As Nonoe expressed her frustration at his friends' tardiness, two silhouettes emerged in the distance. They were chatting animatedly as they approached Nonoe's location, who recognized them instantly and reprimanded them:
-We're already late. We should be on our way. Could you help me load the bentos for the picnic?
-Oh, sorry. A fanboy distracted me," Yasuke replied, quickly insinuating that it was Minato's fault.
-What are you talking about! You didn't even warn me that Nonoe was waiting for us," replied Minato, visibly annoyed.
-Hey, I thought I told you. Maybe you forgot, you were half asleep," excused Yasuke.
-I wasn't asleep! I was training," Minato insisted.
Yasuke, with a wry smile, grabbed one of the food baskets and headed for the exit, followed closely by a frustrated Minato.
At training ground number 56, a wide meadow housed five figures. Four of them were sitting in conversation on the grass, while a fifth lay with his eyes closed.
-Where are they? They're taking too long," complained a girl with distinctive red fang tattoos on her cheeks.
-Perhaps they've been delayed by something important," tried to reassure another jet-haired girl.
-The important thing is that they bring the food," commented the Akimichi, bringing his pragmatic perspective.
Meanwhile, Nonoe, Yasuke and Minato approached the group. Nonoe, seeing his friends, ran towards them waving his arms:
-"Guys, we're here! Sorry for the delay.
-Let me guess, Yasuke caused the delay," said the Inuzuka, turning to Yasuke, who just smiled enigmatically and continued on his way.
The situation became comical when Tsume, impatient, challenged Yasuke to a fight, but the latter refused, claiming to have a previous engagement with Shikaku. The Inuzuka accused Yasuke of lying and evading combat, to which he responded with a smile and an evasive excuse.
Meanwhile, the others were preparing the picnic. Minato excitedly shared his new ability as a sensor ninja, comparing himself to the Second Hokage. Yasuke, listening from a distance, couldn't help but smile at his friend's passion.
As the food was being extracted from the baskets, Yasuke sensed a hidden presence, though his visual search revealed no one. At that instant, something hurtled at high speed towards him, knocking him down and scattering the contents of the bento over his figure. With his eyes closed, Yasuke felt something wet brush against his cheek. Opening his eyes, he found Korumaru, the little wolf-dog, licking his face, enjoying the unexpected feast that was upon him. Puzzled, Yasuke called out the name of Tsume, who was writhing with laughter on the ground.
-Ha ha! Well done, Korumaru," Tsume exclaimed with laughter.
The others, including Nonoe and Minato, could not contain their amusement at the scene. After the hilarity died down, they helped Yasuke clean himself up. The group settled down to enjoy the picnic, while Tsume officially introduced Korumaru. He explained that he was still a puppy-in-training and had been set free to explore, which probably led him to sniff the food and act impulsively.
Yasuke, still muttering his discontent, shared a bento with Minato. The latter, intrigued by the upcoming training, asked Tsume about the jutsu he would teach him.
-You don't need an animal partner for this," Tsume replied. It is a basic jutsu that we will learn at the academy, but I can give you an introduction to Kawarimi no Jutsu.
Minato listened curiously, but his attention faded as he realized that Yasuke had finished his bento while they were talking.
-Yasuke, you ate all my bento! -Minato exclaimed, feigning indignation.
-I thought you didn't want any more," Yasuke replied with a sly smile.
Before the situation escalated, the bespectacled girl stepped in, offering to share her food. Soon, others joined in, offering portions of their bentos to Minato. The atmosphere was filled with camaraderie as they continued to eat.
After the picnic, the group began training. Yasuke, secluded from the rest, immersed himself in reading a book with Korumaru resting on it. The shouts of a blond-haired man broke his concentration, causing him to frown and get up, causing Korumaru to fall on top of the sleeping Nara. They both settled back down and went back to sleep.
Twilight was beginning to tint the sky when Minato, elated, emerged from the trees, his face radiating unmistakable pride. He had succeeded, after countless attempts, in mastering the Kawarimi no Jutsu. His excitement was palpable, a mixture of relief and satisfaction at reaching a new level in his ninja training.
-I did it! After so much effort, I finally mastered it," Minato exclaimed, his voice echoing through the training camp.
Beside him, Tsume, with a knowing smile, nodded approvingly.
-You're pretty good, Minato. Though not better than me, of course," he joked, encouraging a friendly rivalry.
Suddenly, their exchange was interrupted by the unexpected flight of two stones. Minato, his reflexes sharpened by recent training, used Kawarimi no Jutsu to evade the attack with agility. Tsume, caught up in her boasting, did not react in time and received a light blow to the forehead.
-Ow! That hurts," she complained, rubbing her forehead with a grimace of surprise and annoyance.
The mysterious attacker then revealed himself: a black-haired man in a leopard cap, whose appearance unleashed a mixture of irritation and defiance in Tsume.
-You bastard! You won't accept a fair fight, but you attack me on the sly," Tsume accused, his voice mixing anger with a touch of amusement.
-It wasn't an attack, just a small stone thrown without force," replied the red-haired man, his calm tone contrasting with the accusation.
Meanwhile, Yasuke watched the scene with an impassive expression. Minato, still elated by his achievement, approached him.
-Yasuke, did you see how I avoided the attack? I learned a new jutsu! -Minato exclaimed, seeking recognition from his friend.
Yasuke, however, responded with calculated indifference.
-Meh, it's not that complicated to learn," he commented, causing a flash of irritation in Minato and Tsume.
-If it's that easy, prove it," Minato challenged, his tone mixing playfulness and defiance.
Yasuke found himself at a crossroads. Internally, he was torn between admitting his ignorance of the technique or improvising a way out. He then remembered an alternative technique he had learned, known as "Shambles". It was similar in concept but different in execution. With this technique, he could fool his friends and keep his reputation intact.
-Perhaps I can use 'Shambles' to simulate Kawarimi no Jutsu," Yasuke thought to himself, planning his next move cautiously.
To be continued...