“Ryun, no drinking.”
Auntie glared fiercely at Uncle.
“And you, how could you pour alcohol for a child?
Ryun is only nine years old.”
“Mina, Ryun’s swordsmanship has improved so quickly.
I wanted to celebrate with him…” Gekko Naoto gave an awkward laugh and scratched his head.
“Celebrating is no excuse either!” Auntie crossed her arms in an “X” shape.
Gekko Ryun sat up straight, nodding repeatedly, and subtly withdrew his hand that was about to take the wine glass.
He really had no way with this Ninja World.
Three-year-olds could go to battlefields, but minors couldn’t drink alcohol.
Auntie nodded with satisfaction and handed him a glass of juice.
“Apple juice is fine.
You have to wait until you’re an adult to drink alcohol.”
Uncle shrugged helplessly.
“Mina, even the Hokage’s disciples aren’t managed this strictly.”
“Is that the same thing?”
The term “Sannin” hadn’t emerged yet, but the reputation of the Hokage’s three disciples was already considerable.
Of course, there were also some discordant voices mixed in.
Such as the “rumors” about the Sannin being associated with gambling, prostitution, and drugs…
After the noisy yet exceptionally warm dinner.
Gekko Ryun didn’t practice his sword as usual.
Seizing the opportunity while helping Uncle clean up the dishes.
“Uncle, I want to learn Ninjutsu.”
Who wouldn’t be interested in Ninjutsu after coming to the Ninja World?
Either you were an Otsutsuki, playing with Divine Arts, looking down on learning Ninjutsu.
Or you were like him, with a family-inherited swordsmanship, plus insufficient Chakra reserves.
As a veteran ninja, Uncle insisted he focus on practicing swordsmanship.
But times were different now.
Minato Namikaze had already begun training under Jiraiya.
Possessing terrifying combat intuition and nerve reflexes, coupled with Chakra reserves far exceeding his own, once Minato mastered a few Ninjutsu, his combat power would leap forward.
Wouldn’t it become harder to get his blood then?
“Wait another two years.” Uncle, skillfully washing dishes, looked up and refused without hesitation.
“Uncle, you said the same thing two years ago…”
“Uh…
Did I?” Uncle, his hands covered in soap suds, instinctively scratched his head, then quickly wiped it with his wrist.
Seeing the determination in his eyes, Uncle sighed and said seriously, “Ryun, I understand.
No child your age doesn’t want to learn Ninjutsu.”
Gekko Ryun silently waited for the word “but.”
“But, your Chakra reserves are insufficient.
Even if you learn Ninjutsu, a single C-rank Ninjutsu could drain your Chakra.
If you’re not careful, you could get injured.
Even if you learn it, you can’t use it for now; it has no practical combat value.
Focus on mastering swordsmanship first.
I promise, before you graduate from the Ninja Academy, I’ll teach you any Ninjutsu you want to learn, as long as I know it.”
He had heard this speech two years ago.
He could understand Uncle’s good intentions.
So-called Chakra is the mixture of physical energy produced by the body’s 130 trillion cells and mental energy.
Although everyone in the Ninja World was a bit superhuman, they still paid some attention to science.
Chakra is extracted from within the body.
Overdrawing Chakra is equivalent to draining one’s life potential, causing direct harm to the body.
In mild cases, the Chakra Pathway System gets damaged; in severe cases, it can be fatal.
In the original story, Naruto started with the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu right away.
People with “Chakra tons” could afford to be willful.
Sasuke could perform the Great Fireball Technique in his first year; his Chakra reserves were also extraordinary.
But for an ordinary person like him with limited chakra reserves, learning ninjutsu required extreme caution.
It was hard to empathize with a talent monster like Naruto.
“Uncle, I have a reason I must learn it.”
With no other choice, he deployed the Hokage’s ancestral “Bonding Technique.”
“Oh?” His uncle finished putting away the washed dishes and asked curiously, “Why?”
“I made a promise to a classmate to have a match in half a month, and I want to win.”
“So that’s it.” His uncle laughed heartily, patting his shoulder.
“What’s your classmate’s name?”
“Minato Namikaze.”
“He has a surname…
seems like a little genius.
Can’t you win with your current swordsmanship level?”
Gekko Ryun: “…”
He smoothly skipped over his uncle’s notion of judging strength by “whether one has a surname.”
Winning against Minato Namikaze with Genin-level swordsmanship?
That would be quite imaginative.
By his rough estimate, Minato Namikaze currently had at least Chunin-level strength.
Learning a few ninjutsu, he might not be much worse than his uncle.
Kakashi became a Jonin at twelve, and Minato Namikaze was an even greater genius than Kakashi.
Otherwise, Jiraiya wouldn’t have actively taken him as a disciple.
His uncle walked out of the kitchen, not even bothering to dry his hands, pacing back and forth.
He remained silent for a long time.
“I can teach you, but you must promise me one condition.”
Gekko Ryun’s eyes lit up.
This trick actually worked so well.
His uncle looked serious, staring into his eyes.
“I will watch your match in half a month.
You must promise me not to use ninjutsu unless absolutely necessary.”
“No problem, but don’t you have a mission?”
Learning ninjutsu was originally meant as a last-resort technique for him.
With his current chakra reserves, using a single ninjutsu would leave him completely drained.
“I’ll go and come back quickly, returning before your match.” His uncle raised a fist.
“This is a promise between men.”
Gekko Ryun gently bumped his fist against it.
…..
Deep underground in Root.
There was no sunlight, no windows, and the air was filled with the smell of earth.
In the labyrinthine secret passages, a Root member stood at every corner, wearing a mask.
Danzo sat in the deepest stone chamber, the dim light overhead casting shadows over his eyes.
He looked at the figure kneeling before him and said solemnly, “Are there any promising seedlings in the Ninja Academy?”
The person kept their head lowered, their voice calm and devoid of any fluctuation.
“Sixth-year Nawaki, fourth-year Shikaku Nara, Choza Akimichi, Inoichi Yamanaka, third-year Minato Namikaze, Gekko Ryun, second-year Nonoyu Yakushi.”
Danzo already knew about Nawaki Senju and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.
These individuals were undoubtedly talented, but Hiruzen Sarutobi would absolutely never allow him to recruit them into Root.
Thinking of this, Danzo’s eyes grew colder.
Damn Sarutobi, refusing to hand over the next Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to him.
And Mito Uzumaki—if it weren’t for that old woman, Nawaki Senju should have joined Root as well.
“Information on Minato Namikaze, Gekko Ryun, and Nonoyu Yakushi.”
The kneeling figure stood up and presented a scroll with both hands.
Danzo reviewed the information on the three:
Minato Namikaze, orphan, preliminary assessment indicates Chunin-level strength, displays exceptionally high combat intuition in multiple combat tests.
Note: Target exhibits strong vigilance.
Gekko Ryun, member of the Gekko clan, preliminary assessment indicates strength approaching Genin level, skilled in Konoha Style Swordsmanship.
Nonoyu Yakushi, orphan, preliminary assessment indicates Genin-level capability, outstanding performance in intelligence analysis class.
Note: Target exhibits extremely high vigilance.
After thoroughly reviewing the information on all three individuals, he was the first to cross off Gekko Ryun.
Having near-Genin strength in the third year might be considered a minor talent for the Ninja Academy, where mastering the Three Basic Jutsu is sufficient for graduation.
But his Root does not accept such mediocrities.
“Why were the reports on Minato Namikaze and Nonoyu Yakushi only submitted now?”
The Root member remained silent.
‘Damn you, Hiruzen!’
Danzo cursed inwardly.
He had previously maintained a certain level of tacit understanding with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi did not interfere with his recruitment of Ninja Clan geniuses under the name of Root, and he refrained from targeting Ninja Academy students.
But now…
“Prioritize Minato Namikaze and Nonoyu Yakushi to the highest level.
Report to me weekly.”