"Ahem," Fuma cleared his throat softly, interrupting Minato's fantasies.
Developing a Kekkei Genkai might sound thrilling, but it was fraught with immense risk.
In a world of shinobi where power reigns supreme, countless people dreamed of obtaining a Kekkei Genkai. Yet, the number who succeeded in walking that path were few and far between.
For as many Kekkei Genkai as there have been throughout the ages, there have only been a handful of successful pioneers—no more than what could be counted on two hands.
Fuma had once asked Orochimaru about the difficulties of synthesizing a Kekkei Genkai and received a very detailed answer. Apparently, Orochimaru had entertained similar ideas but ultimately gave up on them.
To fully merge different chakra natures, there were generally two key steps:
First, the chakra of two natures had to be allowed to fuse in varying proportions within the body until the ideal fusion trend was found. This required an incredible degree of chakra control.
Second, the chakra had to be maintained in its fused state until the body adapted and became familiar with the sensation of fusion, eventually turning it into an instinct imprinted in one's genes.
If one failed, the chakra would become uncontrollably chaotic, resulting in injuries at best, or total physical collapse at worst—crippling them for life.
If Minato's goal was to aim for Kekkei Tōta, a power even greater than Kekkei Genkai, the difficulty would increase exponentially, and the consequences of failure would be unbearable.
Most likely, it would result in a chakra explosion within his body—self-destruction. This was Fuma's concern, a kind of troublesome joy. As they say, the higher you fly, the harder you fall.
Geniuses might reach unattainable heights, but they could also crash and burn, erasing themselves from the shinobi world forever.
Fuma certainly didn't want to see Minato, whom he had trained since childhood, perish in the pursuit of power, especially not after surviving the chaos of the Nine-Tails attack.
"Minato, developing a Kekkei Genkai sounds wonderful, but I think you can imagine the dangers involved. I'll give you some relevant material later, but you must proceed with caution."
Fuma emphasized this to Minato in a serious tone.
Minato nodded, indicating he understood, but his gaze remained distant, clearly lost in his vision of developing a Kekkei Genkai.
During the last war, his helplessness when facing a Tailed Beast had shattered his pride.
After returning to the village, he reflected deeply and came to a new conclusion:
"In the shinobi world, just being stable isn't enough. You need the ability to kill your enemies to ensure true safety."
Minato believed that even though he had Fuma's protection, the shinobi world was still full of unexpected dangers.
Only by growing stronger himself could he achieve real security and give back to Fuma, repaying his kindness.
Seeing Minato's reaction, Fuma sighed in satisfaction. After years of being together, Fuma had already guessed what was going through Minato's mind.
Sometimes, having such a promising disciple can be a bit overwhelming.
"Before developing a Kekkei Genkai, you need to decide what abilities you want. Currently, there are very few people in the shinobi world who possess dual Kekkei Genkai, so you'll likely only have one shot."
"You need to think this through carefully, kid."
Minato gave an absent-minded response, still immersed in his fantasy.
Fuma watched Minato with a curious expression and asked, "So, tell me, what kind of Kekkei Genkai are you planning to create?"
Hearing this, Minato instantly perked up, his previously dazed eyes now sharp and focused.
As a self-proclaimed lover of all things "cool," one of Minato's hobbies was coming up with flashy names for techniques, which always gave him a thrill.
But today, he had opened a whole new door, imagining future techniques and strategies. This was way too exciting!
The exhilaration this brought far surpassed the fun of coming up with a few flashy names.
Clearing his throat, Minato began to speak:
"You know, Fuma-bro, the Flying Thunder God Technique has its limitations. Sometimes, in the heat of battle, it isn't as safe as I'd like. The Second Hokage is a prime example of this."
"Also, the biggest drawback of the Flying Thunder God is that it's hard to use against enemies who can fly. Gaining the ability to fly and increasing my speed—that's my first development goal."
Fuma chuckled. Minato, a proud inheritor of the Flying Thunder God technique, was now pointing out its flaws, even criticizing its creator, Tobirama Senju.
Still, Minato had a point—shinobi with the ability to fly definitely held a significant advantage.
Even Fuma had to deal with that issue himself.
Seeing Fuma's agreement, Minato grinned and continued:
"Next is survivability. Although very few enemies can land a hit on me, I'm still flesh and blood. If I were ever caught by a genjutsu or some other technique, it'd be very dangerous."
Fuma shook his head and corrected him:
"Your Flying Thunder God has already placed you in an almost unbeatable position. There's no need to be too harsh on yourself."
"If you trained your body like I do or practiced the Lightning Armor from the Hidden Cloud, it would be a waste of time for you."
"As a shinobi, being a jack of all trades isn't necessarily a good thing. Mastering your strengths to the extreme is what you should focus on."
Minato laughed, glancing enviously at Fuma's arm. The white mark left by a Rasengan had already vanished.
"Fuma-bro, even though I'm your student, rest assured, I'm not going to follow your path of Taijutsu."
"You're not even human—I've known that for a while."
Seeing Fuma's dangerous gaze, Minato jumped back and quickly explained:
"When I was in the Land of Rain helping out Tsunade, I saw Hanzo using a secret technique that allowed him to turn his body into water, avoiding most physical attacks. That's the second direction I want to develop."
"My classmate from the academy, Akimichi Choza, told me that these kinds of techniques, where the body undergoes transformation, usually rely on Yang chakra. I think I can learn it."
Fuma pondered. Secret techniques were indeed something between Kekkei Genkai and regular techniques, and many families in Konoha had their own.
The Akimichi Clan's Body Expansion Jutsu, the Nara Clan's Shadow Bind, the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Transfer, and the Kurama Clan's True Illusion—all these secret techniques were advanced applications of Yin-Yang chakra.
Most civilian shinobi didn't have access to such resources, so these techniques were labeled as "secrets."
Theoretically, these secret techniques could be mastered as long as one met the required training standards, regardless of bloodline.
"If you're referring to Hanzo's Water Release technique, it's actually from the Hidden Mist's Hozuki Clan. Though it's technically Water Release, it's definitely a good reference point."
"Orochimaru has recently established connections in the Hidden Mist. In a few days, I'll send an Uchiha squad to support him."
"Once they eliminate a few members of the Hozuki Clan, we can have Orochimaru extract information about the Hydrification Technique for you."
Fuma's body surged with bloodlust, and from the thick mist of energy, a few drops of earthy-colored chakra emerged, coalescing into a mass of flesh.
"Shukaku, who I fought recently, has a similar ability to turn his body into sand. Here, take this piece of flesh and give it to Orochimaru to study."
Minato blankly nodded, absentmindedly fiddling with the chunk of Shukaku's flesh.
He had long grown used to his elder brother's inhuman behavior, but recently, it seemed like Fuma had stopped acting human altogether—and the pace was only accelerating.
"If I remember correctly, the Hozuki Clan also has a technique called the Water Arm, which enhances physical strength. It could help you improve your close-combat skills."
"If necessary, kill a few more of them. There are plenty of Hozuki clansmen around."
"Tsunade also has the superhuman strength of the Senju Clan. If you're interested, you can use that as a reference too."
Fuma spoke nonchalantly.
Minato laughed and thought to himself:
"That's Fuma-bro for you. Always able to provide these precious resources and solve problems in such a simple, straightforward way."
At that moment, Minato was incredibly grateful that he had followed Fuma back then, and not Jiraiya.
"Finally, there's the matter of offensive power. My chakra possesses the elements of Fire, Lightning, and Wind, all of which have high destructive potential."
"If I could successfully combine them into a Kekkei Tōta, would I possess the ultimate offensive power?"
After voicing this final thought, Minato looked at Fuma expectantly.
Fuma pondered the dangers of developing a Kekkei Tōta.
"Let's focus on the preliminary work first. If the fusion of the three chakra natures encounters any issues, pause the process immediately."
"This current ninja war is just a minor skirmish. The true Great Ninja War hasn't arrived yet. When the time comes, we can seize the opportunity to kill Ohnoki from Iwagakure and uncover the real secrets behind the Kekkei Tōta."
Fuma poured cold water on Minato's enthusiasm. No matter how talented Minato was, developing a Kekkei Tōta was no easy feat.
After all, for thousands of years, there had only ever been one Kekkei Tōta—the Dust Release. There was a reason for that.
"Iwagakure's Dust Release is a fusion of Fire, Wind, and Earth, known for its ability to disintegrate anything, with power unmatched in the ninja world. But its casting speed is a major flaw."
"You also need to consider your attack style. If you end up creating a Kekkei Tōta that requires charging up, it may not suit your combat style very well. This is something you need to pay attention to," Fuma added.
As a teacher, he wanted to help Minato improve, but more importantly, he needed to point out crucial mistakes to prevent Minato from going down the wrong path.
Minato nodded, rubbing his chin in thought. This was indeed a key issue.
No matter how powerful a jutsu is, it must fit the user's fighting style. Otherwise, it would only achieve half the desired results.
After some contemplation, Minato slowly said:
"My ideal offensive strategy, when facing powerful enemies, is something like the final form of the Rasengan—a chakra beam generated by the Kekkei Tōta."
"And when facing ordinary Jōnin, I can just use the Flying Thunder God Technique for close-quarters combat. There's no need to waste chakra."
Minato's eyes brightened, and a trace of youthful ambition leaked out as he began to imagine his final form:
"Using the Water Transformation Technique and Shukaku's Sand Transformation as references, I want to transform my body into chakra, making myself immune to physical damage."
Fuma was startled. Chakra transformation of the body? This sounds like elementalization.
"By combining the Hozuki Clan's Water Arm Technique and the Senju Clan's Monstrous Strength, paired with my Flying Thunder God Technique, ordinary Jōnin won't even get the chance to see my Kekkei Tōta."
This sounded all too familiar—Flash Kick, is it?
"Finally, I'll use the ultimate form of the Rasengan as my offensive technique, with the Kekkei Tōta providing the destructive power. Even Tailed Beasts will no longer be enemies I cannot defeat."
"Got it." This is shaping up to be a version of the Glint-Glint Fruit in the world of Naruto.
Fuma chuckled. His disciple had not only an expansive imagination but also grand ambitions.
However, this confidence was built on the resources Fuma provided. Otherwise, all these grand ideas would just be castles in the sky.
All Minato needed was a concept, and Fuma could gather the resources of the ninja world to pave a path to make it happen.
Shukaku's flesh, the Hozuki Clan's secret techniques, the Senju Clan's monstrous strength, Orochimaru's assistance, and Fuma's guidance—each of these things was unattainable to even the most talented ninja, let alone a commoner.
As Fuma watched the enthusiastic Minato, a nostalgic expression crossed his face. He said slowly:
"When you succeed in your research, and when you face your enemies, remember to say this line: "
"You terrifying creatures, you're all as strong as monsters~" [Usual Kizaru]
"And then, wipe them out from the face of this planet."
Minato's face gradually reddened with excitement, his gaze drifting out the window toward the distant Iwagakure.
He was already starting to plan how to take Ohnoki's head.
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