You've Got Some Real Talent

Even though the trigger was simple, it was remarkably practical. The fancy tricks were more likely to give the game away.

Once he had the wires set up, Hibari buried another length of iron wire in the ground, running it all the way to the edge of the pool he'd made earlier.

When everything was in place, Hibari took out a specially made sealing paper and carefully laid it on the ground.

Then the Sarutobi father and son watched as Hibari began forming Hand Seals...

"This technique... It's a Lightning Release ninjutsu?" Sarutobi Hiruzen murmured, narrowing his eyes.

"Not just a Lightning Release ninjutsu—it's a fairly advanced one... an A-rank ninjutsu, Lightning Release..." Sarutobi Sasuke had a keener eye, but before he could finish, Hibari picked up where he left off.

"Lightning Release: Thunderstorm!" Hibari called out.

At the same time, a huge mass of Lightning Release chakra burst from his palm, crackling as if it were about to explode. Fortunately, Hibari kept it under control and didn't let a single spark escape his hand.

The lightning in Hibari's hand grew denser and denser. Its crackling made the Sarutobi father and son watching nearby grow increasingly uneasy.

If he lost control and it exploded, none of the three of them would get out of there in one piece. Hibari himself would probably be laid up for months.

"Seal!"

Just as Sarutobi Sasuke was wondering whether he should warn him, Hibari shouted and forced the turbulent mass of Lightning Release chakra into the prepared sheet of formula paper.

In the blink of an eye, he held a tag marked with the character for "thunder," its appearance much like an Explosive Tag.

"That was the hardest part. Finally done..."

As he spoke, he deftly attached the tag to the tripwire. The moment someone triggered the trap, the seal would release, and the stored lightning would rush along the buried iron wire and flood into the pool ahead.

"Hibari," Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, scratching his head in confusion, "you're not actually counting on some poor bastard falling into the water and getting electrocuted to death, are you?"

"Haha, that'd depend on luck!" Hibari grinned. "But this nasty little trick isn't the only one. Even if they don't fall into the water, they'll still have plenty to deal with afterward."

As he spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen watched him with curiosity. Hibari took another Explosive Tag from his ninja pouch, walked a few steps away, and carefully fitted it into the trap mechanism. Only when he'd finished everything did he dust off his hands and stand up.

"All done. Time to wrap up!"

"I still don't get it," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, coming over. "You went to all that trouble, but what's the point? Explain it to me."

"Sure. Since you taught me a lot on the way here," Hibari said, lifting his chin with a smug look, "I'll solve the mystery for you."

Then he gestured as he explained the whole thing to the father and son.

Although terms like "hydrogen" and "oxygen" left them baffled, they understood the gist: the first layer was meant to electrocute someone. If that failed, the Lightning Release would split the water into explosive gases. After a short wait, the Explosive Tag would set them off, and the entire pool would blow sky-high.

Judging by the strength of the setup, anyone nearby was as good as dead.

"I don't understand all that stuff about gases," Sarutobi Sasuke said with a smile, rubbing his chin, "but I have seen water saturated with Lightning Release before. Under the right conditions, it does explode... I see. So that's how you got Tobirama to fall for it? You're a sneaky one."

"Too bad I don't know Water Release," Hibari said with a regretful click of his tongue. "Otherwise, I've got an even more powerful trick in mind. It might even qualify as S-rank."

"S-rank? You're saying you can come up with an S-rank composite ninjutsu?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes widened. "I'm pretty good at composite ninjutsu myself, and I still wouldn't dare make a claim like that... You're not just boasting, are you?"

Hibari shot him a sideways glance.

"When I can use Water Release, I'll show you what I can do."

That was what he said, but he was thinking, I'll make a little hydrogen bomb with my own hands. Just watch your jaw hit the floor.

Hibari's trap was a novel idea, but in Sarutobi Sasuke's eyes, it was still a little green. The only reason Uncle Tobirama had fallen for it was probably that he'd let his guard down at home. After all, Hibari had never actually been on a battlefield, so it was only natural that he'd miss a few things.

So once Hibari was done, Sarutobi Sasuke started adjusting the trap for him and added a few of his own. They couldn't rely on just one trap.

Meanwhile, Sarutobi Hiruzen was still thinking about the S-rank ninjutsu Hibari had mentioned. He leaned against a tree, his curiosity not yet satisfied.

"Hibari, that technique you mentioned earlier... Were you telling the truth? An S-rank composite ninjutsu isn't something just anyone can come up with."

Hibari had been focused on watching Sarutobi Sasuke set the traps. The interruption annoyed him.

"I'm a grown man. Why would I lie to you? I really have thought of one. I just haven't had a chance to test it. If I get Water Release chakra someday and try it a few times, I'm sure I can make it work."

Sarutobi Hiruzen laughed at that. "You're a grown man? You're still a kid! Developing ninjutsu is one thing in theory and another in practice. Just because you say it'll work doesn't mean it will.

"You're making claims without a shred of proof. Isn't it normal for me to doubt you? You haven't exactly shown me any impressive results before."

He clicked his tongue, then changed tack. "Of course, if you can show me a technique you came up with yourself right now, I'll definitely see you in a new light."

Hibari was getting tired of his nagging. He hadn't expected the future Third to be such a chatterbox when he was young... Then again, even after becoming Hokage, hadn't the guy kept using the crystal ball to do indecent things?

And Hashirama had even called him "Little Monkey." This side of him made sense, after all.

"I'm in the middle of learning here, and you have to interrupt me." Hibari waved him off, irritated. "It's just a ninjutsu. What's the big deal? Watch closely. Today I'll show you what an 'inventor ninja' can do!"

He didn't give Sarutobi Hiruzen a chance to reply. Hibari simply raised one hand. Under Hiruzen's astonished gaze, a sphere of rapidly rotating chakra instantly took shape in his palm.

"This is called Rasengan. I came up with it recently. It's fresh off the press."

Hibari held up the glowing blue sphere, unable to hide his pride. "It's a high-level ninjutsu that requires no hand seals. It's already been recorded in the Senju Clan's scrolls, and Uncle Tobirama personally certified it as A-rank.

"And that's not all. It can also be combined with nature transformation, so it has plenty of room to grow. I reckon it could reach S-rank at the very least.

"I haven't had time to work on those other things yet. Anyway, I wanted to show you this so you'd stop thinking I was all talk."

He spoke as if he'd truly invented the technique from scratch... Not that he gave a thought to the future Fourth Hokage.

But Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't see through any of that. Stunned by the sudden display, he stared at the Rasengan for a long while before slowly letting out a breath.

"I get it now... No wonder Teacher Tobirama suddenly decided to train you." He shook his head, sounding impressed. "You've got some real talent."

"Glad you know. Now quit interrupting my studying." Hibari dispersed the chakra in his hand and replied casually.

After seeing proof, Sarutobi Hiruzen now believed about seventy or eighty percent of what Hibari had said about the S-rank composite ninjutsu. His curiosity only grew harder to contain.

"Hey, Hibari, stop staring." He came over and slung an arm around Hibari's shoulders, grinning. "Those are just little tricks. I'll teach you properly another day. For now, tell me how that S-rank composite ninjutsu you came up with works.

"You don't know Water Release, but I do! I have all five chakra natures! Tell me the theory, and I'll try to develop it. Then we can surprise Teacher Tobirama. How does that sound?"

"Dream on." Hibari glanced at him. "This isn't some common C-rank or B-rank technique that I can just hand over. It's S-rank, and a composite technique at that. You know what that means, don't you?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen was so caught up in the prospect of a new technique that he didn't even notice Hibari's cheeky tone. He continued smiling ingratiatingly.

"I know, I know. I won't take credit! We'll say you taught it to me. If it works, all the credit will go to you, and the technique can be recorded in the Senju Clan's scrolls. How about that?"

Seeing Hiruzen's eager expression, Hibari couldn't help laughing. No wonder Uncle Tobirama valued this student most. His drive to learn new techniques and his willingness to swallow his pride and ask for help really did set him apart.

How many other elite members of noble clans would lower themselves to ask a little kid for advice?

Considering how close their clans were, there was no harm in sharing a few details with Sarutobi Hiruzen. Thinking about it, Hiruzen could even use the Uzumaki Clan's Dead Demon Consuming Seal later on. Perhaps Uncle Tobirama had taught him that, too.

Hibari thought it over for a moment, then grinned.

"Fine... But you'll have to give me something in return."

Sarutobi Hiruzen laughed as soon as he heard that.

"I knew you'd say that. You never let yourself lose out." He leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Go on, what do you want?"

Hibari's eyes lit up at that. He edged closer, his tone turning ingratiating. "Then I won't hold back, Uncle Hiruzen!

"You know, Great-Uncle Hashirama's summoning beast... cough, Rashomon and all that, sure, they make a big scene, but they're not very flexible. Uncle Tobirama's even more mysterious. People say he made a contract with the sea, which is why his Water Release is so terrifying.

"But what about me? I can't even make a splash! So..." He winked at Sarutobi Hiruzen and drew out the words. "Your family's famed 'strongest summoning beast'..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen laughed at the way he said it and shook his head.

The Sarutobi Clan's summoning beast was, of course, the Enma clan. Their contract had been passed down for so many generations that Hiruzen had lost count. It was probably as old as the clan itself.

In the Shinobi World, Enma's reputation was indeed formidable. That was partly thanks to their ancestor Sarutobi Sasuke's renown and partly to the title Hiruzen would one day hold as Third.

Over time, calling them the "strongest summoning beast" wasn't all that far-fetched.

Of course, the Tailed Beasts were the strongest of all. But only someone with truly earth-shaking power would dare to use a Tailed Beast as a summoning beast. The "Jinchūriki" were the alternative people came up with later.

Setting the Tailed Beasts aside, it was hard to say which summoning beasts were stronger. The most famous were naturally the three great summoning grounds: Mount Myoboku, Shikkotsu Forest, and Ryūchi Cave. The Toads, Katsuyu, and snakes from those places were all formidable.

But the Enma clan was no weaker than they were. In particular, the Monkey King Enma, who had a contract with Sarutobi Hiruzen, had an indestructible body. He could even withstand the Kusanagi Sword, making his defense top-tier.

Hibari was short one reliable summoning beast, so it was only natural that Enma had caught his eye.

"Hibari," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a sigh, apologetic, "it's not that I'm unwilling to help. There's just nothing I can do. The Enma clan and our Sarutobi Clan have a long history of mutual prosperity. They're not our servants.

"The rules of the contract passed down by our ancestors are strict. Only descendants with Sarutobi blood can sign it. You... You belong to the Senju Clan, so there's no way around that rule."