Upon hearing that Hiruzen seemed to have other methods, Hibari's heart stirred, and he quickly asked, "What ideas?"
"According to the records of the Enma clan, I learned that there are three legendary summoning locations that have existed since ancient times: Mount Myoboku, Shikkotsu Forest, and Ryuchi Cave. According to the Enma clan's descriptions, there are summoning animals within these places that are as strong as, or even stronger than, our Enma clan. Historically, these summoning animals have also appeared. So, if you want to find a summoning animal no less powerful than those of our Sarutobi clan, you can try searching for these three places," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a smile.
Hibari felt helpless hearing Hiruzen's words. 'You're telling me things I already know, and more than just know...'
Earlier, Hibari had complained to Hiruzen that his Senju clan didn't have any impressive summoning animals. In truth, it wasn't that dire. The Senju were one of the top clans in the shinobi world. Even if the current heads of the clan were strong enough not to need summoning animals to bolster their prestige, it was impossible that there wasn't a lineage of them stretching back through history.
Not only did they have a lineage, but it was also incredibly powerful: the 'Shikkotsu Forest' lineage, one of the three legendary summoning locations Hiruzen just mentioned!
It was well-known that Hibari's grandfather, Senju Hashirama, possessed Senjutsu. How did he acquire this Senjutsu? It couldn't have just appeared out of thin air, could it? Even if rumors claimed Hashirama possessed a Sage's body and was the reincarnation of the Sage's son, it shouldn't have been that easy to obtain.
Therefore, although Hibari had never asked Hashirama, he guessed that he probably learned it from the Senju clan's summoning jutsu lineage, the 'Shikkotsu Forest.'
However, Hashirama's physique was indeed formidable, allowing him to instantly enter Sage Mode after mastering Senjutsu, multiplying his strength.
So, returning to the summoning animal lineage, it stood to reason that the three legendary summoning locations should be of equal standing. If Hibari could sign a summoning contract with Katsuyu, the Slug Sage, it seemed like a good option, as she was considered a top-tier summoning animal in the shinobi world.
But Katsuyu's power was somewhat perplexing; she was primarily used for medical ninjutsu support. In a direct fight, she didn't seem to offer much help. What bothered Hibari even more was that Katsuyu simply wasn't imposing enough, not cool enough!
So, in Hibari's opinion, while Katsuyu was powerful, she wasn't suitable for him. He decided to leave her for the little one, Tsunade, to inherit later, and he'd think about something else for himself.
Aside from Shikkotsu Forest, which he could go back and ask Hashirama about for directions, places like Mount Myoboku and Ryuchi Cave were impossible to find without spending months, even years, and even then, it depended on fate!
Therefore, Hiruzen's words were essentially unhelpful to Hibari.
But it was a secret nonetheless, and the fact that Hiruzen told him was considerate enough. So Hibari nodded and said, "Our Senju clan also has some related information, but those three legendary summoning locations aren't easy to find, sigh... Never mind, I'll try looking for them later if I have time. If I really can't find them, then I'll switch to another target. I hear there are salamanders in the Land of Rain, and the Kubisaki clan seems to have some good lizards too. They sound pretty good..."
Seeing that Hibari himself wasn't overly anxious, Hiruzen didn't press the issue further. Instead, he continued, "I can't help you with that. Is there anything else you're interested in? How about I teach you my self-created collaboration ninjutsu, 'Erupting Firestone Bullet'? Although it doesn't reach 'S-rank' like that mysterious collaboration ninjutsu you mentioned, its power is certainly A-rank. How about it? Not bad, right?"
Hibari nodded, hearing this. Something free, why not take it? He was currently at a point where he desperately needed to increase his strength, so he'd naturally accept anything. Forget about collaboration ninjutsu; even if it was an unknown C-rank ninjutsu, Hibari wouldn't refuse if he could learn it.
"Alright, I'll take the loss and exchange this S-rank for your A-rank then..." Hibari said, nodding earnestly.
This made Hiruzen chuckle in exasperation.
'Damn it, I've already created a real, proven 'A-rank collaboration ninjutsu' both in theory and practice!
'And you're complaining about taking a loss by exchanging it for some 'S-rank collaboration ninjutsu' that's only been uttered from your mouth?
'Clearly, I'm the one taking the loss, aren't I? What if your so-called thing doesn't work, or its power and effect aren't as impressive as imagined?
'Furthermore, what if it's only theoretical and can't be applied in reality? Then I, Hiruzen Sarutobi, would be bleeding losses!
'I'm teaching this to you because our two families have a good relationship and because you, Hibari, and I are close. If anyone else said that, they'd have been thrown out already, okay?'
However, although Hiruzen was exasperated by Hibari, he didn't mind too much. He knew Hibari was just like that. In truth, even if he didn't have anything to offer in exchange, as long as he asked, Hibari would surely tell him the relevant information.
Of course, Hibari also knew he was getting a good deal, exchanging this unverified 'S-rank' for Hiruzen's 'A-rank'.
After settling this somewhat shady 'backroom' deal, Hibari didn't hide anything and began to explain his so-called 'theory' to Hiruzen.
"My so-called collaboration ninjutsu, since I can call it S-rank, is naturally quite complex. An ordinary shinobi without sufficient affinities, like me, couldn't possibly use it, because it involves four chakra natures: Wind, Lightning, Water, and Fire..." Hibari said softly.
Before Hiruzen could respond, Hibari continued, "First, you use Lightning and Water chakra, just like before, to make them change. Then, use Wind chakra to encapsulate the gathered 'gas' and launch it. Finally, use fire to ignite... exploding the entire jutsu."
Of course, this was just a rough explanation. Then, seeing that Sasuke seemed to be still busy setting up traps, Hibari carefully explained the principles in detail to Hiruzen once more. It took some effort before Hiruzen finally grasped the general idea.
By the time Hibari finished explaining, Hiruzen lived up to his 'Saru (little monkey)' nickname and immediately prepared to impulsively experiment with it on the spot.
He formed a hand seal with his left hand, conjuring some water spheres to float in the air, then lightning flashed from his right hand. This sight startled Hibari, who quickly reached out to stop him from continuing to form hand seals.
"Hey, hey, Hiruzen, aren't you being too hasty? This ninjutsu is very complex and dangerous. If you mess around here, one wrong move, and we could all be affected. And if that's not bad enough, if it delays the mission, Ojiisan will surely give you a good scolding when we get back..." Hibari quickly said.
This intervention brought Hiruzen, who had been inadvertently immersed in the world of ninjutsu, back to his senses. He chuckled awkwardly and said, "My mistake, my mistake. I can't believe I'd make such an obvious error in a place like this. It seems I'm still not competent enough. I need to reflect deeply when I get back."
"Good that you know. When you get back, find an open area and take your time figuring it out. Also, be careful yourself. If you really develop it, don't forget what you just said—this counts as my creation!" Hibari also nodded.
In truth, Hibari had no doubt that Hiruzen could complete this 'theoretical' jutsu. With Hiruzen's talent and aptitude, it should be well within his capabilities. After all, his theory wasn't wrong; it just needed practical application to adjust any deviations.
Perhaps Hiruzen might actually hand-craft a 'mini-hydrogen bomb' then? If so, he'd be like a calf flying, unbelievably awesome.
Now that Hibari had said all he needed to say, Hiruzen naturally didn't go back on his word. He said, "The 'Erupting Firestone Bullet' I'm going to teach you isn't as complex as your jutsu. Simply put, it's an area-of-effect ninjutsu that combines the Fire Dragon Bullet and Earth Dragon Bullet and then unleashes them..."
After rambling on for a bit, Hiruzen finally concluded, "The crucial trick... or 'point,' is how to ignite the 'earth.' The principle is quite simple, just like the Fire Release: Flame Bullet. You infuse the 'oil' refined from chakra into it, ideally soaking the Earth Dragon Bullet. That way, when the Fire Dragon Bullet attaches to it, the power will naturally double..."
"How powerful is it exactly?" Hibari asked with curiosity.
"The Fire Dragon Bullet and Earth Dragon Bullet are already formidable on their own. Combining them naturally merges the explosive power of the Fire Dragon Bullet with the impact of the Earth Dragon Bullet. As for the power, of course, it varies from person to person. If I use it personally, I could at least unleash five 'Firestone Bullets,' covering a large area. Completely destroying a training ground-sized area is easily achievable," Hiruzen said very confidently.
"That sounds quite practical... especially when outnumbered..." Hibari nodded in agreement.
"You're not even looking at who created this jutsu! Could it be ordinary?" Hiruzen said with a touch of pride.
Just as Hibari was about to discuss more ideas about ninjutsu creation with Hiruzen, Sasuke, who had been perfecting and setting traps, finished his work and walked over. He said, "Alright, we're on a mission now, so let's not fuss over these things. If it's really necessary, you two can hold a private seminar when we get back to the village and properly discuss and research it, wouldn't that be better?"
At this point, Sasuke paused, then continued, "Most of the arrangements are done. Let's find a place nearby to hide and observe, see if any 'enemies' are coming, and also prepare for Hokage-sama's arrival..."
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