Chapter 61 – Instruction
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
With a light shout, a high-pressure stream of water shot down from the canopy above.
Though its name differed from Tobirama's advanced Water Release by only a single word, this was merely an ordinary C-rank technique.
Tsunade followed closely behind the torrent. Without hesitation, she leapt down from above, her small fist swinging fiercely toward Morin.
The Strength of a Hundred technique was a secret art of the Senju Clan. Like medical ninjutsu, it required extremely refined chakra control—far beyond Tsunade's current level.
But even without it, her naturally powerful Senju physique, combined with the advantage of attacking from above, gave her punch impressive force.
Below, Morin suddenly accelerated.
With a single sharp motion, he knocked the short blade from Sakumo's hand. At the same time, he leapt lightly backward, allowing the rushing water to explode harmlessly against the ground where he had stood moments before.
The instant he blocked Tsunade's descending strike—
Three shuriken sliced through the air.
Orochimaru.
His target was precise. Not Morin himself—
—but the two bells tied at Morin's waist.
At the same time, Sakumo swiftly retrieved his fallen blade and charged once more.
"Good coordination," Morin assessed inwardly.
His movements, however, did not slow in the slightest. With a few crisp metallic clashes, he deflected the incoming shuriken using his kunai.
The battle that followed remained entirely within fundamental techniques.
Sakumo took the lead as the primary attacker. Utilizing speed that far surpassed others his age, he repeatedly attempted to entangle Morin in close combat.
After casting a Water Release technique, Tsunade's chakra was visibly depleted. She shifted to supporting with kunai and straightforward taijutsu.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru lingered along the edges of the battlefield. He launched frequent surprise attacks with shuriken, constantly changing position using terrain and Substitution Technique.
Morin deliberately suppressed his strength to roughly that of a chūnin. He refrained from using ninjutsu or body flicker techniques, responding only with basic taijutsu and shuriken throws.
In Morin's eyes, although Orochimaru ranked first in their academy class, that distinction came from a combination of theoretical excellence and practical performance.
Orochimaru's combat intelligence was indeed remarkable. He always interfered at the most opportune moment—
—but in terms of raw physical ability and speed, he was still slightly inferior to Sakumo.
And as for Tsunade—
Though she lacked refined technique, her instincts in close combat were astonishingly sharp.
The three children were far from powerful.
Yet their coordination, their awareness of each other's rhythm, and their instinctive division of roles—
already hinted at something extraordinary.
Morin's lips curved faintly.
This was precisely why he had chosen them.
Not merely for talent—
—but for potential.
The timer ticked steadily on the wooden stump.
Time was running out.
And the three children, breathing harder now, were beginning to realize—their teacher had not yet taken a single serious step.
---
If one judged purely by individual combat ability, Sakumo was actually the strongest of the three.
After all, no matter how gifted Orochimaru was, he came from a civilian background. Sakumo, on the other hand, was the son of Sakumo Shūichi—an elite jōnin in his own right—and had clearly received rigorous training at home.
Fifteen minutes later, all three children were breathing heavily. Seven-year-old bodies simply could not sustain high-intensity combat for long.
Morin decided he had observed enough.
As Sakumo launched a full-powered downward slash that Morin sidestepped, the boy's momentum carried him forward uncontrollably. Morin lightly hooked his foot—
—and the small white-haired boy immediately lost his balance.
Almost at the same moment, Morin turned aside from Tsunade's tackle and flicked her wrist with two fingers. Her kunai clattered to the ground.
Orochimaru quietly stepped out from behind a tree. Three shuriken were embedded at his feet. He understood that hiding any longer would be meaningless.
Morin looked at the somewhat dejected trio. He removed the bells from his waist and gave them a gentle shake. The clear chime drew their attention before he began his assessment with a faint smile.
"Sakumo, your swordsmanship foundation is solid. But your attack patterns are too straightforward. A mature ninja combines ninjutsu with blade techniques—otherwise, your rhythm will be read easily."
He then turned to Tsunade.
"Your chakra reserves and physical strength far exceed those of your peers. That's your Senju advantage."
"But your chakra control is terrible. You waste far too much chakra during execution. That's why a single Water Release technique drained most of your reserves."
Finally, his gaze shifted to Orochimaru.
Morin paused briefly before speaking with clear approval.
"You understand your strengths and weaknesses. Your sense of timing and tactical judgment are the best among the three. No wonder you're top of the class."
"But you still have much to learn. You won't become strong relying only on the Three Basic Techniques."
The three children's faces fell at once.
Morin couldn't help but laugh.
"You didn't get the bells today. That doesn't mean you failed. I've seen your potential, your coordination… and each of your strengths and flaws."
He clapped his hands lightly, dispersing the heavy mood. Under their slightly surprised gazes, he walked toward a nearby tree trunk.
"Now, I'll teach you chakra control."
With that, Morin stepped onto the vertical trunk as if walking on flat ground, ascending steadily while explaining:
"Like this—refine your chakra and concentrate it at the soles of your feet to adhere to the surface. The soles are the hardest place to gather chakra. Which means…"
---
In the days that followed, while balancing his own training and political duties, Morin carved out time each day to personally instruct the three children.
Morin was nearly a complete ninja.
Senju clan sword techniques. Monstrous strength. Taijutsu. Nature transformation and shape transformation in Water, Earth, and Wind Release…
After less than a week guiding them through basic exercises like tree climbing and water walking, he gradually began teaching more advanced principles.
---
"Ninjutsu has two crucial elements," Morin explained on the training field.
"First—speed. Second—concealment."
"Speed needs no explanation. Whether you increase your hand seal speed or simplify seals for a particular technique, the goal is always to cast faster than your opponent."
"But concealment is just as important."
At that point, Morin suddenly smiled and cast a meaningful glance at Tsunade.
"Only fools shout the name of their technique. If you want ninjutsu to be effective, the best method is surprise—strike before the enemy can prepare."
"Understood?"
"Underst—"
Before they could finish speaking, the solid ground beneath their feet suddenly split apart.
A terrifying sense of weightlessness struck.
They had no time to react.
All three fell straight down.
Moments later, a massive hand of stone rose from the earth, scooping them back up. The cracked ground sealed seamlessly behind them.
The three children stood there, pale and shaken.
Morin smiled calmly.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Divide. Just an ordinary B-rank technique. But used properly, it can produce devastating results."
"The essence of ninjutsu is achieving maximum effect with minimal chakra…"
He looked at them steadily.
"Efficiency. Precision. Intent."
"Remember that."
-