Whirlwind in the Vortex

At Konoha Training Ground 3, Toru and Kurenai found a quiet corner under the bright sun to begin their training.

Kurenai's initial training goal was genjutsu.

Genjutsu was the specialty of the Yuhi clan. Although the Yuhi family was not a ninja clan per se, they were a well-known lineage of genjutsu practitioners in Konoha.

By the time it reached Yuhi Kurenai, the tradition had been passed down for at least three or four generations.

Yuhi Kurenai inherited her father's talent for genjutsu, but Yuhi Shinku was busy with work and neglected to personally oversee her training.

However, Yuhi Shinku had recognized Toru's talent, particularly in genjutsu.

Consequently, when Toru brought Kurenai out to train this time, Yuhi Shinku specifically instructed Toru to help her diligently practice the family's genjutsu techniques.

Toru naturally agreed; after all, this allowed him to legitimately study the collection of genjutsu techniques that Yuhi Shinku had entrusted to them.

"We will start with the Illusion Clone Technique. This is a genjutsu that Uncle Shinku demonstrated for me personally, and it is also recorded in the genjutsu collection my father left me. I have already mastered it, so I have some experience and insights I can share with you."

Toru began his instruction. While it was said to be a joint training session, it was actually Toru teaching and Kurenai learning.

Yet, teaching benefits both the teacher and the student, and Toru found that he could deepen his own understanding through the act of teaching.

Moreover, Kurenai was a very obedient student. Despite Toru being a year younger than her, she showed no hint of condescension, treating him entirely as her teacher in the art of genjutsu.

This was mainly due to her personality and Toru's long-standing reputation as a genius.

"As the name implies, the Illusion Clone Technique creates an illusion to confuse the opponent. The principle is simple: project your chakra into the enemy's visual senses..." Toru began his hands-on instruction.

Kurenai studied with great focus, but Toru was less attentive than she was.

While busy teaching, demonstrating the technique, and explaining the tips and tricks, Toru was secretly observing the activity in the training ground.

At this moment, the training ground was very quiet. Aside from Toru and Kurenai, there was no one else, and the vast open space was filled only with the chirping of insects and birds in the surrounding woods.

Namikaze Minato should be arriving soon.

Toru had been calculating the time in his head. Minato should have finished reporting his mission to the Hokage by now. If his conversation with Kushina was true, he should be on his way to the training ground.

Toru was fixated on that mysterious, underdeveloped ninjutsu.

Sure enough, it was not long before Namikaze Minato's dashing figure appeared at the training ground, though he was accompanied by someone else.

The man was clearly much older than Minato, with long white hair tied in a ponytail. He wore a tan undershirt and a red haori, had a mole on the left side of his nose, and two red markings under his eyes. In short, his appearance was very distinctive.

Judging by their chakra, he is actually even stronger than Namikaze Minato. Could this be one of the legendary Sannin? Toru felt a sense of shock.

In Toru's understanding, Minato surpassed Fugaku and Yuhi Shinku, and the man before him surpassed Minato. In a single day, Toru had seen two top-tier powerhouses.

Toru believed that even if these two were not the strongest in the world, they were likely not far off.

Toru knew that above the Sannin were the Hokage, and there were five recognized Kage in the ninja world.

The Jiraiya before him likely possessed strength comparable to a Kage.

Kurenai noticed Toru watching the two men who had just arrived, so she stopped what she was doing and said, "That is Lord Jiraiya, one of the Sannin."

Toru nodded, pretending to be nonchalant as he continued to guide Kurenai's training.

Minato and Jiraiya noticed the two children, but they did not pay them any mind.

The vast training ground was more than large enough to accommodate two groups of people training without disturbing each other.

"How far have you progressed with that new technique?" Jiraiya asked casually. He was quite concerned about his disciple's progress and had high hopes for him.

Minato rubbed the back of his head with a slightly embarrassed smile. "There hasn't been much progress. That's why I asked you to come today, Master, to help me find a breakthrough."

Jiraiya nodded. "You've been developing this new technique for three years now. It is time I stepped in to help. Don't worry, leave it to me."

Jiraiya patted his chest with confidence, while Minato just grinned foolishly.

After a while, the two finally got down to business.

Minato grew serious. He gripped his right wrist with his left hand, while his right hand opened upward, maintaining a slightly cupped posture.

Toru's attention was drawn to them once again. Thanks to his Six Eyes, he could perceive every move Minato made, including the movements of his hands.

Is he practicing? He isn't even forming hand seals. Could it be a seal-less ninjutsu? There's such a thing... Minato's actions deeply shocked Toru, as he had yet to encounter a ninjutsu that didn't require hand seals.

Minato condensed a mass of chakra out of thin air in his hand and began to rotate it. As it spun continuously, it gradually formed a bright blue sphere of chakra.

Seeing the new technique take shape, Minato had just begun to smile with delight when the chakra sphere in his hand began to wobble.

Minato's expression turned solemn; he dared not slacken for a second. Beside him, Jiraiya watched the situation with the intensity of someone facing a formidable enemy.

However, the chakra sphere wobbled more and more, eventually beginning to vibrate at a high frequency.

At that moment, Jiraiya shouted, "Danger!" Minato understood immediately and slammed his right hand into the ground.

BOOM!!!

Accompanied by a cloud of dust, the ground was blasted into a crater nearly a meter deep and three meters wide—large enough for several people to lie in.

That such a small sphere of chakra could cause so much damage stunned Toru. He hoped Minato would perfect the jutsu soon so he could copy his homework.

Minato was knocked over by the recoil of the blast. He looked helplessly at the crater, then stood up, determined to try again.

However, the results of the training remained unsatisfactory. Minato blasted several more craters into the ground, yet he still could not control the shape of the chakra sphere.

It wasn't just Minato and Jiraiya who were anxious; Toru was getting impatient just watching.

But anxiety was useless, so Minato and Jiraiya decided to take a break.

Minato sat on the ground, bracing himself with his hands behind him. "It's too hard to control..."

"It either won't form or it explodes. You just can't stabilize it..." Jiraiya said, walking over to Minato.

"Then in which direction should I go?!" Minato asked anxiously, seeking guidance from Jiraiya, whom he regarded as a father.

"I don't know either..." Jiraiya fell silent for a moment before thinking for a long time and adding, "It might not be wrong. I've always imagined refining chakra in a clockwise direction because the swirl on my hair is clockwise."

"I heard that when refining chakra, it's easier to follow the direction of the swirl on your head. If that's the case, then this technique..." Jiraiya reached out to check Minato's hair swirls.

Minato muttered, "That's just superstition, isn't it?"

"You have two swirls on your head, one going left and one going right..." Jiraiya's expression turned blank.

Minato let out a cry of shock: "Eh—!!!!!"