Minato Namikaze stayed behind, gazing at the now much more mature Nawaki, falling into deep thought.
Back at the Ninja Academy, he was a top student—aside from Yukika Senju, no one surpassed him. Yet Nawaki never seemed interested in those things. In practical combat courses, Minato often lost to him. Yukika always came first. Minato was second.
It had been just one year since graduation.
Under Jiraiya's tutelage, Minato had grown rapidly in strength and had even begun developing his own jutsu. His Flying Thunder God Technique wasn't fully mastered, but he could occasionally pull it off.
He didn't believe that Nawaki could surpass him so quickly in such a short time.
"A sparring match?" Minato took a deep breath. He didn't refuse Yukika's suggestion and nodded at Nawaki.
This would be their first match since graduating.
He was eager to show Yukika how much he'd grown.
Whether or not he joined the Senju camp didn't matter much to Minato.
The reason was simple.
The Senju Clan had announced a split from Konoha, but it was more of a formality. Kushina Uzumaki and Mikoto Uchiha knew they were Senju, yet they served as two of Konoha's advisors.
In this world without Naruto, the legendary Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen spent his days sweeping the streets. In contrast, two Senju advisors held power.
These two advisors still belonged to the Senju Clan.
Clearly, this was why Minato hoped Yukika would return to Konoha and become Hokage.
So joining the Senju wasn't a hard choice. Through them, he could still contribute to the village.
"Though it feels like bullying, I can't refuse my second brother's request."
As he stepped onto the field, Nawaki politely nodded at Minato. They had graduated in the same year, so they were familiar with each other.
Yukika's intent was clear—he wanted Minato to see how much joining the Senju Clan had accelerated Nawaki's growth.
"Still as confident as ever, huh?"
Mizuki, one of their classmates, smiled wryly. Were same-year graduates really that easy to push around?
He couldn't understand why Nawaki would say such things.
"Believe it or not," Nawaki replied with a shake of his head, preparing to face off against Minato.
They wore standard academy uniforms. Before a match, they'd each make a hand seal—before to signal challenge, after to show reconciliation.
No one knew exactly when this tradition started, but it had been around for many years.
"Begin."
Yukika, acting as the referee, gave the signal. Both were ready.
This was a match without suspense—Yukika knew it.
The virtual soul Nawaki had absorbed surpassed even those of Orochimaru and Sakumo Hatake. From the foundation up, he was destined for greatness.
Yukika had witnessed Nawaki's growth over the past month—from weak to strong. So fast, even Yukika believed Nawaki could be the next Espada Master.
That wasn't an exaggeration.
The battle started.
Following ninja convention, Minato threw three shuriken—distraction and restriction.
Then he drew a kunai and charged forward. If Nawaki dodged in the predicted direction, Minato could teleport to the mark and catch him off guard.
This match was drawing attention.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was sure to land.
But to Minato's surprise, Nawaki showed no intention of dodging the incoming kunai.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
The three blades struck Nawaki—and Minato twitched.
What the hell?
Wasn't he going to dodge?
The young man before him simply looked at the shuriken stuck in his body, shrugged lazily, and shook them off.
Clang.
They hit the ground. No blood.
His steel skin had worked perfectly. Even standing still, he feared no ranged attacks.
"That's it?" Nawaki asked curiously, eyes narrowing.
As Yukika's younger brother, he had received a unique virtual soul.
Unlike angry boys from the Bleach universe, his abilities were different.
The more pressure Nawaki endured, the faster he grew.
And this month… he'd been under pressure.
He was shaping up to be the Senju Clan's strongest tank.
"No way."
Minato took a deep breath. He didn't think he underestimated Nawaki—but clearly, he had.
He extended one hand. A swirling ball of blue energy formed.
"Rasengan?"
"You learned the jutsu my second brother invented?" Nawaki looked at the orb and nodded with appreciation.
Was Yukika really that good at development?
Minato's lips twitched.
To be fair, he'd studied the Rasengan concept for a long time. But Yukika had been the first to use it?
"Did I invent it?" Yukika scratched his head. "I think I demonstrated it at the last clan meeting, then shelved the idea. Guess others saw it."
"The Rasengan packs a punch. But… are you sure you can hit me with it?" Nawaki grinned.
In an instant, he vanished—and reappeared beside Minato, gently grabbing his wrist.
So fast!
Minato's expression changed. Chakra surged, and he vanished, reappearing some distance from Nawaki.
Beneath his feet, the Flying Thunder God's markings glowed. Clearly, he had prepared for this from the start.
"You've learned the Second's Flying Thunder God. Your talent surpasses mine," Nawaki said sincerely. "If it weren't for this past month of special training, I'd have lost."
Special training?
Minato's face darkened. He was beginning to understand.
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