Chapter 22: Things Are Heating Up
After a long silence, Kushina finally gave up with a sigh. She glanced at the stoic Yakumaru and then turned to Minato with a complaint.
"Why are all your students like this? Can't you pick someone more cheerful?"
"Rin's pretty optimistic, isn't she?" Minato's shadow clone replied with a helpless smile.
"She used to be… not anymore."
Kushina's face clouded as she thought about how the war had changed Minato's team. It brought a touch of sorrow.
War always meant loss…
Recently, Kushina had been plagued by nightmares. She dreamed of her future child growing up as withdrawn and serious as Kakashi. It left her feeling uneasy.
How could she teach her child to be cheerful if she couldn't even change Kakashi or the stoic Hyuga boy standing before her?
She hoped her child would be more like Obito—bright and carefree. That would be much less worrying.
"…" Minato remained silent.
Kushina soon regained her energy and asked enthusiastically, "So, what did you call me here for? To help you train the Shadow Guard?"
"I want you to use the Nine-Tails' chakra to give them some protection. Space-time ninjutsu is inherently dangerous," Minato's shadow clone explained, glancing between Yakumaru and Fuji.
"During teleportation, if anything goes wrong, it could cause serious physical injuries. But with the Nine-Tails' chakra, their bodies will gain increased durability and recovery abilities. It'll be a big help."
"Got it." Kushina nodded in understanding, thumping her chest confidently. "Leave it to me! So, who's going first?"
"Lady Kushina, I'll go first!"
Uchiha Yakumaru stepped forward, his voice calm and steady.
His expression betrayed no emotion, but internally, he was determined: I must master the Flying Thunder God faster than Hyuga Fuji!
Kushina's gaze landed on Yakumaru, lingering briefly on his Sharingan before she muttered, "An Uchiha from Obito's clan, huh? Doesn't seem like him at all."
Yakumaru frowned, his composure cracking slightly. "Of course I'm not like Obito."
He didn't want to be compared to the infamous failure of their clan, even if Obito was now hailed as a hero of Konoha.
"Oh? Not like him?"
Daring to talk down about Obito in front of me and Minato? This kid really doesn't know his place.
Well, it wasn't surprising. Most Uchiha didn't know how to read a room. Obito had the same problem.
Kushina's eyes narrowed, and the air around her turned icy. The crimson chakra leaking from her body made the surrounding temperature drop noticeably.
Bad habits need to be corrected!
Just as Minato's shadow clone prepared to defuse the situation with an awkward smile, Hyuga Fuji stepped forward.
Ignoring Yakumaru's confused gaze, Fuji patted him on the shoulder and calmly addressed Kushina.
"Lady Kushina, I think Yakumaru didn't mean it the way you think."
"He feels he has failed to uphold the Uchiha clan's honor after losing to me and doesn't believe he's worthy of being compared to a hero like Obito."
Yakumaru's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Fuji.
What nonsense is this guy spouting?! You think I'm less than Obito, the clan failure?!
Even Minato was momentarily taken aback by Fuji's words. But when he noticed the crimson chakra on Kushina fading, he smiled knowingly.
Ah, he's just trying to avoid being dragged into Kushina's rage. Smart move.
Fuji ignored Yakumaru's increasingly emotional glare, his expression remaining calm.
This is a rare chance to come into contact with the Nine-Tails' chakra. Don't mess this up.
Besides, whether as a hero or a villain, Obito was far superior to Yakumaru. Obito was a figure of extremes, something Yakumaru could never be.
"I see."
Kushina withdrew her chakra, her smile returning as the oppressive atmosphere vanished. "Yakumaru, with your stoic face just like Fuji's, I thought you were saying you looked down on Obito for being a failure."
Yakumaru quickly realized his mistake. Minato was Obito's teacher, and Kushina was his mentor's wife. Speaking ill of Obito in front of them was practically suicide.
Even though Obito had died heroically, why was the clan's "failure" label still haunting him?!
"Of course not. I just have a habit of keeping a serious expression," Yakumaru said with a forced smile, swallowing his pride.
"Good."
Satisfied, Kushina tied her bright red hair into a single ponytail and said, "Nine-Tails, lend me some chakra."
Fuji could only imagine the abuse the Nine-Tails was enduring inside the seal. Judging by the growing intensity of Kushina's aura, it was likely merciless.
As she seized control of the Nine-Tails' chakra, a golden glow radiated from Kushina's body. Golden markings appeared on her skin, and a chakra cloak surrounded her.
This was the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode!
The sheer concentration and solidity of the chakra were beyond anything Fuji had ever witnessed.
"I've taken plenty of chakra from the Nine-Tails. Both of you, come forward."
She extended her hands, and when Fuji and Yakumaru placed their hands in hers, the crimson chakra spread to envelop them.
In an instant, a fiery red chakra cloak appeared around both of them.
So this is the power of the Nine-Tails, Fuji thought, clenching his fists and feeling the immense surge in chakra.
This era of Konoha was truly remarkable.
Two of the Sannin were at their peak, the Third Hokage still retained his strength, and the Fourth Hokage and his wife were far beyond ordinary Kage-level shinobi.
Might Guy was already on the path to mastering the Eight Gates.
Meanwhile, two Uchiha prodigies were developing in the younger generation.
With such power and potential, Konoha's strength was terrifying. If the village didn't sabotage itself, the other shinobi nations would never surpass it.
"Lady Kushina, there's plenty of the Nine-Tails' chakra left. May I transfer some to my shadow clones?" Fuji asked.
"You want to train with your clones?"
Kushina, her golden glow slightly dimmed, glanced at Minato. Seeing no objection from him, she nodded.
"Sure, go ahead."
It's the Nine-Tails' chakra, after all. If we run out, I'll just take more. I don't mind.
As Kushina watched Fuji summon four shadow clones and share the chakra with them, Yakumaru quickly followed suit, creating five shadow clones.
"Wait! Lady Kushina, my clones need chakra too!"
"Alright." Kushina chuckled, though she seemed exasperated by their competitiveness.
After the two and their clones moved away to train, Kushina turned to Minato with a sly smile.
"This is the real you now?"
"Yes. I came to keep you company," replied the real Minato, who had quietly arrived without anyone noticing. With the Flying Thunder God Technique, slipping away from the Hokage's office was a trivial matter.
Kushina's expression softened slightly, though she teased, "You must have left the office because the Hokage's work wasn't important."
"All Hokage duties are important," Minato said with a shake of his head. "But this one's a bit unusual. I received intel from the frontlines—the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have vanished. I need to make some preparations outside the village."
"Huh? Could it be that they're planning…"
"That's right. They might think Konoha is vulnerable after the recent transition of Hokage leadership, assuming we're distracted by administrative work. They're likely looking to exploit a perceived weakness."
"Or maybe they're trying to relieve pressure on their own forces at the front. After all, Jiraiya-sensei is leading an advanced unit to the Mist battlefield. Facing two of the Sannin must be a heavy burden for the Mist."
Minato confirmed her suspicions with a nod.
"The Mist spy Yakumaru captured revealed their attack plans with the help of the Yamanaka clan. I need to act in advance."
"I see… do you need me to come with you?"
"No need. If they dare come here, not a single one will leave Konoha alive."
A cold light flashed in Minato's eyes.
In the distance, Fuji, who had activated his Byakugan, observed their conversation. Reading their lips, he raised an eyebrow.
From facing Eight-Gates Dai to potentially facing Minato—and even a combined assault from the Fourth Hokage and Kushina?
Hard to say which would be worse for them.
Still, it would be an excellent opportunity to gather intel on strong opponents, and it might also save Dai-sensei from a dangerous battle.
With this thought in mind, Fuji returned to his training.
He threw a marked kunai at a distant tree and attempted to teleport one of his shadow clones to it.
Whoosh!
A sharp, short sound rang out. The clone's figure
...blurred momentarily but ultimately failed to relocate, leaving Fuji standing still with a furrowed brow.
Using his Byakugan to observe the entire process, a faint blue glimmer flashed in his eyes as he carefully analyzed what went wrong. Just as he was preparing to try again, a voice broke his concentration.
"Hey, you've been using shadow clones for training all this time, haven't you?"
Turning, Fuji saw Yakumaru smirking at him.
"I can split more clones than you for training. Five against four. Let's see who masters this technique first," Yakumaru said, his tone sharp and taunting.
Fuji glanced at him, expressionless as always. Then, in a calm voice, he replied, "You can try. Who knows, maybe tomorrow I won't see you here anymore."
"???"
Yakumaru froze, completely confused by the ominous comment. "What do you mean by that?!"
Fuji didn't elaborate. He turned his attention back to the kunai, preparing for his next attempt at teleportation.
Still stewing in frustration, Yakumaru glanced at Kushina, hoping for some support, but she was busy chuckling at his expense.
"Yakumaru, don't take him too seriously. Fuji's just got a sharp tongue. Focus on your training if you want to keep up," Kushina teased, tying her ponytail tighter and watching as both young shinobi got back to work.
---
As night fell over the forest training grounds, both Fuji and Yakumaru were still at it, pushing their limits. Minato's shadow clone had dispersed, leaving them with guidance from the scrolls and Kushina's oversight.
Yakumaru's determination burned as brightly as ever. His Sharingan spun as he replayed every failed attempt in his mind, refining his approach with each try.
Meanwhile, Fuji relied on his Byakugan, meticulously analyzing every detail of the spatial shift process. Each failure gave him more data to work with. He wasn't rushing. Precision and understanding were his priorities.
The tension between the two was palpable. Even their shadow clones, engulfed in Nine-Tails' chakra, moved in sync with their originals, mirroring their intensity.
At one point, Kushina, observing from the sidelines, muttered to herself, "These two are really competitive. It's like they're trying to outwork each other to death."
Her gaze softened slightly as she thought of Obito.
I hope you find rivals like this one day… but don't work yourself to the bone like these two idiots.
---
Early the next morning, Minato arrived to check on their progress. He found Fuji and Yakumaru already waiting, neither looking particularly well-rested.
"Good morning," Minato greeted with his usual warm smile. "I see you two have been working hard. That's good, but don't forget—rest is just as important as training."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," they both replied in unison, though neither seemed entirely sincere.
Minato chuckled softly. He could see the fierce determination in both their eyes. "Alright. Let's get started. Today, I'll move around you using the Flying Thunder God. No dojutsu this time—focus solely on your spatial awareness."
As he spoke, Minato's figure flickered, vanishing and reappearing at random points around the training ground.
The two shinobi stood in silence, their senses on high alert. Both were determined to predict Minato's next move, analyzing every faint trace of his chakra and movement.
For Yakumaru, the task was frustrating. Without relying on his Sharingan, his reflexes felt dulled. He clenched his fists, trying to force his mind to keep up with Minato's blinding speed.
Fuji, on the other hand, approached the exercise with a calm, methodical mindset. He had trained his perception for years as a Byakugan user, and while this was different, it felt… familiar.
After an hour, Minato stopped, his smile never fading.
"Not bad," he said, glancing between the two. "Both of you are improving. Keep at it, and you'll get there."
Fuji nodded silently, while Yakumaru huffed, clearly dissatisfied with his own progress.
As Minato prepared to leave, he added one final piece of advice.
"Remember, mastering the Flying Thunder God isn't just about speed or skill—it's about precision and understanding. Take your time."
With that, Minato disappeared in a flash, leaving the two young shinobi to resume their training.
---
Hours later, as the sun began to set, Fuji leaned against a tree, exhausted but contemplative. His progress was steady, but the technique still felt just out of reach.
Yakumaru, not far away, was muttering to himself, frustration evident on his face.
"Damn it… I won't lose to you, Fuji. Just wait. I'll show you I'm better than a Hyuga!"
Fuji didn't respond. Instead, he closed his eyes, focusing inward.
The Flying Thunder God… I will master it. No matter how long it takes.
(End of Chapter)
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