Mentor

The next day, Nichigetsu went to the Hokage's office building to register as a ninja. The photographer stared at the five-year-old boy in front of him for a long time, unable to react, assuming the child had simply wandered into the wrong place. Only after questioning Nichigetsu repeatedly did he finally take the photo.

Nichigetsu felt dejected. Kakashi graduated at five too, so why is it so unbelievable that I did?

In truth, this world was filled with geniuses far beyond Nichigetsu. He only progressed so quickly because he possessed the experience of his past life. Compared to those gifted prodigies, Nichigetsu still had a long way to go.

Look at Kakashi Hatake: graduated at five, became a Chunin at six. Itachi Uchiha entered the Anbu at eleven. Nagato Uzumaki mastered the five elemental nature transformations by ten. Deidara left the Hidden Stone at nine and joined the Akatsuki at twelve. Obito Uchiha unleashed the Nine-Tails at fifteen, nearly destroying Konoha single-handedly!

After the photo was taken, Nichigetsu signed his name on the registration form and pressed his thumbprint.

Name: Hyuga Nichigetsu

Registration Number: 007116

Rank: Genin

Age: 5

After becoming a ninja, Nichigetsu was summoned to attend a Hyuga clan gathering. Besides him, two others from the clan had also graduated this time. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the elder head of the Hyuga clan—Hizashi's grandfather—offered them a few words of encouragement, hoping they would continue to strive for excellence.

Nichigetsu's status within the clan had risen significantly, especially after the Hokage announced he had become a disciple of Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin. Other Genin treated him with newfound respect. However, Nichigetsu could sense that while the branch family members were genuinely happy for him, the main family members—aside from the clan head, Hizashi, and a few others—looked at him with indifference, viewing him as nothing more than a lucky brat. Nichigetsu didn't mind; he had no real affection for the Hyuga main family anyway.

Nichigetsu also declared to the clan head and his kin that, as a member of the Hyuga, he would work hard to contribute to the family, help it grow prosperous and powerful, and ensure it remained the number one clan in Konoha, allowing his people to live better lives.

Of course, in his heart, Nichigetsu was referring to the Hyuga branch family. After all, the branch family was the "majority" of the Hyuga.

Most of the village's Jonin and Chunin were participating in the Great Ninja War, so Nichigetsu had not yet been assigned a mentor. The Third Hokage didn't feel comfortable sending him directly to Tsunade since he wasn't a Chunin yet, so he suggested that Nichigetsu train in the village for a while; once arrangements were made, he would join a transport team to the front lines. Nichigetsu agreed, and after discussing it with the Third, he decided to take on simple missions alone to gain experience. The Third also hoped Nichigetsu would become a Chunin as soon as possible.

Nichigetsu immediately turned into a mission fanatic. Using Shadow Clones to complete D-rank missions was incredibly simple: catching cats, weeding, picking up trash, fetching water, chopping wood... Nichigetsu turned none of them away. During this time in school, he felt his chakra reserves increase significantly, and he could now maintain his Byakugan for twenty minutes. Creating seven or eight Shadow Clones was no longer a problem for him.

The Senju bloodline is truly something else—plenty of chakra, fast recovery, and physical strength and speed that surpass ordinary people. Besides, doing more missions accumulates experience and earns money. I should buy supplies to prepare before I head out. That was Nichigetsu's reasoning.

He completed three or four D-rank missions a day, to the point where even the Third Hokage felt he was pushing himself too hard, though Nichigetsu felt little fatigue. After more than a month, he had completed over a hundred D-rank missions—essentially finishing a lifetime's worth of D-rank tasks for a typical ninja. After the village took its cut and deducted various fees, Nichigetsu earned between 1,000 and 3,000 ryo per mission, netting him a tidy sum by the end of the month.

One day, Nichigetsu was notified to meet his instructor. He sat in the empty classroom, waiting for someone to arrive.

Am I the only one? Who could this instructor be? Nichigetsu muttered to himself.

Just then, someone slid the door open and walked in. The man had long, light-blue hair, wore a Jonin flak jacket, and looked quite handsome.

This teacher is...? A familiar face, actually. Nichigetsu smiled slightly.

"Hello, I am your Jonin instructor. My name is Dan Kato," the man said, smiling at Nichigetsu.

"Hello, Teacher. My name is Hyuga Nichigetsu," Nichigetsu replied with a bow.

"Mm, from now on, you are my subordinate. Lord Hokage has ordered me to guide you in your missions. In a few days, I will take you to the front lines and hand you over to Lady Tsunade so she can teach you ninjutsu." At the mention of Tsunade, Dan Kato's face beamed with joy. Thinking about how Nichigetsu would become her student made him feel even closer to the boy. Seeing Dan's lovestruck expression at the mere thought of Tsunade, Nichigetsu thought, Heh, it seems those two really do have something going on.

"I will do my best, Teacher!"

"Then, let's introduce ourselves. I'll go first. I am twenty-seven years old, a Jonin, and my dream is to become Hokage."

"Hyuga Nichigetsu, five years old, Genin, and my dream is to open a clinic."

"Oh? Do you like studying medical arts just like Tsunade?"

"Yes. By the way, Teacher, did you just return from the front lines?"

"Yes, I just got back."

"Could you tell me about the situation on the battlefield?"

Dan Kato began to describe the state of the war: "Two years ago, the various nations began to stir, moving their troops to the borders, and the Great Ninja War officially broke out. Last year, our Konoha forces invaded the Land of Rain, engaging in a major campaign against the Hidden Stone and Hidden Sand villages. After several large-scale battles, Konoha repelled their forces and secured victory on the Rain front."

"However, the 'Demigod' of the Land of Rain, Hanzo, led the Hidden Rain forces in a surprise attack against our troops, hoping to drive us out. The Third Hokage's three disciples—Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade—led the Konoha elite to hold off the powerful Hanzo, while the main force took the opportunity to wipe out the bulk of the Rain ninja. The Land of Rain surrendered, and the three of them earned the title of the 'Legendary Sannin' because of it."

"But the war is far from over. The Hidden Stone and Hidden Sand are not reconciled to their defeat, and the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Mist are also restless. The Hidden Sand has already moved its troops to the border, and the Hidden Cloud seems to be looking for an opportunity to ambush the Hidden Stone. Lady Tsunade is currently overseeing the army, preparing to attack the Land of Wind. Orochimaru and Sakumo Hatake are monitoring the movements of the Hidden Stone and Hidden Mist, while Jiraiya has remained in the Land of Rain."

Nichigetsu pondered silently: The major war in the Land of Rain is basically over, and Konoha is about to attack the Hidden Sand. Dan Kato hasn't died in the battle against the Sand yet, so Tsunade hasn't developed her hemophobia, but Nawaki should have passed away a year or two ago. Jiraiya has already met Yahiko and the others in the Land of Rain; Nagato and his friends must be six or seven now... I suppose the Pervy Sage is currently teaching them, and that takes three years.

"Nichigetsu, you are a Genin, so you will only be doing logistical work when we reach the battlefield. You won't be sent into combat; fighting is the job of Jonin and Chunin," Dan Kato added.

Nichigetsu couldn't help but marvel. Konoha was truly different. Other villages used Genin as cannon fodder, but only Konoha paid close attention to protecting them. This gave Genin time to grow, preventing a gap in talent and cultivating a massive reserve of strength for the subsequent wars.

"Right, we still need to conduct a test. Let's head to Training Ground 10," Dan Kato said with a smile.

Huh? Don't tell me it's the bell test. That is so quintessentially Konoha, Nichigetsu thought as he followed Dan to the training ground.

These training grounds were largely identical, consisting of forests and clearings, some with small rivers or ponds. Nichigetsu and Dan Kato stood in the clearing.

"If you can grab the bells, you pass. Show me your strength and come at me!" Dan Kato shook the bells in his hand and hung them from the bottom of his Jonin flak jacket.

Isn't the bell test supposed to be about teamwork? Still, it can test my strength so Teacher Dan knows what he's working with. I might as well see how far I've come. Nichigetsu thought.

He assumed an offensive stance and activated his Byakugan. (BGM: Shippu, Takanashi Yasuharu)

"Then, Teacher, I won't hold back!" Nichigetsu struck first.

He threw nine shuriken at once and charged forward. The shuriken traced strange arcs through the air, surrounding Dan Kato from the left, right, and rear.

Dan Kato turned with ease, throwing three shuriken to deflect the three coming from behind, then drew a kunai to parry the six coming from the sides.

A Jonin's movements are so much faster than a Genin's! Nichigetsu sighed; his Byakugan was struggling to keep up with Dan Kato's muscle movements.

At this moment, the six shuriken flanking Dan Kato suddenly changed trajectory, bypassing him from both sides. Through the gap that opened in the center, Riyue lunged forward, striking out with a palm!

Dan Kato attempted to dodge, but the shuriken blocked his path on both sides. Reacting with lightning speed, he calmly caught Riyue's wrist with his left hand. As his wrist was seized, Riyue leaped up, tilted his body, and kicked toward Dan Kato's head. Smack! Dan Kato coolly raised his right hand to block the leg.

Riyue offered a faint smile. The hand that had been caught suddenly shifted from a palm to a finger, aiming to strike Dan Kato's wrist. Dan Kato reacted instantly and released his grip, but Riyue's hand continued its momentum, reaching for the bell at his waist.

"Not good. Was he intentionally letting me catch his hand just now?" Dan Kato recoiled, and Riyue's hand missed the bell by a hair's breadth.

However, while Riyue's hand appeared to be reaching for the bell, it suddenly changed direction, striking toward Dan Kato's chest!

"[Gentle Fist Art: Five-Finger Heart-Piercing Break]!" Riyue's index and middle fingers struck the left and right atria of Dan Kato's heart almost simultaneously. His thumb then pressed onto the sinoatrial node, followed by his ring and little fingers striking the ventricles, and finally, his sword-finger struck the center of the heart with blinding speed. The attack was executed in a near-instant, with incredible velocity.

"Ah!" Dan Kato let out a cry of pain, clutching his chest as he fell backward to the ground. This was a technique Riyue had developed by imitating the 'Five-Thunder Heart-Piercing Palm' based on the anatomy of the heart: using the force of five fingers to strike and destroy the autonomic nerves controlling the heartbeat and, most importantly, the sinoatrial node. It caused the enemy's heart to lose neural control, leading to cardiac paralysis and death by heart failure.

Bang! The fallen Dan Kato transformed into a puff of white smoke.

"Hm? A Shadow Clone!" Riyue was taken aback.

"That technique is dangerous, but you were careless, Riyue!" The real Dan Kato had already appeared behind him.

Riyue did not turn around; instead, he sprinted forward and leaped rapidly onto the surface of the lake.

"You can't escape!" Dan Kato followed in hot pursuit, quickly seizing the fleeing Riyue and pinning one of his arms behind his back.

Riyue, with one arm captured, smiled instead. He leaned his body tightly against Dan Kato and reached out to grab him. "Teacher, you were the careless one!"

"Hm? Another Shadow Clone!" Dan Kato was startled.

A second Riyue suddenly struck from behind Dan Kato. Dan Kato used a hand-blade to knock down the Shadow Clone he had pinned, then calmly turned around and performed a rapid sequence of hand seals.

"[Fire Style: Flame Bullet]!" A fireball erupted from his mouth, streaking across the lake and kicking up a mist of steam. The speed was so great that Riyue could not dodge, and the incoming fireball struck him head-on.

The two Riyues had attacked from front and back, yet Dan Kato had struck them both down simultaneously.

"Still too green!" Dan Kato smiled faintly, preparing to extinguish the flames on Riyue.

Bang! Bang! Both Riyues turned into smoke and vanished.

"They were all Shadow Clones?" Dan Kato paused in surprise.

"Watch this, Teacher!" A third Riyue suddenly appeared behind Dan Kato, pointing a finger toward his back. Dan Kato reacted quickly, leaping several meters to the right, but the shift in his muscles had already been captured by the Byakugan.

"Trying to jump to the right? You won't escape! [Body Flicker Technique]!" Riyue used the Body Flicker Technique, appearing instantly beside Dan Kato and striking his abdomen with a palm.

"So fast! Is that the Body Flicker Technique?" In mid-air, Dan Kato barely managed to block the strike with both hands.

Just as Dan Kato's feet were about to touch the water, a hand shot out from beneath the surface!

"What?!" Caught off guard, Dan Kato felt a smack as that finger struck his calf. Dan Kato's foot landed on the water, but instead of standing on the surface as usual, his foot sank right into the depths.

"Damn it! The chakra on my soles has lost control!" Dan Kato lost his balance, his body tilted, and he fell into the water.

The bell at his waist fell onto the surface of the water at the same time, and the hand from beneath the surface snatched it up!

"Teacher, I win!" Riyue swam up from the bottom of the lake, tossed the bell in his hand, and smiled. He deactivated his Byakugan, and the other Riyue vanished into a puff of smoke. Using three Shadow Clones this time had been a heavy drain. Riyue's breathing was slightly ragged; he felt he had only a quarter of his chakra remaining.

Dan Kato climbed out of the water, steadying himself on one leg and rubbing the calf where his chakra had been disrupted.

"You attacked me with nine shuriken, but it was actually to draw my attention and obstruct my vision. While I turned to neutralize the shuriken behind me with three of my own, you had already created three Shadow Clones, and your true self had hidden in the water."

"Then you used your clones to lure me onto the water to fight. I took out two of your clones, but I didn't expect the third to be a clone as well. Your true self had been hiding in the water all along, waiting to strike my pressure points by surprise, causing my feet to lose buoyancy and sink. The bell just happened to fall onto the water's surface, making it easy for you to grab. Is that it?" Dan Kato rubbed his head, wiping the water droplets from his hair. He summarized Riyue's tactics, feeling as though he had been outplayed.

"Yes, I've been hiding underwater since the start. It's a great place to conceal my presence. Once my clones lured you onto the water, I was just waiting for that one opening." Riyue nodded.

Dan Kato mused to himself, This child is no mere Genin; he has the strength of a full-fledged Chunin. Is he really only five years old? No wonder the Third Hokage ordered me to mentor him personally. For Tsunade to have such a student... that is truly something.

Dan Kato nodded and said, "Very good, Riyue. You pass!"