38 - The Sannin

Three more days had passed, leaving only two days before the Chunin exam.

Chiba continued his training under Kushina Uzumaki's guidance. His proficiency in water ninjutsu improved significantly, and his earth techniques became increasingly refined under the influence of Kushina's water techniques. Both his defensive and offensive capabilities had seen considerable progress.

Kushina identified a flaw in Chiba's abilities: his chakra capacity. Although remarkable for a genin, nearly reaching that of a chunin, it was insufficient from Kushina's perspective as a member of the Uzumaki clan. Chiba's chakra would deplete rapidly after using a few ninjutsu, significantly limiting his ability to utilize them effectively.

However, Chiba had a compensating advantage: his physical skills. His prowess was impressive, not only in learning ninjutsu but also in mastering Taijutsu. He seemed to have a natural talent for both physical and ninjutsu skills. Moreover, he possessed the most crucial traits for Taijutsu: a resilient will and perseverance.

Despite the daily self-training, Kushina kept a watchful eye. No matter how exhausted Chiba was, he would regularly engage in physical training, which she believed was atypical for a seven-year-old child. Even adult ninjas lacked the persistence to undergo monotonous and strenuous physical training daily.

While physical exercises consumed relatively less chakra and were very effective, they could compensate for the shortcomings of insufficient chakra. However, this meant that the power of ninjutsu could not be fully harnessed, and its usage was severely limited.

This realization made Kushina breathe a sigh of relief. Consequently, she adjusted her teaching strategy, reducing the emphasis on Water Release ninjutsu and focusing on training Chiba in practical and supportive techniques. Given his limited chakra and the restricted number of times he could use ninjutsu, she prioritized teaching him Water Release techniques that were effective in combat and could augment his physical skills.

During the two days of focused training with Kushina, Chiba understood her intentions. Since he couldn't open the *Eight Gates* or develop the gate mode yet, he privately considered focusing primarily on Taijutsu with ninjutsu as a supplementary skill, aligning with Kushina's thoughts.

Chiba became more dedicated to practicing water ninjutsu and training in earth ninjutsu, and his rate of improvement accelerated. Once he completed the development of the gate mode, he would be able to balance his focus between physical skills and ninjutsu.

Meanwhile, the Hokage's office welcomed three visitors.

The Third Hokage exhaled a puff of smoke, looking at the trio before him with a slight smile. "Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, thank you for your hard work," he said.

Standing before the Third Hokage were two men and a woman. The woman, strikingly beautiful with a diamond-shaped purple mark on her forehead and wearing loose clothing that hinted at her figure, was none other than the future Fifth Hokage, Tsunade Senju, also known as the Senju Princess.

Next to her stood a white-haired man, not particularly remarkable in appearance, with a forehead protector bearing the "oil" symbol. He was the teacher of the Fourth and Seventh Hokage, one of the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya.

The last, a handsome man with a somewhat sinister aura, was undoubtedly Orochimaru.

If Chiba had been there, he would have noticed that Tsunade and Orochimaru appeared unchanged from their future selves.

"It's just in time," the Third Hokage told his three proud disciples, smiling warmly. "Now that the Chunin Exam is starting ahead of schedule, you can replace me as the proctors."

"A Chunin Exam?" Orochimaru was the first to speak, his voice low and hoarse, yet carrying a strange allure and a hint of malevolence. "Isn't it supposed to be held in a few months?"

"Yes, this session has been moved up," the Third Hokage confirmed.

The Sannin exchanged glances.

Jiraiya, raising his head, inquired, "Is there an urgent need to select fresh talents?"

"Yes," the Third Hokage's smile faded as he explained. "A month ago, came some intelligence gathered by Minato and Kushina from the major Ninja countries, the smaller Ninja villages, and countries outside the Land of Fire. It's not good news for Konoha and the Land of Fire."

The Sannin looked at each other again.

Tsunade sighed, expressing her concern, "Is there going to be a war again? I really don't want to see those kids rushing to the battlefield."

After Tsunade's words, a heavy silence fell over the Hokage's office. Whether it was the Third Hokage, Jiraiya, or Orochimaru, their expressions were grave.

Finally, Orochimaru broke the silence. "So, Sarutobi-sensei, have you found any promising students?"

The Third Hokage glanced at his most proud disciples, a spark of pride in his eyes, and placed three ninja files on the desk, pushing them slightly forward. "These three children just graduated from the Ninja Academy, and they're all worth training," he said, pulling out some documents.

The Sannin picked up the files one by one.

"Yukina Hyuga..." Tsunade read the name on the file.

"Hirohiko Uchiha..." Jiraiya also looked at the file.

"Chiba Taki..." Orochimaru glanced up and asked, "Seven years old? All three of them are only seven years old?"

"Yes," the Third Hokage nodded.

"Gentle Fist? Mastered at this age?" Tsunade's face showed a hint of surprise.

"Here, Sharingan and *Shadow Clone Jutsu*? This... this year, aside from Kakashi, there are such geniuses, only one year apart?" Jiraiya was also slightly surprised.

"High-speed physical abilities... this seems a bit common, in terms of physical skills," Orochimaru remarked, seemingly disappointed.

An assistant in the Third Hokage's office quickly added, "Orochimaru-sama, this Chiba Taki's information has not been updated. In addition to high-speed physical abilities, he is also proficient in Earth Release and Water Release." He paused. "He also defeated Kakashi Hatake."

"Kakashi Hatake?" Jiraiya was taken aback and blurted out. "You mean the super genius who graduated from the Ninja academy at the age of five, the disciple of Minato, Kakashi Hatake?"

Orochimaru's face also showed astonishment.

"Yes," the assistant nodded earnestly.

The three Sannins looked at each other, then focused their attention on Chiba Taki's file.

"Who is the teacher of these three?" Tsunade asked.

"Kushina Uzumaki," the Third Hokage answered, tapping his pipe.

"Kushina?" Jiraiya blinked, obviously a bit surprised.

"The one from the Uzumaki clan?" Orochimaru's eyes flickered.

"Take these materials back and review them," the Third Hokage instructed. "Then, as judges, select talents based on their performance in the Chunin Exam."

"Understood," the Sannin replied in unison.

The Sannins looked at each other, then at the stack of documents in their hands and on the desk. They nodded and finally exited the Hokage's office.

After the three left, the assistant quietly wiped off his sweat. Truly, being in the presence of Konoha's Legendary Sannin, one could feel immense pressure.