The two stood at the survival training field, with Kushina following behind, munching on a bag of chips as she watched eagerly.
Hayato hadn't forgotten the mission he triggered the day before:
[As a Pokémon Trainer, how could you not have a rival to push you to grow stronger? Defeat your rival as a ninja.]
[Reward: Rival receives a Pokémon, and the host learns a random skill.]
As someone blessed with the Pokémon system, Hayato not only had to be a trainer but also take on the role of a professor handing out starter Pokémon.
"Minato, are you ready? I'm good to go anytime," Hayato said with a confident smile.
"I've always been ready. Don't underestimate me," Minato replied, his tone serious.
The two formed the Seal of Confrontation and took their positions.
"Kushina, I'm leaving the role of referee to you," Hayato said, giving her a thumbs-up.
"Mm... all right, leave it to me!" Kushina said, swallowing her chips quickly. "Begin!"
Hayato never liked being on the defensive. His style had always been to attack first, especially against an opponent weaker than himself.
Minato stood ready, his body slightly leaning forward, legs bent, and eyes locked onto Hayato. His blond hair swayed gently in the breeze, and his breathing was calm as he held a kunai, prepared to counter any move Hayato made.
"Here I come!"
Hayato initiated the attack, lightly kicking off the ground and sending a spray of dust into the air. His fist shot straight for Minato's chest with tremendous force, far surpassing anything he'd demonstrated before.
Minato's eyes flashed with surprise. Though he had never told anyone, his dynamic vision was exceptionally sharp, allowing him to track fast-moving objects with ease. As he grew stronger, his visual acuity improved alongside him.
This ability had been one of the reasons he believed he could become Hokage someday.
However, Hayato's movements were almost too fast for his eyes to follow. This must be the influence of the Sharingan, Minato thought, dodging at the last second. The punch grazed his shoulder, and the sheer force in the air was palpable.
If that had hit, it would've sent me flying several meters, Minato thought, his heart racing.
Springing back three meters to create distance, Minato barely had time to catch his breath before Hayato closed the gap again in a flash. Hayato raised his leg and aimed a powerful kick at Minato's waist.
Let's see if you can keep up with my speed, Minato, Hayato thought to himself.
Minato crossed his arms to block the blow, but the impact still sent him skidding back five steps, leaving deep marks in the dirt. His arms tingled from the shock, and his shock only grew—Hayato's strength was monstrous.
Kushina's eyes sparkled as she watched the fight, completely forgetting about her chips. So this is the strength of Konoha's ninja students? She thought to herself. Compared to these two, her own abilities felt lacking.
Hayato suddenly pulled back and formed hand seals rapidly. Two identical clones appeared at his sides. Together, the three Hayatos surrounded Minato, boxing him in.
Minato's eyes narrowed, sensing the danger. He quickly threw a shuriken, dispersing one of the clones, and leaped backward to create space. However, Hayato was already closing in, a kunai aimed directly at Minato's exposed side.
"This is my win," Hayato said with a smile, his kunai stopping just five centimeters from Minato's neck.
But Minato's body vanished with a puff of smoke, replaced by a wooden log.
"A substitution?" Hayato muttered, scanning the surroundings.
"Right here!" Minato's voice came from behind.
"You think I wouldn't notice that?" Hayato smirked, the Sharingan in his eyes spinning. "Minato, since when did you think your substitution could fool my Sharingan?"
Hayato leaped into the air. "Let's end this with one move."
He quickly formed hand seals: Rat, Tiger, Dog, Ox, Hare, Tiger.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
Thanks to the training notes from Uchiha Setsuna and his activated Sharingan, Hayato had mastered the technique swiftly.
Small fireballs rained down from the sky, their intense heat bearing down on Minato.
"Stop, stop! I surrender!" Minato rolled backward awkwardly, raising his hands in defeat.
"I declare the winner: Uchiha Hayato!" Kushina announced, her excitement causing her to drop half her chips.
"Hayato, are you trying to kill me using Fire Style?" Minato grumbled as Hayato helped him up and dusted him off.
"You told me to go all out," Hayato replied with a grin. "Besides, you're the one who said you'd become the Fourth Hokage. Surely a little fire won't stop you?"
Minato, momentarily touched by Hayato's confidence in him, responded, "Of course not. I won't give up so easily."
[Task Complete: The Birth of a Rival]
[Reward: Host learns Double Slap, rival receives a Pokémon.]
A rush of information flooded Hayato's mind, momentarily disorienting him. Double Slap, in the Pokémon world, was a priority move that disrupted an opponent's energy flow for one turn.
In the ninja world, it translated into a technique that used internal energy to momentarily halt an opponent's chakra flow, granting the user an opening. It reminded Hayato of the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist.
Satisfied, he smiled at Minato. "Minato, as I promised, you're the first to get a Pokémon."
"And Kushina, don't worry; you'll get one too," Hayato added, easing Kushina's disappointment.
Still, Kushina felt a slight pang of jealousy. Why does Minato get his Pokémon first?
"Why are you so nice to me, Hayato?" Minato asked suddenly. It was a question he'd been meaning to ask for a while. From their first meeting, Hayato had always shown him unexpected kindness.
"Because we're friends," Hayato replied with a warm smile.
"Friends, huh?" Minato echoed, smiling back. "You're right. But don't think I'll go easy on you, Hayato. I'll surpass you soon!"
"Sure, but first, let's get your Pokémon."
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Hayato formed the seals for the summoning technique. The system's roulette stopped spinning at that moment, and with a puff of smoke, a small yellow-and-black figure appeared before them.
"Pika-Pika?"
It was Pikachu.