Contribution

Ninja Hospital.

Hiruzen Sarutobi promised Chiyu that once he was discharged, he would arrange for him to live in the center of Konoha, so he would no longer be an outsider on the fringes.

The atmosphere had grown somewhat awkward.

Hiruzen Sarutobi said nothing, and naturally, Chiyu had nothing to say to him either.

Besides, Chiyu was waiting.

He did not believe Hiruzen Sarutobi had come to visit him today merely to win people over.

Chiyu knew full well that for Hiruzen Sarutobi to personally visit him at the Ninja Hospital, there had to be something about him that Sarutobi wanted.

Otherwise, Sarutobi could simply have waited until he was discharged and summoned him to the Hokage Office.

And there was only one thing Chiyu possessed that Hiruzen Sarutobi could possibly want.

That was his Thunder Breathing.

The fact that it had destroyed the forest to such an extent spoke for its power.

"Chiyu, you caused the destruction in Konoha's forest, didn't you?"

Sure enough, Hiruzen Sarutobi began asking about what had happened that day.

Chiyu understood that this was the real reason Hiruzen Sarutobi had personally come to see him.

Chiyu said guiltily, "I'm deeply sorry, Lord Hokage. My training caused Konoha to suffer losses. And I was fortunate that you saved me that day, Lord Hokage. Otherwise, I would have perished in that sea of flames."

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand. "There's no need to dwell on such a small matter. No matter who it is in Konoha, if they encounter danger, I, as Hokage, naturally have to step in and help.

"However, Chiyu, what kind of ninjutsu were you training in to cause such enormous destruction and place such a severe burden on your body? If we hadn't discovered you in time, you would truly have been in danger."

Chiyu gave a bitter smile and explained, "Lord Hokage, you know that my parents and I lived in another village for several years. Back then, my father saved a ninja. His forehead protector bore an emblem like three clouds, with a slash through the middle..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze sharpened.

A rogue ninja from Kumogakure?

Chiyu continued spinning his tale. "That ninja was already gravely injured and on the verge of death. My parents did everything they could, but they only managed to preserve his life for half a month. To thank my parents, and because he did not want the ninjutsu he had created to be lost, he taught it to them.

"My father couldn't use Lightning Release, so he had no way to learn it. But my mother learned it. Although I was still young and unable to train at the time, my mother still made me memorize it by heart.

"Learning this ninjutsu requires mastering both the shape transformation and nature transformation of Lightning Release Chakra. So ever since I learned how to refine Chakra, I've been training according to the methods my parents taught me.

"A few months ago, I finally mastered the shape transformation and nature transformation of Lightning Release Chakra. After that, I kept trying to use that ninjutsu. A few days ago, I finally mastered it, but I overexerted myself and fell unconscious."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was utterly stunned.

At Chiyu's age, he had already mastered both the shape transformation and nature transformation of Lightning Release Chakra.

There was no doubt about it. Chiyu was absolutely a genius.

If Hiruzen Sarutobi had known earlier that Chiyu had mastered the shape transformation and nature transformation of Lightning Release Chakra, then even without this incident, he would certainly have taken Chiyu seriously.

There were many ninja in the shinobi world.

But top-tier ninja were few.

With the talent Chiyu had displayed, he was very likely to become a top-tier ninja in the future.

After pondering for a moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, "What is the name of the ninjutsu you've mastered?"

Chiyu immediately answered, "Thunder Breathing Sword Style."

Chiyu took the initiative and said, "Lord Hokage, I want to offer this ninjutsu to Konoha."

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Why? Your parents left this ninjutsu to you. Is it really appropriate to offer it to Konoha so easily?"

Chiyu said sincerely, "Lord Hokage, as I said earlier, I want to become a ninja of Konoha. Then the ninjutsu I possess belongs to Konoha.

"Although my parents left Konoha back then, they always considered themselves part of Konoha. That never changed. If they knew that I had offered Thunder Breathing to Konoha, I believe they would be proud of me from beyond the grave."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in great satisfaction. "Chiyu, I'm gratified that you possess such awareness. Though you have lived a difficult life these past years, you have clearly inherited Konoha's Will of Fire perfectly. Konoha will not treat you unfairly.

"There is no rush regarding the ninjutsu. We can discuss it after you are discharged and have recuperated. It's getting late, so I won't disturb your rest any longer. Recover well. Only a healthy body will allow you to train better."

Hiruzen Sarutobi left, thoroughly satisfied.

After he departed, the room returned to silence.

Chiyu's eyes darkened inscrutably.

Did he want to hand over Thunder Breathing?

He would have to be insane to even consider handing over Thunder Breathing.

But circumstances forced his hand. He was dependent on others now and had no right to choose.

Still, even if he handed Thunder Breathing over to Konoha, Konoha's Lightning Release ninja would only be able to learn its form, not its essence.

Although Thunder Breathing Full Sword Form was now used in conjunction with Chakra, it also had to be paired with breathing.

Without coordinating it with breathing, its power would be greatly weakened.

And through this formal meeting with Hiruzen Sarutobi, Chiyu had also seen the man clearly.

He, too, put strength first and benefits first.

If you had strength or something to offer, everything was negotiable.

If you had neither, Hiruzen Sarutobi would never give you a second glance.

His charity, kindness, and tolerance were all an act.

Chiyu took a deep breath.

After handing over Thunder Breathing, the days ahead should not be too difficult.

Others would probably learn soon enough that Hiruzen Sarutobi had personally visited him at the Ninja Hospital.

With that signal, those idiots in Konoha would, for Hiruzen Sarutobi's sake, probably curse him much less openly from now on.

Next, he needed to become a genius as well. Only then could he gradually increase his importance in Konoha, allowing him to better ensure that he and Kushina Uzumaki would not be coerced by Konoha in the future.

Though he had already awakened, Chiyu was still far too exhausted. After lying down for a while, he fell asleep again.

The next day.

After waking up, Chiyu's body still ached, but he could barely walk.

So Chiyu left the Ninja Hospital directly. He wanted to return to his shabby little house to rest, pack his belongings, and wait for Hiruzen Sarutobi to prepare a house for him so he could move.

Just as Chiyu left the Ninja Hospital, a ninja instantly appeared before him.

"Follow me."

Chiyu followed the ninja and stopped before a house one street away from the Ninja Academy.

"This is the house Lord Hokage prepared for you. Lord Hokage instructed that once your injuries have healed, you are to go to the Hokage Office to see him immediately."

After handing Chiyu the key, the ninja did not wait for him to speak before directly using the Body Flicker Technique to leave.