Although Hiruzen Sarutobi carefully observed everyone's reactions, he did not pause for even a moment as he continued speaking.
"In the third exam, many esteemed individuals—daimyō and nobles who frequently commission our services—will be invited as guests."
"At that time, the daimyō of various nations that possess shinobi villages, as well as the shinobi from other villages, will be watching your performance."
"Thus, participating in the third exam is not merely a personal trial—you carry the responsibility of showcasing your nation's strength."
"If there is a significant disparity in strength between countries, the stronger nation will receive an influx of commissions, while the weaker one will see theirs decline accordingly."
"At the same time, this serves as the best battlefield to demonstrate to neighboring shinobi villages that 'our village possesses formidable strength.'"
"In order to ensure that you can display the full might of the village in the upcoming third exam, and to allow the daimyō and nobles ample time to arrive…"
"Your strength is the strength of the shinobi. The strength of the shinobi is the strength of the village. And the strength of the village is the strength of the nation."
"That is why the third exam is set to take place one month from now. During this time, do everything in your power to improve yourselves!"
Having finally finished his speech in one breath, Hiruzen adjusted the Hokage hat atop his head. The many shinobi present—except for Veigar and his five companions—wore solemn expressions.
When it came to the issue of national prestige raised by Hiruzen, those who belonged to the village's elite combat forces understood its significance better than anyone.
With that, Hiruzen turned around under the watchful eyes of the gathered crowd and departed, taking the gathered jōnin with him.
Not long after, only Veigar and his five fellow examinees, along with their three jōnin instructors, remained in the tower.
"Minato-sensei, I'll be counting on you from here on out!"
Unaffected by Hiruzen's speech, Veigar looked toward the still-present Minato Namikaze and immediately offered a cheerful smile.
Minato returned the smile and nodded. "Alright then, let's get started!"
...
The next day.
After his morning training, Veigar arrived at his designated meeting spot with Minato—by the river in Konoha's Training Ground 44.
Seeing that he was early and that Minato had yet to arrive, Veigar didn't just sit idly by. Instead, he began practicing his Rasengan.
However, the Rasengan he was training wasn't just the ordinary version—it was the one he had unintentionally unleashed a few days ago when his chakra went berserk.
He had even given it a name—Rasengan: Revolving Heaven.
In Konoha, within the Hyuga Clan, there exists an absolute defense technique known only to the clan's main family—Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven.
What Veigar sought to master now was a technique similar to that Hyuga clan secret art—his own Spiral Rotation.
However, Veigar's Rasengan: Revolving Heaven was a far more formidable technique compared to the Hyuga clan's Revolving Heaven, as it was both offensive and defensive in nature.
Not only could it be used for defense, but it could also be used for offense—just like the Rasengan, which is formed in the palm of one's hand for attack purposes.
In essence, Rasengan: Revolving Heaven was an advanced, seal-less ninjutsu—an upgraded version of the Rasengan.
Although Veigar was currently unable to activate Rasengan: Revolving Heaven at will, he firmly believed that he would eventually succeed.
For one, he had already used it once before during his chakra berserk state.
More importantly, the Rasengan, originally an A-rank seal-less ninjutsu, had now become his Constant Ninjutsu.
Since the Rasengan itself required no hand seals, the advantage of Constant Ninjutsu wasn't fully evident yet. But if applied to other jutsu, its true terror would be revealed.
With Constant Ninjutsu, hand seals could be eliminated entirely. As long as one had sufficient chakra, ninjutsu could be activated instantly with a mere thought.
Compared to the concept of forming six seals per second, Constant Ninjutsu made that seem laughable in comparison.
However, even though the Rasengan had now become a Constant Ninjutsu, Veigar still benefited greatly from it.
First and foremost, he could now use Rasengan: Revolving Heaven—an absolute defense technique that combined both offense and defense.
Second, he could now conjure the Rasengan anywhere on his body at will—not just in his palms, but also on his feet, shoulders, and even forehead.
Most critically, the time required to form the Rasengan had drastically reduced—it could now be activated instantly with a single thought.
This seemingly minor difference in jutsu activation speed could very well become the decisive factor in battle.
By the riverbank, Veigar willed his chakra into motion.
"Rasengan: Revolving Heaven."
In an instant, a faint layer of chakra enveloped his body, but within a second, it dissipated.
Rasengan: Revolving Heaven—failed!
"Again."
Failure in ninjutsu training was something Veigar had long grown accustomed to. Success was never achieved effortlessly—it was the result of countless repetitions and accumulations.
Muttering "again" in his heart, Veigar immediately launched into another attempt.
He firmly believed that if he had once succeeded under the influence of a chakra outburst, he could achieve the same through sheer effort.
And with each failure, each refinement, even though he hadn't yet succeeded in performing Rasengan: Revolving Heaven, his chakra control was steadily improving.
Through trial and error, Veigar came to realize that his failures stemmed from insufficient chakra control.
Back then, his success was due to the chakra berserk state, which had instantly unleashed an overwhelming amount of chakra, thereby lowering the technique's control requirement.
Now, Veigar sought to achieve mastery through enhanced chakra control, reducing Rasengan: Revolving Heaven's dependency on sheer chakra volume.
Only by doing so could he truly grasp the essence of Rasengan: Revolving Heaven
Time slipped by unnoticed as Veigar became fully immersed in his training. His entire focus was devoted to mastering Rasengan: Revolving Heaven—so much so that he failed to realize that the scheduled time for his meeting with Minato had already passed.
From a tree branch nearby, Minato Namikaze—his bright, golden hair swaying in the wind—observed Veigar's training with a look of astonishment.
A massive scroll was strapped to his back, yet his gaze remained locked onto Veigar's flickering chakra with deep admiration.
As the creator of the Rasengan himself, Minato immediately understood what Veigar was trying to achieve.
And precisely because he was the one who had created the Rasengan, he knew just how difficult it was to accomplish what Veigar was attempting.
At the same time, Veigar's actions sparked countless new ideas within Minato's mind regarding the development of the Rasengan technique.
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