Kyohiko Ryomine.

Lately, Sarutobi Hiruzen had been thinking about this name often, and with it, his attention towards that child grew as well.

A remarkable young man.

He had talent, ideas, and a mature way of thinking.

If guided correctly, he might, like Minato, become a pillar of Konoha’s future.

However...

Tsunade had come by this morning…

“Has something happened?”

Sarutobi reached for his pipe but restrained himself and put it down.

Tsunade said, “In the past, Aunt Momoka risked her life for my father, but in the end, she got nothing out of it. I should look after her only descendant.”

That response left Sarutobi speechless!

He even felt as if a crowd were silently pointing fingers at him, implying he hadn’t done enough.

After a moment of silence, Sarutobi said, “I can still teach him some Water Style and Genjutsu techniques.”

“No need!”

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, refusing immediately.

Sarutobi was taken aback.

“No need?”

“He’s only seven; what’s he going to do with all those high-level jutsus? Kyohiko is very smart. If he builds a solid foundation, he’ll learn many techniques on his own without being specifically taught.”

“Oh, right.”

Sarutobi nodded absentmindedly.

That child was only seven years old!

His actions and demeanor were so mature that Sarutobi often subconsciously assumed he was much older.

“Remember to send him over to me.”

Tsunade waved her hand, closing the door behind her as she left.

After leaving the office, Tsunade sighed unconsciously.

Kyohiko didn’t need specific jutsu; he needed basic theory and knowledge.

“Kyohiko, you don’t need to practice powerful jutsu at the moment. You shouldn’t focus on the Rasengan for now.”

“Sensei, I really need it!”

Kyohiko grabbed Jiraiya’s hand eagerly, disregarding any sense of propriety.

After all, it was the Rasengan!

Jiraiya rolled his eyes.

“You dared to try Tsunade’s monster strength jutsu on your own; I’m not going to teach you Rasengan right now. Don’t even think about practicing it secretly. Focus on your basics, and once you fully master that jutsu, Rasengan will be redundant for you.”

“Alright,” Kyohiko replied reluctantly.

It seemed there really was no room for compromise.

But…

It’s fine!

If they wouldn’t teach him, he’d practice it himself.

That’s what he thought, until, in the next second, Jiraiya leaned close and whispered, “Tsunade went to the Third Hokage and retrieved the notes from the Second Hokage.”

!!!

Kyohiko instantly threw the Rasengan out of his mind.

He could practice that technique anytime.

But...

The Second Hokage’s notes weren’t something he could access whenever he wanted.

Suppressing his excitement, he asked, “Really?”

“You were able to use monster strength on your first try, and the injuries weren’t too severe, which means you’re basically meeting the requirements, but your physical strength is still lacking.”

Jiraiya explained, pulling a bag from his pocket.

“This is something I bought for you; I’ll gradually deduct it from your mission rewards.”

Jiraiya spoke flatly.

Kyohiko looked closely.

It was a weight-training item for his wrists, designed to strengthen his hand muscles.

“How much did this cost?”

“One hundred fifty thousand.”

Jiraiya sighed. “I loaned all my savings to Tsunade to pay off her debts. For now, I’m as broke as the rest of you.”

“How much does Lady Tsunade owe?” Kurenai couldn’t help but ask.

Jiraiya held up one finger.

“A million?” Kakashi guessed.

Jiraiya glanced at him, his tone heavy with sorrow.

“Ten million!”

It wasn’t originally that much.

The gambling debts at the Blue Flower Pavilion alone were only around three or four million, but the Matsuyama family owned multiple gambling establishments, and Tsunade had frequented others as well.

Moreover, many other casinos heard about her debts and came calling for repayment.

In the end, her debt reached ten million.

It was truly a tragic tale.

Everyone fell silent.

Kyohiko calculated mentally—

That’s roughly a third of a plot of land.

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And this was only part of Tsunade’s gambling debt, accumulated over just over a year. If she were given a few more years... who knows how much debt she’d rack up.

Luckily, no one in the ninja world dared to lend Tsunade money with high interest. Otherwise, she’d never be able to pay it back with interest piling on.

Of course...

If it came to that, the real danger might be for those casinos, not Tsunade.

Kyohiko grumbled to himself.

“We’ve agreed to the Matsuyama family’s request, so it’s best we don’t leave the village before they arrive. Let’s make use of the time for some training and start with a D-rank mission today,” Jiraiya said, pulling out a mission scroll.

As usual—

Water-fetching!

Kyohiko put on his wrist weights.

Now he was weighted down on both his hands and feet, making it much harder to stay agile, and even water-fetching became challenging.

It wasn’t just him.

Kakashi and Kurenai also wore different levels of weights, and performing the D-rank missions required them to use chakra just to maintain balance and strength while carrying water.

It was a form of training.

Over time, their bodies would grow stronger.

In the afternoon, exhausted, they removed some of their weights and went for a light jog as part of their training.

For two consecutive days.

On the third morning, as Kyohiko was just getting out of bed, he heard a “knock knock knock” on the window.

“Who’s there?”

He mumbled with a toothbrush in his mouth as he walked over to open the window.

Kyohiko froze, quickly finishing up brushing his teeth.

“Lady Tsunade...”

“Get dressed and meet me downstairs.”

With that, Tsunade disappeared in a flash.

A few moments later, Kyohiko came downstairs to find Tsunade waiting in the courtyard. In front of her was a large stack of books.

“What are these?”

Kyohiko asked, bewildered.

Tsunade nodded. “I didn’t bring you full jutsu techniques. These are my granduncle’s notes on Water Style, Genjutsu, and other techniques, as well as many foundational principles. You can study them to gain knowledge and insights.”

Kyohiko was practically stunned.

Tsunade and Jiraiya really saw him as a top-tier prodigy.

But...

He knew himself well enough; he wasn’t a prodigy. He was merely standing on the shoulders of giants.

Luckily, these books were exactly what he needed.

Flipping through a few, he grew more aware of their value.

Some were journals, others detailed derivations and insights. One explained the relationship between Water Colliding Wave and Water Severing Wave, ideas similar to Kyohiko’s own thoughts.

Compression, condensation.

By condensing Water Style chakra, it could form a high-pressure water blade capable of slicing through anything.

“Thank you, Lady Tsunade!” Kyohiko said sincerely.

Unless you were someone like Naruto, with parents who laid the groundwork and an extremely powerful physique, your foundation was crucial.

Without a solid foundation, no jutsu would hold up.

Tsunade smiled, “As long as you don’t think I’m being stingy.”

“How could I?”

Kyohiko shook his head.

Reflecting, he asked, “The principles and methods in these books—common folk would never have access to them. Why aren’t they taught more widely?”

“They actually are,” Tsunade replied. “During the Second Hokage’s era, he established the framework for the ninja academy and guided the Third Hokage to include much foundational knowledge in it. The textbooks you see are the result of generations of compilation.”

“The school knowledge... it’s good, but lacks progression. When we graduate from the academy, we’re far from actual Genin. That’s why we need Jounin instructors, but I think the academy should be more than that,” Kyohiko said.

Tsunade blinked, intrigued. “How do you think it should be?”

“There should be a tiered, categorized system, and after reaching a certain level, students should receive personalized training. Take my classmate, Might Guy, for example. His aptitude for jutsu is poor, but his Taijutsu is strong. Keeping him in the academy would be a waste of time, wouldn’t it?”

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