Don't Measure Geniuses By Your Standards!

When it came to choosing a martial art, Hayato resolutely settled on Baji Quan.

As the saying goes, "Taiji governs the world with its civil arts, while Baji settles the universe with its martial prowess." He had long heard of the formidable reputation of Baji Quan.

Although he possessed a solid foundation in this area, in a world where chakra reigned supreme, perfectly fusing Baji Quan with chakra to create a unique ninjutsu-taijutsu style was undoubtedly a highly challenging task.

However, Hayato was never one to retreat in the face of difficulty. Once he had an idea, he acted on it; he immediately stood firm in the courtyard and, combining the experience from his past life, began his arduous training.

The essence of Baji Quan lies in the flexible use of eight parts: head, shoulders, elbows, hands, tailbone, hips, knees, and feet. Every move and every stance contains infinite power and wisdom.

Hayato was fully focused, immersing himself in the principles and techniques of Baji Quan. He strove for precision in every movement and ensured every breath was perfectly synchronized with his strikes.

The commotion in the courtyard soon caught the attention of Shota and Misaki, the couple resting in the main hall.

"What's going on?" Misaki asked, her face full of confusion.

Shota muttered, "Could it be Hayato?" before hurrying out of the hall and heading straight for the courtyard.

Seeing this, Misaki quickly followed.

When the two arrived at the courtyard, Hayato had already finished a set of techniques, his movements fluid and natural, his momentum as imposing as a rainbow.

Shota frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, "What are you doing, Hayato?" Hayato looked up at his father, his eyes firm, and replied softly, "I'm practicing taijutsu, Dad."

Hearing his son's words, a trace of doubt couldn't help but surface in Shota's heart.

He knew his son had done some fitness training before, but practicing taijutsu—especially on his own—was unimaginably difficult.

He couldn't help but worry, saying, "Taijutsu isn't something you can just figure out on your own. You should let me..." Just as he was about to demonstrate his Kunai Throwing Technique, a hearty voice interrupted him: "Haha, good! Worthy of being my grandson!"

The Grand Elder had appeared in the courtyard at some point, his face beaming with pride and joy. After learning that Hayato had enrolled in the Ninja Academy, he had been deeply concerned and had come specifically to visit his grandson.

Seeing this, Hayato quickly stepped forward to greet him: "Hello, Grandfather!" Shota and Misaki also hurried to pay their respects to the Grand Elder.

The Grand Elder smiled, walked over to Hayato, crouched down, and patted his head.

"Little Hayato, how was the Ninja Academy today?"

Hayato replied with a smile, "It was quite interesting, Grandfather."

Shota wasn't overly angry about the Grand Elder interrupting him; after all, it was his own father.

But for the sake of his son's future, he couldn't help but offer a reminder: "Hayato, taijutsu isn't that simple. It requires someone to teach you. Otherwise, not only will you waste time, but you might also pick up bad habits."

However, Hayato said firmly, "Dad, I know what I'm doing. I'm not just messing around."

Shota crouched down, intending to lecture him again: "Why won't you listen? Even the smartest people have things they aren't capable of."

He certainly wouldn't admit that he just wanted to establish a tall, mighty image in front of his son.

At this moment, the Grand Elder spoke up dotingly: "That's enough. If Hayato says it's fine, then it's fine."

Shota said with some dissatisfaction, "Father, you spoil Hayato too much."

The Grand Elder retorted without a care.

"Could you stand the moment you were born?"

"Could you awaken the Sharingan the moment you were born?"

"No, but..." Shota was momentarily speechless.

The Grand Elder delivered the final word: "Isn't that it? Don't measure a genius by your own standards. Geniuses are always different."

Before Shota and Misaki had arrived, the Grand Elder had already been observing Hayato's taijutsu practice from the shadows. That set of techniques had been performed with such fluidity, artistic beauty, and impact that it had made him nod in secret.

Watching the Grand Elder defend him, a warm current surged through Hayato's heart. This was the special bond between grandparents and grandchildren.

Standing behind Shota, Misaki saw that the atmosphere was a bit off and quickly stepped forward to smooth things over: "Father, have you had dinner? Would you like to eat here?"

The Grand Elder waved his hand. "No need, I've already eaten!" He then looked at Hayato and said softly, "Little Hayato, let's go. It's time for what I promised you."

Hayato was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Grandfather, are you going to teach me that?"

The Grand Elder nodded with a smile: "Come with me." Soon, he led Hayato away from the courtyard.

Watching his father's retreating back, Shota couldn't help but grumble, "Father spoils Hayato far too much."

Misaki, standing to the side, smiled slightly. She understood that her husband was only this tense because his expectations for Hayato were so high. She comforted him gently, "Regardless, he is still our son."

Hearing this, Shota was slightly stunned, then laughed: "Haha, you're right. No matter what, I'm still his old man."

On the other side, the Grand Elder and Hayato arrived at the lakeside.

The sky had gradually darkened, and the sunset reflected on the lake, the crimson water rippling gently.

Standing on the shore, the Grand Elder looked at Hayato with a smile: "Watch closely, Hayato. The key to this ninjutsu is to correctly channel your chakra through hand seals, condense it in your throat, and then exhale the fireball."

After speaking, the Grand Elder slowly formed the hand seals, focusing on the lesson so Hayato could learn the sequence. He said while sealing, "Remember the sequence: Snake-Ram-Monkey-Boar-Horse-Tiger." Hayato watched intently from the side, afraid of missing a single detail.

He saw the Grand Elder finish the seals, place his right hand in a half-fist by his mouth, and puff out his cheeks.

With a loud shout, "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" a fireball about two meters in diameter erupted from his mouth, flying toward the lake.

The scorching fireball instantly evaporated the water vapor on the surface, making the already red lake appear even more crimson. The fireball lingered on the water for a moment before dissipating.

Looking at the surrounding environment, Hayato finally understood why the Grand Elder had brought him here to practice.

A place with water allowed for the safe practice of Fire Style ninjutsu, ensuring it wouldn't lead to the tragedy of burning down the mountains.

After finishing the demonstration, the Grand Elder approached Hayato. "The Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique is a C-rank jutsu, so it isn't exactly easy to learn. Hayato, if there is anything you don't understand, feel free to ask. We can take our time learning it."

However, Hayato did not ask a question right away. Instead, he walked slowly onto the surface of the lake and began to form hand seals, mimicking the Grand Elder's movements.

Once he finished the sequence of hand seals, he held his right hand in a half-fist before his mouth, took a deep breath, and shouted, "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!

A fireball with a radius of only half a meter flew out from his mouth. Although it was much smaller than the Grand Elder's, he had succeeded on his very first attempt!

What!

The Grand Elder was utterly shocked; he had not expected Hayato to master this C-rank jutsu after seeing it only once!

He couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Haha, that's my grandson for you!"

However, Hayato was not immersed in the joy of success. After dissipating the fireball, he turned back to look at the Grand Elder and asked:

"Grandfather, why must the fireball be spat out from the mouth? If the enemy were to seal one's mouth, wouldn't this jutsu be rendered useless?"

Hearing Hayato's words, the Grand Elder couldn't help but blink in confusion. He had never considered this question before; after all, the key to this jutsu lay in concentrating chakra within the throat, and it had always been passed down as a fireball spat from the mouth.

Hayato's thinking was so unconventional that it left the Grand Elder somewhat bewildered.

He felt a twinge of regret for teaching Hayato a C-rank jutsu so early, as the boy was far too clever and always managed to raise such unexpected questions.

But upon second thought, wasn't this a good thing? After all, only a child like this could possibly go further and reach higher on the path ahead.