"It's fine, I guess."
Takuya didn't say much.
After all, being a genius wasn't enough—you had to grow into one.
Without the proper growth, even the best talent was useless.
And in this world, villages frequently assassinated each other's prodigies.
Arriving in the courtyard, Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui stood at attention, like soldiers awaiting inspection.
Takuya casually sat down in a chair, waving a hand.
"Relax. I'm not going to eat you. Just go through your usual training routine."
Minato leapt onto a nearby training stump, watching curiously.
Itachi and Shisui exchanged glances, recalling their clan elders' warnings, before silently stepping apart and beginning their training.
At their age, their exercises were still focused on the basics.
The Uchiha weren't the type to rush things.
If the clan had high expectations for someone, they ensured proper training.
The two small figures moved with precision, alternating between sparring and individual drills, never breaking rhythm.
At some point, Minato had moved to stand beside Takuya, watching the two train with a nostalgic sigh.
"Doesn't it remind you of when we were kids?"
He chuckled.
"Kids from big clans really have it good. Their foundational training is leagues ahead of what we had."
Takuya and Minato had no one to teach them when they were younger.
Takuya was better off, but Minato had started with absolutely nothing.
Everything he learned had been through trial and error—by following Takuya's example.
Compared to them, Itachi and Shisui had an exceptionally solid foundation.
It was clear the Uchiha had put effort into nurturing them.
"If these two enter the academy, they'll make the other kids question their entire existence."
"You didn't seem to question yours back then," Takuya pointed out dryly.
Minato scratched his head with a sheepish laugh.
"Well, I've got resilience. Anyone else would've shut down after all the beatings you gave me."
"Pfft. If that were the case, why isn't Nawaki traumatized?"
"Uh… maybe because he's missing a few brain cells?"
Minato struggled to find the right words.
"You could just say he's thick-skinned."
"…That works too."
After observing for a while, Takuya clapped his hands once.
"Alright, that's enough."
Itachi and Shisui immediately halted, standing at attention once more.
They looked tense but expectant, clearly eager to hear his evaluation.
Takuya thought for a moment before speaking.
"Honestly, the Uchiha have already done a great job training you two. Even if I were to take over, I wouldn't have much to add. Your fundamentals are solid—this is a good thing."
Takuya wasn't the type to nitpick for the sake of looking authoritative.
Their performance was excellent—there was nothing to criticize.
He wasn't about to nitpick just to establish dominance.
"Foundational training tests patience and perseverance. Only those who stick with it will make it to the top. Keep that in mind."
"For now, add some kenjutsu and taijutsu into your training. Anything beyond that will have to wait until you awaken your Sharingan."
"As for ninjutsu, I'm sure the Uchiha will have specialists handling that, so I won't say much there."
There really wasn't anything to critique.
No point in messing with their mindset.
Just letting them continue on their current path was enough.
Minato nodded in agreement.
Looking at Itachi and Shisui, he was reminded of another Uchiha—Obito.
Compared to these two, Obito's fundamentals had been terrible.
Once the kids were dismissed, Takuya turned to Minato.
"I heard Tsunade wanted you to take a position as a jōnin instructor. You turned it down?"
Tsunade had mentioned it before. Minato had considered it but ultimately refused.
"Yeah, I turned it down."
Minato twirled a kunai between his fingers before sighing.
"I still have a lot to learn. If I start mentoring kids fresh out of the academy now, I might teach them the wrong things. So, I declined."
"Good call."
Takuya wasn't going to interfere with Minato's choices.
They weren't kids anymore—everyone made their own decisions.
Besides, Minato was the type to handle himself well.
Unlike Nawaki, who always seemed just a bit too clueless.
Sprawling out on a chair, Minato groaned.
"And honestly? With everything going on, I don't have the energy for it."
"At least Tsunade didn't take it personally. If it had been—"
If it had been the Third Hokage, he probably would have taken it personally.
Minato wisely cut himself off.
Takuya burst into laughter.
This guy is getting more and more cunning.
"Anyway, send a message to your teacher. Tell him to return to Konoha immediately. We have an important mission for him."
The Special Operations Squad had already returned from the Mountain Graveyard.
Takuya didn't want Jiraiya heading to Kumogakure, where Black Zetsu might strike.
If Jiraiya got caught up in that mess, things could go south quickly.
Takuya wasn't worried about Jiraiya uncovering anything—
He was worried about Jiraiya dying.
Black Zetsu wouldn't hesitate to eliminate him.
And right now, Kumogakure's problems hadn't escalated to the point of requiring the Five Great Nations to unite.
If that was the case, there was no reason for Konoha to intervene.
As for the other villages, they could make their own choices.
Those who wanted to go to Kumogakure could go.
Those who didn't could leave.
But Jiraiya and Konoha's forces needed to return first.
Would this decision make Konoha seem heartless?
Takuya didn't care.
This had nothing to do with being considerate or not.
The Five Great Nations weren't allies yet.
Kumogakure still treated Konoha with suspicion.
So why should Konoha rush to help them?
They expect us to be sincere when they won't even show sincerity themselves?
Kumogakure's ego is a bit too big.
When Iwagakure lost the Rinnegan, Black Zetsu hadn't even done much damage—just caused some chaos.
That wasn't enough to make the Five Great Nations let down their guard.
And most importantly—
Takuya still didn't know if Madara had been resurrected.
If Black Zetsu managed to get the Rinnegan and revived Madara…
Then Jiraiya running off to Kumogakure would basically be a free meal for them.
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read the rest of the Chapter at Patreon com/ Emik01.
DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING