The moment Hibari finished speaking, he saw little Tsunade, nestled in Hashirama's other arm, also extend a small hand. It looked as if she, too, could effortlessly conjure a Rasengan.
"Nnnngh..."
Little Tsunade strained with her small hand for a long time, but only two or three wisps of chakra rotated in her palm before dissipating. This made Hibari slightly relieved. If even this little girl could just hear about it and produce a Rasengan, where would Senju Hibari put his face? Wouldn't that be too embarrassing?
Seeing Tsunade's little face turn red from effort as she still tried to unleash the Rasengan, both Hashirama and Tobirama couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, Tsuna, it's perfectly normal that you can't do this now. But Ojiisan believes you'll also become an excellent shinobi, not inferior to us, so work hard..." Hashirama casually dissipated the Rasengan that had been swirling in his hand. Then, patting Tsunade's little head, he said with a chuckle.
"That's right, Tsunade, don't bother trying now. Do you really think I, your 'Hibari-nii,' am made of mud? You took five hundred ryo from me as a bribe, yet you betrayed me so cleanly... Just wait until Hashirama-jiisan and Ojiisan aren't around, and I'll give you a proper scolding..." Hibari recalled Tsunade's straightforward betrayal earlier and felt annoyed, complaining to her.
After hearing Hashirama and Hibari's words, Tsunade stopped pondering the Rasengan. Instead, she spoke to Hibari with righteous indignation, "Hibari-nii, I've thought about it carefully. How can an oniisan be like you? So I absolutely cannot stoop to your level. I want to be Ojiisama and Ojiisan's good granddaughter!"
"Tsunade, before you say that, give me back those five hundred ryo!" Hibari, seeing Tsunade change her tune so easily, said exasperatedly.
"As an oniisan, you can't even give your sister some pocket money? You're too stingy, Hibari-nii!" Little Tsunade showed no intention of returning the money, even standing on a moral high ground to lecture Hibari, which thoroughly infuriated him.
Seeing Hibari about to get into a fight with Tsunade, Hashirama chuckled and said, "Alright, alright, Hibari, it's just five hundred ryo, what's there to argue about? Just consider it Tsuna's pocket money..."
"Hashirama-jiisan, you spoil Tsunade too much. This little brat will be completely spoiled by you sooner or later!" Hibari said, a hint of helplessness in his voice.
However, Hashirama had no intention of continuing to argue this point with Hibari. With his thick skin, he pretended not to hear and continued with a smile, "Five hundred ryo, Tsuna, what do you want to use it for?"
"Yahahaha, Ojiisama, of course it's for..." Tsunade seemed to have remembered something, waving her hands excitedly.
"A gamble!" Hashirama instantly finished her sentence.
Then, the grandpa and granddaughter, as if they couldn't be bothered to linger any longer, walked out of the courtyard, laughing and joking.
Tobirama and Hibari didn't even bother to ask their destination. Was there any need to think? Those two gamblers were definitely headed to the gambling den.
After the two inveterate gamblers had left, Hibari turned his attention back to Tobirama, who was still contemplating the Rasengan.
After a moment's thought, Hibari asked, "Ojiisan, what do you think of my test? Give me your assessment..."
Tobirama, still looking at the Rasengan in his hand, murmured softly, "Mere chakra can achieve such a degree. If combined with nature transformation... this jutsu has even deeper developmental potential, Hibari."
Hearing this, Hibari couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. Was this why Tobirama was called the 'Kinjutsu Inventor'? In just a short moment, he had discerned the Rasengan's potential. He was indeed an extraordinary inventive shinobi...
"That's right, Ojiisan. This Rasengan indeed has the potential for further development. Perhaps all five nature transformations could be incorporated into it..." Hibari nodded in agreement.
Tobirama didn't contradict him. However, he didn't seem to intend to delve deeper into this matter. Since it was a ninjutsu Hibari himself had devised, he would let Hibari research its subsequent development.
Tobirama suddenly clenched his palm, directly 'crushing' the Rasengan in his hand until it dissipated into a few wisps of air. Then, he turned his gaze to Hibari.
After a moment's thought, Tobirama asked, "By the way, speaking of nature transformations, your Water Release chakra..."
Hearing Tobirama's words, Hibari shook his head helplessly and replied, "Wind, Lightning, Water, Fire, Earth—the five basic nature transformations. To this day, I still can't develop Water Release. As for Water Release ninjutsu, I can't even produce a splash..."
Tobirama frowned upon hearing Hibari's words, murmuring softly, "Still the same? That's quite troublesome. If you can't master Water Release chakra... then won't my immensely powerful Water Release ninjutsu have no successor?"
"There's also Tsunade, Ojiisan... Besides, who knows if the family will have more offspring later? You might just have another grandchild one day," Hibari chuckled, teasing.
"Hehehe, perhaps. But let's set Water Release ninjutsu aside for a moment. Your Hashirama-ojii's Wood Release Secret Technique is also based on Water Release. Wood Release is a kekkei genkai derived from the combination of 'Water' and 'Earth' nature transformations. I still haven't grasped its essence. I used to think it was due to a fundamental difference in chakra quantity compared to my elder brother, which resulted in a lack of the necessary 'life force' for Wood Release secret techniques... After seeing you born and your chakra reserves, which far surpass our clan's, I had hoped you could inherit your Hashirama-ojii's Wood Release Secret Techniques... But now, you can't even master Water Release chakra. Fate is truly unpredictable," Tobirama chuckled, his tone then tinged with a sense of helplessness.
Hibari nodded with a sense of melancholy upon hearing Tobirama's words. Just as Tobirama said, setting aside Water Release ninjutsu, he could simply write it down on a scroll. When another suitable genius appeared in the Senju clan in the future, they could learn from the scroll.
But this Wood Release Secret Techniques was truly a headache. If they couldn't figure out how this thing was produced in this generation, it might genuinely be completely lost. It was a shame to think about. Would they really have to rely on 'bootlegs' like Yamato in the future to use the 'Wood Release Secret Techniques' of the Senju clan? That would be far too embarrassing!
"That's why I want to quickly learn more relevant knowledge from you, Ojiisan, and solve this awkward problem of mine..." Hibari said with a smile.
Tobirama looked at Hibari, then nodded. "Yes, this weakness... or rather, this flaw of yours, really needs to be addressed properly. I refuse to believe this 'flaw' of yours can't be cured!"
Hibari's face lit up with surprise upon hearing Tobirama's words. He asked, "Ojiisan, do you mean...?"
"Hmph, go on and secretly rejoice, you brat. Before, it was because village matters were numerous, and your Hashirama-ojii's handling of affairs... you know how it is. Plus, the other great ninja villages outside the village couldn't settle down, so I was incredibly busy. Where would I find so much time to take you under my wing...?" Tobirama snorted.
After a slight pause, he continued, "However, the situation is much better now. Thanks to your Hashirama-ojii's 'outstanding performance' at the Five Kage Summit, peace should be stable for the short term, which means I'll have far fewer matters to attend to. So, starting today, since you're interested in exploring the mysteries behind ninjutsu, follow me and learn well. And while we're at it, let's solve that problem of yours. A man of the Senju clan who can't use Water Style or swim is truly... I'd feel embarrassed to face those annoying Uchiha clan members!"
"Yes, yes, Ojiisan, you're right! Let's resolve this flaw of mine as soon as possible. The day after tomorrow, I'll go to the Uchiha compound and beat up all those little brats of this generation who call themselves geniuses! I'll make sure they know that the strongest clan is still us, the Senju clan!" Hibari said, very pleased to hear Tobirama relent.
Tobirama frowned slightly upon hearing this, then said, "Children shouldn't use such vulgar language..."
Here, Tobirama paused, then a smile played on his lips. "However, you're right. Those so-called geniuses are indeed 'little brats.' Hibari, remember this well: you can lose to anyone, but you absolutely cannot lose to those 'little brats,' understand?"
Hibari's lips curved into a smile, and he said, "Don't worry, Ojiisan. I'm the third-generation prodigy of our Senju clan. I won't let the name 'Senju of the Forest' be tarnished in my hands!"
It must be said that Tobirama's prejudice against the Uchiha clan was incredibly deep. He even instilled this 'prejudice' in Hibari from a young age. However, Hibari wasn't bothered by it.
At first, he thought his grandfather's prejudice was perhaps too extreme, but later, he had a few encounters with the Uchiha clan's so-called 'geniuses.' They truly acted as if their noses were pointed at their foreheads when looking at others, and he came to understand why their social standing was so abysmal.
At least in terms of character, the Uchiha clan's upbringing wasn't very successful. Perhaps after integrating into the village and undergoing some period of tempering, truly excellent and well-liked individuals like Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha might emerge.
Tobirama was satisfied with Hibari's declaration. He nodded and said, "In the third generation, it's just you and little Tsunade. Tsunade is still too young, so your self-proclaimed 'prodigy' title is truly well-deserved. However... I believe you, Hibari, won't disappoint me. Let's go. First, let's record this... Rasengan of yours into our Senju clan's ninjutsu scrolls, so everyone knows that I, Tobirama Senju, have a grandson as clever as me."