Senju Tobirama wasn't being sarcastic—he was just stating the facts.
Although he had used one more clone than Genma during his Rasengan experiments, this was still only the developmental stage of the technique. Stabilizing the results was far more important than practical application right now.
Combat usage could come later.
The clone assigned to apply the "rotation" let go and stepped aside, while the original Tobirama and another clone carefully held the Rasengan and moved it toward the trunk of a large tree.
There was no need to describe its power—the Rasengan embedded itself into the trunk effortlessly.
Tobirama was quite satisfied with this level of destructive force. At this stage, the Rasengan could finally be called a true Rasengan.
After dispersing the chakra in his hand, the three Tobiramas regrouped. Within moments, another Rasengan formed in their palms…
This proved his previous success wasn't just dumb luck.
He had genuinely grasped the core principle.
Dispersing the Rasengan once again, Tobirama noticed that Genma seemed like he wanted to ask something. Tobirama cut him off first:
"I'll explain after I wake up. Right now, I seriously need to rest."
With that, he walked over to the spot where Genma had just been lying down and collapsed onto it. In the blink of an eye, soft snores filled the air.
Tobirama was clearly exhausted.
Though he was exceptionally gifted in ninjutsu development, achieving results in such a short amount of time required immense effort and energy—something that shouldn't be overlooked.
Still…
Genma couldn't help but think that this kid really knew how to keep people in suspense.
…
Tobirama slept for four or five hours. After eating something and rehydrating, he finally turned to Genma and explained:
"Normally, to control the shape of the Rasengan, you have to find a specific kind of balance.
Most shinobi rely on their senses—trial and error over and over again—until they gain the experience needed to maintain that balance.
And for most people, it wouldn't be unusual to spend three to five years just to find that 'feeling.'"
It was a fair point. If Genma remembered correctly, the Fourth Hokage had taken three years to develop the Rasengan.
"I took a different approach. A dumb one, really. I turned that abstract 'feeling' into concrete numbers."
"Explain." Genma was naturally curious how Tobirama pulled it off.
"When forming a Rasengan, chakra can be divided into two parts: one part is for rotation, the other for maintaining the form. So the question is, how much chakra should go into rotation, and how much into form?"
"There's a precise answer to that. If you treat the internal rotating chakra as a baseline value of 100, then to compress the chakra into a sphere, the outer chakra—the one that holds the shape—has to exceed 100. That's easy enough to grasp."
"When the chakra rotates at a low speed, the required outer chakra is 57.
At medium speed, it drops to 35… or about 23, depending.
And at maximum speed, it falls to just 15."
"I figured this out bit by bit. No special talent involved—it was exactly the kind of brute-force approach you'd expect."
Genma: "..."
He understood that Tobirama wasn't quoting exact figures, but rather ratios. Still…
…this method was, well, simple—down-to-earth, even. But Genma had never considered it.
Who would've thought you could use data analytics in ninjutsu development?
Certainly not him—and likely not even the Fourth Hokage, who originally created the technique.
After thinking it over, Genma couldn't help but say, "I didn't expect such an effective method. But for the average shinobi, precisely controlling chakra output like that isn't easy at all."
It was one thing to say "use 57 units here," but quite another to actually apply that with accuracy in practice.
Tobirama nodded. "That's why consistent practice is essential. In truth, a rough approximation is enough to form a Rasengan. But when it comes to developing a new technique, precision matters."
"Those values—57, 15—they're not final. Next, I plan to fine-tune the internal-to-external chakra ratio to another decimal point."
"..."
Genma didn't know what else to say. All he could manage was, "Classic you."
Tobirama kept going with his "dumb method." Over the course of a week, he refined the data by another magnitude, bringing the ratios down to one or two decimal places. But that level of precision was no longer something Genma could reasonably chase.
All Genma wanted was to use the Rasengan effectively in battle. He wasn't trying to optimize it for maximum or ideal output.
According to Tobirama, even the most refined Rasengan would only increase its damage output from 100 to maybe just under 110. The return wasn't worth the excessive effort for most.
Genma was self-aware enough to know his limits—he simply didn't have the chakra control required for that kind of fine-tuning.
Of course, Tobirama himself had only found the ideal ratios; even he wasn't ready to use the Rasengan in actual combat yet.
Let alone Genma—Tobirama's own goal was "one-handed instant cast." Only then could he combine it with his Body Flicker Technique. He still had a long way to go.
Regardless, with the foundational development of the Rasengan completed, it was time for Tobirama to leave.
His injuries had fully healed, and thanks to the Rasengan project, he'd stayed here far longer than intended.
When Tobirama mentioned his intent to leave, Genma had no reason to stop him. He'd already reaped the benefits—pushing further would be plain disrespectful.
"This is it, then. I have a feeling we'll meet again," Tobirama said as Genma saw him off.
They were nothing more than passing acquaintances. Yet perhaps because of what he had gained—and lost—here, Tobirama felt a strange attachment to these rogue ninja hiding deep in the mountains.
He was an extremely skilled sensory ninja. Intentionally or not, he had already memorized Genma's chakra signature.
"We'll meet again? Maybe. For us wandering shinobi, annihilation can come overnight. The Senju, or your eternal rivals, the Uchiha—none of you can understand what it's like to live as the weak." Genma's voice was calm.
Tobirama opened his mouth, then paused. Finally, he said, "The Senju are indeed powerful, but… have you ever heard this phrase? 'Swift as the wind, strike like lightning. Flow like water, vanish like light.'"
Genma blinked.
What was that supposed to mean? Was there a shinobi clan even stronger than the Senju?
Tobirama brushing off the Uchiha entirely didn't surprise Genma—it was exactly what he expected.
Tobirama simply shook his head and offered no further explanation.
"The shinobi world is in chaos right now. No one can say what the future holds. That's all I'll say… Farewell. Until fate brings us together again."
No need for drawn-out goodbyes—Tobirama turned and walked away.
Genma watched his retreating figure for a moment before heading back to camp.
Yes, Tobirama's exit was cool and graceful—if you ignored the giant scroll on his back stuffed full of tea leaves.
…
Although Tobirama had left, the benefits of his visit weren't over.
When Genma returned to the camp, he saw a lone scroll sitting on a makeshift wooden table where Tobirama had stayed.
A knowing smile crept onto Genma's face.
He approached the table and unrolled the scroll. Inside was a water-style ninjutsu—"Water Severing Wave."
Clearly, this wasn't a thank-you for the tea. This was a parting gift in return for the Rasengan.
Although Tobirama had helped resolve the greatest technical hurdle in developing the Rasengan, the technique was still fundamentally Genma's. The core idea and conceptual framework had come from him.
After all, there's that saying in invention—"the first 1% is more important than the remaining 99%."
Tobirama had gained the Rasengan. He was honor-bound to trade an equally valuable offensive ninjutsu in return.
Genma quietly put the scroll away.
Sure enough, Tobirama hadn't disappointed him—he was a man of principles.
People always said that (the older version of) Senju Tobirama was devious, manipulative, and ruthless. But after getting to know him, Genma decided to discard those stereotypes.
Tobirama was a man who repaid kindness, dealt fairly, and didn't take advantage of others.
After finishing The Art of Communication, Genma decided his next book would be The Art of the Deal.
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