Th-th-this...
If Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't secretly come here tonight, he probably would never have discovered that Veigar Koshima already possessed such formidable strength.
"Kenjutsu, ninjutsu, and chakra control..." Hiruzen muttered to himself, eager to see what Veigar would do next.
This training method of destroying clones continued for half an hour until Veigar's two Shadow Clones ceased their movements and were dispelled.
Then, Veigar burst forth from beneath the river's surface, simultaneously tossing two large fish onto the bank.
This was his late-night snack.
Having re-emerged from the water, Veigar sat cross-legged on the river, processing his recent insights.
Hiruzen's expression had become unpredictable, and the plan he had for Veigar began to waver.
His desire to firmly grasp Veigar under his control, however, only grew stronger.
At this moment, Hiruzen felt as if he had stumbled upon an extraordinary secret.
"How much strength has Veigar truly hidden?"
"Why would he hide his strength?"
Hiruzen realized that he, who once believed he understood everything about Veigar, seemingly had no thorough comprehension of him.
Judging solely from Veigar's recent display, Hiruzen knew that if he faced Veigar, he could easily fall into a trap.
Hiruzen suddenly remembered Veigar's current age. If he possessed such power at only ten years old, what level of strength would Veigar reach in ten, or twenty years?
Immediately, the thought of eliminating Veigar if he couldn't be controlled resurfaced in Hiruzen's mind.
"Veigar is an orphan. Where did he acquire this training method? This growth rate..."
"Could his future truly rival the First Hokage?"
Hiruzen's heart was incredibly conflicted at this moment.
Humans are naturally curious, and Hiruzen was no exception. No one had ever left him feeling so conflicted.
Was Veigar's existence a good thing?
Perhaps it was good for the village.
But if he couldn't be controlled, then it was uncertain. Moreover, Veigar possessed a mind brimming with cunning strategies.
That was truly terrifying.
After sitting cross-legged on the river for a while, Veigar suddenly inverted himself, walking on the water's surface with his fingertips as support.
A mischievous smile appeared on Veigar's face as he walked upside down. He had just detected Hiruzen's presence and thought of a way to acquire a large sum of money.
'Oh, you like to watch, Hiruzen?'
'Then I'll give you an eyeful, but you'll have to pay for the show.'
Suspending himself on the lake with his fingertips instead of his feet was undoubtedly more difficult than standing upright.
Forget fingertips; many ninja couldn't even manage it with their entire hands, as the surface area of the hand is smaller, requiring a much stronger repulsive force from the palm.
However, this was undoubtedly an advanced method for training chakra control.
Hiruzen stared intently at Veigar, wanting to see more.
Suddenly, Veigar's fingertips vibrated, and he bounced up slightly in his inverted position. Then, he clenched his fist, extended a single finger, and with only his index finger touching the water's surface, Veigar became motionless on the lake.
Hiruzen's pupils contracted violently.
This was the complete chakra control training method, following after tree climbing and water walking.
Then, Veigar relaxed his index finger.
Splash...
It seemed as if Veigar could no longer maintain it, or perhaps he did it on purpose.
The water's surface suddenly fractured, and Veigar lost his support, falling into the river. His entry into the water looked somewhat clumsy.
Hiruzen was momentarily stunned, then almost burst out laughing.
Splish-splash! Splish-splash!
Water splashed as Veigar's head emerged from the river. He didn't swim back to the riverbank; instead, he began walking step by step towards the bank, as if there were hidden stairs beneath the water.
Hiruzen watched Veigar's actions, his gaze first contemplative, then confused, and finally revealing an expression of disbelief.
He noticed that Veigar's chakra seemed different from an ordinary person's, and his aura was also unique.
What did this signify?
Did Veigar possess a Kekkei Genkai?
This was the first time Hiruzen had encountered such a situation.
But, that wasn't right!
He remembered Veigar's father didn't have a Kekkei Genkai.
In truth, this was the Ryūmyaku energy bloodline, also related to the intensity of Veigar's chakra.
Veigar re-emerged onto the water's surface, holding two more lively, flapping fish in his hands.
Shaking off the water, Veigar suddenly spoke:
"Lord Third, you've been watching for quite a while now; you should come out."
Hiruzen, hidden in the shadows, froze. With a wry smile, he slowly emerged from the darkness, looking at Veigar's back as a fire began to blaze.
He didn't know how his presence had been exposed, but it proved Veigar's perception was incredibly strong.
"That jutsu, it might become even more powerful in Veigar's hands," Hiruzen Sarutobi thought to himself.
A bonfire crackled, with four large fish skewered nearby, roasting. Veigar and Hiruzen sat around the fire.
Having finished his preparations, Veigar looked at Hiruzen and said, "Lord Third, you wouldn't come to find me so late if it wasn't important."
"Do you have some secret mission for me?"
A hint of a mischievous grin was hidden deep in Veigar's eyes as he looked at Hiruzen.
In any case, Hiruzen wouldn't escape without losing some money tonight. Veigar's training methods weren't free to observe.
Even if the person was Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, it was no different.
Otherwise, just try to secretly observe the training methods of a ninja clan in the village.
The importance of Veigar's chakra control training method to a ninja was self-evident.
Veigar understood this, and Hiruzen understood it even more.
A tall building starts from the ground up; this was a training method for building a strong foundation. Even for a ninja of Hiruzen's caliber, it held some utility.
——————————
TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]