"What? You learned all of it?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi froze for a moment, and his pipe clattered onto the desk.
Liu Yun put on a perfectly timed look of confusion. "Is something wrong?"
He was a genius, after all.
Wasn't it perfectly reasonable for a genius to learn a little faster?
Hiruzen Sarutobi instinctively felt doubtful. He had given Liu Yun the scroll himself, so he knew exactly what it contained.
Most of it broke down the principles behind several of the Five Basic Nature Transformations, while a smaller portion covered ideas for Five-Element Fusion.
More precisely, this scroll contained his thoughts from when he had first begun exploring the path of Five-Element Fusion under Tobirama Senju's guidance.
Although it didn't touch on anything particularly difficult or obscure, Liu Yun still shouldn't have finished learning it so quickly.
With that thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi considered for a moment and decided to test him.
"What is the principle behind the Earth Release: Underground Fish Projection Technique?"
The Earth Release: Underground Fish Projection Technique was a C-rank jutsu that allowed the user to slip underground like a fish and catch an enemy off guard. It had some similarities to the Double Suicide Decapitation Technique.
Liu Yun answered without hesitation.
The analysis of this technique's principles was clearly written in the scroll.
Although he had initially relied somewhat on rote memorization, he had reread it after his talent for the Five Basic Nature Transformations improved, and now understood its principles thoroughly.
After listening to Liu Yun's explanation, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and praised him. "Good. You didn't simply repeat what was in the scroll. You added your own insights. It seems you truly understand this technique."
Fire Release: Flame Bullet Technique, Wind Release: Rending Wind Palm, Lightning Release: Lightning Arrow Technique, Water Release: Water Prison Technique...
Hiruzen Sarutobi questioned him about each of the techniques analyzed in the scroll.
Once he confirmed that Liu Yun had mastered all of them, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help smiling.
To understand the principles behind these techniques so quickly and even add insights of his own, Liu Yun's talent for the Five Basic Nature Transformations was already not far behind Orochimaru's.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was quite pleased with that.
As for the more important material on Fusion Ninjutsu, however, he held little hope.
The reason was simple: it was too difficult.
For ordinary ninja, even learning ninjutsu wasn't easy.
For genius ninja, learning ninjutsu wasn't difficult. The challenge was developing entirely new techniques that suited them better.
Beyond both of those lay the fusion of the Five Basic Nature Transformations, a domain reserved for true geniuses. With every additional technique incorporated, both the difficulty and power increased dramatically.
Perfectly combining techniques of all five natures would be enough to rival or even surpass the vast majority of ninja with kekkei genkai.
His Five Release: Great Combo Technique was precisely the result of combining the Five Basic Nature Transformations, and it was also one of his strongest abilities.
Unfortunately, though he had passed on everything he knew to his three students without holding anything back, Tsunade had understood none of it, Jiraiya had learned some, and Orochimaru had learned the most.
Even so, Orochimaru was still far from reaching his level.
Over time, he had stopped holding out much hope.
And yet...
Considering the abilities Liu Yun had displayed all along, he found himself asking almost despite himself.
"Did you read the section on Fusion Ninjutsu? Do you have any questions?"
Liu Yun shook his head.
Hiruzen Sarutobi paused, then let out a quiet, amused chuckle as various thoughts flashed through his mind.
So that's how it is?
Even if Liu Yun is a genius, he's still young. It's only natural that he wouldn't understand it. After all, even Orochimaru couldn't manage it...
"No questions. I've learned it."
Liu Yun's voice echoed through the Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi gave an absentminded hum. "If you have no questions, then... wait, what did you say? No questions? You've learned it???"
The next second, he shot out of his chair and braced both hands against the desk, urgency creeping into his voice.
"You really learned it?"
"That's right, Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes widened. He strode around the desk and came up to Liu Yun. "What is the foundation of Fusion Ninjutsu?"
"Thoroughly mastering the principles behind the techniques you want to combine."
"Why?"
"Only by thoroughly understanding a technique's principles can you construct its structure."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone grew even more urgent. "Structure? Well said. Then what do you do once you have the structures?"
Liu Yun thought for a moment, then slowly answered, "Find similar or complementary ninjutsu structures and nest them within one another."
As those words fell, Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils contracted, and an astonishing light soon flared in his eyes.
That was right. Although Liu Yun had used different terminology, the meaning was the same-perhaps even more precise.
Only now was Hiruzen Sarutobi finally certain: Liu Yun had grasped the essence of Fusion Ninjutsu from the scroll in such a short time.
Without a doubt, that meant he possessed a talent for Fusion Ninjutsu.
At that thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi could barely contain his excitement as he stared at Liu Yun with burning eyes.
"Hahaha!"
Loud laughter erupted in the office.
Liu Yun wasn't surprised by Hiruzen Sarutobi's reaction.
This was exactly the effect he had wanted.
Ever since obtaining [Hiruzen Sarutobi's Training Notes], his talent for the Five Basic Nature Transformations and for Fusion Ninjutsu had both improved dramatically.
He could now call himself "Little Hiruzen" without any problem.
At that moment, he even suspected that if he hadn't already become Tsunade's student, Hiruzen Sarutobi might have considered taking him on himself...
After all, no powerful master would turn down a student capable of carrying on their legacy.
For example, Tsunade favored gifted medical ninja, Orochimaru preferred research-minded geniuses, and Jiraiya preferred... all right, Jiraiya preferred the Child of Prophecy.
Liu Yun asked curiously, "Lord Hokage, do you have any other scrolls?"
As long as he collected all of Hiruzen Sarutobi's scrolls, his talent for ninjutsu would surely soar to an unbelievable level.
Then... Hiruzen Sarutobi would also be known as "Little Liu Yun"!
Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped laughing, but he couldn't keep the corners of his mouth from lifting.
Looking at Liu Yun's eagerness to learn, he once again felt a sense of familiarity.
He's so similar. Exactly like Orochimaru when he was young...
Under Liu Yun's expectant gaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi drifted into thought for a moment.
"I do."
Before Liu Yun could ask for them, Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head again. "But I can't give them to you."
Liu Yun: "..."
Seriously, are you messing with a kid?
So that whole display of talent was for nothing?
Hiruzen Sarutobi patted Liu Yun on the shoulder. "I understand how you feel, but what you need most right now is a solid foundation. I'll prepare some ninjutsu scrolls for you. Master as many techniques as you can first, then start down the path of Fusion Ninjutsu."
You don't understand anything!
Liu Yun felt helpless. He had been too hasty.
His plan had been to show off his talent, reinforce his image as a "genius," and use the opportunity to get the remaining scrolls.
He hadn't expected Hiruzen Sarutobi to become so protective of his potential, afraid that rushing his growth would do more harm than good...
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in."
An Anbu ninja entered and said respectfully, "Lord Hokage, the Yamanaka clan head has extracted all the intelligence."
"Intelligence?" Hiruzen Sarutobi remembered. It was the intelligence about the Chakra Metal Mine.
He said decisively, "Let's go to the Interrogation Room."
Before you continue