Back in the cave, the two were once again faced with Lady Katsuyu, already feeling homesick.
"Lady Katsuyu, how are we going to get back?" Kawakaze suddenly voiced a troubling thought. It seemed no one in Konoha was using the Summoning Slug anymore, which meant the Reverse Summoning Technique might no longer work.
"Don't worry. I've already left a clone in your home," Lady Katsuyu replied calmly, seemingly reading Kawakaze's mind.
"Haha, Lady Katsuyu, you're really meticulous!" Kawakaze said with genuine relief, praising her foresight.
"Not really. I left the clone in case something happens to you. I can always send you back in the form of pus," she added matter-of-factly. "You humans always want to be buried in your hometown, don't you?"
Tsunade couldn't help but laugh, while Kawakaze's expression turned awkward.
"Lady Katsuyu, you're such a strange creature," Kawakaze muttered under his breath, though he restrained himself from saying more.
"Send us back, Katsuyu," Tsunade interjected.
"Okay."
In a swirl of smoke, the two vanished from the Shikkotsu Forest and reappeared in the Hatake Clan Dojo, landing on a damp patch of grass—a slug's preferred environment. After thanking the clone of Lady Katsuyu, Kawakaze quickly stepped away.
It had only been a day since they left, and now it was afternoon. Nawaki and Minato, who had been practicing kenjutsu, ran over as soon as they noticed them.
"Sister! Big Brother!"
"Sensei!" Minato called out excitedly.
Tsunade hesitated at first but had grown accustomed to Minato's new way of addressing her after their trip to the Shikkotsu Forest.
"Nawaki, do you have a Summoning Beast?"
"Yes," Nawaki replied.
"A snake?"
Nawaki nodded, but Kawakaze pushed him aside and turned to Minato.
"Minato, you don't have a Summoning Beast yet, do you?"
"No, Sensei," Minato admitted.
"Good. I think a Slug is perfect for you," Kawakaze said and dragged Minato over to sign the Summoning Scroll. Without much fanfare, Minato bit his finger, signed his name in blood, and officially formed a contract with the Katsuyu.
Just like that, he had lost the privilege to summon Gamabunta.
With that done, the Slug departed, and Kawakaze felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He no longer feared being trapped in the Shikkotsu Forest with Tsunade.
"Sensei, have you finished your training?" Minato asked, his voice full of curiosity and respect. Though he didn't know the specifics of Kawakaze's technique, he had overheard his uncle Sakumo mentioning how dangerous it was.
"Yes. When you grow up, see if you can learn it," Kawakaze replied with a smile, reaching out to ruffle Minato's blond hair. He couldn't help but remember that in the original timeline, Minato had also mastered Senjutsu.
"Big Brother, I want to learn it too!" Nawaki chimed in, unwilling to be left out. He refused to fall behind Minato.
"You can go ask Orochimaru," Kawakaze replied quickly. Letting Nawaki experiment with dangerous techniques was too risky—if he messed up and turned into a puddle of pus, Tsunade would cry herself to death.
"Alright, you two, go back to your practice," Kawakaze said, cutting off further protests.
"Tsunade and I are going to change," he added.
Unable to stand the smell on her body after the trip, Tsunade quickly dismissed her younger brother and Minato, insisting on a bath. Kawakaze and Tsunade each went to separate bathing areas to clean up.
Meanwhile, Sakumo had disappeared with his wife, and the ever-elusive Onimaru was nowhere to be found.
Kawakaze finished washing up and changed into clean clothes. He didn't wait around for Tsunade—he wasn't about to let her drag him into sharing a bath. Instead, he headed to the dojo.
When he arrived, he saw Minato practicing diligently.
"Minato, come here," Kawakaze called as he sat down at a stone table. A servant approached, pouring freshly brewed tea.
"What is it, Sensei?" Minato asked, putting his wooden sword back on the rack before hurrying over. Despite his age, his speed was already impressive.
"Do you think you could condense a ball of chakra in your hand, one that moves at high speed in an irregular manner?" Kawakaze asked, cutting straight to the point.
Minato blinked, confused. He had no idea what his Sensei was describing. This kind of technique couldn't be imagined out of thin air, and he had never seen or heard of such a thing before.
"I don't know, Sensei," he admitted, spreading his right hand and frowning as he tried to picture it.
Kawakaze wasn't surprised. Minato was still young and lacked the inspiration that would eventually lead him to develop the Rasengan. In the original story, it had taken him three years to create the technique, inspired by the Tailed Beast Bomb.
"Then I'll give you a task," Kawakaze said. "Develop the theory I've described into a Jutsu. You have one year."
Minato looked even more confused. He was just a Genin—why was his Sensei asking him to create a new Jutsu?
"Sensei, I'll work hard," Minato finally said, yielding under Kawakaze's hopeful gaze.
"Good. Once you've started, I'll find someone even more skilled to teach you about Ninjutsu," Kawakaze said, though he felt a twinge of regret at not having the Rasengan for himself.
Minato bowed and returned to practicing swordplay with Nawaki, though it was clear his thoughts were elsewhere.
"Minato, what's wrong? You seem distracted," Nawaki asked, noticing his friend's lack of focus.
The two young men had become close friends, and Nawaki's concern was genuine.
"Sensei told me to develop a Ninjutsu," Minato said hesitantly, still in a daze from the conversation.
"What?" Nawaki's mouth fell open in shock. "Big Brother, you're not joking, are you?"
The very idea seemed outrageous. A Genin? Developing Ninjutsu? Did Kawakaze think this was some kind of game?
"Look at Sensei. Does he seem like the type to joke?" Minato sighed. "And he's given me a one-year deadline."
As they chatted, the two idly swung their practice swords, their training half-hearted at best.
Meanwhile, Tsunade had finished washing up. Refreshed and clean, her demeanor had completely transformed, exuding her usual confidence.
"Come here and give me a hug," Kawakaze said with a sly grin, spreading his arms in mock invitation.
Tsunade easily sidestepped him and sat down beside him instead.
"There are so many people here," she said coolly.
"When there's no one around…" Kawakaze teased, leaving the suggestion hanging.
"What goes on in that head of yours?" Tsunade asked, cutting him off with a sharp glance.
Her no-nonsense tone made her seem like the leader of a household, but she softened as she took the cup of tea Kawakaze had poured. Leaning back, she savored the moment. Life like this suited her far more than the damp, uncomfortable Shikkotsu Forest.
"Do you know of any particularly powerful Ninjutsu practitioners?" Kawakaze asked, shifting gears.
Tsunade eyed him curiously. "Why?"
"I want someone to teach me a bit about Ninjutsu. It's not really my strong suit."
Tsunade sipped her tea thoughtfully. "The most powerful person is, of course, Sensei. Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't earn the title of Ninja Professor for nothing."
Kawakaze shook his head. "No, he's too busy. I need someone else."
He didn't mention Minato's new task. Truth be told, Kawakaze had been acting on a whim. It wasn't until after Minato had left that he fully grasped the absurdity of what he'd asked. The Yellow Flash was only ten years old, after all.
Even by ninja standards, it felt like exploiting child labor. But then again, this was the world of Naruto—where children grew up fast and the impossible was expected.