Hyūga Shinichi spent the entire day immersed in the world of Ninjutsu. Many techniques in the Forbidden Scroll were often a blend of risk and power, and their learning difficulty far exceeded that of ordinary elemental jutsu.
Since Hyūga Shinichi displayed his ninja talent, all the secret techniques of the Hyūga Main Family had been made completely open to him. He had also reviewed a considerable number of Ninjutsu over the years.
Even so, for many of the techniques in the Forbidden Scroll, Hyūga Shinichi could only rely on his excellent memory to temporarily store them in his mind. Further study and mastery were not something that could be achieved in a short period.
In the evening, the sunset slanted into the Hokage's office. Namikaze Minato, having finished a day's work, stood up and stretched, his gaze falling upon the old man and the young boy still seated on the sofa, reviewing the scroll.
Seeing Hyūga Shinichi absorbed in the scroll, Minato checked the clock. Instead of disturbing Shinichi, he quietly walked up behind him and looked at the contents of the scroll. He was curious to see what kind of techniques would interest a genius child like Shinichi, who came from such a distinguished ninja family and possessed great inherent talent.
"The Spiritual Conversion Technique (Reika no Jutsu)?"
Shinichi hadn't genuinely gotten to the Flying Thunder God chapter throughout the entire day. Besides Forbidden Jutsu that were suitable for his physical condition, such as the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique and the Eight Gates, Hyūga Shinichi was also focusing on Ninjutsu related to the soul, like the Spiritual Conversion Technique. Enhancing his combat strength was the most immediate priority, but Shinichi's ultimate goal was not limited to that.
Soul-type secret techniques... were arguably the most viable path to immortality in this world. Shinichi was naturally interested in Orochimaru's Immortality Technique (Fushi Tensei).
Disregarding Orochimaru's quest for eternal life, the Great Serpent Style Substitution Jutsu (Orochi Ryū Kawarimi) he created could ignore any damage sustained by the body and generate a new one via "sloughing the skin." This secret technique could literally grant the user an extra life. Such a technique was definitely what Shinichi needed right now.
Many of Orochimaru's secret techniques were derived from the Forbidden Jutsu recorded in the Forbidden Scroll. Orochimaru simply perfected some of them through experimentation and his personal understanding of Ninjutsu. For someone like Shinichi, who was terrified of death, these life-saving Ninjutsu were naturally a key focus of his study.
Minato stood behind Shinichi for a long time, finally unable to contain his curiosity. He gently patted Shinichi's shoulder and asked:
"Shinichi, I thought you wanted to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique?"
"What's wrong? Haven't found it yet? If you can't locate it, you can always ask the Third Hokage for help."
Minato's tone was gentle, and a warm smile was on his face as he spoke.
Hyūga Shinichi, whose attention was drawn away from the scroll, pretended to scratch his head sheepishly when Minato asked, saying with some embarrassment:
"Some of the Ninjutsu are simply too amazing. I got absorbed without realizing it."
Speaking of this, Shinichi continued with a sigh of emotion: "This is the first time I've realized there are so many interesting Ninjutsu in this world. I truly wish I could learn all of them!"
Listening to Shinichi's "ambition," Sarutobi Hiruzen and Minato exchanged glances and smiled. They didn't feel Shinichi was overly ambitious. On the contrary, any ninja would be interested in those miraculous techniques. They had both gone through that phase.
However, human energy is limited, and everyone's talent is unique; no one can master every Ninjutsu in the world. A ninja often only has a few signature Ninjutsu.
Even Hiruzen, known as the "Professor of Ninjutsu," was like this. While he knew many techniques, in combat, he only used the ones that were most compatible with his fighting style.
Looking at Shinichi's "innocent" greedy look, Namikaze Minato gently rubbed Shinichi's head and said earnestly:
"Shinichi, the biggest pitfall for a child your age is overreaching."
"Of course, I don't mean to doubt your learning ability. I just hope you can manage your time wisely."
"If you are interested in the Flying Thunder God Technique, you need to make good use of this opportunity."
"This Space-Time Ninjutsu is not a single simple technique; it is a class of techniques!"
"You will have a lot of material to go through."
Minato hinted at the truth. Hearing this, Shinichi looked up at Minato thoughtfully, then nodded lightly. This was Minato giving him a tip, and Shinichi naturally took his words very seriously.
Judging from his experience learning Ninjutsu since arriving in this world, many techniques were not entirely independent.
On the contrary, many Ninjutsu had strong interconnections. Take the Hyūga Clan's secret arts: the Gentle Fist is the foundation for all high-level secret techniques. Only those who have mastered the Gentle Fist can potentially learn techniques that release chakra through the body's points, such as the Kaiten, Twin Lion Fists, and Air Palm.
And individuals with exceptional talent often find that mastering one area opens up paths to others; Shinichi was such a person.
After learning the Gentle Fist, he mastered many of the Hyūga Clan's high-level secret arts with little effort. Shinichi guessed that the Flying Thunder God Technique might be similar to some of the Hyūga Clan's secret arts—it was a type of technique, not one single isolated jutsu.
"Shinichi, it's getting late now."
"You can come back here tomorrow morning to continue reviewing the scroll."
"When you go home, think carefully about what I've told you. If possible, I suggest you take some time to understand Fūinjutsu (Sealing Techniques)."
"To learn the Flying Thunder God Technique, studying Sealing Techniques is of paramount importance."
Minato began giving Hyūga Shinichi private instruction. A look of realization flashed in Shinichi's eyes when he heard this. Minato's words were an explicit hint to him.
"Sealing Techniques, huh..."
"I understand!"
Shinichi rolled up the scroll, carefully placed it on the desk, and then bowed slightly to Sarutobi Hiruzen and Minato, excusing himself:
"Thank you, Grandfather Hiruzen, for your company, and thank you, Big Brother Minato, for the guidance."
"I will head home for today."
With that, Shinichi let out a heavy sigh and walked toward the door under the gaze of Hiruzen and Minato.
Hiruzen waved kindly at Shinichi. Minato also watched Shinichi leave with a smile. It wasn't until Shinichi left the office and closed the door that Hiruzen put away the scroll on the desk and spoke with a slight sense of emotion:
"That child... will surely grow into an important pillar of Konoha in the future."
"Minato, you must pay close attention to this child. If possible, it would be best if you could spare the time to mentor him personally!"
Having accompanied Shinichi in reviewing the scroll all day, Hiruzen could tell which Ninjutsu Shinichi was most interested in based on the speed at which he examined them. In Hiruzen's professional opinion, he had to admire Shinichi's eye for choosing techniques; the techniques Shinichi focused on were all extremely compatible with the Hyūga Clan's abilities.
"I will."
Minato nodded, his expression serious.
...
When Hyūga Shinichi left the Hokage Tower, Hyūga Hiashi was already waiting downstairs with several clan members. Seeing Shinichi emerge from the building, Hiashi smiled, walked up, and immediately embraced Shinichi, asking caringly:
"How was it? You must be exhausted, right?"
"Did you gain anything?"
Hiashi himself wasn't particularly interested in the Forbidden Scroll, but he was deeply concerned about Shinichi's growth.
"Yes!"
"I gained a lot."
"Father, let's hurry back. There are a few techniques I can't wait to try out."
Hearing Shinichi's words, Hiashi's expression grew serious. He nodded, bowed respectfully toward the window of the Hokage's office, and then, carrying Shinichi, headed back to the Hyūga Clan compound.
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