In the forest behind Konoha Village, two children were undergoing physical training while an adult sat leisurely atop a tree branch supervising them.
"Senju Senba, did you skip breakfast or something? Why are you running so slowly?"
"Even Uzumaki Kushina, a girl, is running faster than you. Don't you feel embarrassed?"
"If you can't handle it, then get lost and go home already. Don't stay here embarrassing me!"
Isamu sat on the branch eating watermelon while loudly cursing at Senba below.
Below him, the sweat-soaked Senba continued running without saying a word.
After half a year, he had long since become used to this kind of verbal abuse.
Though outwardly silent, inwardly he was cursing furiously.
Damn old man.
Kushina only has fifteen pounds of weights on her, so of course she's faster!
I'm carrying fifty pounds!
How the hell am I supposed to run quickly?!
He just sits up there eating watermelon while talking nonsense without feeling any pain himself.
That damn melon-eating old man!
"Senju Senba, don't think I don't know what you're cursing me for inside your head."
"Let me remind you—it's useless."
"Kushina is a girl and half a year younger than you. Of course her weight load is lighter."
"If you can't even finish twenty laps around the back mountain with this much weight, then I suggest you get lost early."
"I don't raise trash here!"
Isamu tossed away the watermelon rind and followed beside Senba while continuing his barrage of insults.
Back then, he had gone through the same kind of training himself.
Naturally, he knew exactly what Senba was thinking.
The brat was definitely cursing him in his heart right now.
But Isamu didn't care.
As for Kushina—
Honestly, Isamu originally had no intention of teaching her.
But since she kept following Senba around, it felt inappropriate to let her sit there doing nothing, so he simply gave her some training as well.
Still, training her and accepting her as a disciple were two completely different matters.
His standards for taking disciples were extremely high.
He wouldn't casually accept just anyone—
Not even the future mother of the original protagonist.
Seeing Senba continue jogging silently, Isamu curled his lips and resumed his assault.
"Senju Senba, I think I could walk faster than you're running right now."
"What are you doing? Looking at ants on the ground while running?"
"Why did I ever accept such a trash disciple?"
"How embarrassing!"
"I am not trash!"
Senba finally shouted back angrily.
He could tolerate it once or twice, but after hearing it nonstop for half a year, even a five-year-old child couldn't keep enduring it forever.
"If you're not trash, then who is?"
"You can't even finish fifteen laps out of twenty."
"If you can't complete this tiny amount of training, then why shouldn't I call you trash?"
"I think you should stop calling yourself Senju Senba and rename yourself Trash Senba instead."
"That suits you better!"
Isamu mocked him mercilessly again.
"I said I'm not trash!"
Senba glared fiercely at his master while increasing his speed.
"Then prove it."
"If you're not trash, run faster."
"You deserve to be looked down on for moving this slowly."
Isamu crossed his arms and looked at him with blatant disdain while continuing to provoke him nonstop.
"Just you wait!"
Senba gritted his teeth and suddenly accelerated forward.
Watching him rush ahead, Isamu stopped moving and nodded with satisfaction.
"Heh. Got him."
"Reverse psychology really works on kids after all."
"No matter how mature he acts, he's still only five years old."
Then Isamu leisurely walked toward the finish line and sat down there waiting for them.
As he watched the two children repeatedly circle the mountain path, he nodded inwardly in satisfaction.
After half a year of training under him, Senba already possessed strength comparable to an Elite Genin.
Reaching that level at only five years old was extremely impressive.
As for Kushina—
Although she wasn't as talented as Senba, she was still a genius from the Uzumaki Clan.
At her age, possessing Genin-level strength was already exceptional among her peers.
Elsewhere in Konoha Village, another blond child was also undergoing harsh training.
That child was Minato Namikaze.
The future Fourth Hokage.
There was a reason why Minato would eventually stand at the peak of the Ninja World.
While others rested and played, he trained relentlessly.
A certain great person once said:
"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration."
Though talent was important, effort could never be ignored.
Hard work might not guarantee success—
But those who never worked hard would definitely never succeed.
That was precisely why Isamu trained Senba so harshly.
He could not stay beside Senba forever.
An eagle would eventually leave its nest and soar through the sky alone.
Before that day came, Isamu had to help him grow strong enough to survive.
Soon, Kushina completed the twenty laps with her fifteen-pound weights and reached the finish line.
"Come, Kushina."
"Drink some light salt water first and replenish yourself."
Isamu handed her a cup with a smile.
"Thank you!"
After taking a few gulps, Kushina curiously looked at him.
"Uncle Sani, why are you training Big Brother Senba so harshly?"
"Is there some special reason?"
"There's no special reason."
"In this war-filled world, the only way to survive is to possess strength."
"And if you want strength, then daily hard training is essential."
"I simply want him to have enough power to protect himself."
Isamu answered calmly.
Truthfully, he never intended for Senba to become some unrivaled monster dominating the Ninja World.
As long as the child possessed enough strength to protect himself, that was enough.
The future would slowly improve.
Peace would eventually arrive on this continent.
Saving the world was never Senba's responsibility.
He only needed to live safely and peacefully.
As for those terrifying enemies and impossible obstacles—
Isamu's Main Body would clear them away himself.
"Protect himself?"
"But I think Big Brother Senba is already really strong."
"In class, aside from that blond boy, nobody can even last a few moves against him."
"Isn't that enough already?"
Kushina asked in confusion.
Children naturally had little concept of true battlefield strength.
In her eyes, being first place in class already meant being powerful.
"Hahaha!"
"What kind of self-protection is that?"
"With his current strength, he'd just be cannon fodder on an actual battlefield."
"He's still far from being able to truly protect himself."
Hearing Kushina's innocent words, Isamu laughed loudly.
Children were still children after all.
Still, the mention of "that blond boy" piqued his interest.
That was undoubtedly Minato Namikaze.
Uchiha Fugaku.
The Hyuga brothers.
Uzumaki Kushina.
Minato Namikaze.
A brand-new era was slowly beginning.
How interesting.
After chatting with Kushina for a while longer, Senba finally staggered across the finish line after completing all twenty laps with his weights on.
The instant he arrived—
His vision blacked out.
He collapsed forward unconscious.
Fortunately, Isamu reacted instantly and caught him before he hit the ground.
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