Sparring with Minato

After Kurenai and the others left, Sora Uchiha didn't leave right away.

Instead, he headed toward Minato on the training ground. While talking to Kakashi just now, he'd noticed that Minato seemed to want to speak with him.

Besides, he rather missed this sensei who'd taught him for three days.

"Minato-sensei..." He had just raised his hand,

when a flash of steel streaked past—a Kunai shot straight at him!

Sora Uchiha's pupils contracted. Acting on instinct, he kicked a Kunai from his pant leg.

The Kunai flipped upward and happened to fly right in front of Sora Uchiha. With a crisp clang, it deflected the Kunai hurtling toward him.

Minato's attack was interrupted for an instant by the sudden Kunai, but in that moment, Sora Uchiha had already reacted.

He caught the Kunai in midair with his right hand, then secretly launched four Shuriken with his left, while thrusting the Kunai forward with his right.

The Shuriken were a feint; the Kunai were the real attack...

This smooth series of attacks was every bit as good as that of a ninja with years of battlefield experience.

If Sora Uchiha's talent for precise Chakra control was perhaps only a 20, then his talent for Taijutsu was a 99!

A hint of satisfaction flashed through Minato's eyes. He was delighted by Sora Uchiha's progress, but he didn't hold back at all.

With a quick series of swings, he knocked the Shuriken aside. As for the Kunai, he shifted his body almost imperceptibly, letting it skim past his arm.

Then he shoved Sora away with a sudden burst of force.

Sora Uchiha grunted. The powerful blow sent him flying.

In midair, he quickly formed Hand Seals, his fingers blurring into afterimages.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

A massive fireball roared toward Minato. The scorching air distorted his vision, while also softening the recoil from the blow he'd just taken.

Minato smiled faintly. The Great Fireball Technique had always been an excellent C-rank ninjutsu, and no one could deny its power. But its weakness was obvious: it was too straightforward.

Put simply, the Great Fireball was just a straight-line attack.

So Minato simply pushed off with both legs. The Great Fireball couldn't reach him.

Sora Uchiha hadn't expected that move to hit Minato in the first place. What he wanted was to make Minato dodge it.

Watching Minato in midair, Sora Uchiha smiled faintly.

How could Minato dodge the hidden trick in the Great Fireball while he was in midair?

Whoosh—

A sharp whistle cut through the air as a specially made Kunai shot toward Minato. A small amount of Wind Release Chakra coated the Kunai, making it fly at incredible speed.

But when it came to speed in the Shinobi World, who could beat Minato?

He seemed to notice the smug look in the little guy's eyes and chuckled. The Kunai flew toward him until it was just 0.01 centimeters away. At that distance, even the hairs on his body could feel its chill.

The next instant, Minato vanished. The Kunai shot straight into a training dummy.

Sora Uchiha's smile froze. He glanced to the side, and sure enough, Minato had appeared at a ninety-degree angle from him, holding a specially made Kunai.

"When did he plant the mark?" he grumbled. Then he gave up. He had no interest in continuing the fight.

What was the point? Minato had already used Flying Thunder God. He could have this one.

The next moment, Sora felt a weight on his shoulder. He turned to look and, sure enough, Minato had used the Body Flicker Technique to appear beside him.

As if remembering something, Sora Uchiha rolled up his sleeve and looked at the arm Minato had just struck. Sure enough, a "tattoo" of the Sword of Ninja Love had appeared on it.

Sora Uchiha: ...Well, would you look at that. What the heck did you tattoo on me?

"Not bad. Looks like you haven't slacked off in your training." Minato laughed as he patted Sora Uchiha on the shoulder, pleased with how he'd performed.

After that whole exchange, Sora Uchiha was already strong enough to rank among the top Chunins. It wouldn't be long before he reached Jonin level.

"Sensei, don't just tattoo me whenever you feel like it." Sora Uchiha complained helplessly. The Flying Thunder God mark wouldn't disappear, which meant he'd be stuck with this "Sword of Ninja Love" for the rest of his life.

"Huh?" Minato tilted his head to look, then immediately pressed his palms together and bobbed them up and down. "Sorry, sorry."

There wasn't the slightest hint of a teacher-student relationship between them. They seemed more like two friends of the same age.

At their casual exchange,

the surrounding ninjas drew in sharp breaths.

"That kid looks about eleven or twelve, and he can actually spar with Lord Minato?!"

"Hiss—this kid has the makings of a future legend!"

"That kid's control over Shuriken and Kunai just now was probably no worse than a Jonin's. By the way, who is he? Which fam—"

He never got the word "family" out. A cool breeze blew past, lifting the "ping-pong paddle" on Sora Uchiha's back.

The praise died away at once, and the atmosphere turned awkward.

The ninjas who'd returned from the battlefield with Minato didn't think much of it. They knew better than anyone how reliable a Uchiha was on the battlefield.

In Konoha, everyone looked down on the Uchiha. But on the battlefield, everyone wanted a Uchiha for a teammate.

So those who'd survived the battlefield with Uchiha teammates didn't look down on the Uchiha. Only the ninjas who'd spent years stationed in Konoha had grown prejudiced against them under Hiruzen Sarutobi's influence.

Minato was an exceptionally perceptive man. He sensed the change in the atmosphere at once and quietly glanced at Sora Uchiha. Seeing that his expression was unchanged, he breathed a little easier.

"Looks like I've caused you some trouble," he said quietly.

Sora Uchiha shook his head and smiled. "It's fine. This is nothing. Come on, Sensei. Let's talk somewhere else."

Minato nodded, feeling sorry for the boy. He gave the surrounding ninjas a long, deep look, then rested his hand on Sora Uchiha's shoulder. The two vanished in an instant, leaving only a Kunai stuck in the ground.

The crowd looked at one another. After a while, someone ventured, "What did that kid just call Lord Minato? Sensei? Could that Uchiha be Lord Minato's student?"

"I remember Lord Minato does have a Uchiha student. I think his name's Obito Uchiha? But I heard Obito Uchiha was a dead-last."

Someone who knew Sora Uchiha spoke up to explain. "That kid's name is Sora Uchiha. He came in first in this Chunin Ninja Exam. As for why he calls Lord Minato 'Sensei,' I don't know."

The crowd fell silent again. Remembering Minato's strange look just then, someone said awkwardly, "Lord Minato seemed angry..."

No one answered him. They all wore unreadable expressions, each lost in their own thoughts.

Elsewhere, in the lounge,

"Sorry. I didn't realize they were so prejudiced against the Uchiha," Minato said apologetically.

He was busy—especially these past two years, when he'd barely had time to spend with his wife, Kushina. So he hadn't known much about the villagers' prejudice against the Uchiha.

If he'd known, he wouldn't have tested Sora Uchiha's strength in front of such a large crowd.

"It's fine. I don't care about them." Sora Uchiha found Minato's concern a little amusing.