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A few days later, the Konoha delegation returned to the village without incident.
After a brief debriefing, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, gave the participants a short summary and some words of encouragement, then dismissed everyone to rest—except for Shinichi Higashino, who was just about to leave.
"Shinichi, stay a moment."
Inside the Hokage's office, only the old man and the boy remained. The Third Hokage sat behind his large desk, his smile warmer than usual.
"You did exceptionally well on this trip to the Sand," he began, voice gentle yet full of weight. "Not only did you bring the championship honor back to Konoha, you also displayed the caliber and strength of our village's new generation in front of shinobi from other villages—including the Kazekage himself."
He took a slow puff from his pipe before continuing. "By tradition, any Genin who performs outstandingly in the Chunin Exams—especially the champion—receives special rewards from the village as encouragement. So tell me, Shinichi, after achieving such a great feat, is there anything in particular you want? As long as it's reasonable, I'll do my best to get it for you."
Shinichi stood in front of the desk. He didn't answer right away. Instead, he lowered his gaze as if thinking deeply. After a moment, he looked up, his voice calm and well-organized.
"Lord Third, to be honest, I've been thinking the entire way back about what path I should take from here."
"Oh?" The Third Hokage leaned forward slightly, clearly interested. "Go on. What ideas do you have?"
"Yes, sir." Shinichi nodded, his tone turning serious and clear. "Through this exam, I've come to understand my strengths and weaknesses more clearly. I excel at taijutsu, my chakra nature is Fire, and I've made some progress with chakra shape transformation. But I've realized that pure taijutsu—or ninjutsu that can't instantly turn the tide—has its limits against certain enemies or complex situations."
He paused, choosing his next words carefully. "I've been wondering if there's a way to fuse my strongest asset—taijutsu—with Fire Release on a deeper level. Not just using taijutsu and then following up with a Fire jutsu, or using Fire to create openings for taijutsu… but something more fundamental. Infusing the nature and power of flames directly into every punch, every step, even into defense and evasion—creating a complete, seamless combat system that belongs only to me."
Shinichi continued, "And then I thought of one possible direction—ninja body techniques."
"Ninja body techniques?" The Third Hokage repeated the words softly, his fingers brushing the pipe as genuine surprise showed on his face. "That's an ambitious idea. But Shinichi, merging Fire Release into bodily functions for combat is extremely difficult. The demands on both the body and chakra control are harsh. In Konoha—or even the entire shinobi world—the only truly successful and powerful complete system of this kind is…"
He paused. "Strictly speaking, perhaps only the Lightning Release Chakra Mode passed down through generations in the Hidden Cloud, which they built their village around. It took them countless years and effort to perfect. Currently… Konoha has no such systematic inheritance."
He looked at Shinichi, his tone kind but cautionary. "That means you'd essentially have to create it from scratch. Do you understand how difficult and uncertain that path would be?"
Shinichi met the Third Hokage's gaze without flinching. If anything, the older man's attention only made his eyes brighter. "I understand, Lord Third. Lightning Release can stimulate cells to grant power, speed, and defense. So why can't the scorching, burning, explosive nature of Fire explore its own path and form its own Fire Release Chakra Mode?"
"Look at the other villages," he went on. "The Mist specializes in Water Release, the Stone in Earth Release, the Sand controls wind and sand, and the Cloud built their identity around Lightning Release—each with a distinct, unmistakable style. But our Konoha…"
Shinichi hesitated briefly, as if choosing his phrasing, then said it plainly:
"We're versatile."
"Konoha has always been open to everything. The First Hokage pacified the chaos with his overwhelming Wood Release. The Second Hokage laid the village's foundation with space-time ninjutsu and exquisite Water Release. And you, Lord Third, have mastered all five natures and are revered as the Professor of Ninjutsu. Every one of you reached the absolute peak, and we all look up to you."
"But I've been wondering—within this versatility and diversity, are we missing something that truly belongs to Fire? Something that instantly makes people think of the Land of Fire, the Will of Fire, a signature combat system built around flames?"
"So even though I'm not very talented, I still want to try walking this path. I don't dare hope to match our predecessors. I only wish to explore a direction, to try creating a combat system centered on Fire—one with a clear, powerful identity. Even if it's just laying down a single brick for those who come after me, perhaps it can leave a different mark on the legacy of the Hokage title, one tied to the inheritance of fire."
Although Shinichi never said the words "I want to become Hokage" outright, his meaning was crystal clear: I want to advance. I want to be the first Hokage known for Fire Release.
Wanting to become Hokage was a good thing.
The Third Hokage didn't feel the slightest displeasure. Instead, his eyes filled with warmth and approval. Young people with grand ideals and the drive to chase them were exactly the hope of the village's future.
His smile grew even gentler. "Having ideas, courage, and ambition—that's excellent. The village needs young people like you who dare to pioneer new paths."
Then he brought the conversation back to reality with a gentle reminder. "However, Shinichi, you must understand that Fire-natured chakra, like Lightning, is notoriously violent, dangerous, and difficult to control. Safely integrating that kind of power into the body will be even more demanding—and riskier—than Lightning Release."
Shinichi had clearly thought this through. He answered steadily, "Yes, Lord Third. That's why I won't try to develop a full Fire Release Chakra Mode right away. That would be unrealistic. I plan to take it step by step. The first step is to complete the Fire-natured transformation of the Rasengan. Combining my most familiar shape-transformation jutsu with Fire nature to create a seal-less Fire Release technique will serve as my starting point and testing ground for merging the two."
He paused, then added, "Also, I've noticed that every Raikage is known for an incredibly powerful physique and terrifying defense. I suspect that isn't solely due to Lightning Release's cell-activation effect. A strong body itself is the foundation for carrying and controlling such dangerous chakra. Since Fire-natured chakra is equally violent and explosive, strengthening my own physique and tempering my body is an essential prerequisite."
At this point, Shinichi smoothly made his request. "So, Lord Third, the reward I want isn't a specific jutsu or material item. I'd like to ask—does the village have any unique training methods for reinforcing the body and tempering the physique? Or is there a senior in the village whose physical body is exceptionally strong and durable, far beyond ordinary shinobi? I hope to have the chance to seek guidance and exchange ideas, to absorb their experience and lay the strongest possible foundation for my future exploration."
Methods to reinforce and temper the body?
The Third Hokage pondered for a moment. If they were talking about a systematic secret training method specifically for forging an extreme physique, Konoha's Strong Fist style was already an excellent path for body tempering and will forging.
But when it came to reaching the terrifying level of the Cloud's Raikages—bodies strong enough to clash head-on with Tailed Beasts—Konoha's Strong Fist still fell short.
As for a senior with an abnormally powerful and durable physique?
The Third Hokage thought for a second.
Actually… yes, there was one.