Yoruha did not reject the Third Hokage’s arrangement.
“Since Hokage-sama is offering sincerely…”
“…then I’ll accept.”
He lightly lifted the three forbidden-technique scrolls in his hand.
“I’ll study them properly.”
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the scrolls helplessly.
The three techniques Yoruha selected were all absurdly difficult.
Hashirama Senju’s Fivefold Rashōmon.
Hashirama’s Myōjinmon sealing technique.
And the Flying Thunder God Technique created by Tobirama Senju.
Any single one of them could become a ninja’s lifelong pursuit.
Yet Yoruha chose all three casually.
Still—
Hiruzen did not interfere.
He genuinely wanted to see how terrifying Yoruha’s ninjutsu talent truly was.
If Yoruha struggled heavily with forbidden techniques, Hiruzen could later redirect him toward more conventional elemental ninjutsu instead.
After all, even without ninjutsu—
Yoruha already possessed terrifying Kage-level combat power through pure physical force alone.
And during their battle last night, Hiruzen strongly suspected Yoruha still had not revealed his full strength.
Which was ridiculous enough already.
Because Yoruha was only twelve years old.
The future growth potential hidden within him was honestly difficult to imagine.
After completing all official paperwork, Yoruha finally moved into his new residence.
Fortunately, he possessed very few belongings.
One simple bag was enough.
Soon afterward, Yoruha arrived at his new apartment near the Hokage Building.
The location alone was astonishing.
This district stood near the administrative center of Konohagakure itself.
Land prices here were outrageously expensive.
Even elite ninja rarely lived comfortably in this area unless they possessed additional income sources or political status.
Yoruha’s apartment itself was not particularly luxurious.
Three floors.
Two bedrooms.
One living room.
Approximately seventy square meters.
Simple, but extremely valuable because of its location.
Yoruha silently estimated the price before reaching a conclusion:
“…There’s no way ordinary ninja could ever afford this.”
And that was true.
Although shinobi appeared glamorous outwardly, the profession actually consumed enormous expenses internally.
Mission equipment.
Explosive tags.
Ninja tools.
Medical supplies.
Weapon maintenance.
Most of those costs came directly from the ninja themselves.
Kunai and shuriken remained popular partly because they were relatively cheap.
Meanwhile, explosive tags were notoriously expensive.
Using several explosive tags during a low-rank mission could easily erase the entire commission profit.
Even many Jonin lived relatively modestly financially.
For example—
Jiraiya earned considerable wealth mainly because of his novel publications, not missions.
Kakashi Hatake himself lived nearby in a much smaller apartment.
Even Asuma Sarutobi, despite being the Third Hokage’s son, still relied heavily on shinobi housing arrangements.
The ninja profession simply was not especially profitable unless one constantly accepted dangerous high-level missions.
After cleaning the apartment thoroughly, Yoruha finally sat down inside the quiet living room.
Moonlight filtered faintly through the windows.
Then he opened the first forbidden-technique scroll.
Fivefold Rashōmon.
The seemingly compact scroll unfolded continuously until it stretched several meters long across the floor.
Countless formulas, diagrams, seals, and chakra circulation theories filled its contents densely.
Yoruha scanned the material silently.
Then paused slightly.
“…I actually understand this.”
That genuinely surprised him.
He had never formally studied advanced sealing theory or high-level summoning structures before.
Yet the moment he read the scroll—
The contents connected together naturally inside his mind.
Yoruha narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
“So Akainu’s inheritance improved more than combat ability…”
The answer actually made sense.
Sakazuki was not some mindless brute.
Marine Admirals were effectively military leaders managing fleets, strategies, logistics, and warfare.
Especially Sakazuki, who gradually climbed through Marine Headquarters ranks rather than appearing through sudden promotion.
Someone capable of eventually becoming Fleet Admiral naturally possessed extraordinary learning and analytical ability.
Combined with Yoruha’s existing chakra knowledge from years at the academy—
The result became unexpectedly effective.
The more Yoruha studied the scroll—
The faster he comprehended it.
Soon, he already understood the core principles behind Rashōmon summoning.
“With enough practice…”
“…I should master this quickly.”
Then he paused again.
“…But what’s the actual point?”
Yoruha’s expression became strange.
The Rashōmon gates were famous primarily for defense.
Even Orochimaru once used Triple Rashōmon to reduce the impact of a Tailed Beast Bomb during the invasion against Naruto’s transformed state.
Meanwhile, Hashirama’s superior Fivefold Rashōmon version possessed even greater defensive power.
Still—
It merely reduced and redirected the Tailed Beast Bomb’s destructive force rather than completely stopping it.
From Yoruha’s perspective, the technique suddenly felt awkward.
“…Wouldn’t dodging just be easier?”
With his current physical speed combined with Observation Haki, escaping large-scale attacks was trivial.
And if necessary—
He could reinforce himself directly using Armament Haki.
Or simply transform his body through magma elementalization.
Compared to those options, spending time forming seals for massive defensive gates felt inefficient.
Yoruha leaned back thoughtfully.
Then he realized another issue.
Large-scale ninjutsu in general often suffered similar weaknesses.
“Tailed Beast Bombs.”
“Susanoo.”
“Massive elemental attacks…”
“They look overwhelming…”
“…but they waste enormous resources.”
Take Susanoo for example.
Its defensive capability was terrifying.
Yet the chakra consumption was equally horrifying.
Only monsters like the Uchiha with enormous chakra reserves could maintain such techniques effectively.
Against truly top-tier speed-based opponents—
Large-scale abilities often became inefficient.
The more Yoruha analyzed combat practically, the more he appreciated the terrifying simplicity of Akainu’s fighting style.
Overwhelming offense.
Absolute pressure.
Direct lethality.
No wasted motion.
Still—
After staring at the Rashōmon scroll for several more seconds, Yoruha finally nodded.
“…Whatever.”
“I’ll learn it anyway.”
“At least it looks impressive.”
If Hiruzen heard that explanation, he might genuinely cough blood.
One of Hashirama’s legendary forbidden techniques—
Reduced to “looking impressive.”
The rest of the night passed quietly.
Yoruha continuously studied the Fivefold Rashōmon theory while refining chakra circulation routes mentally.
By late night, he had already grasped most of the underlying principles completely.
“Tomorrow…”
“…I’ll test it outside the village.”
Eventually, Yoruha finally went to sleep peacefully.
Meanwhile—
Inside the Hokage’s office.
After finishing arrangements for Team 7’s upcoming survival exercise, Kakashi Hatake arrived to report.
After entering the office, Kakashi looked around briefly.
“…Hm?”
“Where’s Yoruha?”
“Didn’t he become your assistant?”
The Third Hokage chuckled lightly while continuing to process documents.
“He already went home.”
“Unlike you…”
“…I’m not planning to overwork twelve-year-old children immediately.”
Kakashi’s visible eye curved slightly.
Fair enough.
Then Hiruzen added calmly:
“He’s currently studying forbidden techniques.”
Kakashi paused.
“…Forbidden techniques?”
“Yes.”
“Flying Thunder God.”
“Fivefold Rashōmon.”
“And Myōjinmon.”
Silence.
Kakashi stared blankly at the Third Hokage.
Then slowly asked:
“…You handed those techniques directly to a fresh academy graduate?”
Even Kakashi found this treatment outrageous.
Yet Hiruzen merely smiled calmly.
“With his talent…”
“…ordinary ninjutsu would only waste his time.”