Minato's Opportunity

In a large tent hastily erected in the frontline base's logistics area, the aroma of charcoal drove away the damp chill that had lingered for days.

The pork belly on the iron grill sizzled as it roasted, the fat popping with a pleasing sound.

"Cheers!"

Jiraiya raised his sake cup and looked at the three boys across from him, who were holding cups of juice. He laughed heartily. "To Team Five's first victory, and to driving those puppet-loving Sunagakure shinobi back into the desert! This meal's on me!"

"Cheers!"

Namikaze Minato grinned brightly and drained his juice in one gulp.

Uchiha Fugaku took only a small sip. Even while eating barbecue, he maintained the Uchiha Clan's characteristic composure, sitting upright and chewing slowly.

As for Nishikawa Tetsu, he was eyeing the plate of freshly served premium beef tongue. His chopsticks flashed like lightning as he snatched the biggest piece before Namikaze Minato could get to it.

"That was the piece I had my eye on!" Namikaze Minato protested.

"If I could snatch it from you, you weren't fast enough." Nishikawa Tetsu calmly popped the meat into his mouth and mumbled, "Besides, intellectual work requires more energy."

Jiraiya watched his subordinates horsing around and sighed wistfully.

If only they weren't in the middle of a war.

After a few cups of sake, Jiraiya grew more talkative.

His gaze fell on Nishikawa Tetsu, who was fiddling with Kazama Sousuke's puppet scroll, and he seemed to think of something.

"By the way, Nishikawa Tetsu."

Jiraiya set down his cup and said with interest, "Fugaku told me you know a lot about puppet mechanisms and those bottles and jars of Chemical Agent. You even came up with your own theory of 'Scientific Ninja Tools'?"

Nishikawa Tetsu paused and nodded. "That's right, Lord Jiraiya. I don't think Chakra should be used only to cast ninjutsu. It's more like a universal energy source. Combined with mechanical principles and chemical reactions, it can produce more consistent combat power."

"Hmm, that's an interesting idea."

Jiraiya rubbed his chin. Then his eyes suddenly lit up, as if he'd come up with a brilliant idea. "That kind of curiosity reminds me of one of my teammates. He's a true genius when it comes to research. You two would have plenty to talk about."

Jiraiya leaned closer and spoke in a conspiratorial tone.

"How about it? When we get back to the village, I'll introduce you to Orochimaru. He probably has the most complete collection of research materials in all of Konoha, and he likes clever kids like you. You'd benefit a lot from his guidance."

At the name Orochimaru, Nishikawa Tetsu nearly bit his tongue while chewing.

He looked up at Jiraiya, who wore an expression that said, "I'm doing this for your own good," and felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

Introduce him to Orochimaru?

What a joke!

That mad scientist hadn't defected yet, but he'd definitely already started experimenting on people.

A civilian orphan like him, with no connections and a good head on his shoulders, would be the perfect test subject—or spare vessel.

At Orochimaru's place, he probably wouldn't learn a thing. He might not even know how he died, and could end up being brought back with Impure World Reincarnation to serve as a fighter.

"Ahem..."

Nishikawa Tetsu hurriedly took a sip of water to calm himself. He put on an utterly sincere yet resolute expression. "Thank you for the offer, Lord Jiraiya, but I think I'll pass."

"Hmm? Why?" Jiraiya asked, surprised. "Orochimaru may be a little cold, but he's the real deal."

"It's mainly that..." Nishikawa Tetsu's mind raced as he searched for an excuse.

"Compared to a gloomy laboratory, I'd much rather learn from a bold and generous teacher like you, Lord Jiraiya."

It was just the right amount of flattery.

"Hahahaha!"

Jiraiya was indeed delighted. He slapped Nishikawa Tetsu on the shoulder. "You've got good taste! Orochimaru's far too gloomy. You're better off sticking with me!"

Nishikawa Tetsu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

That was close. He'd nearly ended up in the snake's den.

Once the subject changed, Jiraiya turned to Namikaze Minato.

"Minato."

"Yes." Namikaze Minato immediately set down his chopsticks and sat up straight.

"You did very well in this battle." Jiraiya's smile faded, and he spoke seriously. "That training Tetsu developed for you has been very effective. You're already so fast that even Chunin can't react in time."

"But..."

Jiraiya paused to point out the problem. "Your attacks are still too limited. Aside from Taijutsu and Kunai, you don't have a powerful ninjutsu that can end a fight in one blow. Against an enemy with defenses as strong as Kazama Sousuke's, you'd struggle."

Namikaze Minato nodded, looking a little downcast. "That's true. My Chakra Nature includes Wind, but I haven't developed a proper Wind Release technique yet."

"But I think I have an idea. I'm suited to ninjutsu that doesn't require Hand Seals."

"Ninjutsu that doesn't require Hand Seals?"

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow and put down his chopsticks, his expression turning serious.

In the Shinobi World, Hand Seals were essential for guiding Chakra. Aside from Taijutsu and techniques involving extreme shape transformation, like the Rasengan, almost all ninjutsu required them.

The difficulty of breaking that rule was obvious.

"Right."

Namikaze Minato held out his right hand, palm upward. His blue eyes glimmered with thought. "Since my fighting style relies on speed, even a second spent forming Hand Seals is a waste of speed for me. And it's hard to maintain complicated Hand Seals while moving at high speed."

He paused, seeming to gather his thoughts as he tried to describe the vague idea in his mind.

"I was wondering if it's possible to skip Nature Transformation and take Chakra straight to its most extreme form of shape transformation."

"Like a Tailed Beast Bomb."

By the time Nishikawa Tetsu heard that, he already knew what Minato was getting at. Was this what being a genius meant?

He'd only just reached the battlefield, and he was already trying to develop a ninjutsu that played to his strengths!

"A Tailed Beast Bomb?!"

This time, Uchiha Fugaku was the one who looked surprised. He set down his teacup and furrowed his brow. "You want to compress that enormous amount of Chakra in your hand? Only a Tailed Beast can do that. A human body couldn't withstand the backlash from that kind of density."

"Pure compression wouldn't work, of course."

Nishikawa Tetsu, who had been quietly eating meat, suddenly spoke up.

He swallowed the premium beef tongue, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and fixed them with a sharp gaze.

"But what if it spins?"

"Spins?" Namikaze Minato's eyes lit up, as if he'd grasped the key. "You mean..."

"Like a typhoon." Nishikawa Tetsu picked up a cup of water and stirred it quickly with his chopsticks, making a little whirlpool. "Pure compression would make it explode. But if you make the Chakra spin rapidly and chaotically, the dynamic balance between centrifugal and centripetal force could keep a high-density ball of energy stable in your palm."

"Without Nature Transformation, the sheer tearing force of the Chakra itself would be enough to destroy anything it touched."

Namikaze Minato listened intently. Watching the swirling water in the cup, he saw his vague idea become clear.

"Chaotic rotation... maintaining a spherical shape... compressing the inside..." Minato murmured to himself. His right hand instinctively began to gather Chakra. Only a faint current swirled in his palm, but it was already the earliest form of the Rasengan.

"Hiss—"

Jiraiya drew in a sharp breath.

He looked at the two Genin: one dared to imagine it, and the other could actually provide the theory to support it.

"You two brats." Jiraiya shook his head with a wry smile.

"Do you have any idea how difficult that would be? It'd be like holding a bomb in your hand that could explode at any moment. It would take not only tremendous Chakra control, but incredible talent."

"But..."

Jiraiya's tone shifted, and he looked at Minato with shining eyes. "If anyone can do it, you might be able to. Once completed, this technique really would be perfect for you."

"I'll do my best, Lord Jiraiya!" Minato clenched his fist, brimming with confidence.

"Since you're so determined, I can't be stingy either."

Jiraiya seemed to have made up his mind, and his expression grew serious.

"Minato, developing this kind of extreme shape transformation will take time. It could take a year, two years, or even longer. But until then, you can still get faster."

"I can?" Minato's eyes lit up.

Nishikawa Tetsu understood Jiraiya's intention. Their teacher really was generous.

"Exactly. The Body Flicker Technique alone isn't enough."

Jiraiya lowered his voice, as though sharing a secret. "When I return to the village to report, I'll use whatever influence this old face of mine has to ask the old man for permission to consult the Scroll of Seals. It contains the Second Hokage's signature technique—the Flying Thunder God Technique."

"Flying Thunder God..."

Uchiha Fugaku's pupils contracted sharply. As a member of the Uchiha, he knew exactly what that technique meant.

It was the terrifying ninjutsu that had once defeated Uchiha Izuna, the pinnacle of speed in the Shinobi World.

"It's an S-rank Space-Time Ninjutsu, and incredibly difficult to master. Countless people in Konoha have tried and failed over the decades."

Jiraiya looked at Minato, his eyes full of expectation. "But with your reaction speed, I think you have a real chance."

Namikaze Minato froze. Then a tremendous wave of emotion welled up inside him.

"Lord Jiraiya..."

"Don't get all sentimental!" Jiraiya smacked Minato on the back, nearly sending him sprawling into the barbecue grill. "Eat! You need a full stomach to have the strength to study ninjutsu!"

The tent's atmosphere grew lively again.

Nishikawa Tetsu watched from the side.

The theoretical basis for the Rasengan was in place, and the path to learning the Flying Thunder God was open.

The Yellow Flash, whose name would strike fear throughout the Shinobi World, was finally on his way.