Time Flies
Jingyi had been busy lately.
It wasn't like training Asuma and Shisui. Those two were easy they were given ninjutsu and taijutsu foundations, and left to train and study on their own. They progressed steadily, improving through practice.
Reliable and low-maintenance like stable investments.
The real challenge was Kurenai Yuhi.
Medical ninjutsu was far from easy to teach.
During the process, Jingyi had written to Tsunade for guidance. To his surprise, Katsuyu, ever cooperative and gentle, delivered the reply without delay or complaint.
This made Jingyi appreciate the Slug Sage even more.
Of the Three Great Sage Beasts, Katsuyu was surely the most agreeable.
He had inquired about chakra-enhancement techniques and mentioned Yuhi Kurenai in the letter. Tsunade didn't respond for an entire afternoon. But when Katsuyu returned again, she carried a scroll.
A handwritten scroll on the Chakra-Enhanced Strength technique.
Jingyi quickly grasped the theory. His chakra control was excellent he didn't need time to adjust.
Still, he found the technique less intuitive than his swordsmanship at least without coupling it with the Seven-Day Breathing Technique.
Of course, that was from jingyi's perspective.
For Kurenai, even basic mastery of chakra-enhanced strength would significantly bolster her in close combat, compensating for her weaknesses as a support-type kunoichi.
But
That all hinged on her first mastering the Mystic Palm Technique.
Thankfully...
"Sensei! I did it!"
"Excellent. You can go tell Zhenhong-senpai the good news he won't have to keep stuffing fish into the refrigerator anymore."
Jingyi smiled warmly.
Success!
Yuhi Kurenai sat down beside him, eyes spinning with dizziness. She quickly popped a ration pill into her mouth.
"Next, I'll teach you a taijutsu technique. You've heard of Lady Tsunade, right?"
"Of course!"
Kurenai's eyes lit up. Tsunade was her idol. Her dream was to become a kunoichi of Tsunade's caliber.
She could already guess what kind of taijutsu it was.
"Tsunade-sama's taijutsu might not be entirely suited for you," jingyi i said seriously. "Your physical conditioning isn't quite there, so this won't be something you can use often."
Though it was classified as a ninjutsu, chakra-enhanced strength relied heavily on muscle activation to create explosive power. Kurenai's body simply wasn't built for that kind of strain.
"As a trump card, then?"
Kurenai looked slightly disappointed, but quickly understood his intent.
"Exactly. In your case, you'll need to rely on your legs. Your hands are usually busy weaving signs."
"Understood! Please teach me, sensei!"
Kurenai bowed deeply.
Jingyi handed her a scroll. She began reading right away, then dove into practice without hesitation.
It was tough.
So tough, in fact, that she tore ligaments multiple times but each time, she refused Jingyi's help and healed herself.
She didn't shy away from pain.
Nearby, Yuhi Zhenhong approached with a lunch basket.
"I figured her mother would worry if she saw how hard she's pushing herself, so I brought this. Please remind her to eat… and also thank you for teaching her."
He bowed deeply.
He knew full well what Jingyi had passed on.
The chakra-enhanced strength technique one of the closely guarded secrets of the Senju clan.
"It's nothing. She's determined and works hard. That's all a teacher could ask for. She has a bright future ahead."
Jingyi spoke with quiet admiration.
In his previous life, he thought phrases like that were just for parent-teacher meetings.
He never expected to use them after transmigrating.
Zhenhong bowed again before leaving.
After a while, his daughter would surely come looking for him.
But Jingyi could already tell Kurenai had likely sensed her father's presence nearby.
She trained even harder afterward.
"Let's eat," she murmured.
"I can't let them down."
"Effort alone won't get you far in the ninja world," Jingyi reminded her. "Everyone is working hard. On the battlefield, coordination, leadership, and strategy matter more."
He thought to himself: unless you're a freeloader or a lunatic like Might Guy.
Clearly, Kurenai was neither.
Elsewhere, every team was undergoing intensive training.
Shisui had recently mastered several new ninjutsu techniques that didn't rely on tools. He was now focusing on genjutsu, the Body Flicker Technique, and Jingyi's custom Lightsaber Technique.
He suspected the Chūnin Exams would restrict ninja tools, so he doubled down on refining his swordsmanship and movement techniques.
Asuma's case was simpler.
He wanted to continue improving without being thrown off by the Chūnin Exams.
So Jingyi taught him Flying Swallow a wind chakra technique.
Take from the people, and use it for the people!
Jingyi's own progress hadn't stalled either.
In Wind Release ninjutsu, he had mastered a powerful new jutsu:
Wind Release: Pressure Burst.
A technique so devastating it could easily become his trump card.
It wasn't part of his Wind Blade series, but another powerful jutsu was always welcome.
Meanwhile, the Chūnin Exams were fast approaching.
Jingyi received an early notice and went to help set up the testing grounds. Most resource points were sealed in supply boxes, and repellents were spread around to keep wild beasts at bay.
Once everything was ready, the Third Hokage arrived.
"Lord Hokage!"
"Jingyi, is the test site prepared?"
"Yes. The resource map has been drawn in advance we'll show it to the candidates after the first round."
Jingyi unrolled a massive scroll.
It contained the full layout of the exam grounds.
Hiruzen nodded and looked out over the Forest of Death from above. Then he coughed lightly.
"jingyi,Konoha's budget is tight right now. I promised you an A-rank payment, but… there's really no money."
"…Eh?"
Is this guy trying to stiff me?
"Don't get the wrong idea," Hiruzen coughed again. "We're in a financial crunch. You can take payment in other forms like supplies, or jutsu."
Jingyi clearly looked like he misunderstood at first.
"That's fine. I've been wanting to forge a chakra weapon anyway. Do we still have any chakra metal?"
Of course they did.
Asuma's trench knives hadn't even been made yet.
"Well…"
Hiruzen hesitated, then nodded. "We do. But you'll have to pay a bit more."
"No problem!"
Jingyi agreed enthusiastically.
After all, even if you had the money, chakra metal wasn't easy to come by. This was a great deal.
"We'll talk about the rest after the exam."
Hiruzen breathed a sigh of relief.
It was good when things could be negotiated calmly.
The candidates soon began arriving. Most of the jōnin instructors had entered the forest. Only two weren't participating: Kakashi Hatake, and Might Duy, who had just been promoted to tokubetsu jōnin.
At that moment, Duy was crying dramatically right alongside his son Might Guy. A truly moving scene.
Hiruzen surveyed the field.
Not many had signed up.
Many promising genin had already been promoted during the war. Most of the current candidates were those who'd graduated in the last three to four years.
He glanced at Jingyi.
"How's Tsunade doing?"
"She's alright. She's made some money recently and paid off part of her debt. So you don't have to worry about creditors showing up at Konoha's gates."
"Tsunade… made money?" Hiruzen blinked in disbelief.
"She didn't gamble."
"Oh. Then that makes sense. With her skills, she could succeed in almost any field as long as she's not gambling."