In the dining room, Hashirama Senju was drinking tea when Mito Uzumaki told him she wanted to match Tsubasa with Biwako. He nearly spat out his tea, his eyes widening and his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit an egg.
"What? You want those two to be together?" Hashirama was stunned.
But as he listened, he rubbed his chin and began to think she might have a point.
Seeing his expression, Mito smiled and said, "Husband, think about it. If your favorite disciple married your precious daughter, she wouldn't have to marry far from home, and your disciple could stay with us too. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Hashirama scratched his head and gave a sheepish grin, though he still looked troubled. "It would, but our daughter's seven years older than Tsubasa. Won't people say she's an old cow eating tender grass? If word gets out, people in the clan will definitely gossip. Besides, didn't I say before that daughters of the Senju Clan should marry outside the clan? It wouldn't look good if I were the first to break the rule. How would we explain it to the clan?"
Mito was torn between exasperation and amusement. "You said they were free to marry whoever they wanted, not that they had to marry outside the clan. Tsubasa's talent and looks are both first-rate. Where are you going to find anyone better? In any case, I've made up my mind about him. As long as Biwako doesn't object, I'll go discuss it with Tenpuku."
A little embarrassed, Hashirama muttered, "All right, all right, do as you like. I arranged our son's marriage, so I won't interfere with our daughter's. From now on, I'll leave everything concerning Biwako to you."
Mito was delighted. "Then it's settled! We'll let the two children spend some time together first. Biwako will join you two in your lessons for the next couple of days."
As they spoke, the two children walked in hand in hand. Hashirama and Mito quickly sat up straight and put on serious expressions.
Biwako smiled. "Father, Mother, I've brought Tsubasa."
Tsubasa bowed respectfully. "Good morning, Master, Master's Wife."
Hashirama beamed. "Disciple, how did you sleep last night? You really surprised me yesterday. You made it through the final step by sheer willpower. From ancient times to the present, you're the first to do it!"
Tsubasa blushed at the praise and said awkwardly, "Master, please don't praise me. I thought I was going to fail, and by the end I was completely dazed. I never expected to succeed. I was really lucky."
Hashirama waved a hand. "That's your own ability, and a blessing for our Senju Clan too. From now on, the Senju Clan will have another Wood Release expert."
At the words "Wood Release," Biwako's eyes went wide. "What? This little boy awakened Wood Release?"
Mito smiled and chided her. "What's with all the fuss? A girl should be composed and reserved, or how will you ever find a husband?"
Biwako snorted. "I'm the prettiest girl at the Ninja Academy. The people pursuing me could line up all the way from Hokage Street to our front door!"
Hashirama said to Tsubasa, "Your senior sister takes after me. She's a bit carefree, so don't mind her."
Tsubasa quickly replied, "Senior Sister is straightforward and cute, and she's pretty too. She'll definitely grow up to be a great beauty. Why would I mind?"
Hashirama laughed. "Tsubasa, from now on, do two rounds of Moving Stance Training every morning when you get up, then come over for breakfast. Remember that."
"Yes, Master," Tsubasa answered respectfully. Then he went into the courtyard and began practicing Moving Stance Training. He had a good memory and had memorized it all after practicing for half a day yesterday. He coordinated his breathing with his steps and movements without making a single mistake. Hashirama watched from the side, nodding repeatedly. Biwako, practicing the same Moving Stance Training on the other side, made several mistakes.
After training, they ate together. Mito kept serving Tsubasa food, and it was clear she genuinely liked the little fellow. The sage-like aura about him and the faint fragrance that drifted from him from time to time particularly fascinated her. Biwako and Hashirama watched, the corners of their mouths twitching.
After breakfast, Hashirama brought Biwako and Tsubasa to the training ground. Looking at Tsubasa, he said seriously, "Tsubasa, you're highly talented. I originally planned to have you practice the Chakra Refining Technique and Moving Stance Training for six months first, but I didn't expect you to get the hang of them yesterday. From now on, do two rounds of Moving Stance Training in the morning and practice the Chakra Refining Technique once before bed. During the day, we'll start practicing Taijutsu. Taijutsu is Ninjutsu that uses the body to fight. The Senju Clan's Taijutsu differs from that of other clans. It emphasizes 'momentum'; technique is secondary. In the face of absolute momentum, all techniques are powerless."
"First is the Senju Clan's basic boxing. From now on, you must practice it once every day, so your body remembers the forms and responds naturally. Then, when an enemy attacks, your body will instinctively defend or counterattack."
With that, Hashirama demonstrated the basic boxing forms once, then led Tsubasa through them twice. Straight punches, hooks, swings, front kicks, side kicks, roundhouse kicks, and spinning back kicks-he explained in detail how to generate force, apply strength, and build momentum with each move.
After going through them twice, Tsubasa had memorized the basic Taijutsu and performed it with proper form. Hashirama had witnessed Tsubasa's terrifying talent yesterday, so he wasn't too surprised. Biwako, however, was so astonished that her jaw dropped.
Hashirama went on to teach Tsubasa how to control the rhythm of Taijutsu, the speed and flow of his movements. He couldn't simply focus on being fast. To build momentum in his punches, he sometimes needed to pause or slow down. He had to control his rhythm according to the situation in actual combat, leaving his opponent with no choice but to watch his momentum grow stronger and stronger until he knocked them down with a single punch. To apply all this flexibly, however, he needed extensive combat experience.
"Now, attack me. Use all the punches, kicks, and movement techniques you just learned. Remember to control your rhythm. The key is to build momentum."
Tsubasa immediately charged at Hashirama. Every punch and kick carried tremendous power, leaving a crater whenever it struck the ground. Biwako watched, her eyes fixed on him and her mouth forming an O. Is this little kid even human? He looks so cute, so how is he so strong and so fast? My eyes can't even follow his movements.
Hashirama easily neutralized Tsubasa's moves, offering pointers as he did. "Watch your breathing. It's become erratic. Remember, your breathing must match your rhythm. Only then can you gradually build momentum. Don't attack blindly. Every move must be steady, precise, and ruthless. Feel your opponent's momentum, then adjust your own."
Tsubasa grew a little anxious. The pressure Hashirama gave him was too intense, like a great dragon staring him down, ready to swallow him at any moment, leaving him unable to breathe. Although Hashirama didn't attack, he left no openings. No matter how Tsubasa attacked, it was as though he were handing himself over on a platter.
Hashirama shouted, "Your breathing's erratic again! When your breathing's disrupted, so is your rhythm, and when your rhythm's disrupted, the momentum you've built is gone!"
Tsubasa slowly calmed down. He matched his breathing to his footwork and adopted various punching stances. He was like a little tiger preparing to hunt, his whole body trembling at a certain frequency as he waited for his prey to reveal an opening so he could strike swiftly and kill in a single blow.
Hashirama sensed it too. The little fellow's talent was astonishing. He had found the trick to building momentum so quickly and was no longer attacking blindly as he had before.
Hashirama deliberately exposed an opening, and sure enough, Tsubasa seized the chance and rushed forward. But just as he was about to hit Hashirama in the back, Hashirama delivered a spinning back kick to his stomach. Tsubasa flew like a cannonball into a tree so thick a person could barely wrap their arms around it, knocking it straight over.
Biwako screamed in fright and rushed toward Tsubasa. But Little Tsubasa sprang up as if nothing had happened and charged at Hashirama with even fiercer momentum.
Hashirama laughed. "Good, good! You've grasped the secret of storing momentum so quickly." He couldn't help marveling inwardly. As expected of a Perfect Sage Body. He took a hit with half my strength and was fine, and his momentum didn't even break. He's only a little over six years old. That's terrifying!