The next day.
Ren ate the steamed bun he bought on the way and walked towards Training Ground Six.
A quarter of an hour later, as soon as Ren arrived at the entrance of the training ground, he saw a figure standing opposite him. It was Maruboshi Kosuke.
"Good morning, Kosuke-senpai."
Ren quickly walked forward, greeting Maruboshi Kosuke while handing him a portion of breakfast.
"Hahaha, thank you, then I won't be polite."
Maruboshi Kosuke was startled, then burst into laughter, taking the breakfast and patting Ren's shoulder to express his gratitude.
"It's no trouble. Senior, please eat first. I'll warm up a bit."
Ren scratched his head, then began to run laps around the inside of the duelling ground. Maruboshi Kosuke leaned against a tree trunk, eating his breakfast and watching Ren train.
Ren attached great importance to this rare guidance. It was no joke; the peak of Water Release Ninjutsu was the man named Senju Tobirama, and Maruboshi Kosuke had inherited the Second Hokage's Water Release legacy, with strength far surpassing a Jonin.
He was a man recognised by three generations of Hokage. Because he bravely took responsibility for his mistakes and atoned for them, Second Hokage Senju Tobirama personally taught him Water Release Ninjutsu. Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to promote him to Jonin, but he refused. During the Third Shinobi World War, he fought alongside Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, sustaining a disabled left leg in battle, which Minato Namikaze personally bandaged. Fifth Hokage Tsunade ordered him to be responsible for the defence of Konoha Village. His ability was evident.
He was not yet the future white-haired and aged man. At this time, his strength was at its peak, even surpassing Shinku Yuhi.
"Alright, come here, young man, let's begin."
"Yes, Senior."
Ren slowed his steps and stopped in front of Maruboshi Kosuke.
"Hmm, good spirit."
Maruboshi Kosuke nodded, pondered for a moment, then looked at Ren again.
"First, use all the Water Release Ninjutsu you know. I want to see them."
"Yes."
Ren nodded, walked to the centre of the field, and quickly formed hand signs.
"Water Release: Water Wall!"
A water curtain rose from the ground, a two-meter-high water curtain defending Ren's front. Ren looked at Maruboshi Kosuke on the side.
"Hmm..."
Maruboshi Kosuke frowned slightly, said nothing, but gestured with his eyes for Ren to continue.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
A stream of water shot out from his mouth, forming a water dragon in mid-air. After flying around for a while, Ren dispersed his Chakra, and the water dragon, losing the support of Chakra, instantly vanished into thin air.
Ren turned his head, looking at Maruboshi Kosuke, waiting for his comments.
"Your Chakra control is not precise enough, wasting at least one-third of your Chakra. Your Chakra is not condensed enough, somewhat flashy and impractical. The only thing that's not bad is your hand sign speed."
Maruboshi Kosuke pointed out the problems with Ren's Ninjutsu incisively. Ren scratched his head. As expected, an expert's move immediately reveals the truth. Maruboshi Kosuke truly deserved to be the man recognised by many Hokage.
"Let's solve these two problems for now. As for the others, we'll talk about them later."
"Yes."
"Don't waste Chakra on other things. At critical moments, even the Chakra for a D-rank Ninjutsu can determine victory or defeat, or even life and death."
"Yes."
Ren finished forming hand signs and began to compress the Chakra according to Maruboshi Kosuke's instructions. The dispersed Chakra slowly gathered together and became increasingly solid.
"Water Release: Water Wall!"
He released all the compressed Chakra in one breath, and another water wall rose from the ground. But compared to the previous Water Wall, it was less flimsy and more substantial, standing firm like an unbreakable rock.
"Not bad, young man."
Maruboshi Kosuke nodded in surprise. Not only did he adjust his state so quickly, but he also compensated for his shortcomings so fast. This child had good talent.
A hint of a smile appeared in Maruboshi Kosuke's eyes. He seemed to understand why the Third Hokage wanted him to teach this child.
"Hmm, not just Water Release, you need to change this habit when using other Ninjutsu as well. Let's try your Water Dragon Bullet again."
"Yes."
...
Hatake Residence.
Kakashi gasped for breath, trying to regulate his breathing. He gripped his sword, gathered strength, and in the next instant, he was ten meters away, with three tree stumps, each the size of a person's embrace, breaking in response.
"It's not enough. This level won't defeat Ren."
Regulating his breathing, Kakashi squatted down again, beginning to gather strength once more, his target another patch of tree stumps several meters away.
...
Training Ground Eight.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
A fire dragon soared into the sky from Uchiha Ryufeng's mouth, its scorching temperature turning the nearby flowers and plants yellow. After a few breaths, the fire dragon gradually dissipated into the air.
"Not bad, the lethality is sufficient, but too much Chakra is wasted. Pay attention to Chakra consumption. Most Ninjas' Chakra reserves are not enough to squander, so you must make good use of every bit of Chakra in your body."
Sarutobi Shinnosuke looked at the dissipating fire dragon in front of him, pointing out the pros and cons of the technique.
"Yes, I understand."
Uchiha Ryufeng nodded solemnly. He respected this elite Jonin of Konoha.
While forming hand signs, Ryufeng paid attention to Chakra consumption and controlled the Chakra to be highly compressed within his body.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
Another fire dragon flew out from Ryufeng's mouth, exploding in the sky above the training ground. The scattered explosive fireballs, accompanied by scorching temperatures, rapidly raised the temperature of the entire duelling ground.
"Continue."
...
Hokage Office.
"Hiruzen, the probing by various villages during this period has caused a shortage of personnel in Root. I need to replenish some new blood."
Across from Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo sat comfortably in his chair, his gaze also on his old friend as he spoke.
"Alright, I will transfer a group of Ninja from Anbu to solve the Root's personnel shortage."
Hiruzen Sarutobi put down the documents in his hand, his gaze meeting Danzo's across the room. The tension in the air grew thicker.
"It's not enough. Root needs an infusion of fresh blood. In my opinion, those two Genin who graduated early are just right."
Danzo finally revealed his true purpose. He had actually come for Ren and Ryufeng this time.
"Uchiha Ryufeng is the eldest son of the Uchiha Clan's Elder. If you can convince the Uchiha, I have no objection."
Hiruzen Sarutobi had already prepared his excuse, directly leaving Danzo speechless with a single sentence.
"What about the other one, Hoshimi Ren? He's not from a major clan, and his parents sacrificed themselves years ago. If he comes to Root, he can go further in the future."
"This child's mother, Natsume Hiwa, was Sakumo's teammate. Konoha's Vice Director, Kana Maiko, is Natsume Hiwa's close friend and often looks after this child. His father, Hoshimi Miaten, was the previous Deputy Minister " Need me to say what will happen if you recruit this child into Root, do you?"
...
Danzo's face darkened. He stood up and left without even a greeting. A cold smile, however, hung on the corner of his mouth.
So what? They're just two dead people...
Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up a document nearby and continued to review it. Only the rustling sound of writing remained in the office...