Meanwhile, on another road leading to the ninth training ground.
Shinichi Higashino walked at a leisurely pace; the streets were sparsely populated in the early morning.
"Shinichi-kun?"
Shinichi turned around and saw Kurenai Yuhi walking from another fork in the road.
Today, she changed into a dark training uniform that allowed for easy movement, with a standard straight sword neatly hanging at her waist. Her long, dark hair was tied into a neat ponytail, revealing her smooth forehead and calm red eyes.
"Good morning, Kurenai."
Shinichi nodded in greeting and slowed her pace to walk alongside her.
"Good morning."
Kurenai approached with light steps.
Looking at the sword at Kurenai's waist, Shinichi casually asked, "When did you start practicing swordsmanship, Kurenai-san?"
In his mind, this future Genjutsu Jonin didn't seem to have much connection with swordsmanship.
Kurenai tilted her head slightly, a faint smile on her face: "It probably started about three years ago."
She paused, as if recalling something amusing, and her smile deepened slightly: "Shinichi, you may not have realized it yourself, but when you were at school, you practiced swordsmanship on the playground every noon without fail, rain or shine. This actually sparked the interest of many students in swordsmanship. Many of them later enrolled in dojos in the village, or started practicing on their own."
She was telling the truth, but not the whole story.
More than three years ago, when Shinichi defeated Kakashi, the then-recognized genius, in a clean and powerful swordsmanship during the end-of-term practical assessment. That scene deeply shocked Kurenai Yuhi, who was also a first-year student and was watching from the sidelines.
Since then, she has unconsciously paid more attention to that classmate named Shinichi Higashino.
Watching him single-mindedly sweat it out every morning and afternoon, watching him treat people with gentleness and politeness without being abrupt, watching him grow stronger with each test and rumor, a certain subtle influence quietly takes place.
She began to train even more diligently, not only with her family's Genjutsu techniques, but also by trying to wield a sword that she was not familiar with before, and to feel the focus of concentrating her spirit and power into one point.
Imitation may be the earliest form of worship; she admires that diligence and self-discipline, and yearns for that clear and firm sense of purpose.
This attention and quiet learning made her calmer and more hardworking. Even her father, Shinku Yuhi, was surprised by the sudden increase in his daughter's enthusiasm for physical fitness and swordsmanship.
Of course, Kurenai Yuhi wouldn't easily reveal these deeper, more subtle psychological trajectories to others.
She simply attributed it to a natural change resulting from the positive influence of an outstanding classmate.
Upon hearing this, Shinichi suddenly realized that he had never imagined that his routine training would have such an impact on others.
"So that's how it is."
He nodded and said, "Swordsmanship can indeed temper one's will and body control, which helps with a ninja's overall qualities. It's good that you're interested in it, Kurenai-san."
Kurenai hummed in agreement, then suddenly said, "Shinichi, now that we're teammates, you can just call me Kurenai from now on."
Upon hearing this, Shinichi glanced at her and nodded readily, "Okay, then you can just call me Shinichi."
...
In the ninth training ground, during a conversation between Minato and Tsunade.
Several figures appeared one after another: Shinichi, Kurenai Yuhi, Kakashi, and a girl with short brown hair and a gentle smile, Rin Nohara.
Both sides showed some surprise upon meeting, but quickly exchanged brief greetings.
Kakashi merely gave a cold glance, which counted as his greeting; Shinichi, Kurenai, and Rin responded politely.
After exchanging greetings, they each headed towards the area where their respective leaders were located.
However, the moment Minato Namikaze saw Shinichi, his eyes lit up, and the gentle smile on his face instantly became even brighter, even carrying an almost impatient enthusiasm.
He swayed slightly and stepped forward, blocking Shinichi's path at just the right moment while asking earnestly: "You must be Shinichi Higashino? The one who developed the Shinichi Higashino Light Blade Initiated · Roaring Spiral Sphere!"
Shinichi: "...?"
What a ridiculous name!
After Minato finished speaking, a brief silence fell over the training ground.
Even Tsunade, who was watching the show with her arms crossed, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, giving him a look that said, "What the hell is this kid talking about?"
Shinichi was also taken aback. He blinked and asked tentatively, somewhat uncertainly, "Senior, are you talking about the Rasengan?"
Shinichi Higashino should be the name of the technique's developer; that part made sense.
Light Blade Initiated? Could that refer to the inspiration he got from seeing Asuma's glowing chakra blades?
Spiral was the core form of the technique, describing the rotational movement of the chakra.
Sphere refers to the final spherical shape in which the technique is condensed.
So what exactly is Roaring about?
Is it simply a modal particle that sounds cool or handsome?
Shinichi's brain was racing, trying to decipher this strange name using Minato Namikaze's rather unique naming thought process.
"Right, right, right! Rasengan! Look at me, I accidentally said the name I gave it, ahahaha..."
Minato Namikaze only then realized what he had done and scratched the back of his head, looking slightly embarrassed.
"I-i'm sorry."
Minato explained with a smile, trying to ease the awkwardness, "I just thought your Ninjutsu was so outstanding that I couldn't help but... well, I came up with a name for it. Rasengan is a great name! It's also very concise!"
'This kid is surprisingly naive in some ways.'
Tsunade glanced at Minato, who was still trying to maintain a cheerful smile, and silently complained to herself.
Despite being a genius Jonin with exceptional strength and a sharp mind, he has such a peculiar bias when it comes to naming.
Just then, another figure rushed in through the entrance to the training ground.
Shizune came running, slightly out of breath, fine beads of sweat on her forehead, her face a little flushed from exertion and anxiety.
"S-Sorry! I'm late!"
She apologized hastily while catching her breath. Her gaze quickly swept over Shinichi and Kurenai before finally settling on Tsunade. Her eyes held a clear sense of relief mixed with a subtle hint of complaint: "Tsunade-sensei! So you were here. I woke up this morning and didn't see you. I thought you'd..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was already clear: she assumed Tsunade had gone to some casino or tavern again and hadn't returned all night, completely forgetting about the important task of leading the team in the test today, which was why she was in a hurry to find her and wasted time.
Tsunade's mouth twitched as she looked at the girl she had raised. "In your eyes, am I that unreliable?"
Upon hearing this, Shizune pursed her lips but did not answer directly.
Seeing this, Tsunade was even more speechless. A vein seemed to throb on her forehead. She waved her hand impatiently and said, "Alright, alright, stop standing there like an idiot and get back to the group! Next time, remember to come straight to the meeting point and don't wander around looking for things!"
Minato Namikaze, standing nearby, wisely turned his gaze into the distance, pretending to study the trees in the training ground, as if he hadn't heard anything.
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