At this moment, Torifū was at home, immersed in training his Cloud Release techniques, completely unaware that, because of him, a poor old Uchiha was coughing up blood in frustration.
He was at a critical stage—if he could push through, he would master Cloud Release; if not, it would take much longer.
Surrounded by a faint blue energy, Torifū kept his eyes tightly shut, his expression solemn. Large beads of sweat dripped down his temples.
Following the instructions from the scroll, he meticulously tried to fuse Water, Fire, and Wind chakra into one—a task far from simple!
Water and Fire in equal amounts would cancel each other out, but adding Wind chakra into the mix would strengthen Fire while suppressing Water, making perfect fusion impossible.
Though the scroll provided a theoretical ratio, Torifū quickly realized that the formula left behind by his ancestors simply wouldn't work in practice.
With a dull boom, his face suddenly turned pale.
"Failed again…"
The backlash from failed fusion wasn't severe, but it did throw his chakra flow into chaos. He had to realign everything before continuing.
For Torifū, this was nothing new. Over the past month, he had failed countless times. But this time was different—he had finally pinpointed the correct ratio!
"This time, I'll succeed."
After restoring his chakra flow, he took a deep breath and attempted fusion once more.
44% Water, 31% Fire, 25% Wind…
[T/N: Don't try this on your own folks.]
That was the perfect balance he had deduced after relentless trial and error.
Sure enough, at this ratio, the three chakra natures counterbalanced one another. None could overpower the others, forcing them to fuse into a single, stable entity.
"Haa…"
A thick cloud of mist exhaled from Torifū's mouth. Compared to the Hidden Mist Technique, Cloud Release was clearly thicker, with lower visibility and an intense chill.
"I finally did it!"
Only he knew how much he had suffered for this moment.
At first, he had stubbornly followed the ancestral ratio, failing over and over again before realizing he needed to find his own formula.
But one question lingered in his mind—why hadn't his father told him about this? Was this some kind of test?
He couldn't understand his father's reasoning.
If Kumotsuru Yama were still alive, he would probably just scratch his head and say, "Son, I forgot!"
Regardless, Torifū had finally mastered Cloud Release—another layer of protection in this unpredictable world!
"I wonder… is Dust Release stronger than Cloud Release?"
He wouldn't know until he tested it in battle.
Looking outside, he saw that night was approaching.
He hurried to take a bath—after all, he had been sweating from training all day. He couldn't show up at his sensei's house smelling like that, giving a bad impression.
Once clean, he changed into formal attire—his clan's ceremonial robes. The black long-sleeved robe was embroidered with golden cloud-crane patterns, exuding nobility. Whether it was just his imagination or not, he felt like he looked like an immortal swordsman from a legend.
[T/N: I tried cooking, can't cook. The clan emblem is like this though
Outside, the sky was darkening.
"Almost time."
After tying up his long white hair, Torifū stepped out of his house.
As he walked through the village, the street vendors were packing up, preparing to head home. Only the restaurants remained open, their warm lights spilling onto the streets.
The whole scene felt incredibly peaceful.
It reminded him of childhood trips to his grandfather's village—serene and idyllic.
Even from a few streets away, he could hear mothers calling their children home for dinner. It was a simple, heartwarming life.
For the first time, he truly understood Hashirama's dream—the reason he had gone to such great lengths to build this village, why he fought to protect it even at the cost of his own life.
After about twenty minutes, Torifū arrived at the Senju compound. From the outside, it looked quite ordinary—nothing like the artistic, ethereal architecture of the Kumotsuru Clan.
Returning home always felt like stepping into a mystical sect, whereas the Senju compound felt more like a sprawling, lively mansion.
He wasn't sure where his sensei's house was, so he decided to ask someone.
"Uncle, where is Hokage-sama's house?"
The middle-aged man he addressed was momentarily stunned, his mind fixated on one thing—This kid looks rich!
Wasn't that golden embroidery real gold? Do they even make robes like this anymore?
"Who are you, kid? Why are you looking for the Clan Head?"
Torifū responded naturally, "Oh, Hokage-sama asked me to come. I'm his disciple."
The man's brain nearly short-circuited.
Not only was this kid rich—he could brag too?!
Before the man could react, a figure emerged from the compound.
"You're finally here, brat. My brother's been waiting for you forever!"
It was Tobirama, standing at the gate with his usual serious expression.
Torifū immediately bowed. "My apologies, Tobirama-sama. I lost track of time while training."
Seeing the boy's respectful attitude, Tobirama let it slide and led him inside.
The man Torifū had questioned stood there, dumbfounded.
"So the kid wasn't lying?!"
Within minutes, half of Konoha knew that the Hokage had taken in a disciple. Every clan leader scrambled to find out who the lucky boy was—and, more importantly, how to form connections with him.
Inside the Senju compound, people shot envious glances at Torifū as he walked past.
"Come in. I'm starving," Tobirama said.
Torifū followed him inside.
The first thing he saw was a red-haired woman with twin buns.
Before she could speak, Torifū quickly greeted her, "Good evening, Mito-sama."
Mito Uzumaki's face instantly softened into a warm smile.
"What a polite child. Come in, change your shoes, and eat. Your master has been waiting for you."
Torifū bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry for keeping you all waiting, Mito-sama."
Mito simply smiled and said nothing more.
Torifū let out a small sigh of relief.
'Good thing I spoke up first—do you know who this woman is?'
''The princess of the Uzumaki Clan! And every Uzumaki woman had a temper. If I didn't say something nice, I'd be in trouble later!'
Following Mito and Tobirama inside, Torifū saw a lavish dinner spread across the table.
Hashirama sat at the head, practically drooling over the food.
When he saw Torifū, he put on a mock stern face.
"Torifū, why are you so late? Are you dissatisfied with your sensei?"
Torifū inwardly sighed.
'Sensei, your acting is terrible…'
But on the surface, he quickly responded, "Sensei, I was training today and successfully developed a family secret technique. That's why I was late."