In Guy's eyes, the Uchiha clan didn't count. They were born with superior bloodlines and trained in ideal conditions. For ordinary people, becoming a "genius ninja" was a thousand times harder.
That's why he deeply admired people like Jiraiya and the Fourth Hokage.
And now—
"Lord Third, that kid may lack talent in nature transformation and genjutsu, but he developed a technique similar to the Rasengan entirely on his own!"
"He's an unconventional genius!"
In the Hokage's office, Guy was animatedly reporting to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen took a slow puff from his pipe and glanced at the report in his hand.
"And his taijutsu?"
"His muscle control and physical performance are even better than Naruto's," Guy replied with confidence."I originally wanted him in my squad after graduation—but now… that would be a waste."
Hiruzen fell silent.
The report in his hand came from the Ninja Academy.
Name: Chiba Yanagi
Chakra Control: Top-tier
Academic Performance: Ranked 1st
Taijutsu: Ranked 1st
Kunai Throwing: Ranked 1st
Ninjutsu: Cannot perform even the basic Three Techniques
Genjutsu: Immune, but incapable of casting any
And yet—
He had independently developed a jutsu eerily close to the Rasengan.
Clearly, Chiba Yanagi had extraordinary creativity.
There was no doubt—this boy was a true genius.
"Lord Third," Guy said again.
"I'll meet him myself," Hiruzen finally said after a long pause. "I want to see this unconventional genius with my own eyes."
—
"In today's throwing exam, Chiba Yanagi tied for first with Tenten. Everyone else, step up your game!"
"Yes…" the rest of the students mumbled halfheartedly.
Tenten clenched her fists, sighing in frustration.
Ever since Chiba's rapid rise a year ago, her solo first-place streak in throwing had turned into a shared one—and she was slowly getting used to it.
The frustrating part?
Throwing wasn't even Chiba's main strength.
Except for ninjutsu and genjutsu, he was practically perfect. Every instructor praised him… followed by a long sigh of regret.
She felt bad for him sometimes, but Chiba never seemed to care.
"Yanagi-kun, want to practice throwing together?"
"Sure! Oh, wait—give me a sec."
Chiba had just agreed when he noticed a teacher waving him over from afar.
It was Mizuki.
For now, Mizuki was still a competent instructor in basic jutsu and kunai technique. Overall… average.
"Mizuki-sensei, did you call me?"
"Not me. Lord Hokage is visiting today and asked specifically to meet with you. Head to the conference room now."
"Yes!"
Chiba's eyes lit up.
It worked!
Thank you, Guy-sensei!
He was elated—this had to be Guy's doing.
In a blink, he was gone.
"So jealous.""No wonder Yanagi-kun gets to meet the Hokage.""That's what being a genius looks like.""Genius? He still can't even use ninjutsu."
"…."
Naruto looked around, shook his head quietly, and got up to run.
Genius?
None of them knew how hard Chiba had worked. They only saw the result—never the struggle behind it. And then they dismissed it all with one word: genius.
—
Outside the conference room.
Chiba knocked softly.
"Lord Hokage?"
Cough— "It's open. Come in."
"Yes."
He entered. Hiruzen was reading a thick file, visibly intrigued.
"I see from the records that aside from training, you've spent a lot of time in the library these past two years?"
"Yes. Since I lack ninjutsu aptitude, I've been developing techniques that don't require nature transformation. The more I studied, the more I realized—developing jutsu takes knowledge. Lots of it."
"You're absolutely right. No technique appears out of thin air," Hiruzen nodded with approval.
Chiba's progress was the result of careful, persistent effort.
Most students at the academy didn't take academics seriously. That made Chiba's attitude all the more remarkable.
Still…
Why can't a child this gifted use nature transformation?Hiruzen sighed inwardly.
"I heard from Guy that you developed a new technique?"
"Uh… I wouldn't really call it original. Turns out it's similar to the Fourth Hokage's. I was just experimenting with vortex-style force amplification. I hadn't thought of multi-directional spin."
As he spoke, Chiba began demonstrating the technique, just as he had done for Guy the day before.
Hiruzen watched, then smiled.
"Your logic and execution differ from Minato's. You didn't even know about the Rasengan—that counts as original. Don't be modest. For today, treat me as your instructor."
"Understood."
"Any other ideas?"
"I believe chakra shape transformation and compression density have massive potential. They don't need hand signs. Paired with taijutsu, they can be just as destructive as ninjutsu."
Chiba explained his reasoning clearly and calmly.
This was his real exam—his moment to prove he was ready.
Hiruzen nodded approvingly, then gave a small warning smile.
"That path has been explored before. People gave up because without nature transformation, the power cap is low."
Chiba fell silent.
He couldn't argue that.
Even the Rasengan was incomplete—Minato had planned to merge it with a nature element.
"People like you and Naruto are rare. Most ninja stick with ninjutsu because it's easier."
"That's true," Chiba said. "But I'm one of the few who simply can't use it."
"Exactly. And that's why you're already thinking differently. Great jutsu often come from adversity."
Hiruzen chuckled, then narrowed his eyes slightly.
"You showed Guy that technique. You must want something."
"I do. I've learned all I can from the Academy. I want to graduate early and study in the Medical Corps."
"You want to learn medical ninjutsu?"
"Not necessarily. I want to understand anatomy better. The Medical Corps and the hospital are the best places to do that. Also… if possible, I want to learn chakra scalpel techniques."
He didn't bother hiding it.
As an academy student in Konoha, he had the right to ask directly. Being sneaky would only backfire.
"Early graduation was abolished long ago," Hiruzen said, "but that doesn't mean you can't study in the Medical Corps. Just apply for special permission."
After a short pause, he added:
"I'll authorize a full Genin-level exam—excluding ninjutsu. If you pass, I'll grant your request."
"Thank you very much!"
Chiba stood up and bowed deeply.
It was still a test—but he welcomed the challenge.
What he feared was not being allowed to try, not the difficulty itself.