That afternoon, at the Konoha Military Police Force training ground.
Chiya stood at the center of the training ground with his arms crossed, his gaze resting on the small figure in front of him.
Uchiha Shisui stood perfectly straight. His head barely reached Chiya's waist, yet his eyes held a focus far beyond what any child his age should possess.
"Shisui, today we begin your formal ninjutsu training."
Chiya said.
"We will start with the most fundamental. Fire Style."
Shisui nodded, anticipation shining in his eyes.
"Yes, Sensei!"
Chiya raised his hands and brought them together, slowly beginning to form hand seals, each movement precise.
"Fire Style, Great Fireball Jutsu."
"Whoosh!"
A blazing torrent of flame burst from Chiya's mouth and formed into a massive fireball that crashed against the distant target with a roar, reducing it to ash in an instant.
The flames faded, but the scorching heat still lingered in the air.
Shisui's eyes went wide, his pupils contracting slightly. He was clearly shaken by the power of it.
He had been to the training ground on his own before and had seen other Uchiha practicing the Great Fireball Jutsu here. But he could clearly feel that Sensei Chiya's fireball was far more intense and powerful.
"Did you get a good look?"
Chiya asked.
Shisui took a deep breath and nodded.
"Yes."
"Good. Now you try."
Shisui did not hesitate. He immediately mimicked Chiya's movements and formed the hand seals.
His fingers were still a little small and soft, but his form was exceptionally accurate.
"Fire Style, Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Pff."
A flame the size of a fist puffed out from his mouth and barely held together for a second before it faded.
Shisui's expression fell slightly, but Chiya smiled.
"Not bad. Producing any jutsu at all on your first try is already impressive."
Shisui looked up.
"But... the fireball was too small."
"Chakra volume and control both take time to build up. There is no need to rush."
Chiya patted him on the shoulder.
"Now I will teach you how to regulate your chakra more effectively."
In the time that followed, Chiya explained in detail how chakra flows for Fire Style, from breathing rhythm to channel control, even breaking down the subtle movements of the tip of the tongue.
Shisui listened with complete attention and nodded from time to time.
"Come, try again!"
Shisui nodded and formed the hand seals once more, following what Chiya had explained.
"Fire Style, Great Fireball Jutsu!"
This time, the flame was noticeably larger than before. It still did not match Chiya's scale, but the shape of a proper fireball was clearly visible.
Chiya nodded with satisfaction.
"Very good. You improve quickly."
Shisui caught his breath, excitement in his eyes.
As training continued, however, Chiya noticed that Shisui's breathing was growing increasingly labored, and the color was beginning to drain from his small face.
"Chakra depleted?"
Chiya asked.
Shisui gritted his teeth and nodded.
"I can... still keep going..."
Chiya shook his head.
"Insufficient chakra is a hard limit. Pushing through it by force will only damage your foundation."
He thought for a moment, then said suddenly.
"We are switching to physical training."
"Taijutsu?"
Shisui was a little puzzled.
"Yes." Chiya rolled his wrists.
"The body is the foundation of everything. Besides, a true ninja cannot have any weak points."
With that, he broke into a run.
"Keep up!"
Shisui asked nothing more and immediately launched his small legs into a sprint after him.
At first, he could just barely keep pace with Chiya's rhythm, but as time passed, his steps grew slower and his breathing heavier.
Sweat soaked through his clothes and dripped into the dirt of the training ground, leaving small dark marks behind.
Chiya did not slow down. He only glanced back occasionally to confirm that Shisui was still holding on.
"True strength does not come from talent. It comes from effort."
He had once said something like this to Obito.
It applied just as much to Shisui now.
Shisui, compared to Obito, was better at taking such words to heart.
Time passed. The sun sank in the west, and only two figures remained on the training ground.
One moving with unhurried ease, the other staggering but refusing to stop.
Finally, Chiya came to a halt.
"That is enough. Rest."
Shisui collapsed to the ground right where he stood, gasping for breath, his chest heaving, but his eyes still clear and bright.
Chiya walked over and held out a water canteen.
"How do you feel?"
Shisui took the canteen and gulped it down in several long swallows before he managed to catch his breath.
"I can... still keep going..."
Chiya laughed.
"That is enough. Today's training has already exceeded what was planned."
Shisui did not argue. He simply gave a quiet nod.
Watching him like this, Chiya felt increasingly satisfied in his heart.
High talent, willing to put in the work, and not a single complaint. A disciple like this was everything he could have hoped for.
While Shisui rested, Chiya stood at the edge of the training ground and looked toward the row of large trees nearby.
Uzumaki Kushina used to hide behind those trees all the time, peeking out from behind the trunks.
Kushina, who had just become a jinchuriki, should still be under care and observation at this point.
Without that chattering presence around him all of a sudden, Chiya found himself unexpectedly missing it.
"Kushina..."
Thinking of Kushina, the look in Chiya's eyes slowly grew more serious.
He remembered that during the Third Shinobi World War, the jinchuriki of the various villages had also been deployed to the battlefield.
Jiraiya and his team had encountered two jinchuriki, Roshi and Han.
If not for Minato's Flying Thunder God technique, they would likely have been obliterated.
And Minato later came face to face with the Eight-Tails jinchuriki Killer Bee and the future Raikage A...
None of these were opponents that ordinary ninja could stand against.
Jinchuriki being deployed to the battlefield was essentially inevitable.
Uzumaki Kushina was now Konoha's jinchuriki. If she truly became a target for the other villages, that was entirely possible.
So Kushina still needed to strengthen herself further.
'Kushina's chakra reserves are enormous, but outside of sealing jutsu, her other offensive options are far too thin when facing powerful opponents...'
His thoughts then drifted to something from the original story. Minato drew inspiration from the Tailed Beast Ball launched by the Four-Tails Son Gokū and the Five-Tails Kokuō, and together with Jiraiya spent three years creating a jutsu specifically for Kushina.
The Halo Popsicle Inspires Spiraling Jiraiya Double Sphere, which later came to be known simply as the Rasengan.
That jutsu required no hand seals, relying purely on chakra control to form a high-density ball of concentrated energy of tremendous power.
The halo referred to the outer form of the jutsu, and the spiraling referred to the direction of the spin, like a hair whorl.
'The principle behind the Rasengan is concentrating chakra steadily and continuously in the palm of the hand, giving it physical form, and generating destructive force through high-speed rotation...'
Chiya raised his hand, palm facing upward, and attempted to gather chakra there.
Blue energy slowly converged, but quickly fell apart.
"As expected. It is not that simple."
He murmured to himself.
But he was not in a hurry.
Chiya now had the Senju Clan Constitution, along with the perceptive insight of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
He could detect even the slightest changes in chakra.
Chiya believed that developing the Rasengan on his own would not take much time.
"Sensei?"
Shisui's voice came from behind him.
Chiya turned around and found the little one had already gotten back on his feet.
His face was still a little pale, but his eyes had cleared.
"Rested?"
"Yes."
Shisui nodded, then looked at Chiya's hand with curiosity.
"Were you trying out a new jutsu just now, Sensei?"
Chiya smiled.
"Yes. A jutsu suited for those with large chakra reserves."
Shisui blinked, then said suddenly.
"Do you need my help?"
Chiya paused, then burst out laughing.
"Wait until you are a bit older!"
Shisui smiled too. It was a faint smile, but it was the first childlike expression he had shown all day.
The last rays of the setting sun fell across the two figures, teacher and student, stretching long shadows behind them.
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