That future has been covered by a blinding white light.
White.
Shinji couldn't help but touch his nose, as his Chakra Mode was exactly like that.
"Does the Great Toad Sage have any insights?" Hiruzen asked faintly.
He preferred definitive answers to such riddles.
"No." Jiraiya sighed, shaking his head.
"However, he did say that the vague direction is Konoha."
Hearing this, Hiruzen's expression turned serious, and he couldn't help but glance at Shinji beside him.
Shinji: ???
Before he could ask, Hiruzen asked, "Is that all?"
"Ah, that's all." Jiraiya nodded.
"I came back because I wanted you to check."
Hiruzen shook his head and said, "With just these two sentences, I have no direction to look for you."
Jiraiya said, "I know, I'll stay here for a while and look carefully."
Jiraiya crossed his arms, seemingly muttering, "I was planning to go to Amegakure, but it looks like I'll have to stay for a while."
Hearing this, Shinji couldn't help but look sideways.
Amegakure…
It seemed Jiraiya had found some clues, or someone was intentionally luring him there. In that case, he had to stop Jiraiya no matter what. The timing was too tight right now, and Jiraiya absolutely couldn't die.
Shinji thought this, yet showed no expression.
Jiraiya, on the other hand, stood up and said, "Alright, old man, I'll be in the village for this period."
"Don't cause me trouble. If you get caught by the bathhouse owner…"
Hiruzen said up to this point, glancing at Jiraiya, his meaning very clear.
"Old man, what nonsense are you talking about? I'm doing research." Jiraiya said with a look of annoyance and great indignation.
Shinji was suppressing his laughter, his shoulders uncontrollably shrugging.
"You know whether it is or not. That's all for now."
Hiruzen finished speaking and walked to the desk, he was very busy.
Shinji got up and nodded to Jiraiya, then followed Hiruzen's steps.
"That really is… too much." Jiraiya muttered, then jumped out of the window.
"Shinji, for a while, I will arrange Anbu patrols near the training ground." Hiruzen said with a smile to Shinji only after Jiraiya had left.
"Okay, thank you, sensei."
Shinji nodded, feeling a bit more at ease with Anbu patrols.
Although he had already arranged for Mimi, more measures were always good.
"The Ninja World is becoming increasingly restless." Hiruzen sighed at this point.
"Don't worry, sensei, the leaves you protect are growing vigorously."
Shinji comforted Hiruzen, as Naruto and others' strength had greatly surpassed their original counterparts.
Hiruzen waved his hand, then asked curiously, "I am not so old that I can't even move, but how are Naruto and the others doing lately?"
Shinji then began to tell Hiruzen about Naruto's recent progress.
It wasn't until night fell that Shinji walked out of the Hokage Building.
"Whew—"
Shinji let out a deep breath, looking back at the lights still on in the Hokage Office. Hiruzen should be watching him.
He thought of the look Hiruzen had given him that afternoon. However, he never brought it up later. Shinji simply didn't speak either, considering it an unspoken understanding between master and disciple.
In the Hokage Office, Hiruzen stood by the window, watching Shinji gradually walk away.
'Will it be you? If so… then I will have to use every last bit of my old bones to buy you some time.'
Thinking this, a look of determination gradually appeared in Hiruzen's eyes.
— — —
In the classroom.
Shinji said to the students, "Hand signs themselves are for guiding the flow of Chakra."
"Once you are familiar with and understand a Ninjutsu, theoretically, you can perform single-hand signs, or simplify hand signs, to achieve the purpose of using Ninjutsu."
Today, the class discussed some Ninjutsu, and the students in the class asked Shinji questions.
Whether anyone could perform Ninjutsu without hand signs.
In response, Shinji naturally combined some information to give the class an answer. Moreover, he himself could perform single-hand signs. This was a technique known by some experts in the Ninja World.
It wasn't an out of this world technique. It was just that the power of single-hand signs would be slightly less than that of two-hand signs. It was more about combining it with the use of ninja tools and combat methods.
For example, Sasuke would later use the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique in this manner, specifically to complement shuriken usage.
As Shinji's words fell, the students in the class fell into discussion.
They hadn't even mastered using both hands to activate Ninjutsu properly, yet someone could perform single-hand signs or even no-hand sign Ninjutsu.
"Sensei, who is the person who can activate Ninjutsu without hand signs?" Kiba raised his hand and asked, as it was simply too cool.
Shinji thought for a moment, then said, "Let's talk about someone close. Our Konoha's First Hokage was like that."
"First Hokage?!"
"I didn't expect it to be the First Hokage, how cool!"
Suddenly, the entire classroom became noisy again, everyone very excited.
In their hearts, the Hokage was the strongest in Konoha. They hadn't expected the First Hokage to be able to activate Ninjutsu without hand signs.
"Actually, our Second Hokage was also the same." Shinji then released another explosive piece of news.
"Sensei, could it be that the First Hokage and the Second Hokage could just raise a hand and directly activate Ninjutsu?"
"That's right! It should be like that, that fits the Hokage's demeanor!"
Shinji shook his head and said, "No-hand sign means no hand signs, and while what you said is not wrong, the circulation of Chakra still needs coordination."
"As far as I know, the First Hokage and Second Hokage needed to clap their hands together to activate it."
"Wow! So strong!"
Unexpectedly, with these words, the students in the class became even more enthusiastic.
Only Shikamaru, sitting in his seat, couldn't help but twitch his lips.
Clap his hands together, and whatever he wanted appeared?
Wasn't this what he had complained about a long time ago?
He hadn't expected someone to actually be able to achieve it.
Compared to the fervent discussions of the other students in the class, Naruto and Sasuke were slightly different.
If I could do this, wouldn't I be able to defeat Sasuke/Naruto?
The timing of Ninjutsu activation was too important.
As long as one could perform single-hand signs, they could activate Ninjutsu at a more concealed and appropriate time.
Sasuke, sitting by the window, couldn't help but think.
Then he looked at Naruto not far away, and just then, Naruto's gaze also looked over.
Both understood each other's thoughts at the same time.
This loser/Arrogant Sasuke wants to cheat!