Cultivation! (Seeking Follow-up Reads, Monthly Votes)

"Finally back!"

Looking at the gates of Konoha, Shita Genichi let out a long sigh of relief.

This mission had taken less than three days from start to finish, making it the least time-consuming mission he had ever carried out.

Yet, it was also the most dangerous and the one with the most intense combat.

To be honest, back by the lake, if it hadn't been for Hatake Sakumo returning in time, he and Uchiha Namiichi might truly have been finished off by the Sunagakure Ninja.

After all, both of them had been at the end of their rope by that point.

That was perhaps the closest he had ever been to death.

Now that he was back in Konoha, his tightly wound nerves finally relaxed, and Shita Genichi felt an inexplicable sense of belonging to Konoha.

People really do crave stability!

Shita Genichi sighed to himself.

He wasn't the only one whose spirits had relaxed; Yamanaka En couldn't help but stretch and laugh, "Once I get back, I'm definitely going to sleep for a long time."

Although Uchiha Namiichi kept a cold face, it was clear that his entire body had also loosened up.

Upon entering the village, Hatake Sakumo smiled and said, "Dismissed!"

"Yes!"

Shita Genichi and the other two responded in unison, then vanished from the spot using the Body Flicker Technique, each heading home.

Hatake Sakumo, however, could not return home just yet.

He made his way to the Hokage Building at top speed and was soon granted an audience with the Hokage.

In the Hokage Office.

Hatake Sakumo gave a complete report on the entire process of the mission.

Sarutobi Hiruzen listened while puffing on his pipe, feeling somewhat surprised by Shita Genichi's performance.

Although Shita Genichi was a genius in his own right and had performed well in the year since his graduation, this time he had been exceptionally outstanding.

It wasn't just his combat power, but his overall grasp of the big picture and his decision-making in the heat of battle; such a mindset was extremely rare.

With that kind of thinking and decisiveness, if his strength were to increase further, he would become another excellent ninja capable of handling tasks on his own.

After listening, Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a cloud of smoke and said, "Genichi is an outstanding child; we should cultivate him further."

Hatake Sakumo nodded, "Understood!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen continued, "Since Genichi and Namiichi performed so well on this mission, the village will reward them with the opportunity to choose a ninjutsu."

"Namiichi can choose a B-rank ninjutsu, and Genichi... he may choose any, excluding forbidden techniques that cannot be practiced."

Hatake Sakumo was startled to hear this. Was this an attempt to cultivate another Namikaze Minato?

However, surprise quickly gave way to joy, and he hurriedly said, "I believe Genichi will not disappoint you, Lord Hokage."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded with a smile.

He believed it too.

Whether in terms of ideology or innate talent, he held high hopes for Shita Genichi.

He hoped that in ten years, Shita Genichi would be another Namikaze Minato, becoming a sharp blade for Konoha.

After Hatake Sakumo left the Hokage Building, the files of Shita Genichi and the other two were updated with the record of having completed an S-rank mission.

As for what the mission was—top secret!

It was already evening by the time Shita Genichi woke up.

After lingering in bed for five minutes and washing up, he went downstairs to help out at the dumpling shop.

Once he finished dinner, Shita Genichi wandered out alone and took a stroll until he reached the outside of Shizune's home.

Unfortunately, Shizune was not there.

After thinking for a moment, Shita Genichi made his way over to Tsunade's place.

After he knocked on the door, it was indeed Shizune who opened it.

"Genichi!"

Shizune was pleasantly surprised.

Then, from behind her, came Tsunade's lazy voice: "Who is it?"

Shita Genichi followed Shizune inside and saw Tsunade sitting on the veranda, holding a bottle of sake.

"Lord Tsunade, I am Shita Genichi."

Shita Genichi bowed in greeting.

Tsunade squinted her eyes: "Oh, it's you!"

Their first meeting.

Although Shita Genichi was very polite and quite handsome, Tsunade still wasn't particularly impressed: "Kid, what are you here for?"

This was a question with an obvious answer.

Shita Genichi turned the thought over in his mind and replied honestly: "Lady Tsunade, I'm here to find Shizune so we can go to the hospital to study."

Tsunade glanced at Shita Genichi: "I heard you have a lot of talent in medical ninjutsu?"

Shita Genichi said: "Actually, it's just average; I just work harder than others."

"I have more talent in Water Release."

This was a fact.

When it came to Water Release, even without a cheat code, he could be considered talented.

Unfortunately, his chakra volume was a limitation.

Shizune chimed in to help: "Lady Tsunade, Genichi is very hardworking; he rarely has time to rest."

Tsunade's impression of Shita Genichi improved quite a bit, and her tone became less prickly: "I heard you're also learning sealing jutsu from that idiot Jiraiya?"

"At your age, you should focus on one direction."

Shita Genichi scratched his head and said helplessly: "Lady Tsunade, it's because it's become very difficult for me to make progress in Water Release."

"Performing Water Release in an environment without water requires a massive amount of chakra, and my chakra is severely limited."

"That's why I wanted to learn other things."

"I feel that sealing jutsu might be able to solve my dilemma."

Tsunade frowned slightly upon hearing this: "Chakra volume... you shouldn't have to worry about chakra volume at your age, should you?"

Indeed, compared to his peers, Shita Genichi's chakra volume was definitely not small.

After all, he was seven years old, but he actually possessed the physique of a fourteen-year-old.

Shita Genichi didn't offer an explanation; instead, he immediately formed hand seals.

Snake!

The next moment, water droplets condensed around Shita Genichi, gathering into a stream that swirled around his body.

Tsunade's eyes widened slightly as she watched this scene; for a moment, it was as if she were seeing her great-uncle.

In an environment without water, using a jutsu like Water Formation Wall at this scale consumed more than three times the usual amount of chakra.

He released his hands, and the water swirling around him immediately dispersed, vanishing drop by drop.

But then, Shita Genichi opened his hands, palms facing downward, and formed the "Zai" seal, followed by bringing his hands together in a prayer position.

Water droplets rapidly condensed once more, forming a stream that circled his body and surged upward.

Similar!

Too similar!

Tsunade was stunned.

Shita Genichi ended the ninjutsu and said: "Lady Tsunade, if I perform Water Release like this, my chakra can only support three jutsu at most."

The Water Release he mastered required a large volume to be truly powerful.

Tsunade snapped out of it and said: "Your Water Release is indeed quite good."

"Three jutsu is already enough."

"You're still young, and the missions you carry out won't be too dangerous."

"When you grow up and your body develops, your chakra will increase further."

Shita Genichi knew this as well.

Although he already possessed the physical fitness of a fourteen-year-old, his physical development hadn't stopped.

By the time he reached fourteen, his own chakra limit would certainly double.

But who would ever complain about having too little chakra?

Not to mention Shita Genichi, who lacked a sense of security and preferred things to be "big."

During this last mission, Shita Genichi had to calculate every bit of his resources and pop Military Ration Pill from time to time; that feeling wasn't pleasant.

Not only did Military Ration Pill taste bad, but they weren't pills that directly replenished chakra; they required time to digest.

Tsunade naturally didn't understand Shita Genichi's urgency and sense of crisis, so she kindly advised: "Don't push yourself too hard; it's not good for your development."

"Don't end up not growing tall!"

As she spoke, a teasing smile tugged at the corner of Tsunade's mouth.

Shita Genichi could only offer an awkward laugh.

He couldn't exactly just ask Tsunade if he could learn the Yin Seal.

Just explaining how he knew about that information would be difficult enough.

Sigh, what a headache.