As they left Amegakure, the squad headed further west into the no man's land between the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth.
Renjiro, curiosity piqued, asked Minato. "Why are we heading there?"
Minato smiled, "That's where our next mission takes us," he said not divulging more information.
Reaching the desolate expanse, the squad set up camp, employing a series of barriers and seals to protect themselves from the mercenaries who frequented the area.
The no man's land was a notorious hotbed of mercenary activity, a place where might ruled in the absence of any shinobi village governing it.
Minato allowed the squad a day of rest, but rather than stay idle, they all chose to focus on their training.
By this point, training was not just a chore but an avenue to release their pent-up stress. Hiro, Sama, and Renjiro were currently taking a break after a rigorous training session.
Renjiro, breathing heavily and wiping sweat from his brow, watched Minato continue his relentless training.
'How is he still going?' he thought. 'I swear, at this point, I'm wondering whether he's a jinchuriki or something. His stamina is wild.'
They had all started training at the crack of dawn, their spirits high and their energy abundant. However, it only took six hours for that energy to fizzle out. Hiro and Sama bowed out first, taking their breaks and leaving Renjiro to continue with the jounins.
Renjiro lasted longer, thanks in part to his regenerative abilities, which significantly reduced the time he needed to recover his stamina. Yet, even he had his limits. He eventually bowed out with Yano after the tenth hour, leaving Minato still at it.
Walking over to where Hiro and Sama were resting, Renjiro marvelled at Minato's stamina and endurance.
'I guess that justifies the power and standing he has and will have in Konoha. People don't get there without hard work, even when they're insanely talented.'
Seeing Renjiro approach them Hiro turned to Renjiro and asked, "How much do you think it'll be?"
Renjiro looked confused for a moment. "What are you talking about?"
Sama chimed in, "The B-rank missions that we just completed."
Taking a moment to think, Renjiro finally responded, "It's hard to say, but since the pay for B-rank missions is between eighty thousand and three hundred thousand Ryo, then for twelve missions that would be close to a million Ryo."
Hiro's eyes grew even wider. "I hope that it's more."
'Same.' Renjiro thought.
While being a shinobi was indeed a noble career choice, it was also an expensive one. Everything from weapons, equipment, and rations like soldier pills to the very clothes they wore was costly. Quality equipment didn't guarantee survivability, but it definitely increased one's chances.
Only shinobi with civilian dependents could live mission to mission without feeling the financial pinch. However, if any of their relatives wanted to become shinobi, the cost burden would become apparent. Shinobi from clans had it better, as they got everything they needed at a subsidized rate.
'A Million Ryo isn't much considering that we'd have to split it five ways. The more you ascend the shinobi ranks, the more expensive it gets as the quality of the overall equipment you use increases. That reminds me, I need to replace my staff since it was in bad condition after my fight with Ohashi, and using it against Hiro just made it worse.'
Sama, sensing Hiro's disappointment, tried to console him. "Don't worry, once we complete the A-rank missions, you won't have to think about money for a while."
Their conversation carried on in the fading light of the day.
As the sky darkened, Minato finally finished his training session and joined them. He looked composed, despite the intense workout.
The squad then gathered for a meal, which Minato had stored in his seals. For Renjiro, this was a new experience since during most missions that required extended stays away from the village, he had survived on soldier pill rations that helped regenerate chakra.
'I should probably start doing this. I should raid Teuchi's shop and buy all their dishes then store them in my seals for future use.'
As they received their meals from Minato, they all sat down together, with Renjiro choosing to sit next to Minato.
The atmosphere was relaxed a stark contrast to the earlier part of their day. As they ate, the group exchanged stories and shared laughs, the camaraderie among them growing stronger.
Turning to Minato, Renjiro asked, "There's a jutsu that I've seen you using, the spherical one. Where did you learn it from?"
Minato's face lit up, "Oh! You mean the Ice Pop-Inspired Nimbus Jiraiya Twin Whorl Sphere?"
Once he said it, Minato immediately regretted it and thought, 'Kushina says that I should call it the Rasengan. I have to stop with the earlier name. Even if it is the cooler name.'
Renjiro looked confused. "Huh? The what?"
Minato quickly corrected himself. "The Rasengan. It recently got renamed. As for learning it, I'm the one who developed it."
"Really?" Renjiro's eyes widened with interest. "What was the inspiration behind it?"
'I just pray my Acting skills are that good.'
Of course, Renjiro was aware of the origin of the iconic jutsu, he had even mastered it and its advanced forms. But he could not outwardly use it since it might raise some questions, so he wanted to remedy this.
Minato's expression turned thoughtful. "There was a time when my sensei and I faced a jinchuriki. When I saw their Tailed Beast Bomb, the idea popped into my head."
"A tailed Beast Bomb? Is the Rasengan that powerful?" Renjiro asked, 'intrigued'.
Minato nodded, pride evident in his voice. "While it's not as powerful as a Tailed Beast Bomb, it is an A-rank jutsu. Once I complete it, it could be close to an S-rank jutsu."
"So it is an incomplete jutsu?" Renjiro Inquired.
Minato nodded and said, "At the moment, yes. I am thinking of adding different natures to it to make it more powerful."
"Can I see it for a minute?" Renjiro asked.
Though puzzled, Minato agreed and held out his palm. As chakra began to gather, Renjiro activated his Sharingan, pretending to study it before holding out his own palm and attempting to gather chakra.
'Hmm? Is he trying it?' Minato thought, watching with curiosity. "It took me a couple of years to complete it," he said, trying to set realistic expectations for Renjiro. It was an A-rank Jutsu, it was not supposed to be that easy to learn.
As if on cue, the chakra gathering in Renjiro's hand dissipated, giving Minato the validation he needed. He nodded, satisfied that his warning had registered.
However, Renjiro was far from deterred. He was 'determined' to 'learn' this powerful jutsu Minato had demonstrated.
'I hope I'm not too obvious,' Renjiro thought, focusing intensely. On his fifth try, he 'managed' to successfully perform the jutsu, much to Minato's astonishment.
"Wow!" Minato exclaimed, genuinely impressed. "You actually did it. Congratulations, Renjiro!"
The rest of the team turned their attention to the pair, curious about the commotion. Hiro and Sama looked particularly intrigued.
"What did he do?" Hiro asked, leaning in.
"He just replicated the Rasengan," Minato explained, still in awe. Renjiro's quick mastery of the Rasengan caused Minato to wonder, 'Is the Sharingan really that powerful?'
Sama's eyes widened. "Already? That's incredible! I have tried it numerous times but failed."
Renjiro shrugged, "I just followed your lead, Minato-sensei."
Minato shook his head, smiling. "You're being modest. I only demonstrated it. You did all the work"
"So how did you do it?" Sama asked with wide eyes
Renjiro replied, "I just introduced shape manipulation to the chakra in my palm."
"That's it?" Sama asked, not impressed while Minato nodded thoughtfully, then offered some additional advice. He was still convinced that Renjiro's Rasengan wasn't yet as powerful as it could be since he had yet to perfect it. After the discussion, he gathered everyone around.
As he did, Renjiro thought, 'Hopefully that was believable. I needed a license to use the jutsu. I could have just said I used my Sharingan to copy it, but making it sound more complex should prevent any suspicions.'
Once everyone had assembled, Minato addressed them, "I think it is now time for us to strategize for our first A-rank mission. But first, I need you guys to have this with you."
Minato reached into his pouch and drew out four strange kunais. These kunais were unlike any the team had seen before; they had intricate markings on them which Renjiro quickly recognized.
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