After another half an hour, Akihara had been trying for nearly an hour and a half. Torifu was just about to tell Akihara to stop the extraction. But right at that moment, Torifu felt a faint trace of Chakra appear within Akihara's body. It was so weak that Torifu could probably blow it away with a sneeze.
But it was undeniably Chakra! His son truly had extracted Chakra at four years old!
At the same time, Akihara opened his eyes. The prolonged effort of extraction and sitting cross-legged had exhausted him. But with one healing Jutsu from Torifu, he was immediately restored.
"Papa! I think I did it!"
Akihara was overjoyed! Although he wasn't quite sure what it meant to practice Chakra at four, he knew that he could finally perform Jutsu like his Papa!
Torifu was also incredibly gratified. He had truly just told Akihara to give it a try. He hadn't held too much hope, and he hadn't expected it to actually succeed! His son's talent was indeed extraordinary!
Torifu immediately picked Akihara up high. "Akihara, you little guy, you really are a genius!"
Akihara laughed heartily as Torifu celebrated. Father and son were both extremely excited. Yahiko and Konan were briefly stunned, then their expressions changed to surprise and delight!
"Congratulations, Akihara! You extracted your first thread of Chakra! You'll be a ninja very soon!"
"Yes, Sister is truly happy for you!"
Torifu put Akihara down, then planned to tell the news to Naori and Hashirama. "Remember, don't go around spreading the word. We need to keep a low profile."
Akihara, Yahiko, and Konan all made a sealing motion over their mouths almost simultaneously, indicating they wouldn't speak of it. Seeing the silly behavior of the three children, Torifu couldn't help but laugh.
He then called Naori. Naori was stunned when she heard the news. She had thought the father and son were just playing a game of pretend ninja. It actually succeeded?
Tsunade, who was beside her, was also speechless. Big Brother's four-year-old child had extracted Chakra, while her own belly showed no signs of movement. The strong contrast made her feel a little down. Seeing this, Naori immediately hung up the phone and continued shopping with Tsunade, which helped Tsunade feel much better.
After reporting to Naori, Torifu called the Old Man. The entire Uchiha Clan was curious about how strong Akihara's talent was, but when the Old Man heard that his precious grandson had extracted Chakra at three, the phone in his hand dropped.
"Are you telling the truth, Torifu? Four years old? Isn't that about the same as the Hatake child?"
Torifu smiled faintly. "It's not 'about the same,' it's actually the exact same age. Akihara hasn't had his birthday yet, so he's still three."
The Old Man fell silent again. "Three years old extracting Chakra. That talent is even better than Naori's." He continued, "It seems my precious grandson is going to soar in the future!" Teruya wasn't worried that he wouldn't live to see that day, as the Life Fruit Torifu gave him had made him much younger, and according to Naori, it seemed Torifu had many more such fruits. Thus, he would be able to witness the day Akihara shakes the Ninja World.
While the Old Man entered a moment of hopeful reflection, Torifu took the opportunity to hang up the phone and call Hashirama. The phone was answered in just one second. "Hello, Torifu, is something the matter?"
"Haha, there is something the matter, but it's good news."
Hashirama could tell from his tone that Torifu was very happy and grew curious. "Oh? Tell me, let's see if you can make me happy too. I just lost several games and I'm feeling glum."
Torifu cleared his throat. "Then you had better listen carefully."
"Akihara has extracted Chakra. Right in front of me, just moments ago."
After Torifu's words, there was complete silence; no sound came through. After about half a minute, Hashirama finally spoke again. "Are you serious?"
"Akihara extracted Chakra? At three years old? The same as that genius from the Hatake Clan?"
Torifu said with a smile, "That's right. The second person in Konoha to practice Chakra at three years old."
This news was simply astounding. Hashirama hadn't expected to hear this at all. He no longer cared about any games. He had only one thought in his mind: "My precious grandson is a genius!"
When Hatake Sakumo's son, Hatake Kakashi, extracted Chakra at three and became a Chunin at five, it almost set the entire Konoha on fire. Even Hashirama and Tobirama personally went to see the young one and gave him gifts. Consequently, Kakashi was considered the greatest genius in Konoha, a rising star who was certain to become Hokage in the future!
And now, Akihara also managed to practice Chakra at the age of three! This meant his talent was absolutely not inferior to Kakashi's!
"Excellent, excellent! Konoha has another genius! Each generation is stronger than the last!"
Hashirama was naturally overjoyed that Akihara could extract Chakra at three. What made him even happier was that Konoha had successors. It wasn't just Torifu alone holding up Konoha while there was no one behind him. Now, the new generation of ninja geniuses was emerging: Nawaki, Minato, Kushina, Fugaku, Shinnosuke, Hiashi, Hizashi, the three young masters of the Ino-Shika-Cho families, and the heirs of various clans. These were the future pillars of Konoha. With each generation stronger than the last, Konoha could continue to prosper instead of instantly falling into decline the moment Torifu was gone. That would put too much pressure on Torifu, a feeling Hashirama understood deeply.
When Hashirama saw that the newest generation also produced a child who could carry the mantle, his joy was evident. Although he was no longer Hokage and rarely concerned himself with village matters, his love for Konoha had not diminished one bit, and he constantly worried about Konoha's future. It was only after learning that his precious grandson had extracted Chakra at three that Hashirama finally felt reassured. Konoha's future was secured. It was as if a massive boulder in his heart had been instantly shattered, leaving him feeling completely relaxed.
"When are you bringing Akihara back for a visit? I'll have your Mistress prepare something delicious."
"Will do."
Just as Torifu was about to hang up, Hashirama cautioned him again, "Don't overtrain Akihara. He is still growing, and excessive training won't do him any good."
"Don't worry, Master, I know all about it."
Reassured, Hashirama finally hung up the phone. What a great day. Losing a few games was worth the huge piece of good news. He felt truly refreshed, body and soul.