Early the next morning, Setsuna finished his meditation and got up from the bed.
There are two ways to train Ki. The first is [Dynamic Practice], pushing the physical body to its limits.
The second is [Static Practice], which focuses on mental cultivation, drawing closer to nature through meditation. The representative figure in this aspect is Master Roshi.
In terms of physical prowess, he was actually not inferior to a master like Master Roshi, after all, youth prevails in fist fights.
But when it came to the training of Ki, the difference was like heaven and earth.
Master Roshi, with over three hundred years of training, had Ki so powerful that he could destroy the moon with the Kamehameha.
Setsuna's Ki, at best, could only destroy a mountain peak.
In Setsuna's view, his meager Ki was better used for techniques like Sky Dancing Art.
For usual fights, using his body was sufficient. If he really needed a long-range attack, he could use techniques like the Dodonpa, a low-consumption, single-point piercing skill.
That being said, Setsuna did not relax his training of Ki. After all, martial artist who doesn't know how to 'clash beams' isn't a qualified martial artist.
Setsuna stretched his body and went out for his morning run again. These routines were almost engraved in his blood.
When Setsuna jogged to a nearby training ground, he happened to run into a boy walking on his hands, four years younger than him but already his senior from a Ninja perspective. It was the young Might Guy.
"Setsuna-san! Great! I saw you didn't come for training yesterday and was worried you had given up. I knew our youth would never end!" Guy, still upside down, stretched out his right thumb, grinning widely. His clean front teeth seemed to gleam, quite dazzling.
"My body wasn't feeling well yesterday, so I took a day off. I have to make up for it double today." Setsuna smiled slightly. For Guy, it was just one day, but for him, it had been a year.
When he traversed worlds, one year in another world equaled one day in the main world. When he was in the main world, the time flow ratio returned to normal, though it wasn't exactly 1:1 either, due to the inherent differences in time flow between different universes.
As for the exact rate of time flow, Setsuna wasn't sure.
Perhaps he would only know after he fully mastered the All-World Pearl.
Hearing Setsuna's explanation, Guy was moved to tears. "With your physical fitness, Setsuna-san, it must have been a serious illness to make you stop training! Yet such a sickness could only stop you for one day! Is this the burning heat of Youth? It never lets us stop moving forward!"
Setsuna was already used to Guy's excitability and asked with a smile, "Don't you need to go out on missions with your team?"
Although Guy and Lee had similar experiences, they were actually quite different.
Guy failed the entrance exam for the Ninja Academy and only got in after a make-up exam.
However, after entering the Academy, he graduated in just two years. While he still couldn't compare to Kakashi, graduating from the Ninja Academy at seven years old could still be called genius. This showed that he wasn't without talent in Ninjutsu, and he simply preferred Taijutsu.
To borrow a phrase from Ishida Ryuken from Bleach, Guy lacked interest, while Lee lacked talent.
Hearing Setsuna's question, Guy said rather sadly, "During a mission, my team leader was ambushed and lost his life. The other two teammates were seriously injured. My team has been disbanded, and I'm waiting for the village to assign me to a new team. So I'll have plenty of time to train recently."
Setsuna's expression turned serious. It was uncommon for a Jonin to die during peacetime. Whether it was last night's Kumogakure's invasion or the death of Guy's Jonin Instructor, it all seemed to hint at the approach of war.
…
At the same time, in the Hokage's office.
"Minato, thanks to your 'close' protection of Kushina, Kumogakure's scheme failed once again." The Third Hokage smiled slightly, his kind smile carrying a hint of lewdness.
"It was just a coincidence." Minato felt somewhat awkward. He did visit Kushina's house quite often, but it couldn't really be called 'close' protection. He still had Ninja missions to carry out normally.
"Haha, I know, I know." The Third Hokage laughed heartily. He already admired Minato and was even more delighted to see Minato and Kushina together, seeing it as a wonderful story similar to that of the First Hokage and Uzumaki Mito.
"However, you were a bit too heavy-handed. Pieces scattered everywhere... it won't look good when we return the bodies." The Third Hokage shook his head with emotion, "Although Kumogakure isn't in the right in this matter, that Raikage has never been one to listen to reason. You need to be careful of Kumogakure targeting you in the coming period."
Minato shook his head with a smile, "Hokage-sama, actually, I wasn't the one who killed those three Kumogakure's Ninja."
"It wasn't you? Did Tsunade return?" The Third Hokage perked up. "I was wondering why you suddenly started using Taijutsu."
"It wasn't Tsunade-sama either." Minato chose his words carefully. "Perhaps you've heard of him too. The oldest student currently in the Ninja Academy, Chiaki Setsuna."
"Chiaki Setsuna?" The Third Hokage was taken aback. Of course he knew of him.
Although Setsuna had no talent for Ninjutsu, his level of effort put many Ninja to shame.
Setsuna and Guy's morning runs had, in a way, even become a sort of scenic view in the village.
He certainly appreciated Setsuna's efforts, believing that kind of diligence embodied the Will of Fire.
Therefore, even though some Academy's teachers had previously suggested expelling him, the Third Hokage had stopped them.
But no matter how he thought about it, he found it hard to connect Setsuna with the strong Ninja who defeated the Kumogakure's team.
After all, the three dead Kumogakure's Ninja were one jounin and two chunin. That level of strength was considered part of a village's upper echelon. How could they be defeated by a student with no Ninjutsu talent?
Seeing the Third Hokage's confusion, Minato explained, "He defeated them using pure Taijutsu."
The Third Hokage still couldn't help but doubt, "Really only Taijutsu?"
"His Taijutsu is very strong. Exceptionally strong!" Minato nodded emphatically, "In a one-on-one fight, I would most likely not be his opponent."
The Third Hokage couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath. He was well aware of Minato's strength. For Minato to say such a thing was enough to prove Setsuna's capability.
"Are you saying all this because you want me to bypass the regulations and let him graduate?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked.
"Yes, it's a pity for an excellent Ninja like him to remain in the Academy all the time." Minato nodded, then added, "However, I hope Hokage-sama can keep secret the fact that he killed the Kumogakure's Ninja. Although he is very strong, Kumogakure's underhanded methods are hard to guard against."
"Then you'll be the one targeted by Kumogakure." Hiruzen reminded him.
"I have the Flying Thunder God Technique. It won't be easy for them to target me." Minato smiled.
"Still, be careful. The Flying Thunder God Technique isn't omnipotent." The Third Hokage fell into recollection. His teacher, the Second Hokage, creator of the Flying Thunder God Technique, had died at the hands of pursuing Kumogakure's Ninjas while covering their escape back then.
"However, without sufficient justification, bypassing the rules to let him graduate might not necessarily be a good thing for him." The Third Hokage said, then suddenly tapped his pipe on the desk and laughed, "Let my own good-for-nothing son fight him. It can not only prove his strength but also teach Asuma a lesson, so he won't be so arrogant."
Minato's eyes widened. Thinking of the Kumogakure's Ninja who died tragically at Setsuna's hands, a thought he couldn't suppress emerged: 'Could it be that Hokage-sama wants to start training a new account?'