The technique that allowed Hayashi Ren to kill a Special Jonin so effortlessly…
There was no way it was simple.
At the same time, this was also a test.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was testing Ren's loyalty.
If Hayashi Ren wasn't even willing to share what he gained in the moba space, then there was no way he could be considered truly loyal.
Ren fell silent, not making a move.
Hiruzen watched him quietly. His wrinkled old face was thoughtful, as if he was deeply lost in contemplation.
Then, Ren finally spoke.
"But, Grandpa Hokage… using those techniques makes me really weak afterward."
"Really weak?" Hiruzen furrowed his brow, thinking it over. Then he remembered that Ren had suffered from blocked chakra pathways before. Using certain jutsu would naturally come with side effects.
"Ren, you didn't happen to get your hands on some kind of forbidden jutsu, did you?" Hiruzen asked cautiously.
Ren shook his head. "No, it's not a forbidden jutsu. When I opened the treasure chest, there was no warning about that. It was just a B-rank and an A-rank technique."
As he spoke, he extended his right hand.
With a low hum, a ball of swirling blue chakra appeared in his palm.
"Whoosh—"
A burst of wind surged from the chakra sphere, sweeping through the entire office and scattering papers everywhere.
"This is… the Fourth's technique!"
Hiruzen had to suppress the urge to shout in shock.
"That's what the other ninja said too," Ren replied. "But the name of this technique is Rasengan."
"That's correct. The Rasengan was developed by the Fourth Hokage himself," Hiruzen said with a smile.
"Oh, I see." Ren dispelled the Rasengan and added, "And the other one is the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
As he finished, he formed a hand seal—and four identical shadow clones popped into existence around him.
"Excellent, excellent!" Hiruzen beamed. "No wonder you were able to take down a Special Jonin. Even many Jonin struggle to master the Shadow Clone Jutsu—let alone combining it with the Rasengan. Ren, you've done incredibly well."
"Really? These two jutsu are that powerful?" Ren's face lit up with joy and surprise.
"Of course," Hiruzen chuckled. "You can already be considered a ninja capable of operating independently."
"Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof!"
With four soft popping sounds, Ren dismissed the clones. His forehead was beaded with sweat, his face pale. He bent over slightly, breathing heavily, looking as if he might collapse at any moment.
"So that's it… The moba space gave him the ability to use these jutsu, but he becomes severely weakened afterward."
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes in thought as he looked at the exhausted boy. Then he softened his expression and gently helped Ren stand up.
"Ren, you must not use these techniques carelessly in front of others. If people learn you become weak afterward, you could put yourself in danger."
Ren looked up at him and, through sheer effort, forced a weak smile.
"But Grandpa Hokage isn't 'other people.'"
Hiruzen felt a warm jolt in his chest at those words. In his heart, he was overjoyed—Ren had placed full trust in him.
He smiled and affectionately patted Ren's head.
"All right, Ren, you should head back for now. And if you ever run into any trouble, remember—you can always come to Grandpa. I'll take care of it for you."
"Okay! Thanks, Grandpa!" Ren grinned brightly, then added, "Actually, I do have a bit of a problem right now…"
"Oh?" Hiruzen looked at him, confused. "What kind of problem?"
"I'm broke." Ren extended his hand with a big, mischievous grin, his eyes sparkling with greed. "Totally out of money."
"Hahaha! You little rascal."
Hiruzen laughed heartily. Reaching into the folds of his Hokage robe, he pulled out some bills and handed them over.
"Here—about five hundred ryo. Go take Sako and Naruko out for something nice to eat."