Chapter 10: Fish-Man Karate vs. Shadow Clone Technique
Senju Hashirama taking on disciples wasn't exactly a secret, but the exact list of individuals had never been made public.
So, the clan members had only just found out that Chu Yang was one of the clan leader's disciples.
"Up until now, I haven't heard of anyone successfully mastering Wood Release. Yang is the first!"
"Not only that, his Wood Release is impressive! Even just now, several experts from the Uchiha clan suffered greatly."
"Yang is a genius when it comes to Wood Release! He can completely carry on the clan leader's legacy!"
After completing their mission, a group of people returned to the Senju clan.
News of Chu Yang's squad being ambushed and then turning the tables on their enemies spread quickly throughout the Senju clan.
What truly shocked people wasn't how many Uchiha members Chu Yang had taken down, but the fact that he had mastered Wood Release.
No one understood the strength of Wood Release better than the Senju clan, and Chu Yang was the second person in the clan to master this Bloodline Limit, destined to attract significant attention from the entire clan.
Not long after the news spread, Chu Yang received a summons from Senju Hashirama.
He followed the guards all the way to the clan leader's residence.
The ever-outgoing Senju Hashirama didn't keep Chu Yang waiting for long. He soon appeared in front of him, as always accompanied by his brother, Senju Tobirama, the Second Hokage.
With a smile, Senju Hashirama led Chu Yang to the courtyard and said, "Show me some of your Wood Release techniques."
Chu Yang did as he was told, performing a few basic jutsu, all ones that Hashirama had previously taught him.
Watching Chu Yang manipulate the trees with ease and fluidity, without any hesitation, Hashirama's eyes filled with admiration.
The potential was evident even from these small techniques, revealing Chu Yang's extraordinary talent in Wood Release.
Bloodline Limits were not like ordinary jutsu; their cultivation was much more difficult and dangerous.
If a failure occurred, the fusion of incompatible chakra natures would leave irreversible damage at the bloodline level.
Only those with similar bloodlines could minimize such risks.
Originally, Hashirama had little hope of finding a suitable successor, until Chu Yang appeared.
The overwhelming power of Wood Release was something that most Bloodline Limits couldn't compare to, and failures in its cultivation were common.
After a failed attempt at mastering Wood Release, a ninja would often experience varying degrees of life force depletion.
Even those with a similar bloodline to Hashirama, while immune to most of the backlash, still spent long periods bedridden after their attempts.
This showed just how special Chu Yang was.
Hashirama had a feeling that no other clansman would be able to inherit his Wood Release.
The moment Tobirama entered the room, he immediately started scrutinizing Chu Yang. Unlike Hashirama's friendly demeanor, Tobirama's gaze was much more intense, almost invasive.
Tobirama knew all too well how difficult it was to master Wood Release, let alone reach a certain level in such a short time.
He scanned Chu Yang like a cold machine.
Chu Yang didn't like this feeling at all and glared back at him fiercely!
Tobirama was stunned…
Someone actually dared to glare at him?
And it was a mere child from the clan?
"Hahaha!" Hashirama burst into hearty laughter when he saw his brother flustered. "Tobirama, that's rude of you! He's still just a kid."
"Big brother, he's a kid, but he's no ordinary child." Tobirama retracted his gaze and muttered in a low voice, "To have cultivated Wood Release to the point of using its secret techniques in such a short time, he's even better than you were back then."
Hashirama nodded. As the creator of Wood Release, he clearly understood the meaning behind Tobirama's words.
This was a young man with exceptional talent who needed to be properly taught and nurtured. Given time, he could take on great responsibilities.
But Hashirama was not a qualified teacher. When it came to instructing young people, his brother Tobirama was far more suited to the task.
In fact, it was true that Tobirama, as the founder of the ninja academy, had made great contributions to education in the Hidden Leaf.
Hashirama smiled and patted Chu Yang on the shoulder. "From now on, you'll follow Tobirama and learn the fundamentals of ninjutsu. As a ninja, mastering only Wood Release is not enough."
Though Chu Yang appeared calm on the surface, inside, he was ecstatic.
Who was Senju Tobirama?
He was one of the greatest inventors in the history of the ninja world, having developed countless forbidden techniques and ninjutsu.
Orochimaru couldn't even compare. Learning under Tobirama would no doubt lead to immense progress.
"First, you need to improve your taijutsu."
Tobirama stared at Chu Yang expressionlessly, his tone a mix of instruction and warning. "People often talk about the balance of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, but in reality, taijutsu is the most important foundation for a ninja."
"No matter how talented you are in ninjutsu, if your taijutsu is weak, you'll be more likely to die on the battlefield."
Tobirama's expression softened slightly, and he added, "I was going to test your taijutsu today, but considering you've just returned from a mission, take some rest. Come find me tomorrow morning."
This time, Chu Yang obediently nodded.
After Chu Yang left, the two brothers continued discussing Chu Yang's training late into the night.
The next morning, Chu Yang visited Tobirama again, and along the way, grabbed breakfast at the clan leader's house.
Just like the Chu Yang from the Pirate world, Naruto Chu Yang didn't have any family, so most of the time, he either ate at restaurants or at someone else's house, with the former being more frequent.
Being an orphan was one of the criteria for Hashirama in choosing his disciples. If someone's fate could be changed by Wood Release, it was something Hashirama would be happy to see.
Just like Chu Yang.
After breakfast, Tobirama took Chu Yang to a training ground he often used, which was the place he used to train as a child, out in the wilderness.
The training ground wasn't large, but it had all the essentials, like targets and dummies. The surrounding trees were marked with traces of practice.
"Let me see your taijutsu."
With that, Tobirama formed a single hand seal and summoned a shadow clone. He intended to test Chu Yang's skills using the clone.
Chu Yang didn't let his guard down just because his opponent was a shadow clone. Shadow clones varied in strength depending on the user, and a Hokage-level clone was certainly stronger than him.
Before entering the Soul Palace, Chu Yang's taijutsu had indeed been a weakness, as he had devoted most of his energy to studying Wood Release.
However, after returning from the Soul Palace, things were different.
The shadow clone rushed toward Chu Yang with remarkable speed, and Tobirama, who was observing from a distance, frowned slightly. Was Chu Yang's reaction a bit slow?
Just as Tobirama was about to give Chu Yang a failing grade, Chu Yang suddenly moved. He took a deep horse stance, pulling his right fist back to his waist like a coiled spring, and after exhaling softly, he unleashed a powerful punch.
At the moment Chu Yang struck, Tobirama, standing afar, could feel the surge of air currents, startling him.
[Fish-Man Karate: 2000 Tile True Punch!]
This punch carried the force to split mountains!
Its momentum was overwhelming. The shadow clone attempted to counter, but was shattered by a single blow!