Minato's Opportunity

In the logistics area of the frontline headquarters, inside a hastily set-up large tent, the aroma of charcoal fire dispelled the lingering damp chill.

Pork belly on the wire grill sizzled as fat dripped, producing a pleasant sound.

"Cheers!"

Jiraiya raised his sake dish, looking at the three youths holding juice cups before him, and laughed heartily: "To Team Five's first victory, and to driving those Sunagakure puppet-users back into the desert! This round's on me!"

"Cheers!"

Namikaze Minato beamed brightly and downed his juice in one gulp.

Uchiha Fugaku took only a sip; even while eating grilled meat, he maintained the Uchiha Clan's characteristic reserve, sitting upright and chewing slowly.

As for Nishikawa Tetsu, he was staring at the freshly served plate of premium beef tongue, his chopsticks moving like lightning, precisely snatching the largest piece before Namikaze Minato could.

"I had my eye on that one!" Namikaze Minato protested.

"If I can snatch it, it means your speed isn't fast enough." Nishikawa Tetsu calmly put the meat in his mouth and mumbled, "Besides, mental workers need more energy replenishment."

Jiraiya watched his bickering subordinates and felt a pang of emotion.

If only this weren't wartime.

After a few cups of sake, Jiraiya's chatterbox opened up.

He looked at Nishikawa Tetsu, who was fiddling with Kazama Sousuke's puppet scroll, and seemed to recall something.

"Speaking of which, Nishikawa Tetsu."

Jiraiya set down his cup, speaking with interest, "I heard from Fugaku that you're quite knowledgeable about those puppet mechanisms and those bottles and jars of chemical reagents? You even came up with a theory of 'Scientific Ninja Tools'?"

Nishikawa Tetsu paused his movements and nodded: "Yes, Jiraiya-sama. I believe chakra shouldn't just be used to release ninjutsu; it's more like a universal energy source. If combined with physical machinery and chemical reactions, it can yield more stable combat power."

"Hmm, an interesting idea."

Jiraiya stroked his chin, then his eyes lit up as if he'd hit on a brilliant notion: "That kind of research spirit reminds me of my teammate. He's a true genius in scientific research. You two should have a lot in common."

Jiraiya leaned in closer and said mysteriously:

"How about it? After we return to the village, I'll introduce you to Orochimaru? He probably has the most complete research data in all of Konoha, and he likes clever kids like you. If you get his guidance, it'll do you a lot of good."

Hearing the name Orochimaru, Nishikawa Tetsu, who was chewing meat, nearly bit his tongue.

He looked up at Jiraiya, whose face said "I'm doing this for your own good," and the hairs on the back of his neck instantly stood on end.

Introduced to Orochimaru?

Are you kidding me?!

That current science fanatic might not have defected yet, but he's absolutely already started human experiments.

A civilian orphan like himself, with no background and a sharp mind, sent over would be the perfect experimental subject or spare container.

Going to Orochimaru's place, he'd probably not only learn nothing but die without knowing how, and might even end up being resurrected by Impure World Reincarnation to serve as a pawn.

"Ahem..."

Nishikawa Tetsu quickly took a sip of water to calm himself, putting on an extremely sincere yet firm expression: "Thank you for the kind offer, Jiraiya-sama, but I'll pass."

"Huh? Why?" Jiraiya was a bit surprised. "Orochimaru might be cold in personality, but his skills are the real deal."

"It's mainly..." Nishikawa Tetsu's brain raced for an excuse.

"Compared to that kind of gloomy lab, I prefer following a bold teacher like Jiraiya-sama."

This flattery hit the mark perfectly.

"HAHAHAHA!"

Jiraiya was indeed delighted, slapping Nishikawa Tetsu's shoulder hard: "Good eye! You're right, that Orochimaru is too gloomy. Following me has more promise!"

Nishikawa Tetsu breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

Close call, he almost ended up in the snake pit.

After the topic shifted, Jiraiya's gaze turned to Namikaze Minato beside him.

"Minato."

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

"This battle, your performance was excellent." Jiraiya dropped his smile and spoke seriously. "That training Tetsu helped you develop was very effective. Your speed is already fast enough that even chunin can't react."

"But."

Jiraiya paused, pointing out the issue: "Your attack methods are still too limited. Besides taijutsu and kunai, you lack a powerful ninjutsu that can seal the deal. If you encounter an enemy with strong defenses like Kazama Sousuke, you'll struggle."

Namikaze Minato nodded, his expression dimming: "Yes. My Chakra Nature includes Wind, but I haven't developed a decent Wind Release yet."

"But I have some ideas. I'm suited for ninjutsu that don't require hand seals."

"Ninjutsu without hand seals?"

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, set down his chopsticks, and his expression turned serious.

In the ninja world, hand seals were a necessary process for guiding chakra flow. Except for taijutsu and extreme shape transformations like the Rasengan, almost all ninjutsu required hand seals.

The difficulty of breaking this ironclad rule was unimaginable.

"Yes."

Namikaze Minato extended his right hand, palm up, a glint of contemplation flickering in his azure eyes. "Since my combat style is speed, even a single second spent on hand signs is a waste of speed for me. Moreover, maintaining complex hand sign gestures during high-speed movement is extremely difficult."

He paused, as if organizing his words to describe the vague concept in his mind:

"I was thinking—could I skip Nature Transformation entirely and push Chakra to its ultimate Form Transformation?"

"Like a Tailed Beast Bomb."

By the time Nishikawa Tetsu heard this, he already knew what Minato was about to say. Was this what a genius looked like?

He was already developing a jutsu tailored to his strengths right after stepping onto the battlefield!

"A Tailed Beast Bomb?!"

This time, it was Uchiha Fugaku's turn to be astonished. He set down his teacup, his brow furrowed deeply. "You want to compress that kind of massive Chakra in your palm? That's something only a tailed beast can do. A human body simply can't withstand the backlash of that density."

"If it were pure compression, of course not."

Nishikawa Tetsu, who had been silently eating meat on the side, suddenly interjected.

He swallowed the premium beef tongue, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and his gaze sharpened:

"But what if it's rotation?"

"Rotation?" Namikaze Minato's eyes lit up, as if grasping something crucial. "You mean..."

"Like a typhoon." Tetsu picked up a glass of water from the table and quickly stirred it with his chopsticks, forming a small vortex. "Pure compression would cause an explosion. But if you make the Chakra undergo chaotic, high-speed rotation, using the dynamic balance of centrifugal and centripetal forces, you can maintain a high-density energy sphere in your palm."

"No Nature Transformation needed. Just the tearing force of the Chakra itself would be enough to destroy anything it touches."

Namikaze Minato was completely absorbed, watching the swirling water in the glass. The blurry concept in his mind suddenly became crystal clear.

"Chaotic rotation... maintaining a spherical form... internal compression..." Minato murmured, his right hand instinctively beginning to gather Chakra. Though only a faint wisp of airflow swirled in his palm, it was already the earliest prototype of the Rasengan.

"Hiss—"

Jiraiya sucked in a sharp breath.

He looked at these two genin—one dared to imagine, and the other could actually provide theoretical support.

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

"Do you have any idea how difficult this is? It's like trying to hold a bomb in your hand that could explode at any moment. This requires not only immense Chakra control but also extraordinary talent."

"But..."

Jiraiya's tone shifted, his gaze burning as he looked at Minato: "If it's you, maybe you really can do it. If this jutsu is completed, it would indeed be the most suitable one for you."

"I'll work hard, Jiraiya-sensei!" Minato clenched his fist, his face full of confidence.

"Since you have that resolve, I can't be stingy either."

Jiraiya seemed to have made a decision, his expression turning serious.

"Minato, developing this kind of ultimate Form Transformation takes time—maybe a year, two years, or even longer. But before that, your speed can still be improved."

"It can still be improved?" Minato's eyes lit up.

Nishikawa Tetsu, however, understood Jiraiya's intent. This teacher was truly generous.

"That's right. Just the Body Flicker Technique isn't enough."

Jiraiya lowered his voice, as if revealing a secret: "When we return to the village to report, I'll use this old face of mine to request permission from the old man to access the Scroll of Seals. It contains the Second Hokage's signature technique—the Flying Thunder God Technique."

"Flying Thunder God..."

Uchiha Fugaku's pupils sharply contracted. As an Uchiha, he knew the weight of that jutsu all too well.

It was the terrifying technique that had once brought Uchiha Izuna to his knees—the pinnacle of speed in the shinobi world.

"This is an S-rank space-time ninjutsu, extremely difficult to master. Countless people in Konoha have tried and failed over the decades."

Jiraiya looked at Minato, his eyes full of expectation: "But if it's you, with your neural reaction speed, I think there's a real chance."

Namikaze Minato was stunned, then a wave of immense gratitude surged through him.

"Jiraiya-sensei..."

"Don't get all mushy!" Jiraiya slapped Minato on the back, nearly sending him face-first into the grill plate. "Eat! A full stomach gives you the strength to research jutsu!"

The atmosphere in the tent grew lively again.

Nishikawa Tetsu watched from the side.

The theoretical foundation for the Rasengan was laid, and the path to acquiring the Flying Thunder God was open.

That Yellow Flash, who would make the shinobi world tremble in fear, was finally about to make his debut.