Chapter 178: Hiruzen Sarutobi's Compound Jutsu
Two days later, at the gates of Konoha Village.
"We're finally home!"
Kurenai Yūhi looked at the familiar sights and couldn't help but sigh in contentment.
No matter how nice the outside world was, it couldn't compare to home, especially since the Land of Water and the Land of Rivers were far inferior to the Land of Fire.
"Do we need to sign in this time?"
Rin Nohara looked at the countless ninja behind them and couldn't help but ask.
"No need," Tsunade waved a hand dismissively.
They were returning victorious after a major win; there was no need for sign-ins, and Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't dare say a word if they skipped it.
"Lady Tsunade!"
Just then, a chorus of voices rang out.
Tsunade glanced over, mentally sighing, Oh, bother.
It was the contingent of ninja who had come out to welcome her, and leading them was none other than Hiashi Hyūga.
A number of the Hyūga clan had participated in the battle, so his appearance was reasonable.
But Tsunade knew his intentions went far beyond that.
She couldn't avoid them, so she simply walked forward to meet them.
Immediately, the area outside the Konoha gates became a bustling scene.
"Rin!"
A man and a woman suddenly appeared in front of Hoshikawa , Rin, and Kurenai.
"Dad! Mom!"
Rin's face instantly broke into a delighted smile when she saw them.
Hoshikawa and Kurenai already knew her parents, so they followed up with greetings.
Ten minutes later, the well-wishing of nearly five hundred ninja finally concluded.
"Let's enter the village!" Tsunade commanded, waving her arm.
Once inside Konoha, they were greeted not just by ninja but also by ordinary villagers, who lined both sides of the road shoulder-to-shoulder.
"Lady Tsunade!"
Passionate cheers erupted from the crowd.
Tsunade responded with a soft smile.
"Eh?" Kurenai nudged Hoshikawa with her elbow. "I heard your name."
Hoshikawa paused, listened closely, and quickly located the source of the sound.
A crowd was gathered together, waving frantically at him.
Hoshikawa scanned the group and recognized former students from the Ninja Academy and patients he had treated at the Konoha Hospital.
He even spotted Yūgao Uzuki among them.
She was jumping up and down, shouting his name excitedly.
Hoshikawa waved back, and their cheers immediately grew even louder.
"Hoshikawa is so incredible. It feels like everyone already knows who he is," Rin said with a gasp of admiration.
In her heart, Hoshikawa had always been her goal to chase, or rather, she wanted to become a powerful Medical Ninja like him.
But as the gap between them grew wider, her emotion shifted to aspiration and admiration.
"He really is!" Kurenai said with a beaming smile.
The more famous Hoshikawa became, the happier she was, though she lamented that her own fame lagged far behind.
Aside from being Tsunade's student, few people probably recognized her.
"You two won't be far behind in the future," Hoshikawa said with a smile.
As things currently stood, both Rin and Kurenai should have no problem becoming Elite Jōnin someday.
After all, under the influence of both Tsunade and Hoshikawa , they had received an epic power-up compared to their canon counterparts.
The welcoming party of ninja and villagers finally dispersed as they reached the Hokage Tower.
"You've all worked hard! Head straight home!" Tsunade called out to the nearly five hundred ninja. "I will inform the Hokage-sama about your rewards myself!"
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade!"
The crowd cheered in unison, then excitedly rushed home to their families.
They had been desperate to go home, but out of respect, they hadn't dared to leave without Tsunade's permission.
"Let's go see the Old Man," Tsunade said, turning toward the Hokage Tower.
Hoshikawa and the two girls quickly followed.
Bang!
The Hokage Office door was kicked open.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had anticipated this moment, so he wasn't startled.
After all, the cheering downstairs had been deafening.
"The welcoming ceremony wasn't my arrangement," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a slow smile. "It was a spontaneous outpouring from the people."
He had only done a little work: informing Hiashi Hyūga and the others of Tsunade's exact time of return.
"I didn't come here to start a fight," Tsunade snorted.
She only believed half of what Hiruzen Sarutobi had said.
"Your squad has contributed greatly to repelling Kirigakure—"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was interrupted the moment he started speaking.
"Save the pleasantries. Let's get to the point," Tsunade waved a hand.
"Your personality hasn't changed a bit… Alright, let's talk business."
After being glared at, Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly continued, "Regarding rewards, since so many ninja are involved, they will be distributed in a few days."
Tsunade nodded slightly, understanding the complexity.
Bestowing rewards to nearly five hundred ninja based on merit was a complicated process that couldn't be completed in a single day.
In addition to rewards, there were also compensations.
Although the war against Kirigakure was a great victory, many ninja had still lost their lives.
Konoha was responsible for their funerals and providing stipends for their families.
"Other rewards can wait, but Hoshikawa 's reward, you'll give him now," Tsunade looked at Hoshikawa .
"Oh? What does Hoshikawa want?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, chuckling.
Hoshikawa was undoubtedly the biggest contributor to this victory over Kirigakure.
If he hadn't discovered Kirigakure's main base, the war might have dragged on indefinitely.
Furthermore, Hoshikawa 's displayed strength had genuinely surprised Hiruzen Sarutobi.
After all, he had single-handedly killed Kushimaru Kuriare, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
This meant he genuinely possessed Jōnin-level power now.
Thinking of Hoshikawa 's young age and his affiliation with the Hokage lineage, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt like laughing out loud.
He was Tsunade's student, which, in a sense, elevated the Third Hokage's own prestige.
Of course, Hiruzen Sarutobi no longer cared much about petty reputation; he was focused on the future of Konoha.
"Hokage-sama," Hoshikawa stepped forward, speaking without reservation. "I would like to request Compound Jutsu."
"Compound Jutsu are highly difficult. One must be deeply proficient in multiple elemental releases to even attempt them," Hiruzen Sarutobi raised an eyebrow.
"Here," Tsunade tossed a scroll to him. "The details of how Hoshikawa defeated Kushimaru Kuriare."
Hiruzen Sarutobi opened the scroll and read it, quickly showing an astonished expression.
Though it was only a written description, with his level of skill, he could naturally deduce the actual flow of combat.
"A pity," Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed. "If I were twenty years younger, I would definitely take you on as my apprentice."
His three students—Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru—were unquestionably powerful.
However, none of them had inherited his true legacy: the Summoning: Enma the Monkey King and his Five-Element Compound Jutsu.
The reason was that they simply didn't need it.
Tsunade was a Medical Ninja.
Jiraiya, after obtaining the Mount Myōboku legacy, shifted his focus to Sage Mode.
Orochimaru had the best ninjutsu talent and should have been his heir, but his personality changed after Nawaki's death, and he became obsessed with experimentation.
They all shared one thing: contracts with the three Great Summoning Sages, rendering Enma unnecessary.
Hoshikawa 's display made Hiruzen Sarutobi feel that the young man was naturally suited to inherit his legacy.
"Absolutely not!" Tsunade refused without hesitation. "Even if you were twenty years younger, Hoshikawa would still be my disciple!"
"I was only thinking out loud. I wasn't actually planning to take an apprentice," Hiruzen Sarutobi cleared his throat.
"Not even thinking is allowed!" Tsunade declared fiercely.
"It seems you truly are fond of this apprentice," Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled at her response.
"Stop wasting time! Just give them to him!" Tsunade's heart skipped a beat, and she snapped irritably.
Why did that sound so much like he'd hit a nerve?
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head, pushing the thought aside, and took out two scrolls.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Hoshikawa stepped up and accepted the jutsu scrolls.
"Compound Jutsu are not simply two or more techniques mixed together; they require careful consideration of elemental compatibility," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a smile. "If you encounter any problems while learning them, feel free to come to me."
"Yes, sir." Hoshikawa nodded.
Hoshikawa saw Compound Jutsu as a low-level version of the Kekkei Genkai.
A Kekkei Genkai was the complete fusion of two elements to create a new one.
Compound Jutsu, however, merely used one element to boost another, such as the simple combination of Wind to enhance Fire.
But Compound Jutsu also had an advantage: they were simpler and could utilize more elements.
A Kekkei Tōta was the fusion of three elements.
The only known Kekkei Tōta in the original story was Ōnoki's Dust Release.
Since there were no other known examples, it showed how immensely difficult it was.
Compound Jutsu, however, existed with not just three elements, but even five.
For example, Hiruzen Sarutobi's Five Elements: Great Bullet Technique had power far exceeding most common Kekkei Genkai.
"Why only two?" Tsunade asked, sounding displeased.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was left speechless.
He felt like his status as her former teacher was worthless.
Tsunade was truly overly generous toward Hoshikawa .
"Two Compound Jutsu are enough to keep him busy for a long time," Hiruzen Sarutobi paused, then added, "Once he masters them, he can come back for new ones."
He was always accommodating to geniuses.
Especially since this genius hailed from the Hokage lineage; he was free to learn whatever he wished.
Just like Minato Namikaze, who was granted the privilege of learning the Flying Thunder God Jutsu early because he qualified.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Hoshikawa quickly said.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was certainly generous to him.
Of course, Hoshikawa knew the main reason was his identity: Tsunade's student and a member of the Hokage faction, essentially family.
If his surname was Uchiha, the Hokage might not have been so benevolent.
"Very well, that settles it." Tsunade nodded, then asked, "Anything else?"
"Not for the moment."
Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly remembered something and warned, "If Iwagakure makes any moves, I'll send you to support Minato."
"Just let me know," Tsunade would not refuse this kind of mission.
With Jiraiya outside and Orochimaru dealing with Kumogakure, Iwagakure naturally fell to her.
Fortunately, having Minato Namikaze and his Flying Thunder God Jutsu meant it wouldn't be an overly difficult fight.
"You've all worked hard this past half-month. Go home and rest well," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a warm smile.
"Hn."
Tsunade turned and left.
Hoshikawa , Kurenai, and Rin greeted Hiruzen Sarutobi before following her out.
As junior ninja, they dared not be as rude as Tsunade.
"Alright, you don't need to follow me anymore. I'm giving you two days off," Tsunade stopped at the entrance of the Hokage Tower.
"Yes, ma'am." The three answered in unison.
Hoshikawa didn't linger and returned home with Kurenai.
"You're back?" Shinku Yūhi asked, cleaning the house.
He had returned with Kurenai and the others but had skipped the meeting with Hiruzen Sarutobi to get home first.
The house hadn't been occupied for half a month and had accumulated some dust.
"We'll help you!" Kurenai immediately grabbed two brooms, handing one to Hoshikawa .
The three of them spent half an hour cleaning the living room and their bedrooms.
Afterward, Hoshikawa sat on the sofa and pulled out the two jutsu scrolls given to him by Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The first was the Earth Dragon Flame Stream.
It combined Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet Jutsu with Fire Release, so instead of spitting mud, the dragon spat flaming bullets.
The second was the Lightning Water Dragon Bullet.
It combined Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu with Lightning Release, creating an electrically charged water dragon.
After a moment of thought, Hoshikawa decided to learn the Lightning Water Dragon Bullet first.
After all, his Water and Lightning Release were stronger than his Earth Release.
His Earth Release had yet to gain the 'Earth Release Special Jōnin' trait, so its power would be slightly weaker.
But the progress bar was over 70%; he could fill it up in another month or two.
Besides Earth Release, his Wind Release also lacked the 'Wind Release Special Jōnin' trait.
Its progress bar was a little slower, just reaching 50%.
It was normal for him to be slow since he was learning too many jutsu.
He hadn't mastered his Lightning Release Chakra Mode or the Strength of a Hundred Technique, and now he had to learn Compound Jutsu.
But that was fine; he was still young and had plenty of time.
Speaking of time, Hoshikawa recalled the plot of the Third Great Shinobi War in the original story.
After the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were killed, Kirigakure didn't completely give up. They would attack Konoha again next year, this time with the Three-Tails Jinchūriki.
However, they were unlucky enough to encounter Madara Uchiha, leading to their control.
No, wait, the one who was truly unlucky was Rin Nohara.
Hoshikawa recalled that Obito Uchiha's awakening of his Sharingan happened in two stages.
The first was the Iwagakure surprise attack on Konoha—the Kannabi Bridge Battle.
During this attack, Obito was injured and presumed dead, only to be rescued by Madara Uchiha.
As for Iwagakure, their true objective was Kumogakure.
After all, they sent ten thousand ninja to attack Kumogakure but only a thousand against Konoha.
The second stage was when Madara Uchiha controlled the Kirigakure ninja and implanted the Three-Tails into Rin Nohara.
Obito went to rescue her, saw her die, furiously awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, and went on a killing spree.
He didn't know the exact time next year this would happen.
Hoshikawa shook his head.
The situation was different now. It might not be next year; it could even be this year.
Regardless, now was the time to seize the opportunity to continue training and strengthening himself.
That went for Kurenai and Rin, too.
Especially Rin.
If she learned the Spirit Transformation Jutsu, even if she were captured, she could transfer her soul out to notify them.
Of course, that was the worst-case scenario.
(End of Chapter)
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