"It was probably during a practical exam two years ago. I saw my classmate Asuma, while fighting an opponent, able to highly concentrate chakra and stably attach it to his pair of blades, forming blue glowing chakra blades. The power was extremely astonishing."
Shinichi recalled:
"At that time, I was thinking: since chakra can be highly concentrated on a weapon like this, then is it possible... without relying on external objects, to directly compress and concentrate it to a high degree within the palm of the hand, forming a completely new ninjutsu activated barehanded?"
Asuma?
Highly concentrated?
The Third Hokage suddenly realized, remembering the pair of chakra blades he had given his son as a birthday gift.
Immediately after, a trace of lingering fear and reproach couldn't help but rise in his heart: This child is too bold!
Asuma used specially made chakra metal blades as a medium and guide. He actually dared to directly use his flesh and blood body to attempt to simulate that kind of high-density chakra shape transformation. If his control faltered even a little...
Although thoughts surged in his mind, the Third Hokage's face still maintained its peacefulness. He did not interrupt Shinichi, but instead continued to listen attentively.
"After having this idea, I began to experiment. At first, it was very simple; I just tried hard to gather chakra toward the center of my palm, but it was scattered and formless, completely devoid of power. Later, I realized that chakra needs constraint and form... so I tried using a water balloon. Inside the enclosed water balloon, I made the chakra move violently and randomly until the water balloon burst from the inside."
The Third Hokage nodded slightly. The train of thought for this first step was clear and correct, touching upon the basics of chakra shape transformation.
"After succeeding with the water balloon, I felt the stability wasn't enough. So I switched to a tougher rubber ball. The goal was to maintain a steady output of a certain amount of chakra, make it exist in the palm as if materialized, and continuously impact the inside of the rubber ball until it burst open. This stage took a very long time and required extremely precise control," Shinichi continued.
"After succeeding with the rubber ball as well," he paused, seeming to recall his dilemma at the time. "I felt like something was still missing. It always seemed a layer away from the stable concentration I had imagined. Later... I thought of using a harder iron ball."
An iron ball?
So that was it. Only then did the Third Hokage understand why this child, whom he had been paying close attention to, suddenly developed the habit of rolling iron balls in his hands over a year ago.
He had originally just thought it was a diligent method to train the flexibility of his fingers and wrists to assist in forming hand seals. It turned out there was an even deeper purpose.
This child's talent far exceeds my expectations.
The Third Hokage suppressed the shock in his heart and affirmed in a tone that remained peaceful:
"So that's how it is. Drawing inspiration from observation, daring to put it into practice, and even being able to come up with such a step-by-step training method—these are incredibly precious qualities and talents."
He shifted the topic, continuing, "However, Shinichi, based on my observation, the first one you demonstrated—that fist-sized Rasengan—has actually already reached a highly stable and exquisite balance in terms of chakra shape transformation and control. One could say that this ninjutsu of yours is already very mature and very successful."
"Mature? Successful?" Obvious astonishment and bewilderment appeared on Shinichi's face, as if he hadn't expected to receive such an evaluation at all.
Seeing his reaction, the Third Hokage immediately understood where the crux of the issue lay. He couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head: "It seems, Shinichi, that you yourself have developed some sort of misunderstanding. In your view, that larger Rasengan later on and the smaller Rasengan before it are two forms of the same jutsu. Or rather, the former is an incomplete product, and the latter is the enhanced, finished product you created to make up for its flaws, correct?"
"Two different ninjutsu? But Lord Third..." Shinichi furrowed his brows tightly, his face written with confusion. He eagerly explained:
"That small Rasengan, although its power is not bad, its concentration speed isn't fast enough, and its attack range is also limited. In my own view, the flaws are very obvious. It can't be considered a successful, combat-ready ninjutsu at all. That's why I thought about whether I could forcefully expand its volume and area of effect by injecting more chakra to cover up these flaws. But it was too unstable."
The Third Hokage listened quietly until he finished. The smile on his face remained gentle and wise as he slowly shook his head.
"Shinichi, this isn't a problem with the jutsu itself," the Third Hokage explained. "The problem lies in the fact that you are still too young."
Shinichi was slightly taken aback.
"Your total chakra reserves, relative to the requirements of this jutsu, are still insufficient. Your degree of proficiency in the microscopic control of chakra is also still growing," the Third Hokage patiently continued to explain:
"When you grow a bit older, and your body and mind further develop, your chakra reserves will naturally increase. Your control will also rise in tandem with your training and experience. By then, you will naturally be able to concentrate it faster in battle, perhaps even achieving near-instantaneous activation. As for that larger Rasengan, with the increase of your chakra and the refinement of your control, it will ultimately become stable and controllable as well."
Speaking up to here, his tone took on a hint of encouragement and optimism:
"Not only that, but with this Rasengan as a foundation, in the future when your understanding of chakra nature transformation is profound enough, you can entirely try injecting the nature transformation of elemental chakra like wind or fire into it. By then, the Rasengan will truly evolve into an ultimate-level, S-rank ninjutsu! For this path, I have high hopes for you."
The confusion in Shinichi's eyes was gradually replaced by sudden realization and shock, which then turned into an inspired, burning passion. He took a deep breath and nodded solemnly: "I understand! Thank you for your guidance, Lord Third. I will continue to work hard and move forward in that direction!"
The Third Hokage nodded in gratification, but then his expression turned slightly more serious. He exhorted earnestly: "Shinichi, you are a rare genius, rich in creativity and the courage to practice. This is very good, but independently developing high-level ninjutsu, especially jutsu involving high-density chakra shape transformation, carries extremely high risks."
"In the future, if you have new ideas or encounter bottlenecks in your training, don't always bury your head and blindly drill into them by yourself. You can consult the teachers at the academy or the seniors in the village more often. If you really encounter something you can't solve..."
The Third Hokage looked into his eyes and said mildly but clearly, "...you can also come and ask me."
....
That night, in the Hokage's office.
"You will regret this!"
Bang!
No one knew what matter Advisor Danzo Shimura had come to see the Hokage about. They only knew that in the face of a certain request of his, the Third Hokage rarely displayed true anger, mercilessly telling him to get out straight away without leaving any room for negotiation.
A few days later, Minato Namikaze, having returned from a mission, had just arrived home when Jiraiya, who happened to be in Konoha, came knocking on his door.
"Minato, I heard that a child's idea happens to coincide exactly with your original concept. He..."
Jiraiya recounted the whole story of Shinichi Higashino developing the Rasengan in detail. Minato Namikaze listened quietly, the light of surprise and admiration gradually welling up in his eyes.
After listening, he sincerely exclaimed, "That child really is an incredible genius! However... although the name Rasengan is quite good, it doesn't seem fitting enough."
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow and asked with considerable interest, "Oh? Then what do you think it should be called?"
Minato Namikaze pondered seriously for a moment. With a gleam in his eyes, he enunciated word by word: "Higashino Shinichi Light Blade-Initiated Roaring Dance Spiral Sphere."
"Hmm... I should add a 'Super' in the middle—Higashino Shinichi Light Blade-Initiated Super Roaring Dance Spiral Sphere."
Jiraiya: "..."
...