Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Guidance
Senju Tobirama's residence.
Renya lay on the bed, still wearing an expression of disbelief. A ninjutsu scroll sat beside him.
In his mind, Tobirama's earlier words kept echoing.
He had been adopted by Senju Tobirama for a whole year, and this old guy had always kept his guard up, never even considering guiding him in training.
But now, he had personally offered to teach him—Renya couldn't shake the surreal feeling.
"I'm not under a genjutsu, am I?"
Renya bit the tip of his tongue. The sharp pain that followed confirmed it—this was no illusion.
He truly hadn't expected that one conversation would have such a powerful impact.
Not only did Senju Hashirama give him the clan's ninjutsu scrolls, even Senju Tobirama was now willing to teach him.
Renya's heart pounded faster, excitement unmistakable on his face.
Senju Tobirama was a Kage-level powerhouse. With his guidance, Renya believed he could go farther—become stronger!
Wrapped in the thrill of a powerful future, Renya unknowingly drifted into sleep.
...
A waning moon hung low over the Senju clan grounds.
The sky had yet to brighten when Tobirama's deep voice rang out from outside:
"Kid, how long are you planning to sleep?"
Hearing the noise, Renya shot up from bed and began dressing as he called toward the door:
"Coming, old man! Just a sec!"
Very quickly, he had dressed, grabbed the scroll, and opened the door.
Tobirama stood at the entrance, glanced at Renya, and without a word, turned toward the training ground.
Renya silently followed behind him.
The two reached the center of the field.
Tobirama turned around, his eyes fixed not on Renya but on the ninjutsu scroll in his hands.
Seeing this, Renya instantly understood and promptly offered up the scroll.
Tobirama took it, nodded in satisfaction, then tucked it away.
Under Renya's shocked, suspicious, and bewildered gaze, Tobirama awkwardly explained:
"We're not learning ninjutsu today. First comes basic training."
Renya eyed Tobirama with doubt.
"Old man, you're not planning to run off with the scroll now that you've got it, are you?"
Tobirama's face flushed red.
"Brat, what's that supposed to mean?! You think I'm that kind of person?!"
Sure, he had intended to guide Renya, but was there really anything wrong with studying the clan's scrolls during the process?
Renya didn't answer—just pouted at him.
Tobirama: "…"
To be honest, he really did feel like turning around and leaving now.
Thankfully, Renya didn't linger on the topic. He bounced eagerly.
"Didn't you say you'd train me, old man? Let's get started!"
"Show me your ninjutsu," Tobirama said.
He'd watched Renya train before—Renya's chakra control had been... painful to observe. So much chakra wasted during ninjutsu release.
At the time, Tobirama had chosen not to correct him—part of his intention to keep Renya from growing too strong.
But Renya's heartfelt words had struck him. They made Tobirama realize how deeply he had been prejudiced against the Uchiha.
Yes, the Uchiha had emotional extremes—but didn't that mean they also understood love better than most?
Renya's words had shaken him awake, shattering his rigid view of the Uchiha.
Of course, Tobirama only acknowledged Renya. Not all Uchiha.
That's why he had decided to personally guide him.
Renya didn't hesitate after hearing Tobirama's request. He formed hand seals and released a technique.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive fireball spewed from his mouth, its blazing light illuminating the training grounds.
Renya was proud. This was the result of a full year's training.
He'd expected praise from Tobirama—but the old man's next words hit him like a blow to the head.
Tobirama frowned.
"Fire Release isn't just about dumping chakra."
Renya looked up, confused. He didn't seem to understand what that meant.
Seeing this, Tobirama formed hand seals. A pale blue flame rose from his fingertips—completely unlike the typical orange-red blaze.
"Your technique looked powerful, but your chakra flow was chaotic—like a wildfire out of control."
With a few more gestures, the flame twisted into a long, thin whip. It curled precisely around a distant wooden post—then gently returned it to place, completely unharmed.
Renya's jaw dropped.
Such delicate chakra control… no wonder he was the Forbidden Jutsu Master of the ninja world!
But then again, it made sense. Without precise chakra control, he'd probably have blown himself up while inventing jutsu.
And the techniques Tobirama created were always high in power. They needed strict chakra control.
Renya was filled with envy. If only he had that kind of control...
"Kid, try again," Tobirama interrupted his daydream.
Renya made another attempt, carefully controlling his chakra while forming seals.
This time, the flame burst from his palm in an erratic clump, instantly incinerating the grass and brush ahead.
"Your chakra flow is too stiff," Tobirama said, stepping forward and placing a cold hand on Renya's wrist.
"Imagine the flame as a living thing. You're not commanding it—you're dancing with it."
A current of icy chakra flowed into Renya's chakra pathways, smoothing and guiding his chaotic fire-nature chakra.
On his third try at chakra molding, Tobirama suddenly disrupted his hand seals.
"In a real fight, no one's going to wait for you to finish your moves," he said in a low voice.
"Adaptability is key."
Clearly, he wasn't just going through the motions. He was seriously teaching Renya.
Renya hastily adjusted, and the fire in his palm twisted into a snake that shot out erratically. Though it veered off course, it already had the form of a proper technique.
"Improvement," Tobirama nodded.
He formed a single "Snake" seal, and a perfectly shaped fireball blasted a wooden post. It burst into flames and quickly burned to ash.
"Some jutsu have too many hand seals to use in combat. You need to learn how to simplify them."
Tobirama thought for a moment, then added:
"Forget it—you're not there yet."
Take Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet, for example. A typical jōnin needed 44 hand seals to perform it. Tobirama could cast it with just 3.
Renya didn't think much of it. Simplifying hand seals was notoriously difficult, requiring incredible chakra control. It was beyond him—for now.
"The essence of Fire Release lies in balancing explosion and control. Before sunrise, make your fire obey you."
With that, he turned and walked away.
"Old man, I will succeed!"
Renya watched Tobirama's retreating figure, his heart brimming with motivation. Flames flickered in his palm again as he threw himself back into training.
Thinking about it was easy... doing it was a whole different story.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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