[Konoha2] Chapter 109: Training!

“Nine Bulls and Two Tigers’ Strength!”

Hajime ’s eyes lit up. He raised his fist and struck out—air exploded with a sharp crack.

His strength had indeed grown tremendously.

At once he stepped into the courtyard, formed a hand seal, and caused several wooden stakes to rise from the ground. He strode forward and punched.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

With three strikes, three thick wooden stakes instantly shattered into splinters.

And this was purely physical strength. No chakra was used, no chakra burst.

And yet, this was still far from his true limit.

“If I unleash my full power, it might even surpass the force I generate with chakra.”

“But…”

Hajime lowered his head, glancing at his fist that was still recovering.

Without chakra, he could destroy wooden stakes, but his hand was injured as well. Of course, for him, such wounds were trivial.

Still, raw physical strength was different from chakra-augmented strength—each strike came with recoil he had to endure.

“It’s best if I combine this with the Diamond Body technique. Only then can I fully wield the strength of Nine Bulls and Two Tigers.”

“This definitely won’t lose to Tsunade’s monstrous strength.”

A smile tugged at Hajime’s lips. He immediately began considering how to stabilize and preserve this state.

“It seems I can only approach it through cell activation and monstrous strength…”

Pure physical power, even in the shinobi world, was nearly impossible to train to such terrifying levels.

But chakra was different.

The Earth Spear technique, and especially the Diamond Body he had further developed, could greatly enhance his strength.

And cell activation, along with Tsunade’s monstrous strength, were the prime examples.

“Good. I have a solid foundation for this.”

Hajime brimmed with confidence.

The night passed quietly.

The next morning, Hajime’s true body went to Root headquarters, while a shadow clone went once more to Tsunade’s home—dragging the still-sleeping Nawaki out of bed and taking him to Root’s training grounds.

This time, Hajime personally controlled the traps and had Nawaki’s shadow clone challenge them, subjecting the boy to repeated trials and punishments.

Meanwhile…

Inside Root’s base, Hajime split off a wood clone for training before picking up the dossier that Shimura Daichi had sent.

He carefully memorized each individual’s information before finally selecting three candidates from the list.

Danzo wanted him to lead training—not to train every single person himself.

Root already had a complete system for training shinobi. Hajime didn’t need to meddle in every detail.

As for reforming the system, Hajime didn’t yet have the authority.

The best approach was to handpick and nurture key individuals. Danzo himself clearly intended the same—just as he had previously guided Aburame Ryoma and Inuzuka Ryo.

After confirming his three choices, Hajime called out: “Nakamura.”

Immediately, Nakamura pushed open the door and entered. Hajime handed him the list: “Have them wait for me outside. As for the others, continue training as planned.”

Glancing over the files, Nakamura couldn’t help but say, “Those three are really lucky.”

Hajime rose to his feet. “Not necessarily.”

“My standards are far stricter than normal training.”

Nakamura was stunned. “But… Lord Danzo’s training is already extremely strict. If it’s harsher than that… won’t it be excessive?”

Hajime replied coolly, “Better that than dying on the battlefield.”

He shifted topics, his eyes narrowing. “Nakamura, if I recall correctly, your specialty is Wind Release and kenjutsu, right?”

Nakamura nodded.

Hajime smiled faintly. “Would you be interested in receiving a bit of my guidance?”

Nakamura felt a strange unease at those words, but considering Hajime’s overwhelming strength, he quickly nodded, grateful. “Then I’ll be in your care.”

Hajime said evenly, “Training you is also for the sake of having a reliable subordinate in the future.”

“After all, once Lord Danzo becomes Hokage, I’ll be the one leading Root.”

At those words, Nakamura’s eyelid twitched violently.

That same old arrogance…

Ever since surviving the Wood Release experiments, Hajime had been like this.

But given Hajime’s sheer power—within Root, aside from him, there truly was no one more fitting for the position of Root’s leader.

The premise, of course, was that Lord Danzo could become Hokage.

But could he?

Nakamura didn’t know. No matter what he thought inwardly, before Hajime he was already used to nodding.

The two went outside together. After a short while, Nakamura returned with three Root shinobi.

All of them wore masks, though their small frames made it clear they were still young.

By then, Hajime had already removed his own mask. He looked at the three and said,

“Take off your masks.”

“You should all know who I am. From today onward, you’ll be personally trained by me.”

The three removed their masks and answered in unison:

“Understood!”

“Follow me!”

Hajime’s figure flickered and vanished.

Nakamura hurriedly led the three after him, and before long they arrived at an empty training ground.

“Kuruma Ruyun. You’re from the Kurama clan—so your specialty should be genjutsu.”

Hajime’s gaze fell on an eleven- or twelve-year-old boy.

“Yes, Lord Hajime!” Ruyun bowed quickly.

Hajime then turned to the one in the middle. “Seiran. You have wind affinity. Then your path will begin with Wind Release.”

“Do you like kenjutsu?”

The twelve-year-old Seiran bent low and replied immediately: “I do.”

He was from a civilian family.

Hajime nodded, then looked at the last. “Tsukikage Kazushi. Water and earth affinities, and decent talent in swordsmanship. Very good.”

“Which ninjutsu would you prefer to learn first?”

Kazushi quickly answered: “Earth Release!”

“Then you’ll train in Earth Release and kenjutsu together.”

Kazushi was of the Tsukikage clan—a clan whose Bloodline Limit was Transparency Release, though no one had awakened it for a long time.

Like the Kurama, awakening a Bloodline Limit was no easy matter.

“Now then—let me see your strength.”

Hajime crooked his finger at them. “Come at me with everything you have. Treat me as your enemy. Attack with the intent to kill.”

The three glanced at each other, then struck together.

Seiran and Kazushi flung shuriken, then rushed in from left and right, while Ruyun remained in place, forming seals and casting genjutsu.

Hajime’s body blurred—he slipped past the shuriken with ease, ignored Ruyun’s illusions, and with just a few moves, sent both Seiran and Kazushi flying.

But the three came at him again, this time with Ruyun and Seiran feinting while Kazushi seized the opening to weave signs. With a shout, he spewed forth a rushing torrent of water.

Hajime stomped once, and the ground erupted. The surge of soil reversed the water’s flow, sweeping Kazushi away instead.

At that moment, Seiran finished his jutsu.

Wind Release – Great Breakthrough!

Boom!

A gale roared forth, and Hajime’s figure burst into smoke with a puff.

Seiran was startled—he never even noticed Hajime weaving signs.

The next instant, agony exploded from his rear. With a scream, his legs spasmed and launched him skyward.

Watching from the side, Nakamura, and even Ruyun who was preparing another strike, both reflexively clenched their muscles tight.

“In battle—no matter what happens—you must never, ever lose focus.”

Hajime’s cold voice whispered into Ruyun’s ear.

Cold sweat drenched the boy, but gritting his teeth, he whipped a kunai backward.

Hajime seized his wrist. “Your genjutsu is passable—but still not enough…”

With that, Ruyun’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed into sleep.

The fight ended. Hajime had gotten a basic grasp of their abilities. After rousing Ruyun, he addressed the three:

“We’ll start today with genjutsu.”

He first began teaching Ruyun his most refined skill—hypnosis.

While passing it down, he used Seiran and Kazushi as test subjects, forcing them to undergo Ruyun’s practice again and again.

Hajime’s training style was brutally simple.

Drill.

Relentless drilling, until the technique was second nature. Until Ruyun grew sick of it, numb from it, until he could perform it flawlessly, until he hit the absolute limit of his talent.

Meanwhile, Seiran and Kazushi, through repeated exposure and observation, also picked things up.

The entire morning—four people, immersed in a storm of hypnosis.

After lunch, training resumed.

This time, Seiran and Kazushi were the focus, and the subject was kenjutsu.

The method was equally direct.

The two sparred with Hajime, all of them using wooden swords.

But Hajime struck hard, leaving both boys battered and bruised.

Exhausted, they rested—then continued. Over and over, until the sun set in the west.

Looking at the three, who were sprawled on the ground like dogs, Hajime said,

“Tonight, when you return, carefully summarize everything you learned today. Write down your insights. Tomorrow, I will read them.”

The three bowed hurriedly: “Yes, sir!”

But Hajime didn’t dismiss them immediately. Instead, he turned his gaze on Nakamura, who had been watching all day.

“Now… let me see your strength.”

Nakamura froze. He glanced at the three young trainees who hadn’t yet left, and felt a creeping unease. But refusing wasn’t an option. He nodded, drew his blade.

After all—losing to Hajime wasn’t shameful, was it?

This was the wielder of Wood Release.

(End of Chapter)