I will be away for 3 days. Adios!
------***------
Two days later.
[Under your wise leadership, the "Early Cultivation of Medical Ninjas" plan has been approved and will enter a trial phase.]
[Reward: Strength of Hundred Technique leveled up.]
Huh?
Tsunade's efficiency is this high?
And.
It went through so smoothly?
Kyohiko was a bit surprised.
But.
Upon closer thought, he realized it might not have been that smooth.
In the discussion a few days ago, practical combat skills were the key point, while early cultivation was just a small branch of the "stratification" and "specialization" he vaguely mentioned.
However.
The recent notification didn't mention any additions to combat skills or practical courses.
Kyohiko sighed softly.
Medical ninjas...
On one hand, Tsunade is indeed an authority in this field. On the other hand, the village genuinely needs medical ninjas.
Medical ninjas are incredibly important!
Over the years, they've saved countless lives on the battlefield and during missions. Having Tsunade push for the early cultivation of medical ninjas made it easy to get approved.
But other reforms—
Would take a long time to even be considered.
The reality was as he expected.
At this moment, in the Hokage's office meeting room, a loud crash echoed.
In front of Tsunade, the massive conference table was shattered into pieces.
She was furious.
"Do civilian genin really need all that complicated knowledge? They can barely survive on the battlefield. Many genin are just sent to their deaths!"
"Tsunade, it's not just you who've been on the battlefield. We've fought our way through too!"
Danzo coldly reprimanded.
Utatane Koharu added, "The academy's rules were set by the Second Hokage..."
"Nonsense! The Second Hokage also said children shouldn't be sent to the battlefield. How many have graduated early over the years? Why don't you bring up the Second Hokage's rules then?"
Tsunade's tone was fierce.
"Tsunade!"
Koharu was trembling with anger, but...
She had no rebuttal.
"Enough!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen kicked the debris at his feet, looking helpless. "Tsunade, Jiraiya, the early cultivation of medical ninjas can proceed as a trial, but reforming the academy is too drastic. Given the current situation, let's wait and see."
Jiraiya was frustrated and indignant.
"Now that we finally have a brief period of peace, if we don't actively guide and change, are we going to wait until war breaks out to make changes?"
He now agreed with Tsunade.
These old folks were too rigid and stubborn, only wanting stability and unwilling to change. They wouldn't listen to reason.
Hiruzen remained silent.
Finally, he shook his head. "There shouldn't be another major war for a few years. Let's stabilize for now and observe the situation later."
After the recent wars, all villages had suffered heavy losses and needed time to recover.
In his judgment, no village would launch a new war anytime soon.
"Fine, let's leave it at that."
Tsunade stood up, saying nothing more.
She was deeply disappointed.
...
"Tsunade, stop drinking! You and I both know that the first meeting wouldn't achieve much. Getting the early cultivation plan for medical ninjas approved is already a big win."
Jiraiya tried to console her.
Tsunade shook her head.
She took another drink, her mood low.
"It's not about that. It's just that the teacher I once saw as wise and visionary has now become rigid, decayed, and lacking in courage."
Jiraiya fell silent at her words.
He poured himself a drink.
After a while, Jiraiya asked, "What do you plan to do?"
"Become Hokage!"
Tsunade's eyes shone with determination.
She slammed the table.
"Under these old men, the village will only decay and decline."
Her tone regained some of its former vigor.
Then, she looked at Jiraiya, speaking earnestly.
"Jiraiya, you need to step up and compete for Hokage. I'll support you!"
Jiraiya rolled his eyes and got up to leave.
"I'd better go check on Kyohiko. The kid recently learned the Shadow Clone Technique. If he overdoes it and kills himself, I'll lose a good disciple."
After Jiraiya left, Tsunade held her glass but didn't drink.
She looked out the window, her gaze uncertain.
...
Kyohiko wasn't practicing the Strength of Hundred Technique but was instead contemplating and refining it.
Proficient-level Strength of Hundred Technique!
At the "Proficient" level, chakra gathering and release became more refined. After reading many books, Kyohiko concluded—
At this level, using it in small amounts shouldn't backfire.
His current level couldn't match Tsunade or Tobirama, who could unleash devastating attacks effortlessly.
However.
The real focus wasn't on using the Strength of Hundred Technique in combat.
Even though it was just one level up, the knowledge, insights, and the deep-rooted improvement it brought were immensely beneficial.
Like the Master-level Body Flicker Technique.
The difference between Beginner and Proficient in the Strength of Hundred Technique was vast.
In reality, Kyohiko's abilities hadn't changed, but his chakra control had become more precise. He could quickly refine physical and mental energy and gather it rapidly.
This was the foundation for mastering the Strength of Hundred Technique.
Mastering one technique could lead to understanding many others.
This fundamental improvement could also be applied to water release, Body Flicker, and more.
It was more valuable than improving any single technique!
"From Beginner to Proficient is an advancement in chakra control, but my body is still too fragile to use it repeatedly."
"I need to keep training my body!"
"Also, the next step should be compression."
Compressing chakra.
This technique wasn't just for the Strength of Hundred Technique. The Rasengan and Water Cutter also used it, though at different levels.
Kyohiko was currently studying this.
Compression!
This technique had varying levels of mastery. At a low level, like Naruto using shadow clones to assist, it was brute force and not suitable for Kyohiko.
At a high level, it required hard work.
For example, Tobirama's Water Cutter was the pinnacle of compression.
Although...
Practicing a lot sometimes wasn't as effective as direct rewards.
Kyohiko kept moving around the yard, training his body, but after a while, he felt it wasn't enough.
This kind of exercise was too simple and didn't provide enough challenge.
"The yard needs remodeling."
He spent the entire morning working on it.
When Jiraiya climbed onto the wall, he saw Kyohiko had cleared the weeds and flowers in the yard, setting up wooden frames with sandbags hanging from them.
What was this for?
He was puzzled, but then he saw Kyohiko punch several sandbags.
Then—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sandbags swung back, knocking him to the ground.
Fortunately, the sandbags had no sharp edges, so while it hurt, it wasn't fatal.
"Wow, is he training his instincts? No, Kyohiko's still wearing weights on his arms and legs."
Jiraiya was secretly amazed.
This was a brutal training method.
The kid was harsh on others, but even harsher on himself.
He's only seven!
At seven, who trains like this?
Moreover.
Inside the house, another shadow clone was sitting there, buried in books, studying diligently.
"Behind every genius is a story of blood and sweat. It's not as glamorous as it seems."
Jiraiya sighed.
With such intense training, even an ordinary person could achieve something, let alone someone with Kyohiko's talent.
This kid will go far!
What's most remarkable...
Is that he possesses a maturity and way of thinking far beyond his years.
"Could he be the Child of Prophecy?"
Jiraiya wondered.
The thought was absurd, and he felt like he was seeing potential "Children of Prophecy" everywhere.
So far, Kyohiko was the third possible candidate he'd encountered.
The first was Nagato.
With the Rinnegan, he naturally qualified.
The second was Minato.
Now a young jonin, Minato was one of the most powerful among his peers, even mastering the forbidden space-time technique, Flying Thunder God.
The third...
This seven-year-old kid.
Jiraiya hid his presence, sitting in the shadows, thinking—
In the future, there probably won't be someone even younger, right?
Probably not.
The Child of Prophecy is likely among these three.
Jiraiya was convinced.