Chapter 11: Can Geniuses Do Whatever They Want?
Tobirama Senju's eyes widened in surprise. There weren't many things in the world that could astonish him anymore, but the young boy in front of him had done it again, shattering his understanding.
The taijutsu style the boy had just used clearly didn't belong to any known school! It was an entirely new martial arts form!
"How old is he, and he's already created his own taijutsu style?" Tobirama muttered, his gaze toward Chu Yang changing noticeably.
This kid had immense potential! But despite his appreciation, Tobirama was not one to let Chu Yang get too full of himself. He walked over to the boy and, in a calm tone, remarked, "Your taijutsu is passable, but it needs further improvement."
Chu Yang exhaled in relief. "Passable" was good enough—it meant he hadn't been scolded by the notoriously strict Second Hokage. Excitedly, he asked, "So does that mean I can start learning ninjutsu from you now?"
Tobirama nodded slightly and said softly, "Before that, I need to review all the ninjutsu you've learned so far. A skyscraper can only rise on a solid foundation, so we need to ensure your basics are in order."
He then began re-teaching Chu Yang the fundamental techniques, starting from the basics of the Transformation Jutsu, Clone Jutsu, and Substitution Jutsu, even throwing in some knowledge about the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Chu Yang, blessed with triple the talent of others, absorbed this information at an astonishing rate, often expanding upon what he learned in ways that pleased Tobirama.
What kind of student do teachers love the most? One who grasped concepts instantly and didn't need much explaining to thoroughly understand the material.
Chu Yang was not only a fast learner but also exhibited extraordinary practical skills. As long as he "knew" something, he could often "do" it with little difficulty.
The further Tobirama went with his lessons, the faster Chu Yang seemed to learn.
Before he knew it, Chu Yang had mastered everything Tobirama wanted to review, even though Tobirama had added extra nuances and advanced insights. Chu Yang handled it all effortlessly.
"He's not just talented in Wood Release…" Tobirama's palms were sweating, feeling both nervous and excited.
He had the overwhelming urge to teach Chu Yang all the ninjutsu he knew! To see how far the boy could go! But amid his excitement, Tobirama restrained himself. After all, Chu Yang was still young. Giving him access to too many advanced ninjutsu prematurely, especially while his temperament was still forming, could be harmful to his development.
As a researcher of ninjutsu, Tobirama knew too well how dangerous it could be for someone to focus solely on jutsu.
With that thought in mind, Tobirama deliberately slowed his teaching pace. However, even with this deliberate deceleration, Chu Yang still managed to absorb a vast amount of knowledge within just one day.
Tobirama felt both satisfied and uneasy.
As the day darkened, Chu Yang stayed for dinner before Tobirama finally kicked him out. Immediately afterward, Tobirama sought out Hashirama to discuss Chu Yang's progress.
Hashirama, setting aside the intel he had just received, wore a solemn expression. According to Tobirama, Chu Yang was an extraordinary genius—possibly a once-in-a-century prodigy for the Senju clan.
"I thought I had already given enough attention to his talent, but I seem to have underestimated him," Hashirama said with a wry smile.
"He's an orphan," Tobirama mused. "He's only been learning the basics all this time. No one would have noticed him because he didn't have access to advanced ninjutsu. He lacked the resources."
Hashirama glanced at his brother. "Could he be the future of the Senju clan?"
Tobirama shook his head. "It's too early to say. A dead genius has no value. Only a genius who survives can be called a genius."
Hashirama suddenly felt a headache coming on. It was like holding a priceless, yet fragile, piece of art. He muttered, "Should we train him harder, or should we protect him?"
"Train him, of course!"
A sharp glint flashed in Tobirama's eyes as he coldly replied, "If he breaks under pressure during training, then it just means he's not the kind of person worthy of carrying the future of the Senju clan!"
"Well said, but…" Hashirama scratched his head. "If something goes wrong, won't you regret it?"
Would he regret it? Of course, he would! Tobirama had never seen a child with such strong innate talent. If he lost this potential heir, he might wake up crying in the middle of the night!
But still, he shook his head firmly. Jade must be polished to become a true gem. If Chu Yang grew up sheltered by the clan and never faced the battlefield, how could he ever shoulder great responsibilities in the future?
"Take him under your wing, and give him the right challenges," Hashirama cautioned repeatedly, worried that his brother might go too far. "Remember, I said 'appropriate' challenges!"
Once again, the two brothers launched into an intense debate about how best to train Chu Yang.
Meanwhile, back at his own place, Chu Yang began researching the concept of Haki. He believed that Haki could complement his Wood Release techniques quite well.
Even just basic Armament Haki enhancement could greatly amplify the power of Wood Release.
The issue was…
Chu Yang still didn't have enough Haki. He could barely coat his body with it, let alone extend it to his Wood Release techniques.
How could he quickly improve his Haki?
With ninjutsu, you could improve by practicing hand seals and chakra control. But Haki wasn't as simple. It wasn't flashy; it was essentially a manifestation of one's mental strength.
As long as a person could feel Haki's presence, they could use it—mastery just varied based on proficiency.
Studying Haki through the lens of ninjutsu wouldn't work. The two were entirely different.
If anything, Haki had more in common with genjutsu, as both dealt with the spiritual realm.
This gave Chu Yang a new idea.
"Could I use genjutsu to stimulate my spiritual strength and thus refine my Haki?"
Eager to test this theory, Chu Yang immediately set out the next morning to find the best genjutsu practitioner in the clan.
"Genjutsu? The entire Senju clan doesn't really specialize in it. On the other hand, the Uchiha are pretty obsessed with it."
"A lot of us have fallen prey to Uchiha's genjutsu."
"If you're really curious, go check out the dungeon. There are a bunch of Uchiha prisoners there."
Upon hearing this, Chu Yang got excited and headed straight for the dungeons.
Meanwhile, upon hearing of this, Tobirama was also puzzled… Why was this kid suddenly interested in genjutsu when he should be focusing on ninjutsu and taijutsu?
Can geniuses really just do whatever they want? "Learning is fine, but why does he have to go to the dungeon?" Tobirama quickly got up and left. The Uchiha prisoners in that dungeon were all skilled and valuable. The ones who weren't had long since died on the battlefield.