第8章 他顿了顿,却又话锋一转

But those were matters for another time, and Hibari had no intention of digging deeper.

"Second Master," he grinned, "what does the world of the dead have to do with my condition? Please, don't go off on a tangent again. Don't tell me... you want to invent a jutsu to send me for reincarnation? Is that even reliable?"

Tobirama rolled his eyes at him, yet he stroked his chin and wore a smile that made one's hair stand on end.

"Reincarnation..." he muttered under his breath, "that's not a bad idea. It might even provide some inspiration for the jutsu I'm currently pondering..."

Hibari's eyes lit up instantly.

"Second Master!" He leaned in closer. "Are you really cooking up something new again? Can you give me a hint?"

Distracted by Hibari's pestering, Tobirama pulled his thoughts back. He glanced at the boy, whose face was practically screaming "tell me, tell me," which made him want to laugh.

"With your current level," Tobirama's lips curled, "you aren't even close to the edge of these things. You barely even qualify to know about them.

However... if you are truly interested, study diligently under me from now on. Those 'messy' things you keep talking about will eventually be passed on to you."

"My level isn't enough?" Hibari's eyes widened at the words, his voice rising. "Second Master, that's a bit insulting! It's true I haven't mastered Water Style chakra yet, but I've got four other affinities!

I can handle A-rank sealing jutsu, I know a thing or two about every other type of ninjutsu besides Water Style, my taijutsu is solid, and I'm a master with ninja tools—doesn't that count as a ninja who can stand on his own? Even with all that... I'm still not qualified?"

The more he spoke, the more indignant he became, his cheeks puffing out.

In truth, for his age, Hibari's skills were already quite eye-catching; he was merely a bit green in terms of experience. Otherwise, in this current era, it wouldn't be impossible for him to be ranked as a jonin.

Of course, if one compared him to the monsters of the future, like Itachi Uchiha or Kakashi Hatake, he might seem a bit lacking at first glance. But that was an apples-to-oranges comparison—what era was Hibari living in right now?

Konoha had only just been established; there wasn't even a shadow of a ninja academy, let alone a refined ranking system.

The institutions for training and measuring ninjas hadn't even been fully built yet. Comparing people from different eras was just nonsense. If one really wanted to compete, they would have to throw both sides into the same age and the same era to have a real fight to see who came out on top.

Although that was impossible, Hibari held a stubborn fire in his heart: if they really could compare, he didn't think he would lose.

Tobirama listened to his rant without rushing to refute him. He stared at Hibari for two seconds before speaking slowly.

"Hibari," his tone softened, "you haven't disappointed us. You deserve the title of 'genius.' To have these skills at your age is quite impressive. But..."

He shifted his tone: "Don't get your priorities wrong. Those fighting skills of yours don't have much to do with what I'm going to teach you next. To truly step across the threshold of new ninjutsu, you rely on this—"

Tobirama pointed to his own temple.

"Knowledge and the brain are the stepping stones. There is a chasm between 'knowing how to use' and 'understanding how it works,' do you understand?"

Hibari had been holding his head high, but at these words, he suddenly froze.

...Right. The Second Master was correct; he should have realized this long ago. His combat strength really wasn't of much use in this new field.

"Knowing" and "understanding" were two completely different things.

Take the two masters before him as an example: when it came to fighting, Hashirama could outclass Tobirama by several blocks; but when it came to developing ninjutsu and analyzing principles, three Hashiramas tied together probably couldn't keep up with Tobirama alone.

Think of that Orochimaru later on—bearing the title of one of the "Sannin," his strength was undeniably formidable, yet he still suffered losses at the hands of Pain and Itachi Uchiha. However, if one compared scientific research and the ability to explore the essence of ninjutsu? Itachi Uchiha and Pain combined would probably only be fit to be his apprentices.

Thinking of this, Hibari's defiance completely dissipated. He looked up and met Tobirama's eyes earnestly.

"Second Master," his voice was much quieter, "I've taken your words to heart. I won't let myself get carried away by these minor skills anymore."

Seeing that the boy had listened, a look of satisfaction appeared in Tobirama's eyes. He liked Hibari's sharp wit; he understood things with a single hint and didn't require unnecessary chatter.

"Good," Tobirama nodded. "You've been sharp-minded and sensible since you were a child. So I won't waste words. If you want to walk this path, the most important thing is to stay calm and not be impetuous. The mysteries hidden within ninjutsu, the truths of how this world operates... there are so many that you couldn't finish exploring them in a lifetime."

As he said this, a trace of faint regret slipped into his voice, and his expression paused for a moment.

Watching him, Hibari inexplicably thought of the Orochimaru who would later become obsessed with immortality. Perhaps everyone who pursued "the truth" couldn't help but complain that time moved too fast and life was too short?

If the Second Master hadn't died in battle back then... would he have tried to extend his life, or even pondered the art of immortality? Otherwise, why would he have instantly associated it with "reincarnation" when Hibari mentioned it earlier?

And why did he put so much effort into researching the "Reanimation Jutsu"... what was his goal? Was there a deeper meaning behind it?

While Hibari was lost in his wild guesses, Tobirama had already tucked away that sentiment. He looked over with a gaze that was almost gratified and smiled.

"But then again, there is never a dead end in this world.

That is the meaning of legacy—I don't have enough time, but I can teach you and let you continue moving forward. In the future, you will also find suitable disciples to pass your knowledge down to. Generation after generation, endlessly."

He paused, a faint light flickering in his eyes.

"I believe that one day, the truth of this world... will be unearthed by our lineage with our own hands."

Tobirama waved his hand, not intending to let Hibari interrupt. "Enough, going too far off-topic is pointless. Let's get back to your condition." His gaze swept over Hibari. "You said I was off-topic? Actually, that's not the case... according to my research, after a person dies and their soul enters the Pure Land, it is naturally cleansed, so..."

Hibari felt a chill run down his spine and quickly interrupted: "Second Master, you aren't trying to convince me to go die, are you? How is that any different from just letting me reincarnate?"

"Hahahaha!" Tobirama laughed. "Practice is the only way to gain true knowledge.

How would you know without trying? But don't worry, I won't do anything reckless. This is just a line of thought. If I ever truly figure out a safe method, it wouldn't be bad for you to try it out."

Hearing that he didn't intend to send him to the afterlife immediately, Hibari felt slightly more at ease. He continued to ask: "What about the Death God? What's the deal with that?"

At the mention of this, Tobirama frowned slightly. "Hibari, that thing called the Death God—stay as far away from it as you can." His tone became more serious. "It's too dangerous; it specializes in devouring human souls. Once you get dragged in by it, it's hard to get back out."

He paused, then shifted his tone. "However... I suspect that if one could truly take a trip through the Death God's stomach, perhaps the soul could also be 'cleansed' in the process."

Having said that, he didn't give Hibari time to think it over, raising a hand to pat the boy's shoulder. "Those are the three methods I can think of for now. But clearly, the first and the last are currently unfeasible.

So, to suppress this trouble of yours for the time being, we must quickly come up with a sealing jutsu to lock that thing down."

Hibari's face collapsed upon hearing this. "Second Master, your first and third methods are way too unreliable." He said with a mournful face, "At this rate, I'm afraid I'll have to carry this seal for the rest of my life."

"Hahahaha!" Tobirama laughed again. "They were just suggestions! You brought this trouble upon yourself, so you have to put in the effort to figure it out.

Maybe there's a fourth or fifth method? Didn't I say? The mysteries of this world are countless. To break the curse, relying on your Second Master alone won't be enough; you have to put in the work yourself."

He even felt that if this trouble could become the motivation for Hibari to explore the mysteries, it could be considered a blessing in disguise. Everything truly had two sides.

Early the next morning, the Senju Residence was in an uproar. Two figures, one large and one small, were chasing each other through the courtyard.

"Tsunade! You stop right there! If I don't beat your bottom black and blue today, you won't know who you're dealing with!!!"

The clansmen saw Hibari from afar, cursing as he chased little Tsunade in a wild sprint.

Looking closer, they noticed that at some point, a bruised and swollen mark had appeared on Hibari's eye socket, looking exactly like he'd taken a punch head-on.

Several clansmen who remembered how these two usually wreaked havoc on each other immediately understood. It must have been the Senju family's little princess, Tsunade, who had landed a hit on her grandson Hibari.

The injury looked a bit embarrassing, but everyone in the Senju family knew that Hibari had been tough since he was a kid; taking a punch was nothing. So no one stopped them; instead, a few aunts and cousins who loved a good show gathered around, laughing and "cheering" for Hibari.

"Hibari, run faster! You're so big, and you can't even catch little Tsunade?"

"Are you going easy on your little sister?"

"Oh my, our Hibari really knows how to dote on people..."

"Hahaha..."

Being teased by this group of aunts, Hibari couldn't keep his composure. As for the bruise on his eye, it really was the masterpiece of that little brat Tsunade.

This morning, he was still lazing in bed when he felt a "little mouse" sneak into his room. He was too groggy to pay much attention, thinking it was either the cat Tobirama kept or that girl Tsunade.

As it turned out, when Hibari finally crawled out of bed and got dressed, intending to go out—he was planning to buy some pastries that Grandma Mito liked to show his filial piety, and incidentally see if he could "mooch" a couple of powerful jutsus from her—he reached into his pocket and his wallet was gone!

Fortunately, he still carried the name of the Senju grandson, and the village shops recognized the Senju family's credit. He bit the bullet and put the pastries on a tab, finally managing to buy them.

But the experience was humiliating just to think about. Every time he remembered the shopkeeper's half-smiling, teasing look, Hibari felt his face burn.

Hibari finally calmed himself down, thinking he would have breakfast first and then take the pastries to Grandma Mito.

But when he returned after eating and pushed open his door, good heavens, the little brat Tsunade had already eaten most of the pastries. That wasn't all; the table was covered in crumbs, and the empty wallet was tossed aside carelessly.

Well, the "little thief" who had swiped his wallet that morning had come back to "surrender" herself!

Remembering how this little girl had sold him out without hesitation in front of Second Master Tobirama earlier, all the "old grudges and new hatreds" in Hibari's heart surged up at once.