"Six Styles"

In Konoha's fifteenth year, storm clouds gathered.

Since Hashirama Senju's passing, the balance of the shinobi world had gradually begun to shift. The man hailed as the "God of Shinobi" had once suppressed the conflicts between nations through his overwhelming power and personal charisma, maintaining a peace that seemed fragile yet remained firm.

But now that towering mountain had fallen, and the fear and deterrence he inspired had faded with him. The great shinobi villages gradually began to bare their fangs.

Sunagakure in the Land of Wind, Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning, Kirigakure in the Land of Water, Iwagakure in the Land of Earth... every nation was secretly gathering strength, seeking to overturn the existing order.

Friction along the borders intensified, small-scale conflicts erupted one after another, and infiltration by spies and covert agents became routine for every village.

Countless shinobi struggled against one another in the shadows—reconnaissance, infiltration, assassination, counterintelligence operations... slaughter and betrayal were gradually becoming the new defining themes of the shinobi world.

And amid this impending inferno, Konoha—the strongest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages and the symbol of peace founded by Hashirama Senju himself—was the first to become everyone's target.

With the storm approaching, Tobirama Senju led a group of elite shinobi within Konoha, working to stabilize the situation and implement new systems to keep the village from being swallowed by a sudden upheaval.

Yet his gaze also fell upon a special group of young people in the village. This generation of children would become the driving force behind the future transformation of the shinobi world.

And among those children, Uchiha Shinichi, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and the other prodigies their age had already been swept into those undercurrents without realizing it.

Peace in the shinobi world was, in the end, only a fleeting dream.

The flames of war had never died. They merely lay dormant.

When the storm truly arrived, who would control the fate of this land?

In the early morning, faint ripples spread across the Naka River. Dew clung to the grass along its banks, glittering in tiny points of light beneath the sun.

A breeze brushed past, carrying a hint of chill. A few maple leaves drifted down from the branches, settled gently on the water, and slowly floated away with the current.

At this peaceful, familiar training ground, Tsunade and Orochimaru's Rasengan training finally reached a successful conclusion.

"I did it!"

The glowing ball of Chakra in Tsunade's palm spun at high speed, stable and powerful. She stared excitedly at her hand, her eyes shining with delight.

She knew this was not merely a powerful ninjutsu, but also a tremendous breakthrough in her own Chakra control.

Orochimaru stood beside her, a purple Rasengan slowly spinning in his palm. Though slightly smaller, the Chakra flowing within it was exceptionally precise, with almost no sign of instability.

He smiled faintly and murmured, "This jutsu... really is fascinating."

Standing nearby, Shinichi stretched languidly, a lazy smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Good. You've finally mastered the Rasengan." He yawned, then shifted his gaze slightly and gave them a meaningful smile. "Since you've learned it, let's change things up today and try something new."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Something new? What ninjutsu?"

The corners of Shinichi's mouth lifted. His gaze swept over the two of them before he said slowly, "Today, I'm going to teach you—the Six Styles."

"Six Styles?" Tsunade and Orochimaru both froze, clearly unfamiliar with the term.

Shinichi smiled calmly, walked to the riverbank, and casually picked up a small stone. With a light flick of his fingertip, he sent it flying.

Whoosh!

The next instant, the stone tore through the air at incredible speed, trailing a sonic boom. With a sharp crack, it punched through the trunk of a distant tree, leaving a smooth bullet hole.

Tsunade and Orochimaru's gazes sharpened, their attention instantly captured.

"That was 'Finger Pistol,' one of the Six Styles," Shinichi drawled, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "The Six Styles aren't simply ninjutsu. They're techniques that push the body to its limits. If you want to become strong, mastering Chakra alone isn't enough. Physical conditioning, speed, and skill are just as important."

Tsunade folded her arms in thought. "So, the Six Styles... are taijutsu?"

Orochimaru's eyes flickered. "But judging by that attack, they seem to have greater penetrating power than ordinary taijutsu."

Shinichi nodded, a faint smile on his face. "Exactly. The Six Styles consist of six extreme taijutsu techniques—'Shave,' 'Moonwalk,' 'Finger Pistol,' 'Tempest Kick,' 'Iron Body,' and 'Kami-e.' Master them, and your body can reach a state approaching Ninjutsu-Taijutsu Unity, giving you an absolute advantage in battle."

A spark of fighting spirit flashed in Tsunade's eyes. Taijutsu was her greatest strength, and techniques that strengthened the body naturally interested her.

"Sounds good! Hurry up and teach us!" she said eagerly.

A hint of anticipation appeared on Orochimaru's face as well. He had always been absorbed in studying the body, and these strengthening techniques, so different from ninjutsu, were undoubtedly an enticing new field.

Seeing their curious, excited expressions, Shinichi's lips curved into a playful smile. "Then let's start with 'Shave.'"

The morning sunlight fell over the three of them. A new challenge awaited the riverside training ground.

Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Shinichi's path of training was entering another new chapter.

In the dense woods some distance away, Senju Toka stood quietly atop a tree, her gaze fixed on the three children by the river. Profound shock surfaced in her eyes.

She had originally been following Tobirama Senju's orders to protect Tsunade in secret, while observing Uchiha Shinichi's every move "on the side."

Yet she had never imagined that this five-year-old Uchiha boy would overturn her understanding time and time again.

She had already witnessed the Handless Jutsu Rasengan.

But now Shinichi had produced an entirely different combat system?!

Six Styles? What kind of taijutsu is that? Senju Toka's brows drew together slightly, her mind refusing to settle.

Her attention had been completely captured by the "Finger Pistol" Shinichi had just demonstrated. With that seemingly casual flick of his finger, using physical strength alone, he had easily punched a smooth bullet hole through a distant tree trunk!

This went beyond the scope of ordinary shinobi taijutsu. Its destructive power could even rival certain A-Rank Ninjutsu!

Had she not seen it with her own eyes, Senju Toka would never have believed that a five-year-old child had created such a technique from nothing!

She drew a deep breath and pricked up her ears, continuing to listen to Shinichi's explanation.

"The Six Styles consist of 'Shave,' 'Moonwalk,' 'Finger Pistol,' 'Tempest Kick,' 'Iron Body,' and 'Kami-e'... Master them, and your body can reach a state approaching Ninjutsu-Taijutsu Unity..."

As Shinichi spoke those words so casually, Senju Toka's fingers unconsciously tightened around a branch. Her shock was beyond measure.

This... isn't merely taijutsu training anymore. It's an entirely new combat system!

Although she was not particularly accomplished in taijutsu, as Tobirama Senju's younger sister, she knew perfectly well that the current pinnacle of taijutsu in the shinobi world was largely limited to methods such as the Gentle Fist, the Rigid Body Technique, and combinations of taijutsu and ninjutsu.

Yet the "Six Styles" Shinichi described did not rely on ninjutsu at all. They depended solely on physical strength, speed, and skill to achieve extreme destructive power!

If this fighting style were truly perfected and spread, it might completely overturn the shinobi world's understanding of taijutsu!

She took another deep breath, forcibly suppressing her shock as she stared with mixed emotions at the boy still lounging on a rock.

Is this Uchiha Shinichi really a child, or is he a monster?

Not only did he possess Chakra reserves far beyond those of ordinary people, but he had also created a Handless Jutsu like the Rasengan in just a few short months. And now he had unveiled an entirely new taijutsu system?!

This boy is growing at a terrifying rate!

Senju Toka thought, I must tell my brother Tobirama about this immediately!

Senju Toka pressed her lips together, unease stirring within her.

Originally, she had merely been keeping watch over Uchiha Shinichi to prevent him from becoming a threat. But now, she increasingly felt that... perhaps Konoha was witnessing the rise of a true anomaly!

Will this boy become Konoha's strongest protector, or... its most dangerous wild card?

The night breeze brushed past, and Senju Toka's feelings were more conflicted than ever.