddenly changed. There were no crows. Li had been standing off to the side the whole time, without moving an inch. The Third Hokage was shaken to the core. Li had managed to put him under Genjutsu without even making eye contact. If a talented teenage ninja had used such a technique, the Third Hokage might not have been so shocked. But the one who'd used it was just a child! What's more, the Third Hokage was known as a professor. He'd studied a vast range of subjects, from Ninjutsu to Genjutsu, and yet he'd never encountered this technique before.
"Is it unique to the Uchiha Clan, or does it come with the Sharingan?" The Third Hokage shook his head, telling himself he was overthinking it.
"All right, Li, that's enough for now. Take a break, and then I'll arrange some training for you!" The Third Hokage didn't ask about the Genjutsu. Every ninja had their secrets, and even a teacher wasn't allowed to pry. Besides, Li was a member of the Uchiha Clan. If the clan found out he'd asked, who knew what people might say?
The system chimed: "Ding! Congratulations, Host! You successfully held out against the Third Hokage for five minutes and ten seconds. Mission complete. Reward: 1,000 points. Please check your balance!"
Hearing the system's notification, Li let out a small sigh of relief. He'd finally completed the mission. As the tension left him, his legs nearly gave way. He'd used every bit of strength he had to last five minutes this time: first two Great Fireballs, then the Crow Clone Technique. It had been an enormous challenge for someone with his current chakra reserves.
"Heh heh, sit down and rest a while. I'll tell you a few things about the principles behind Ninjutsu!"
Seeing Li like this, the Third Hokage smiled, full of admiration. He'd rarely seen a six-year-old accomplish so much. Perhaps only Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, back in their day, had been capable of it.
At the Third Hokage's words, Li sat down cross-legged on the spot. As he recovered his chakra, he listened to the Third Hokage explain the principles behind Ninjutsu. Whenever something confused him, Li asked a few questions. Time passed as they talked.
"Hiruzen, it's time for lunch. Invite little Li in to eat with us!"
Before they knew it, noon had arrived. The Third Hokage's wife came to call them to lunch, and they stopped their discussion. Li stood up too. After all this time, his chakra had fully recovered, and he'd even made a little progress. He dusted the dirt off his clothes and looked at the Third Hokage's wife. She was a beautiful, kind-looking woman, and her belly had grown noticeably round. She was clearly pregnant. If nothing unexpected happened, the child would be that fellow Asuma.
"Li, this is your teacher's wife!" The Third Hokage gazed at his wife with a happy smile. He was about to become a father himself.
"Greetings, Teacher's Wife!" Li bowed respectfully. Though he was small and thin, he gave the impression of a little adult.
"There's no need to be so formal. You're Hiruzen's student, which makes you family. Come inside and eat with us!"
The Third Hokage's wife was a gentle woman, dressed in a white kimono. Her soft voice made her seem every bit the devoted wife and loving mother. The Third Hokage was certainly fortunate in life: not only was he the Hokage of a village, he also had such a happy family.
Li wasn't one to be coy. Since the Third Hokage and his wife had invited him to stay for lunch, he didn't refuse. He quietly nodded, then followed them into the dining room, where the servants were already setting out the dishes and chopsticks.
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