Konoha New Era : Third Hokage Ascends

Jiraiya and the others didn't quite understand Fumori Masaki's wishes. After all, they couldn't know what kind of people they would become in the future. But regardless, the wish itself was good, so they accepted it, albeit somewhat confused.

Afterward, Masaki looked at their current state and said, "We've rested enough, let's start practicing."

The three quickly responded, focusing their energy on the next round of training. Masaki's analysis had made them aware of some mistakes in their previous combat, and they were eager to correct them.

When practicing with Jiraiya and the others, Masaki didn't need to use overwhelming power. Instead, he drastically reduced his strength to help them grow better. Otherwise, it would just become a case of the strong crushing the weak, which held no value. Masaki aimed to teach them through experience, not just power.

Thanks to his control from the Sage Arts, Masaki could manage his power very well, though further reduction was needed. So, he left a shadow clone behind to assist with their training while he went to check on Sakumo and the others.

Much like Masaki, Sakumo's fighting style was straightforward. However, Heizo had been taught a new way of fighting. In Masaki's view, the Hattori clan's traditional assassination techniques were already powerful, but in frontal combat, those methods weren't as effective.

Masaki devised a way for Heizo to utilize his clan's expertise more effectively. He taught Heizo how to create an environment suitable for assassination even in a direct confrontation, which allowed the Hattori clan's methods to shine.

During a spar with Jiraiya, Heizo used these techniques, but Jiraiya's strength was too weak for Heizo to take the match seriously. He ended it quickly with a substitution jutsu. The simplicity of the move made it hard for Hiruzen to watch, feeling it lacked real technique.

However, when Heizo faced Sarutobi Hiruzen, things were different. Against such a master, Heizo and Sakumo gave their all, but they still couldn't get close to Hiruzen.

Sarutobi, knowing that Masaki regularly trained with them, decided to use different tactics. The purpose of this session was to expose them to varied battle styles, so he used ninjutsu as his main offense.

With the five elemental releases at his disposal, Sarutobi showed a range of techniques that overwhelmed Sakumo and Heizo. They were left struggling to keep up with the variety and intricacy of his jutsu.

Masaki watched with amazement. It was no wonder Kakashi, known as the Copy Ninja, would later master thousands of jutsu. With his Sharingan's ability to copy, Kakashi would be able to imitate almost anyone's techniques without leaving a trace of his own.

Even though Sarutobi's techniques had a distinct personal touch, his vast knowledge of ninjutsu allowed Sakumo and Heizo to experience different combat styles.

"Come on, you guys can do it," Masaki thought to himself, silently cheering his students on. He then turned to watch Uchiha Kagami and Akimichi Torifu teaching their students. Regardless of how talented their students were, unfamiliar teachers always brought discomfort. Still, as long as they survived the hardships, they would learn to handle any opponent.

After observing for a while, Masaki returned to check on Jiraiya and the others. They had begun to be more selective in their ninjutsu, though they still weren't fully proficient due to their limited knowledge and judgment. That didn't bother Masaki—he knew they would improve gradually.

After their first practice session, the students were exhausted and panting, but their faces beamed with joy. In this new method of training, their progress had been quicker than before. If it weren't for their physical limits, they would have continued practicing.

Bidding farewell to the others, Masaki walked the three of them home. He asked, "How do you feel about today's training? Is there anything you don't understand?"

They knew Masaki was about to analyze their practice, so even though they were tired, they were eager to listen. Though Hiruzen had given them advice, Masaki's guidance was more detailed, and they trusted him more.

Sakumo and Heizo asked their questions, and Masaki answered them one by one. When it was Tsunade's turn, she spoke up, clearly frustrated: "Oji-sensei, you should teach me how to fight. In this session, I was basically just assisting Sakumo and Heizo. I didn't do anything else useful!"

Due to an agreement with Tobirama, Masaki had focused Tsunade's training solely on medical ninjutsu. She hadn't been taught how to fight properly, and this made her feel left out during the session. She was clearly upset.

Masaki paused. He had initially believed that Tsunade didn't need combat training, but seeing her frustration made him realize his mistake. Tsunade wasn't the type to sit back and be passive. While he could suppress her will for now, that might not be the case in the future.

Additionally, with the Senju Clan's influence and notoriety, Tsunade would inevitably attract attention. Masaki thought of the incident in later years when Hyūga Hinata was kidnapped by a Kumo ninja. If something like that happened to Tsunade, things could be disastrous.

"You're right. I didn't consider that properly," Masaki admitted. "I should teach you how to protect yourself."

"Great!" Tsunade exclaimed, thrilled, not realizing Masaki had said "protect," not "fight."

"The first thing you need to learn is self-defense. Once you can protect yourself, we can talk about other things." Masaki explained. "This type of training will continue, and it might even become routine. I want you all to be ready for that."

The three of them agreed. Sakumo and Heizo were both satisfied with the practice, and though Tsunade had been unhappy at first, she now looked forward to future sessions with renewed excitement.

Masaki estimated it would take at least three years before the joint Chunin exams could be officially confirmed. That was the fastest timeline, but it could take longer. The children still had time to grow, and he had no doubt they would be ready when the time came.