In the great hall, Jiraiya opened his eyes wide and turned his head, looking at his teacher with a questioning expression.
After many years as student and teacher, their bond was like father and son. Hiruzen understood what Jiraiya wanted to ask, "It shouldn't be the Hyuga clan's secret technique... Also, for the Byakugan, this kind of chakra armor attack is very rare."
"I knew it," Jiraiya said, rubbing his chin with a sigh.
"When that kid started, I thought he was going to use the Rasengan."
"Oh? The one Minato developed?"
"Yes, but this technique doesn't have the compression and spinning power of the Rasengan. It seems this kid borrowed many of the Gentle Fist's principles, increasing its penetration and hardness... This technique probably isn't fully developed."
"He's a genius," Hiruzen praised.
"A pity for such a good seedling," Jiraiya said with a slight huff, though his displeasure wasn't aimed at Yuto.
Hiruzen looked down silently.
Below, Shuto Uchiha was being helped back by his clansmen, not seeming seriously injured. Yuto stood in place, waiting for the next battle. Behind this promising young talent, the Hyuga clan members were not cheering. Instead, Shinosuke Hyuga and that clan girl had different emotions in their eyes.
Those emotions were definitely not "joy" and "pride."
Seeing all this, the Third Hokage felt even more displeased with the Hyuga clan.
Long ago, the Hyuga were much more influential. The Byakugan used in war was an invincible weapon, and even the Uchiha and Senju had to give them some leeway.
But the system of the main and branch families had completely ruined the Hyuga's vigor.
Stagnant, each generation worse than the last. Even if a genius appeared, they often died young due to various reasons.
Now, it had been a long time since the Hyuga clan produced a kage-level warrior.
During Hiruzen Sarutobi's tenure as Hokage, "reducing the influence of the clans" was always one of his unwavering policies. This had never changed.
But the Hyuga clan was an oddity—he didn't need to weaken them; they did it themselves.
Year after year, the Hyuga clan continued to decline, barely maintaining their dignity with their kekkei genkai and the remnants of their ancestors' glory.
The entire clan was like a caged bird trapped by the main-branch system.
Hiruzen sighed silently, using a certain technique to compress his voice into a line, secretly speaking to his three beloved students, "You all know why I gathered you here. So, what do you think?"
The teacher's question received no response from his students.
Orochimaru sat there calmly, watching the battle in the courtyard, occasionally sipping tea.
Jiraiya, on the other hand, had taken out a small notebook, dipping his pen in ink and writing as if inspiration had struck.
Tsunade was the worst—she was drinking bowl after bowl of sake, her cheeks flushed, her eyes glazed and unfocused. Anyone who didn't know better might think the Senju clan's "Sage Body" was naturally alcohol intolerant.
Hiruzen rolled his eyes in frustration.
He knew his students all too well.
The plan to have the Three Shinobi take on students to stimulate the Uchiha and Hyuga clans to contribute more during the war sounded great but had one major prerequisite—the Three Shinobi had to be willing to take on students.
When children grow up, they are hard to manage, especially three powerful, young, kage-level shinobi.
The Three Shinobi were all resistant to taking on students.
At this time, Orochimaru, although he had started human experiments, was still loyal to Konoha. With the Third Hokage aging, he was preparing to vie for the position of Fourth Hokage.
Taking on Uchiha or Hyuga clan members might gain the support of the two clans, but since this was merely a strategic move, it could cause trouble later on. It was better not to take on the responsibility.
Jiraiya, while willing to teach the younger generation a bit, had become very cautious about taking on students after the Toad Sage's prophecy that "his student would bring great change to the shinobi world."
As for Tsunade, it was purely due to psychological trauma.
After the deaths of her brother Nawaki Senju and lover Dan Kato, Tsunade developed severe hemophobia. Being a shinobi afraid of blood was a massive flaw. Thus, Tsunade became disheartened, left Konoha, and wandered with young Shizune, not caring about village affairs anymore.
The Three Shinobi were shirking, and Hiruzen Sarutobi, unable to scold his students in front of so many people, could only sit quietly, watching the young shinobi fight in the courtyard.
Time passed, and soon, the four Uchiha and four Hyuga geniuses had all taken their turns.
Among them, the most impressive was naturally Yuto.
With an outstanding body honed through steady training, mastery of the Gentle Fist, his genius self-created nin-taijutsu "Lion's Fang Bite," keen insight, and excellent judgment, he stood out among his peers, nearly dominating.
Ultimately, these were merely "ordinary geniuses."
The real monsters, like the young Shisui or the unborn Itachi, wouldn't be here, allowing Yuto Hyuga to win so easily.
The young shinobi had showcased their skills, and the banquet resumed. No one was seriously injured. The Sarutobi clan had a dedicated medical team, and soon the eight geniuses were back in their seats.
After a while of eating and drinking, Hiruzen suddenly coughed, stretching lazily, "Everyone, our Sarutobi clan is renowned in the ninja world for our plant research. Even now, our clan grounds house rare flowers and fruits cultivated by our ancestors. Let's take a break, and we will reconvene here in a quarter of an hour."
Everyone paused, immediately understanding the Third Hokage's intention—He wanted to send them away to have a private conversation with the Three Shinobi about taking on students!
Fugaku Uchiha and Hiashi Hyuga exchanged a few polite words and respectfully withdrew with their clansmen.
In the great hall, the over-fifty-year-old Hiruzen Sarutobi stood with his hands behind his back for a long time. Finally, he slowly turned around, tiredly saying, "Tsunade, Jiraiya... huh?"
He was about to give a heartfelt speech and persuade the Three Shinobi, but when he turned around, his three students were all gone.
While their teacher was gathering his emotions, the students had slipped away.
"You three brats..." In the great hall, Hiruzen Sarutobi tugged at his beard, nearly losing his composure and cursing.
...
At the same time.
In a fragrant garden within the Sarutobi clan grounds, Yuto stopped walking.
He bowed respectfully, as taught by his clan,
"Shinosuke-Sama, Meiko-sama."
(End of Chapter)