Chapter 20: Rasengan (Part 1)
Hajime possessed a pure, direct, and efficient assassination ability—but that didn't mean he was content with only that. For a ninja, the more varied the methods, the more unexpected their attacks, and the easier it was to seize victory.
That was why he worked hard to learn Water Release techniques. With such a golden opportunity right in front of him, he naturally wanted to learn as much as possible from this younger version of the Water Release master.
Unfortunately, this particular master was quite stingy with his talents. One life saved only earned Hajime two B-rank techniques and a single C-rank jutsu.
But that was fine. There was no need to rush—stealing the master's secrets would ultimately still depend on Hajime's own efforts.
After acquiring those three Water Release jutsu and fully understanding their hand seals and chakra flow mechanics, Hajime immediately sought out a secluded place far from camp to begin training.
The C-rank Water Shockwave was quickly mastered. However, the two B-rank jutsu were significantly more difficult. Hajime's Water Dragon Bullet looked more like an oversized squirt gun than an actual threat.
After spending a full day making little progress, Hajime went to seek guidance from the injured master himself.
To be fair, Tobirama Senju had already gone above and beyond by sharing those three Water Release techniques. He had no obligation to actually teach them. If Hajime failed to learn, that was his own shortcoming—it had nothing to do with Tobirama.
Given the limits of talent and comprehension, many ordinary ninja never manage to learn B-rank or higher techniques. Even if Hajime turned out to be unteachable, surely no one would blame Tobirama. But Hajime wouldn't give up—he kept hovering around Tobirama like a persistent fly, forcing him to offer a few more pointers despite his injuries.
"For advanced Water Release jutsu like this," Tobirama explained, suppressing his discomfort, "you need to pre-convert your chakra into water nature, and then—before release—pre-compress it."
"You should aim for a sensation where the chakra isn't just released, but ejected or exploded outward."
"Each step has to sync with your hand seal rhythm—precisely guiding the chakra flow."
"In short, start with improving your output volume and release speed of water-natured chakra. That part can only be refined through time and repetition."
As expected of a master, Tobirama's guidance quickly helped Hajime grasp the core concepts.
Hajime wasn't a genius—he couldn't hope to master high-level techniques in a few days. But he didn't need to. As long as he understood the theory and methods, given enough time, he was confident he could master even these difficult jutsu.
However, Tobirama likely wouldn't be around to see those results.
Three days later, Tobirama had recovered enough to move. That meant it was time for him to leave—after all, he had no real reason to stay. The longer he was away from his clan, the more likely it was to cause concern. He couldn't waste more time here.
That was his plan—subjectively. But Hajime had other ideas.
Knowing Tobirama was almost ready to depart, Hajime approached him once more—not to ask about Water Release, but to discuss the development of a new jutsu.
It was a great opening. And what kind of opening?
Well, if you want to catch a fish, you have to bait the hook first. Hajime had already repaid his "life debt." If he wanted to extract more from Tobirama, he had to offer something valuable in return.
And when it came to the most valuable thing in Hajime's arsenal, the answer was simple—a jutsu not of his own invention.
"Tobirama," Hajime began, "I've seen your Body Flicker Technique in action—your speed makes you capable of instant kills. But when you strike, you're limited to taijutsu or basic tools. Have you ever found your attacks lacking in power? After all, the Body Flicker Technique and lengthy hand seals are fundamentally incompatible…"
It sounded like a scholarly discussion. This kind of conversation was far more appealing to Tobirama than being pestered about Water Release, so he held off on saying goodbye for the moment.
"That does happen," Tobirama admitted. "Sometimes I can't break through an enemy's defense. Speed means nothing if it can't kill."
Hajime nodded, as if expecting that answer. "Then have you ever considered pairing your Body Flicker with a no-hand-seal ninjutsu?"
"No-hand-seal jutsu?" Tobirama raised an eyebrow. "I've thought about it—and experimented—but never achieved anything meaningful. After all, the point of hand seals is to shape chakra into something tangible. Without them, you can't unleash its full power."
"True," Hajime agreed. "But form doesn't always require seals. Chakra's ultimate form manipulation can create destructive power beyond imagination."
He raised his left hand. A spinning ball of chakra formed in his palm—but it was weak, lacking energy density and spin. It clearly didn't have any real power.
That's right. What Hajime was demonstrating was the Rasengan.
From the moment he arrived in this world and realized he was in the Shinobi Realm, Hajime had begun developing this high-level, high-difficulty jutsu. In fact, he'd already been working on it for a year.
Rasengan was one of the rare techniques in the original story with a fully detailed training arc, so it made sense that Hajime would focus on it. Unfortunately, the training difficulty was insane, and he had yet to make real progress.
It wasn't that his comprehension or learning ability were poor. The issue was simple—his chakra quality and density weren't high enough to meet the Rasengan's basic requirements. No matter how skilled the cook, there was no meal without ingredients.
"Doesn't seem practical..." Tobirama murmured after a moment of silence, eyes still on the chakra ball. He shook his head slightly—but his interest was clear.
Everyone knew Tobirama was the greatest inventor before Orochimaru came along. If there was one thing that excited him, it was the development of new jutsu.
"To make this jutsu effective," Hajime explained, "I need three things: high-density chakra, extreme compression, and rapid spin. Right now, I can't fulfill all three."
His chakra used to be too weak. But now… maybe it was time to try again.
In the era of Konoha, Naruto Uzumaki—the most famous Rasengan user in history—had revolutionized the technique by using shadow clones to simplify the process. What was once an S-rank difficulty jutsu became manageable—B-rank or lower—thanks to Naruto's "dumb" workaround.
Of course, calling it "no-hand-seal" and then needing hand seals for clones was ironic, but Naruto's creative thinking worked.
"The ideal goal is a single-handed, instant cast," Hajime said. "But in the learning phase, that's not necessary. First, the technique must be created. Practicality comes later."
He placed his right hand over his left, using both to compress the chakra, which slowly stabilized into a faintly glowing blue orb. It almost looked like a proper Rasengan.
Almost.
The problem was—it wasn't spinning.
"One hand to maintain the chakra flow, one hand to shape it… Too bad I don't have a third hand." Hajime's voice carried a trace of regret.
Tobirama's mind was already racing. "A third hand? What about the Clone Technique?"
"I come from a small, obscure ninja clan," Hajime replied. "I never learned any solid-body clone jutsu."
"I…"
Tobirama almost blurted out, "I do." But the words caught in his throat.
He suddenly realized—he was being baited again.