It hadn't even been that long, yet Tobirama discovered that this brat from the future was integrating himself into daily life at the Senju residence in an extremely strange way.
For example, he would appear at the dining table exactly on time, then examine every dish with the gaze of someone studying ancient artefacts.
Afterward, he would offer comments such as, "This simmered daikon was cooked three minutes less than yesterday," or, "The fish is one finger shorter than the one from the day before yesterday."
At first, Tobirama would frown. Later, he discovered that the clan members working in the kitchen had actually begun recording Shin-chan's comments seriously and were genuinely making improvements.
In only a few days, the quality of the food at the Senju residence had actually...
Risen by an entire level.
Tobirama didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.
Then there was the fact that whenever Shin-chan passed a clan member cleaning the corridor, he would stop to greet them.
In less than three days, the people responsible for cleaning could already accurately state which snacks he liked and how much food to prepare for him at each meal.
His elder brother also began visiting more and more frequently. Their discussions could start with the village's future development plans and somehow stray all the way to "which flavour of dango should be designated as Konoha's official snack."
Tobirama once stood around a corner and listened for ten minutes.
When he heard his brother seriously declare, "I think red bean flavour qualifies, but sesame flavour still requires further assessment," he turned around and left.
It wasn't because he could no longer bear listening.
It was because he realised that if he stayed any longer, he might be unable to resist joining the discussion.
He had even grown accustomed to the child's presence.
Every morning, Shin-chan performed a series of strange movements in the courtyard—twisting his waist, rotating his arms, and marching in place while muttering constantly.
On the first day, Tobirama thought it was some specialised form of taijutsu training. When he moved closer to listen, Shin-chan was chanting, "One, two, three, four. Two, two, three, four."
When Tobirama had been twelve years old, the ninja world was still in the Warring States Period.
Every day, he trained, fought, trained again, and fought again. If the angle of a thrown shuriken was even slightly off, he might die on the battlefield.
But the child before him was different.
There was none of the ruthlessness in his movements that war forced into people. In his eyes, throwing kunai seemed to be nothing more than a skill that ninja were supposed to know.
Tobirama suddenly felt that all the effort he had put in throughout half his lifetime had gained a concrete, visible answer.
The village he wanted to protect, the future he wanted to leave for the generations after him, would ultimately produce ninja like this.
Not killing tools twisted by war, but a twelve-year-old child who would turn around after training and ask him, "Mister, I'm hungry."
"Besides the Flying Thunder God Technique, what other ninjutsu can you use?"
"A little sealing technique, a little Water Style, and a little Earth Style. I can also use a little Fire Style, Wind Style, and Lightning Style."
"Water Style?" Tobirama was extremely confident in his Water Style. No one in the entire ninja world could surpass him in it.
"Demonstrate one for me."
"Water Style?" Shin-chan scratched his head. "I can use it, but I'm not very good at it."
"What do you mean by 'not very good'?"
"Well..." Shin-chan showed a rare hint of embarrassment. "Sometimes I can't control the amount of water. The last time I practised, I flooded the entire training ground."
Tobirama raised an eyebrow. "With me beside you, you don't need to worry about losing control."
"Are you sure? You won't get angry if I flood the courtyard?"
"You cannot flood this courtyard." Tobirama crossed his arms, absolute confidence in his voice.
Shin-chan gave an "oh," then clapped his hands together.
"Water Style: Wild Water Wave!"
A raging torrent of water erupted from his mouth.
Tobirama's eyes narrowed.
He was far too familiar with that method of starting a technique.
It was his elder brother Senju Hashirama's signature casting method: clap his hands together, shout something, and whatever he called for appeared.
Before Tobirama could finish that thought, the diameter of the torrent had already expanded to an abnormal degree.
Water-nature chakra circulated through Shin-chan's body in a way that completely violated conventional principles. There was no precise regulation through hand seals, yet the result was stronger than what most ninja could achieve after completing a full sequence of seals.
"Stop."
Shin-chan immediately cut off his chakra.
Tobirama looked at the courtyard, where the water had accumulated to a depth of half a foot. "Are your other ninjutsu at this level too?"
"More or less," Shin-chan answered vaguely.
"Why didn't you form hand seals just now?"
"Hand seals?" Shin-chan tilted his head. "Does Water Style require hand seals?"
Tobirama: "..."
Then what had been the point of all those sleepless nights he had spent simplifying the hand seals for Water Style techniques?
How much hair had he lost?
"Starting today, you will train with me every day."
"Train in what?"
"Ninjutsu," Tobirama said concisely. "Your talent should not be wasted."
"But I'm not wasting it. Yesterday, I used Wind Style to help the kitchen auntie cool down a freshly cooked pot of red bean soup."
Tobirama took a deep breath. "I wasn't talking about cooling red bean soup."
"Then what should I cool? Ramen?"
"Not ramen either. I mean ninjutsu capable of protecting yourself and your comrades on the battlefield."
"But protecting your comrades doesn't conflict with eating ramen." Shin-chan looked completely serious. "Once the mission is over, everyone eats a bowl of hot ramen together, and all their exhaustion disappears. It's called 'Post-Battle Healing Ramen Therapy.' Grandpa Third invented it too."
"Just how many strange things will Sarutobi Hiruzen invent in his lifetime?" Tobirama rubbed his brow. "Forget it. I'll teach you several ninjutsu."
"Are they difficult?"
"No."
"Do I get a reward for learning them?"
Tobirama frowned. "Learning the ninjutsu is itself the reward."
"That doesn't count as a reward." Shin-chan shook his head. "In our era, completing a mission earns mission pay, passing an exam earns prize money, and learning a new ninjutsu should earn you at least one barbecue meal."
"The rules of your era do not apply here."
"Without a reward, my learning efficiency will drop by eighty percent."
Tobirama originally wanted to say, Then let it drop.
But considering the child's talent, if he were properly trained, his future achievements would undoubtedly be limitless.
"...For every ninjutsu you learn, I'll reward you with three red bean dango."
"Really?"
"Mm."
"Then if I learn the hardest one, can I get a bowl of ramen? With double chashu!"
"Fine."
"Deal." Shin-chan was instantly filled with motivation. "Let's start now. I can't wait to eat the dango."
The corner of Tobirama's mouth twitched unconsciously.
It was his first time seeing someone learn ninjutsu purely for the sake of food.
"Watch carefully. This is Water Style: Severing Wave."
Tobirama spat out a thin jet of water.
The stream sliced across a stone slab in the courtyard, cutting it in half as easily as tofu.
"The key to this technique is compressing the water to its absolute limit. Its power depends on the degree of compression."
Shin-chan nodded, then clapped his hands together.
"Water Style: Severing Wave!"
A jet of water shot from his mouth. It struck the stone slab without leaving so much as a mark and instead splashed water all over his own face.
"Ptooey, ptooey." Shin-chan wiped the water from his face.
Tobirama looked at him expressionlessly. "You concentrated the chakra in your throat just now, but the chakra for Severing Wave must begin compressing inside the chest cavity. By the time it reaches the throat, it should only be at the final release stage."
"Oh." Shin-chan nodded thoughtfully. "It's like squeezing chocolate sauce. You can't start squeezing at the bottle's opening. You have to squeeze from the bottom."