Naruto : Konoha Light

Under normal circumstances, the Third Hokage would have simply taken a puff of his pipe and moved on, but this time, he exhaled with a pleased smile. "You've given me a pleasant surprise, Shimizu."

Shimizu shook his head modestly. "Actually, I only provided the inspiration and idea. The rest of the work was completed by Minato-nii."

The Third chuckled—he certainly understood the difference between an idea and execution.

"So, what jutsu do you want to exchange for?"

"The Eight Gates Technique!"

"The Eight Gates Technique..." The Third paused as he reached into his drawer, then looked at Shimizu curiously. "Why did you suddenly decide to exchange for a taijutsu technique?"

Shimizu had already prepared his explanation. "Actually, my academy instructor told me long ago about the importance of taijutsu, but I never really paid much attention to it..."

The Third Hokage's expression turned subtle. According to the records, Shimizu's taijutsu was already exceptionally strong, to the point that even some chunin-level taijutsu users might struggle to match him.

And this was him 'not paying attention to it'?

"But talent is talent," the Third nodded.

After all, he himself had been proficient in all the shinobi disciplines, despite focusing primarily on Fire Release.

"That night when the Hidden Cloud attacked, because my taijutsu was too weak, I failed to protect Kushina-neesan and let her go berserk. I also put Asuma in danger. That's when I truly realized my mistake."

"To save others, I must first guarantee my own safety. And to guarantee my safety, I must eliminate any weaknesses."

The Third Hokage's lips twitched slightly. Was this overcorrection?

Eliminating weaknesses would require developing every discipline equally. But striving for balance often led to mediocrity.

"But talent is talent," he consoled himself once again.

"As for why I chose the Eight Gates, I heard from Might Guy's father that opening the First Gate temporarily unlocks the brain's mental restrictions and allows the body to operate at 100% capacity."

"At that moment, I thought—if opening the gates can remove mental limitations, could it be used to stimulate inspiration?"

The Third Hokage nearly choked. A technique that others used to fight, you wanted to use for research?

"But talent... is frightening," he admitted to himself.

Organizing his thoughts, he finally spoke. "Opening the gates is extremely dangerous. At the very least, you absolutely must not attempt it at your current level."

Shimizu pouted. "I know."

Still worried, the Third added, "Unless you reach Might Duy's level, don't even think about it."

"Does it require an immortal physique as a prerequisite?" Shimizu sighed internally. "For someone like me with such average talent, improving my perception is really difficult!"

He quickly adjusted his attitude and nodded. "Don't worry, Hokage-sama, I won't take unnecessary risks."

Satisfied, the Third Hokage nodded. "Then, do you want to exchange for another jutsu as well?"

Shimizu hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "I don't have any need for another technique right now. Besides, I'm exchanging for the Eight Gates mainly to help when I hit bottlenecks in my ninjutsu or medical techniques. I want to use taijutsu as a way to gain inspiration through analogy."

The Third tapped his pipe against the desk. "In theory, any technique is rooted in chakra, hand seals, meridians, and changes in form and nature. So, what you said is possible."

"Do you know why academy instructors don't usually teach this method?"

I don't really want to know—Shimizu thought to himself.

Still, he respectfully answered, "Because of individual differences?"

The Third Hokage exhaled a long puff of smoke. "That's right. Some people can barely remember a twelve-seal sequence, let alone analyze the combination of seals. For those people, learning through analogy is impossible."

"Even for geniuses, specializing deeply in a single discipline is already challenging. Very few can master multiple disciplines at an advanced level."

The glint of satisfaction in the Hokage's eyes made Shimizu realize something.

The First Hokage had his Wood Release, the Second had created numerous forbidden techniques, but the Third Hokage… had built his reputation on being proficient in all chakra natures and techniques.

That was an incredibly difficult achievement, yet few truly recognized its significance.

Even the Third Hokage wanted to hear praise sometimes!

"No wonder Asuma always says his father likes to show off."

Shimizu immediately played along, exclaiming, "That's really difficult! Has anyone in the Leaf Village ever achieved it?"

The Third Hokage smiled proudly. "Heh, this old man has a little experience in the area."

"I heard that you can use all five chakra natures, Hokage-sama. Is that true?"

"Well, more or less. At the very least, I can use all the A-rank jutsu of each nature."

Did you… embezzle them from the Scroll of Seals?

Shimizu's heart raced with the thought, but he quickly dismissed it. No, the Hokage must have bravely trained with the forbidden jutsu to protect the village!

If I become Hokage one day, I should definitely follow his example!

With newfound admiration, Shimizu eagerly asked, "That's amazing! Could you teach me some of your insights?"

The Third Hokage beamed. "I can only share some of the lessons I've learned. For example, the similarities and differences between chakra natures, how they affect hand seals, or how form and nature transformation interact. The rest, you'll have to figure out yourself."

After a bit more discussion, the Third Hokage retrieved the Scroll of Seals from his drawer.

"You're already familiar with the procedure from when you exchanged for Flying Thunder God. After recording the Eight Gates technique, return here so I can apply the sealing jutsu."

Shimizu nodded in understanding. Without the seal, enemy villages could potentially extract information through interrogation or torture.

That didn't make the sealing process any less unpleasant, though…

As Shimizu stepped out of the Hokage's office, the sky had begun to darken.

Looking up at the reflection of the Hokage Building in a nearby puddle, he sighed inwardly.

"My ability lies in research, but as for creating new jutsu from scratch... That's not my strong suit. Not because I lack talent, but because the cost-to-benefit ratio is too low."

"I gave the idea and blueprint, Minato-nii did the demonstrations, and it still took two months to develop the Rasengan. In the original timeline, it took him three years!"

"If I waste my time on this, at best I'll reach Tobirama's level. But that's not enough for my goals!"

"My ambition is too great, but I don't yet have the ability to support it. If I want to get there... I need to be more patient."

Taking a deep breath, he withdrew his gaze and walked forward with determination.

"For now, I should focus on the Scroll of Seals. I have ideas, but there are still many limitations. Perhaps... it's time to slow down a little."

Meanwhile, back in the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage gazed at the Scroll of Seals with a thoughtful expression.

"Using the Eight Gates to unlock brain capacity and stimulate inspiration? Heh, what a bold and interesting idea. Maybe that kind of creativity is what allowed him to develop the Rasengan at his age."

"But will it actually work? Hmm... the training ground near the Senju is a safe area. I might as well test it."

"For the safety of the village, taking a little risk is worth it..."

Muttering to himself, the Third Hokage reached for his crystal ball.

"This time, I must perfect the Telescope Jutsu!"