Are You Trying to Fire This Chakra Ball?

"An intern medical ninja? So you're still a Ninja Academy student?"

Minato immediately spotted the flaw in Aoba's words and noticed that he wasn't wearing a ninja forehead protector.

"Uh... yes, I'm a Ninja Academy student, but I really am an intern at Konoha Hospital."

After saying that, he took out his internship certificate from Konoha Hospital. Seeing that the two of them still looked doubtful, Aoba used Medical Ninjutsu.

Seeing the green glow blooming in Aoba's palm, Jiraiya couldn't help clicking his tongue in amazement.

"So you really are a medical ninja."

Since he could even use Medical Ninjutsu, he would definitely go from Konohagakure to Konoha Hospital after graduation. So there was nothing wrong with Aoba calling himself a medical ninja.

"Kids these days are really amazing, mastering Medical Ninjutsu at such a young age."

Jiraiya sighed. When he had been Aoba's age, he hadn't even figured out throwing techniques yet.

"Of course. Lady Tsunade taught us."

"Oh? Tsunade taught you?"

Hearing Tsunade's name, Jiraiya was instantly intrigued.

"Yes. Lady Tsunade taught us in the medical Experimental Class at the Ninja Academy. Besides Medical Ninjutsu, Tsunade also taught me another very powerful ninjutsu!"

As he spoke, Aoba raised his right hand as if presenting a treasure, chakra gathering within it with precision.

"Hah!"

With a low shout, his small fist landed lightly on the ground.

BOOM!!!

The ground first cracked like a spiderweb, then shattered into countless chunks of stone. Amid a deafening roar, dust surged skyward like a massive wave.

But before the ground split apart, Minato and Jiraiya had already leaped out of the attack's range.

After landing, both of them put away their earlier smiles.

A flicker of surprise crossed Minato's eyes.

The teasing smile on Jiraiya's face vanished completely, replaced by gravity. His hand even unconsciously moved toward the ribs on his abdomen.

This was Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred.

No one understood Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred better than he did.

For that arrogant woman to pass her technique on to a kid...

This child named Yamashiro Aoba was no ordinary one.

Not only had he learned Medical Ninjutsu, but he had also mastered Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred. He truly was a genius.

"Hey, hey, hey. That woman actually taught such a dangerous technique to a kid. That's completely outrageous."

Jiraiya dusted himself off and criticized a certain someone.

"Thank you for your suggestion, Lord Jiraiya. I'll write it down and pass your opinion on to Teacher Tsunade."

With that, Aoba actually pulled out a notebook, ready to jot it down.

"Wait, wait."

Jiraiya's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly pressed down Aoba's notebook. "Ahem, well... Tsunade does have a good eye. She can certainly take better care of outstanding juniors."

"Oh, is that so?"

Aoba snapped his notebook shut and looked at Jiraiya with utmost sincerity.

"Then, Lord Jiraiya, how do you plan to take care of an outstanding junior like me?"

Jiraiya: "..."

Aoba had seized on his words and left Jiraiya speechless.

Why weren't kids these days cute at all?

Seeing his teacher stumped by a child, Minato stepped forward with a smile to smooth things over.

"That was an impressive taijutsu technique, Aoba, but you shouldn't use it so casually without preparation in the future. It's dangerous."

There was sincere concern in his voice, and he did not bring up Aoba spying on them again.

Since Aoba had learned Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred, he could hardly be considered an outsider.

Likewise, neither of them treated Aoba like a child anymore. Anyone capable of learning a technique like Strength of a Hundred could not be seen as an ordinary kid.

Since Aoba wanted to watch, they would let him watch.

Jiraiya waved a hand, tacitly allowing Aoba to stay, though he gave him one warning. "Stay there and watch. Don't run around, and don't tell anyone about what happened here."

"Understood."

Aoba nodded, tactfully retreating to the side and finding another unobtrusive rock to sit on.

Minato's development was actually already in its final stages.

The chakra ball in his palm could now maintain a stable form and was no longer as violent and chaotic as it had been at first.

It was a blue sphere spinning at high speed, condensed with astonishing energy and emitting a low buzzing hum.

The problem was that Minato did not seem satisfied with that.

It seemed he wanted to fire this technique out like a Tailed Beast Ball.

He took a deep breath and suddenly thrust the blue chakra ball in his hand forward!

However, the moment the chakra ball escaped the restraint of his palm, it instantly lost stability. Its once-perfect spherical form abruptly twisted and expanded, turning into a chaotic chakra storm that swept in every direction! Boom!

The violent chakra, freed from restraint, exploded directly in midair. The shockwave carried shattered stones and swept across the surroundings like shotgun pellets.

"Ninja Art: Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"

Jiraiya reacted with astonishing speed. His long white hair instantly grew longer, becoming steel needles that seemed alive and weaving themselves into a thick white barrier that blocked every flying fragment of stone.

Sitting behind them, Aoba watched the white hair extend and retract freely, and the flash of insight in his mind returned.

"I understand now."

"So that's how it is..."

As the dust settled, Jiraiya withdrew his ninjutsu, leaving another irregular crater in the center of the clearing.

"Looks like it still won't work."

Minato sat on the ground somewhat disheveled, staring absentmindedly at the clouds in the sky.

"Take a break, Minato."

Jiraiya shook out his hair and returned it to normal, then somehow produced two twin-stick popsicles. "Here, kid, have one too."

Jiraiya walked over to Aoba, casually broke one apart, and handed him half.

"Thank you, Lord Jiraiya."

Aoba accepted it with both hands. The cool touch refreshed him in the scorching afternoon heat.

The sweetness melted across his tongue, carrying a faint milky flavor.

The three of them sat beneath the shade of a tree, popsicles in their mouths as they enjoyed the rare coolness.

Aoba remembered enjoying treats like this in summer in his previous life. Back then, his biggest concern had only been whether he would have to work overtime. Unlike now, when he had to figure out how to survive the wars of the Shinobi World.

"Senior Minato."

Aoba suddenly spoke, breaking the brief silence. "Are you trying to fire this chakra ball out like a Tailed Beast Ball?"

Minato and Jiraiya both froze, turning in unison to look at Aoba, who was licking his popsicle in small bites.

"You know about Tailed Beasts?" Minato asked in surprise.

Even Jiraiya's gaze grew solemn. Information about Tailed Beasts was not something an ordinary Ninja Academy student could access.

"Yes, I saw some records in the Archives Room at Konoha Hospital."

Aoba answered naturally. "They were very old records. They said that before shinobi used them as weapons of war, they were called 'demonic beasts,' evil beasts that brought disaster. Later, shinobi called them 'Tailed Beasts.' There were descriptions of them using an attack made of highly condensed chakra..."

Aoba was not lying. That Archives Room, where expired files were stored, really did exist. He could even point out where the files describing the Tailed Beasts were kept.