Sarutobi Suiga was startled by the reactions of the two men before him, to the point where he became uncertain himself. "Uh... yes... yes, Torifū did say it was Crystal Release."
Hearing this, Senju Hashirama's face lit up with excitement.
"Quick! Tell me everything in detail!"
Sarutobi Suiga immediately straightened up and reported seriously, "I witnessed two of Torifū's jutsu. The first one happened when he was hit by the Great Fireball Jutsu—his entire body transformed into a crystalline statue. However, I believe it was more like a variation of the Substitution Jutsu."
"The second one involved summoning countless crystal shuriken out of thin air. They were faster and more powerful than ordinary shuriken, and their sheer density made them incredibly difficult to evade."
Senju Tobirama fell into deep thought. "That means this kid has been mastering Crystal Release for quite some time. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to use such techniques. But I've never even heard of Crystal Release as a Kekkei Genkai."
Hashirama nodded in agreement. He had always seen great potential in Kumotsuru Torifū, believing that he might be capable of learning Cloud Release. But he had underestimated the boy's talent!
Seeing that both leaders were in a good mood, Sarutobi Suiga hesitantly asked, "Just now, Hokage-sama and Tobirama-sama mentioned Cloud Release? Could it be that Torifū has mastered a second Kekkei Genkai?"
Hashirama shook his head. "You really don't know your students well enough. Do you not even know about the Kumotsuru clan?"
Hearing this, Sarutobi Suiga was immediately ashamed and repeatedly apologized.
"As a teacher, you must continue learning. If a student asks you a difficult question and you can't answer, won't that damage your authority?" Tobirama added.
"You're absolutely right, Tobirama-sama. I've indeed been negligent lately."
Hashirama's hearty laughter lightened the atmosphere. "Hahaha, no worries, no worries! Just ask Sasuke about the Kumotsuru clan when you get back. I'm sure he knows."
After thanking them repeatedly, Sarutobi Suiga left the Hokage's office. Being reprimanded by the Hokage and Tobirama himself for lacking knowledge was the greatest embarrassment of his life. He swore to never let it happen again!
Inside the office, Hashirama and Tobirama continued discussing Torifū and his Crystal Release.
"Big Brother, I don't think we need to observe him any longer. This morning, Kagami told me some things Torifū said. I believe he has both intelligence and a strong character."
"Hmm, I think so too."
Tobirama was in a good mood. Taking on such a genius as a disciple would make teaching much easier.
"Then, I should take him as my student, and we can train him together."
"No! This time, I want to take him as my disciple personally!"
Tobirama hadn't expected such a response from his brother, though he wasn't entirely surprised. After all, Hashirama was the only one who had mastered Wood Release. Perhaps he could offer unique insights into developing Kekkei Genkai-based jutsu.
He ran through countless explanations in his mind as to why his brother would insist on personally taking a disciple. But if Hashirama knew his thoughts, he would probably burst out laughing.
The truth was simple—Hashirama just really wanted to take on a student. Though he and Tobirama had jointly trained six disciples, they weren't truly his own students. He had always harbored the desire to take on a personal disciple, but unfortunately, Konoha's geniuses were limited. Few had ever truly amazed him.
That was until a month ago when Kumotsuru Torifū appeared.
Before then, Hashirama had only heard that the Kumotsuru clan had a sole heir—Kumotsuru Yama's son. But when he first laid eyes on the boy, he was completely stunned.
Within that small body resided chakra reserves comparable to an elite ninja. He had assumed Torifū would learn the Kumotsuru clan's Cloud Release techniques, but to his shock, the boy had also mastered Crystal Release—an entirely unprecedented Kekkei Genkai.
Indeed, a child's potential was limitless.
"If this kid grows, he might even surpass me one day."
Tobirama cast him a glance. "Who knows?"
Who could say for sure? The future was unpredictable. There had never been a shortage of geniuses, but most of them perished young, crushed beneath the weight of that very title.
"Where is the boy now?" Hashirama asked.
"I've sent someone to find him."
Meanwhile, Torifū had no idea that the Hokage himself intended to take him as a personal disciple. He had only hoped to become Tobirama's student, never expecting that he had underestimated his own talent.
Among Tobirama's six disciples, perhaps only Sarutobi Hiruzen and Uchiha Kagami could currently rival Torifū's abilities.
Yes, currently rival. After all, Torifū's potential was not fixed with the system on his side.
…
"Torifū, order some more meat! I'm not full yet."
Torifū glanced at the stack of empty plates on the table, looking a bit stunned. How could this little girl eat so much at just six years old?
But surprise was one thing—he had already told her to eat as much as she wanted. A few extra plates wouldn't make a dent in his wallet.
"Boss, another twenty plates of meat."
Seeing such a generous customer, the restaurant owner beamed with joy. "Right away!"
Naori suddenly looked a bit embarrassed, but for some reason, she never felt the need to act ladylike around Torifū.
"Torifū, can your wallet still handle it?"
Torifū waved a hand dismissively. "This is nothing. I'm more worried about whether your stomach can handle it."
Naori puffed up her chest confidently. "Of course! Every night when I go home, I spar with my brother, so I need to eat well at noon!"
That was quite different from Torifū's approach. He avoided eating too much at lunch to prevent it from affecting his training at night.
He was very aware of his weaknesses. Despite having the strength of a Chūnin thanks to his system, his taijutsu was still lacking. That was why he trained his body rigorously every night.
After a while, the restaurant owner returned, pushing a cart loaded with twenty plates of meat. Out of kindness—or perhaps to ensure these big spenders kept coming back—he even threw in an extra plate of meat and some vegetables.
"Torifū, we should spar sometime!"
Torifū raised an eyebrow. "What brought this on all of a sudden?"
Naori's expression turned serious. "I want to see how big the gap is between us."
Torifū rubbed his nose and muttered, "I'm really weak, you know? If I get hit, I'll probably die instantly. Better not risk it."
He had hoped to brush the topic aside, but Naori wasn't letting him off the hook. She stared at him intensely, making Torifū feel a little awkward.
"Alright, alright, I'll spar with you. Now hurry up and eat!"
Naori beamed with satisfaction. But then, as if suddenly remembering something important, her expression became grave.
"Torifū, you must be careful of one person!"
"Who?"
Naori's face was solemn. She wasn't joking in the slightest.
"Uchiha Setsuna."