Kosuke was naturally aware of the grand welcoming ceremony, and his classmates had been discussing the Oyashirō clan non-stop, wondering what kind of ability they possessed that would make Hokage-sama personally get involved.
"I can't reveal too much. I can only say it's a Kekkei Genkai clan. Anything more would be disclosing their secrets."
Kosuke was a sensible person; hearing Torifū's words, he stopped asking.
"How are Shinku and Ikkaku doing?"
"Oh, them? They went to the training ground to practice ninjutsu today. Shinku is really dedicating himself to genjutsu right now," Kosuke said with a laugh, clearly pleased with his friend's talent. "Even Suiga Sensei said he's very talented!"
Torifū already knew this, so he wasn't surprised, but he still offered his congratulations. Kosuke then added, "Ikkaku's strength is about the same as mine. Ikkaku is more proficient in ninjutsu." He then scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Not to boast, but Suiga Sensei said my talents in various aspects are quite good, and I should become an all-rounder ninja in the future."
Torifū had known this for a long time too. Although Kosuke was the "Eternal Genin," his strength was certainly not that of a Genin; his genjutsu, taijutsu, and ninjutsu were all flourishing. Indeed, Konoha's Genin all have a few tricks up their sleeves.
"Since your talent is so good, you'll need to work even harder. Do you plan to train in all three areas simultaneously?"
Kosuke nodded: "I do have that idea. After all, I don't want to waste my talent."
Torifū patted his shoulder: "Then you'll have to endure more hardship than Shinku and Ikkaku. Otherwise, if you develop in all three areas but don't master any of them, your future will stop at Chūnin." Torifū wasn't exaggerating. If Kosuke didn't put in more effort, and his ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu all remained halfway decent, he would never cross the threshold of a Jōnin in this life.
Hearing Torifū's words, Kosuke became nervous. However, despite his nervousness, he had no intention of giving up. "Don't worry, I'll work hard."
After chatting for a while longer, Kosuke remembered he had something else to do and waved goodbye to Torifū. This long conversation with Torifū had brought him many insights and strengthened his resolve. To change his fate as the "Eternal Genin," Torifū repeatedly told Kosuke not to be reckless, not to seek quick results, and to always work steadily. In the original world, Kosuke had been too eager to be promoted to Chūnin, wanting to show off in missions, which led to the sacrifice of his teammates. With immense guilt, he knelt before Tobirama and vowed never to be promoted to Chūnin in his life. In the end, even the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, couldn't persuade him. However, this also showed Kosuke's character: he didn't run from his mistakes and spent his life repenting. Whether Kosuke's fate could be changed in this world remained to be seen, but Torifū would do his best to try and change it.
After parting ways with Kosuke, Torifū continued to wander the streets. As he walked, he found himself near Jiraiya's house. Torifū looked around; there was no one in the yard. He figured they must have gone out to play, probably at Orochimaru's house. To look after their children, these two families always had one staying in the village. They also alternated their missions. To be neighbors to this extent was truly remarkable. It was probably mainly because the children were still very young. For civilian families like Jiraiya's and Orochimaru's, without a strong financial background, they could only constantly take on missions to earn a better living. Such a life carried high risks; an accident could happen at any time, leaving the children orphaned. However, Jiraiya's and Orochimaru's parents' strength was quite decent; they were both Jōnin or Chūnin level, which was very good among civilians.
Torifū was just wandering, not specifically looking for anyone, so seeing that Jiraiya's house was empty, he left. He realized that he hadn't really been to this area much before. He usually only strolled along the main street and near his own home. He wondered how he ended up here today. Since he was here, he decided to walk around more and familiarize himself with the area. Many of the villagers he usually encountered on the streets probably lived in this area. Although it was referred to as the civilian district by the clans, the houses were very neatly planned and designed, looking quite neat and cozy. Torifū felt it was better than living in a large manor, just not as convenient.
As he walked, he heard sounds of "Hey! Ha!" suggesting someone was practicing taijutsu. He walked a short distance in the direction of the sounds and arrived next to a courtyard. This courtyard seemed out of place compared to the other houses; it didn't look like a civilian house, but rather a clan's residence, though a relatively small one. It was only about a quarter the size of the Kumotsuru Clan's compound, much larger than civilian houses, but not impressive compared to the residences of major clans.
Torifū quietly peered into the courtyard and saw a shirtless, white-haired little boy swinging a short sword. His father was at his side, instructing him and occasionally correcting his movements. "Chest out!" "Hands higher!" "Squat lower!" It had to be said that after his father corrected him, his movements looked much better than before. Seeing the short sword in the boy's hand and his white hair, Torifū more or less guessed who this person was. He had heard before that a samurai family had joined Konoha Village, and it turned out to be this very family. This little boy was none other than the future Konoha's White Fang—Hatake Sakumo!
Torifū didn't know if the Hatake clan was famous in the ninja world, as they were a samurai clan. However, judging by the size and location of their residence, their financial situation probably wasn't particularly wealthy. But it could also be that a family of three living in a large manor would be wasteful. Torifū often encountered the patriarch of this family when taking on missions; he usually performed missions with two or three other ninja. Torifū wasn't sure about his strength, as they didn't have much interaction.
Torifū had planned to leave quietly, but somehow he was discovered. The patriarch was initially very vigilant, but relaxed when he saw it was Torifū. He couldn't help it; Torifū's reputation was too high. Almost every adult in the village knew the name Kumotsuru Torifū. This wasn't just because Torifū was Hashirama's disciple; it was also because Torifū's strength was immense, and this strength was completely mismatched with his age. That's what made the villagers remember him so vividly.
"Torifū-sama, please wait! Why not come into the courtyard for a moment?"
Since he had been invited, Torifū naturally couldn't refuse. Sakumo stopped his movements at this point. He looked at Torifū, puzzled as to why his father was being so respectful to a child only a few years older than himself.
"Father, who is this?"
Hatake Isshin's face was beaming with a smile as he told his son, "This is the village's Elite Jōnin, Kumotsuru Torifū-sama."