The Secret of Space

Do you wish to uncover the secrets of time and space? Do you want to become the coolest guy in the Shinobi World? Do you want your enemies to tremble in fear, only ever catching a glimpse of the back of your head?

If so, come find the fastest guy in the Shinobi World, Minato Namikaze. Master the Flying Thunder God, and you'll have nothing to fear roaming the entire Shinobi World.

Enemies either can't land a hit on me, or can't catch up to me—advancing and retreating at will, coming and going as I please. That's the [Flying Thunder God] that made Minato's name thunder across the battlefield.

And now, Minato is teaching Kaede this enviable forbidden technique.

The Flying Thunder God is actually divided into two parts.

First, the ninja's own perception of space—this is the key. A keen spatial awareness is the prerequisite for learning the Flying Thunder God.

Second, the technique's seal. The Flying Thunder God's seal must contain the user's own Chakra for positioning, allowing the user to pinpoint their own coordinates and their destination within the vast expanse of space.

Mastering the above is just the beginning. To use the Flying Thunder God in combat, everything else truly comes down to talent.

Fortunately, Kaede only wants to use the Flying Thunder God as a spatial gate.

There are many ways to fight, and many ways to move quickly in battle. There's no need to force himself. While Kaede could achieve quick mental reflexes, it ultimately drains his body.

His goal is that after learning the Flying Thunder God, he won't be trapped in the village. He can easily go outside and take care of his own affairs.

Minato teaches Kaede earnestly, saying, "First, you need to learn what time-space is. Actually, you can reference the space within a sealing scroll—you should have a faint impression of that.

When I learned it, I used the momentary spatial sensation when performing Summoning Jutsu."

This is also Minato's first time teaching someone the Flying Thunder God. He learned it from the 'Sealing Scroll'—self-taught, with no one's guidance.

Now it's his turn to teach someone else, and he hasn't found a suitable method yet. He's just going by feel. How much Kaede learns will depend on his own comprehension.

Kaede, however, stares at Minato blankly, inwardly grumbling, "Can you at least give me a jutsu scroll to look at? You just spout off about spatial sensation—how the hell am I supposed to sense anything..."

As if realizing his explanation was too vague, Minato grabs Kaede's hand and says, "Don't resist. I'll take you to experience what time-space really is."

In an instant, Minato and Kaede vanish from their spot. The next moment, they appear atop a tree, where one of Minato's special Kunai is embedded. "So? Did you feel anything different?"

Kaede shakes his head. "I just felt a brief moment of weightlessness, and then my surroundings changed."

The speed of this Flying Thunder God is no joke. Kaede's reflexes are decent, but he still couldn't react in the instant after the Flying Thunder God shifted the scenery. He feels that only by donning the Lightning Armor to stimulate his reaction speed could he keep up with Minato's pace.

Minato smiles warmly. "It's fine. It's always like this at the start. Let's do it a few more times. This time, close your eyes and carefully sense the change in space the moment the Flying Thunder God activates. Only by feeling the existence of space can you practice the Flying Thunder God."

He had considered improving the Flying Thunder God to lower its learning difficulty, but he found that if he reduced the difficulty, the activation would have a delay, losing its element of surprise.

He wouldn't teach Kaede such a shoddy version.

At Training Ground Seven, Jiraiya is engrossed in reading Kaede's ninjutsu scroll, while Kushina watches the two figures constantly disappearing and reappearing in the field, bored.

She says, "Are you two done yet? I'm getting dizzy watching. If you can't do it, Kaede, just learn our Uzumaki sealing techniques. Our Uzumaki sealing arts are incredibly powerful."

Hearing Kushina speak, Minato appears beside her with great tenderness. "Kaede actually has quite a talent for learning the Flying Thunder God. He's already developed a faint perception of space. Don't disturb him."

In the field, Kaede, who had been dragged around by Minato, is now sitting cross-legged on the ground. His soul's perspective is observing a world different from what his physical eyes see.

All color fades away. In a world of silver and gray, Kaede sees what are called spatial nodes. At this moment, he glimpses the layer of the world hidden beneath its surface.

Among these spatial nodes, two have color. The first is his own location, and the other is the treetop where Minato had been taking him all along.

Connecting the two with his mental energy, he channels his Chakra into this spatial link. In an instant, Kaede vanishes. He reappears at the treetop, confused, and opens his eyes—because he feels himself falling.

Quickly adhering Chakra to his feet, he stands horizontally on the tree trunk. "Did I succeed?"

Minato's voice comes from above him. He stands on the treetop and says, "Congratulations, Kaede. You've already seen the secret of space. The next step is learning the Flying Thunder God's technique formula. The formula helps the user mark more spatial nodes and holds its own secrets. I can only teach you the Flying Thunder God's formula. As for what kind of formula you create, that's up to you."

His Flying Thunder God formula is the 'Ninja Love Blade.' The Second Hokage's formula was the Senju clan emblem.

From a distance, seeing that Kaede has already grasped the basics of the Flying Thunder God, Jiraiya exclaims in surprise, "This kid actually learned it. Now that's going to be a problem."

As a forbidden technique from the Sealing Scroll, Minato could learn it because he's my disciple. But if this brat learns it, the Third Hokage, old man, is definitely going to cause trouble!

Jiraiya rubs his chin, thinking of a countermeasure. This kid is also a troublesome Uchiha. The old man won't let it go easily. He'll probably blame Minato for teaching him the Flying Thunder God. What a pain.

Kaede happily demonstrates his half-baked Flying Thunder God to Minato. For now, he can only teleport back and forth between his original spot and the treetop.

But he's having a blast with it.

Minato and Kushina also clap joyfully at Kaede's achievement. In their eyes, Kaede is an absolute genius.

"Don't get too cocky yet, kid. You've just landed yourself in a huge mess," Jiraiya says gloomily to Kaede as he appears in the field.

Kaede turns to look at the unreliable Jiraiya, who is still holding his ninjutsu scroll. "What do you want? We had an equal exchange, and my contribution was clearly less than what I got. Don't think you can squeeze me for more."

Hearing Kaede badmouth him, Jiraiya wrinkles his nose in anger, looking like a toad. He stomps over and slaps Kaede to the ground. "Kid, kneel down right now and become my disciple, and I'll pretend nothing happened."

"Become your disciple? On what grounds?" Kaede asks, lifting his head.

Even though we're friends exchanging ninjutsu now, you suddenly want me to bow down? Doesn't Uchiha Kaede have any face to save?

After all, I'm the will of the Uchiha now, with a few hundred underlings under me. I could have them glare you to death in minutes.

"Jiraiya-sensei, what happened?"

"It's your fault. This kid learned the Flying Thunder God. The Third Hokage, old man, won't let that slide. Only if he becomes my disciple can I explain it to the Third," Jiraiya says with a sour face.

This cocky brat is not the cute disciple he had in mind!