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Chapter 64: The Senju Secret Scroll
Maru wanted to further test Sasuke's talent, so he taught him another B-rank ninjutsu on the spot.
"Sasuke, observe carefully."
Maru glided across the river's surface and quickly formed a five-seal sequence at a speed of almost four per second.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"
Suddenly, the river water churned, and a massive wall of water rose into the sky. Sasuke remained calm. His eyes seemed fixed on Maru's hands, but in reality, he had already activated his infrasonic radar technique, perceiving every detail of the chakra flow in his body.
The moment Maru's water wall was about to fall, Sasuke's hands blurred, and in a flash, he completed the five seals.
"Water Style! Water Wall!"
An even larger water wall rose, pushing Maru's away.
"A genius! He's a genius!" Maru exclaimed, looking at Sasuke as if he had found an incredible treasure. Suddenly, his "master attribute" awakened, and enthusiastically, he began teaching Sasuke all sorts of Water Style mysteries.
He explained that although Sasuke's wall was larger, it was too dispersed, and its defense was weaker. He taught him how to compact chakra to make it more powerful and the different forms and applications of the wall. The more Sasuke learned, the more he felt that Maru's knowledge of Water Style was like a vast, unfathomable ocean. His understanding of chakra nature surpassed that of an elite jonin.
'I feel like I'm not learning Water Style, but forbidden techniques,' Sasuke thought. He realized that he was, in fact, a novice, but instead of being discouraged, he gained confidence. With Maru's guidance, he felt like he had gone from basic arithmetic to advanced calculus in a matter of minutes.
"Sasuke, I've told you everything I should about the tricks for practicing water release. From now on, it's up to your own understanding," Maru finally said, patting him on the shoulder.
Seeing that time was almost up, Torifune planned to leave. "Sasuke, you must supervise your team's training. I'll come to see tomorrow," he said, though his true intention was to come back for another meal.
Sasuke returned to the shore and promised Torifune a good meal. Then, he turned to Maru. "Senpai Maru, the ninjutsu you taught me... when I return to base, I'll complete the task registration and merit points to compensate you."
"No, no," Maru waved his hands.
Sasuke insisted, but Torifune approached and joked: "Sasuke, the ninjutsu Maru taught you is an 'inherited' jutsu that has been passed down through generations. You don't need to spend points."
"Inherited ninjutsu?" Sasuke asked, confused.
"No need to explain, he'll know when the time comes," Torifune said, and then he took Maru and disappeared into the forest.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Torifune became serious. "Maru, have you passed on the water release secret scroll to Sasuke?"
"Yes," Maru nodded. He looked into the distance and murmured: "Where Konoha's leaves dance, the fire will burn on. Sasuke is a good kid with the Will of Fire, and he will definitely not disappoint Lord Tobirama's inheritance."
"Maru, then why don't you accept him as your apprentice?" Torifune suggested.
"I'm a Genin, how can I accept an apprentice?"
"Perfect! As long as you give up your obsession with being a lifelong Genin, you can be promoted to Jonin immediately and accept Sasuke as your apprentice," Torifune insisted, frustrated. He had tried hundreds of times.
'What's the point of being a Genin?' he thought. 'If I could convince Maru... Sasuke has a bright future. He inherits the Hokage's legacy and has a clean background. He could become a Konoha elder. I must let my Yoshimaru get closer to him. My son is already a disciple of Jiraiya and the Third Hokage. If he and Sasuke ally... the future of the Akimichi clan would be secured.'
"No, next time I can't eat for free," he decided. "I must give him a big gift in return."