This year, both Akemi and Asuna were six years old. They had just started at the ninja academy a few days ago, and Tsunade, Sakumo Hatake, and Heizo Hattori came to share their experiences as seniors, hoping to help them quickly adapt to their studies at the ninja academy.
Although the sisters had already begun studying at home, they still found it very interesting to hear Sakumo Hatake and Heizo Hattori talk about the daily routines and trivial matters at school.
The elder sister, Akemi, was enthusiastic and outgoing, often taking the initiative to ask about interesting things at school. Even Heizo Hattori, who usually wore a cold expression all day, would uncharacteristically answer when asked, making Tsunade and Sakumo Hatake nod in approval.
It was well-known that Heizo Hattori always seemed unapproachable, and ordinary children would feel scared just by his gaze. So, for Akemi to dare to speak to him directly, she truly was a courageous child.
In contrast to her outgoing older sister, the younger sister, Asuna, was completely different. She just listened quietly from the side, and her expression was as cold as Heizo Hattori's, possessing the potential of a 'cold beauty'.
However, as frequent guests of the Fumori Masaki family, all three knew that Asuna wasn't genuinely cold-hearted. How should one put it? She probably wasn't good at expressing her inner emotions, which made her seem unapproachable.
Since their future career goal was to be ninjas, Akemi couldn't help but ask about ninjutsu. They had only recently started to learn about chakra, and having grown up listening to storybooks written by their father, they were very curious about the mysterious chakra, wondering if it was truly as powerful as described.
To let them witness the magic of chakra firsthand, the three prepared to demonstrate. However, Tsunade's and Heizo Hattori's ninjutsu were not easy to showcase; one was specifically for saving people, and the other for killing. Both would inevitably cause significant destruction, so this task fell to Sakumo Hatake.
During his nature transformation training, Sakumo Hatake would often come up with small ideas. Studying under Fumori Masaki, he paid more attention to observing phenomena in daily life and thus learned some small tricks.
He drew his chakra blade, injecting lightning-style chakra into it. Immediately, the chakra blade, which already refracted white light, rapidly dispersed its glow under the influence of the chakra, forming a beautiful halo around the blade.
"Wow!" Akemi exclaimed in surprise at this sight. Even Asuna's eyes widened slightly, staring intently at the chakra blade enveloped in light.
"You certainly know how to use some interesting techniques," Heizo Hattori remarked, raising an eyebrow. If it were him, he wouldn't use chakra in such a way.
"Just as Teacher Fumori Masaki said in his books, chakra is something closely related to imagination," Sakumo Hatake said, stopping the chakra injection.
The flickering light immediately returned to its original state, revealing the inherent sharpness of the short blade. "After personally experimenting, I feel that chakra shouldn't just be used in ninja battles; it should have better applications."
"The Ninshu scriptures say that chakra is meant to establish connections between people. Although the scriptures refer to spiritual connections, Father says that chakra can also establish material connections," Asuna suddenly spoke.
"Do you think so too, Brother Sakumo?"
"Ah, I think what Sensei said is correct. I just don't know what form it will take, perhaps like what Sensei wrote in his storybooks," Sakumo Hatake said with a smile, nodding.
"Father's fantasy stories?" Akemi nodded in agreement, saying, "The things in the storybooks are indeed very interesting. I used to think they were real, but then I found out they were just made up by Father, which disappointed me for a while."
"Perhaps one day they will become reality. The research department established in the village seems to have that very purpose, doesn't it?" Sakumo Hatake replied.
"It seems Teacher Fumori Masaki has this idea, but others don't really support it," Tsunade, who was gradually maturing, no longer used her old address but called him 'Teacher'.
She was more privy to the secrets behind the scenes than her two fellow disciples. "The current research department mainly focuses on how to improve ninjutsu, for example, making it more powerful or reducing the difficulty of learning, and no one is willing to research that kind of thing."
"After all, it's something without a tangible form, so it's not surprising that no one is willing to invest effort," Heizo Hattori said.
"However, I really hope to see the things Teacher Fumori Masaki talked about come true," Tsunade said, shaking her head. "Things like wireless long-distance communication and physical projections called 'movies' as described in the stories, aren't they incredibly interesting?"
"No one is willing to invest now, but that doesn't mean it won't happen in the future. As long as Teacher Fumori Masaki doesn't give up, it's possible," Heizo Hattori said.
"Originally, some things didn't exist from the beginning, but rather appeared before us after years of struggle by people who firmly believed they could be realized."
"Yes, just like your grandfather, Tsunade, the First Hokage. People in the Warring States period probably never imagined that an organization like a ninja village would appear," Sakumo Hatake said.
Immediately, everyone began discussing other uses for chakra. They were all young people, including two six-year-old children, and all sorts of whimsical ideas emerged.
Some ideas made them laugh themselves, and they burst into uninhibited laughter.
Because Fumori Masaki's three students were present, Satomi prepared a lavish dinner. While busy in the kitchen, she heard the cheerful voices from the living room, a smile appearing on her face.
She glanced at the time and murmured, "Masahiro should be home soon, too."
As if on cue, a moment later, Fumori Masaki arrived at the front door, walking into the house and saying, "It's quite lively here."
"Father!" Akemi quickly stood up and ran to Fumori Masaki. "Welcome home!"
Fumori Masaki half-crouched down, stroked his eldest daughter's hair, and said, "I'm home."
Then he looked at Asuna, who walked over, and heard her softly say, "Father."
He smiled slightly and likewise stroked her hair.
Asuna lowered her head slightly. Although her face remained expressionless, a shy blush subtly appeared on her cheeks, and she softly hummed in acknowledgment.
"You're home, dear," Satomi walked out of the kitchen, untying her apron. "Dinner will be ready soon. Could you come and help a bit, please?"
Fumori Masaki nodded. Although he had been busy all day, he wasn't tired. He naturally walked over and helped his wife with the finishing touches, then moved the dishes to the dining room and called his daughters and students to join them.
Fumori Masaki had taught Satomi all the recipes he knew. The dishes, different from traditional food, were both novel and exceptionally delicious.
Tsunade and the others weren't eating them for the first time, but each meal still brought a sense of awe. Perhaps it was because they didn't visit the Fumori Masaki home often, so there was always an air of anticipation.
"The joint Chunin Exams are about to begin, Sakumo, Heizo. You two must be ready, right?" Satomi asked as she served Sakumo Hatake a bowl of rice and handed it to him.
"Yes," Sakumo Hatake nodded. "Teacher Fumori Masaki said there's no need to learn anything new, as there isn't enough time to master it. Instead, he advised us to calm down and thoroughly consolidate what we've already learned."
"Ah, I did say that," Fumori Masaki glanced at the two and said, "It seems you're following my advice, which is good. Don't get too stressed before the exam. Just calm down and showcase everything you've learned, maintaining a strong mental state."
"That's so nice," Tsunade said enviously from the side. "You get to participate in the Chunin Exams. Grandfather Tobirama is such an old stubborn man; he absolutely refuses to let me go."
Tsunade was now twelve years old, no longer at an age where she could be willfully unreasonable. Being sensible, she no longer demanded her wishes be met like in the past.
Moreover, her current profession was that of a medical ninja. Although she wasn't incapable of fighting, Fumori Masaki had long ago laid out the three taboos for medical ninjas, and this girl, who had originally established the Three Principles, had no choice but to bow before them.
"This can hardly be considered a good thing. The joint Chunin Exams, frankly, are a microcosm of the Ninja World War. Unlike normal promotion tests, they allow for casualties," Fumori Masaki said.
"I've killed countless people, but I've never found killing to be an enjoyable experience. Rather, I detest it. This kind of exam is a regrettable necessity from the very beginning."
"If someone finds killing enjoyable, then they're what you'd call a person with psychological issues, right?" Tsunade said, recalling the standards for psychological testing in the Medical Department.
"Yes, I certainly don't wish for any of you to become such people. Fortunately, you're growing up healthily and all know what kind of person you should be," Fumori Masaki said.
He had always paid attention to his students' physical and mental well-being, and even the very traditional Heizo Hattori had transformed in the direction he hoped for, so he was truly at ease.
"Regardless, I can't participate in the Chunin Exams, Sakumo, Heizo. You two better not lose! If it's to people from our own village, fine, but losing to people from other villages would be too humiliating!" Tsunade said, threatening her two companions.
"Just do your best to perform. If the enemy is truly strong, it's okay to concede. There's a saying, 'defeat with honor.' You must pay attention to your safety. I don't want to hear news of your deaths," Fumori Masaki told Sakumo Hatake and Heizo Hattori.
"Yes, sir!" Sakumo Hatake and Heizo Hattori immediately replied.