"You're back, Fuma!"
"Hello, Fuma-sensei!"
Minato and Kushina greeted Fuma enthusiastically as he approached, expressing their longing.
With a large hand, Fuma ruffled Minato's hair, playing around for a bit before straightening his face and asking seriously, "How's your training with the Flying Thunder God Technique going? In the upcoming war, I'll be leading the Hunter Unit and won't be able to take you with me."
The Hunter Unit is a special elite force composed of high-mobility ninjas selected from the village's special jonin.
They are responsible for striking enemy scouts, providing support to disadvantaged battlefields, and serving as a surprise force to attack enemy command centers.
Minato confidently replied, "Kushina has been a great help. I can already use this technique."
Kushina raised her little fist high in agreement, saying, "Minato-kun is the smartest!"
Looking at this prematurely affectionate pair, Fuma sighed, remembering his own tumultuous experience with Tsunade. He silently scoffed, "Hmph, just two early-blooming kids!"
Raising an eyebrow, he signaled for Minato to demonstrate his progress.
Minato stepped into the training ground, his wrist flicking as kunai scattered through the air like a net, each trajectory meticulously planned.
Fuma's eyes narrowed—this really looked like something out of the original "Yellow Flash."
"Spiraling Flash Super Round Dance Howl Stage Three!"
Minato chanted the long name in a fast, somewhat pretentious tone, and simultaneously, yellow flashes flickered continuously as he moved between the kunai coordinates.
Unlike the usual Body Flicker Technique, the Flying Thunder God Technique's transitions were almost imperceptible, leaving no trace or disturbance.
Kushina wore a proud expression—this was their joint achievement.
Fuma moved swiftly, catching one of the high-speed kunai with his bare hand, recalling something amusing.
In the original work, Minato's inscription was "Sword of the Shinobi's Love," representing his own ninja way. What about now?
Looking down, the inscription on the Flying Thunder God kunai read "Sword of Stability."
Fuma's face twitched.
Namikaze Minato, how old are you again? If I ever make it big, I'll send you to a world full of oceans to meet your predecessors.
Cracking his neck loudly, Fuma looked at Minato with a subtle expression.
He intended to help Minato validate his ninja way, to see just how "stable" it was.
Seeing Fuma's peculiar expression, sweat appeared on Minato's forehead.
Having lived with Fuma for seven years, he understood that this guy was inexplicably annoyed and wanted to "educate" him.
Although Minato trusted Fuma to control his strength, what if he didn't? That would be very unsafe!
Recalling Fuma's extreme displays of violence, Minato's potential was pushed to the limit.
With a slightly panicked expression, Minato pushed his reaction speed to the max, successfully activating the Flying Thunder God Technique to dodge Fuma's incoming punch.
Fuma clapped—being able to master this technique at thirteen and use it at such speed was truly the mark of a genius in the ninja world.
Despite having some help from Kushina, no one could deny Minato's talent.
But before Minato could catch his breath, Fuma was already moving forward, starting a new round of tests.
Shadows and flashes of light flickered across the training ground as Minato and Fuma engaged, their movements inseparable.
After Minato used the Flying Thunder God Technique over ten times, Fuma stopped his attacks—this was Minato's current chakra limit.
This training was mainly to help Minato hone his new technique and understand his limits. It was not because he was annoyed by how close Minato and Kushina were!
Pulling Minato up, Fuma began to critique the recent battle:
"The essence of the Flying Thunder God Technique lies in its seamless, seal-less release. Minato, your technique needs to be faster and more concealed."
Minato still couldn't achieve the instantaneous effect like in the future, requiring seals when chakra was insufficient or the mark was too far.
"Additionally, remember that a perfected Flying Thunder God Technique combines range and speed, so you need to improve your sensory abilities."
The true master of the Flying Thunder God Technique, Senju Tobirama, was the only model. With his terrifying sensory range and abundant chakra, as long as he pre-set the coordinates, he was an almost invincible perfect ninja.
Minato nodded seriously. Fuma's comments were objective and aligned with his development goals.
As for Minato's current lack of hard-hitting power, that wasn't his immediate concern—his small frame didn't have that much chakra yet.
Minato scampered to the edge of the field, picking up the kunai he had thrown, carefully storing them away.
Fuma laughed heartily—this was the hidden scene he wanted to see!
The Flying Thunder God kunai had to be collected; their unique design suggested they were expensive.
Rubbing the kunai he'd caught earlier, Fuma felt its material carefully.
"This hardness and chakra conductivity... there must be a lot of chakra metal in it. No wonder it's so pricey."
Looking at Minato's bulging ninja tool pouch, Fuma's gaze grew complicated. Minato, you should really consider marrying in!
Kushina approached, poking Fuma with a hint of unexpected shyness in her eyes.
"Fuma-sensei, I heard the village might go to war. Can I go with Minato-kun?"
Fuma pondered without answering immediately, considering the current situation—this was not a simple question.
As the first Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, with the Yin Seal, Uzumaki Mito's life was nearing its end.
Kushina, as both an inherited Uzumaki orphan and a backup Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, was viewed as a tool by the higher-ups. Currently, she was seen more as an object than a person.
Especially with the current Nine-Tails Jinchuriki being Uzumaki Mito, the wife of the First Hokage, this held significant meaning.
In a sense, the Nine-Tails could be seen as the Hokage's legacy, a symbol of Konoha.
If something happened to the Nine-Tails, it would greatly impact Hiruzen's reputation and stability, regardless of its actual combat power.
Fuma looked at Kushina and had a sudden idea, recalling a classic line from a certain dutiful son.
"Go to the Third Hokage and say this in my tone," Fuma mimicked Uchiha Itachi's cold and arrogant tone: "I want to test my capacity as a trial to become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. If I can't face the war, how can I protect the village?"
Seeing Kushina's confused expression, Fuma chuckled wryly—imitating Itachi was too much for her.
"You can also ask Lady Mito. The Third Hokage will listen to her."
Kushina blinked and asked, "So, if I ask Grandma Mito, I can fight alongside Minato-kun?"
Fuma nodded. Kushina cheered and ran to Minato's side to help him collect the kunai.
Uzumaki Mito's words held great weight in Konoha, enough to be considered a decree.
_______________________
Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/ShadySmuggler