By the banks of the Naka River.
At the riverside, which had been repaired and enhanced with numerous facilities by Uchiha ninjas, Uchiha Xuan sat on a stone chair, watching the flickering electric light dancing in his palm.
"I understand the general principle, but fully replicating it is far more difficult than I imagined."
When it came to high-damage techniques suitable for him, the two jutsu that immediately came to Uchiha Xuan’s mind were undoubtedly the most familiar moves to any Hokage fan.
Chidori and Rasengan.
"Here, the balloons and rubber balls you asked for, Xuan. Can you really develop a ninjutsu using these things?"
Not far away, Namikaze Minato walked over carrying a bag of items. Looking at the flickering lightning in Uchiha Xuan’s palm, he asked with a strange expression.
Balloons and rubber balls—weren’t those just children’s toys?
"You’ll understand once I master it."
Zzzzt!!
A sharp, piercing screech erupted as the lightning in Uchiha Xuan’s palm instantly burst outward, scattering in all directions. After a brief moment of harsh, chaotic noise, the light vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
Only a faint wisp of smoke rose from Uchiha Xuan’s hand.
"Tch."
Raising his hand, Uchiha Xuan glanced at the burn-like marks on his palm and curled his lip. These were caused by prolonged exposure of his skin to Lightning Release Chakra and its high temperature.
An hour had passed, and he still hadn’t figured out how to sustain the release of Chidori for an extended period.
"You’re injured? Should we go to the hospital? Is it because of practicing Lightning Release... Xuan, there’s no need to rush. We’re still young; we have plenty of time to grow stronger."
After handing the balloons to Uchiha Xuan, Namikaze Minato had been practicing hand seals nearby. Hearing the commotion from Uchiha Xuan’s side, he turned and immediately noticed the injury on Uchiha Xuan’s hand, walking over to speak up.
"It’s just a minor injury; it’ll heal quickly. Minato, we don’t have as much time as you think. In the current Ninja World, aside from Konohagakure, the other major villages are all waiting for someone to strike the first spark. War is about to begin."
With a one-handed seal, Uchiha Xuan retrieved a porcelain bottle from the sealing formula on his wrist. As he gently applied ointment to himself, he spoke in a low voice.
Although he didn’t know the exact start date of the Second Great Ninja War, he was aware of its trigger: Hanzo of the Salamander, the leader of Amegakure, declaring war on the three major ninja villages simultaneously, igniting the Second Great Ninja War.
From Uchiha Xuan’s estimation, that time wasn’t far off.
And once war broke out, he would undoubtedly choose to step onto the battlefield. There was no other reason—with the Mist Space, he needed countless battles to grow.
"Hahaha, not bad, you Uchiha brat. You actually have some insight into the current state of the Ninja World."
Just as he finished applying the ointment, a rough voice rang out from nearby.
"Jiraiya-sensei?! And Lady Tsunade."
Namikaze Minato’s eyes lit up at the sight of the newcomers.
"You’re a full hour late."
Looking at Tsunade, Uchiha Xuan spoke expressionlessly.
"Ahahaha, something came up at the last minute..."
Tsunade averted her gaze guiltily toward the riverbed, muttering under her breath.
’Damn it, why does this brat have such an inexplicable aura of pressure?’
"Huh? Tsunade, didn’t you just come from the gambling den—"
Boom!!
"Well then, brat, let’s begin today’s lesson."
"Jiraiya-sensei!"
Watching Jiraiya crash into the riverbed like a cannonball, Namikaze Minato cried out in alarm.
"........."
.........
"Such minor injuries still need ointment? Tsk tsk tsk, these wounds are from Lightning Release Chakra nature transformation, right? This isn’t something you should be playing with at your current level. The slightest mistake and you’ll end up in the hospital."
In the forest, Tsunade stood before Uchiha Xuan, looking at his palm as she spoke with a smile.
"Enough talk, let’s begin."
Uchiha Xuan rolled his eyes. Why was Tsunade such a chatterbox during this period?
"Hmph, since you could already walk on water during last night’s battle, that means your Chakra control isn’t bad. But merely being able to walk on water isn’t enough. Hey kid, before learning Monstrous Strength, would you be interested in studying Medical Ninjutsu?"
Upon hearing this, Tsunade curled her lip and glanced at the wounds on Uchiha Xuan’s hand before speaking.
Since she had decided to follow her grandmother’s orders to teach Uchiha Xuan, she had also chosen to accept his Uchiha temperament.
"Medical Ninjutsu?"
Uchiha Xuan was taken aback upon hearing this. He... was an Uchiha, wasn’t he?
An Uchiha ninja learning Medical Ninjutsu?
"Heh, don’t misunderstand Medical Ninjutsu. Medical Ninjutsu isn’t just for healing purposes. In a sense, with some adaptation, Medical Ninjutsu can become a technique perfectly suited for you Uchiha."
"In terms of Chakra control alone, no one in all of Konohagakure can match you Uchiha, especially after you awaken your eyes. This is what my second grandfather noted in his journals."
"When Chakra control reaches a certain level, Medical Ninjutsu becomes an absolutely offensive, damaging technique. Like this."
As she spoke, Tsunade raised her hand, and a Chakra Scalpel—familiar to Uchiha Xuan—instantly appeared in her grasp. During last night’s battle, Tsunade had used this very Chakra Scalpel to block his slashes.
"Chakra Scalpel, an A-rank Medical Ninjutsu. It can cut directly through the skin to operate internally. However, because it requires extremely calm and precise control over Chakra stability, this technique is difficult to use in combat."
"But this limitation doesn’t really apply to you Uchiha. In battle, awakened Uchiha possess combat intuition and calmness that others can hardly surpass."
"Your clan... seems born for battle. With your innate Chakra control that already surpasses others, many Medical Ninjutsu can serve entirely different purposes when wielded by you."
"And most importantly, mastering Monstrous Strength requires extremely refined Chakra control, and the initial stages of training can damage the arm’s meridians."
"If you learn Medical Ninjutsu, it will make things much easier for you. As you said, war could break out at any time. Once war begins, I’ll inevitably leave the village for the battlefield. I don’t want to train a half-baked Monstrous Strength user."
"Of course, learning Medical Ninjutsu requires complete dedication. So if you choose to study Medical Ninjutsu, you must temporarily pause any other techniques you’re currently practicing. You’ll need to focus exclusively on Medical Ninjutsu training until you reach proficiency."
Putting away the Chakra Scalpel, Tsunade looked at Uchiha Xuan and spoke in a low voice, explaining the advantages and disadvantages of Medical Ninjutsu. She then stood to the side, waiting for his response.