Flying Thunder God Inheritance

"You should have all heard of my fighting style; it is quite difficult to keep up with me."

In the training ground within the forest, the Shadow Clone of Minato looked at the two people before him, stating the facts in a calm tone.

"Even within the Shinobi World, very few can keep up with me when I am fighting at full strength."

"Therefore, after discussing it with the advisors, I have made adjustments to the selection process for my guards."

Minato's Shadow Clone raised his hand and extended two fingers.

"First, while a ninja's raw strength does not necessarily need to be overwhelming, they must possess several innate talents: excellent neural reaction speed, precise chakra control, and most importantly, a talent for spatial perception!"

"As for the second..."

He deliberately drew out the tone, but failed to elicit any expectant expressions from the two poker-faced youths, leaving him feeling somewhat helpless.

Why does it feel like I've gained two more Kakashis?

Yakumaru wasn't like this before; it seems he changed after being defeated by Hane.

Although he appears more composed now, it is quite awkward when no one picks up on his lead.

Shaking his head and giving up on trying to liven up the atmosphere, Minato said, "The second requirement is merit—merit that can be exchanged for learning this forbidden technique: the Flying Thunder God Technique!"

Hyuga Hane took a deep breath; even though he had anticipated this, his eyes still burned with intensity.

The Flying Thunder God Technique—the ninjutsu that allowed the Hokage to remain invincible during the early stages of the series!

He had considered obtaining it through Orochimaru's channels before, but that man did not possess this S-rank technique. To acquire it, Orochimaru would have to consult the Scroll of Seals, which would leave behind traces.

Therefore, he chose to obtain it through Minato's channels, which was one of the reasons he had pushed to be promoted to Jonin.

Minato needed the support of the ninja clans to ensure his orders were executed effectively, and the Hyuga Clan, having just experienced internal turmoil, was a good choice. Furthermore, the Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan made them the best candidates for bodyguards.

Combining these two factors, he felt very confident about becoming a guard for the Hokage.

There were many benefits to this.

Having a mentor to pass down knowledge was ultimately better than fumbling through it alone.

Just as it was difficult for Naruto and Kabuto to learn Sage Mode without a proper lineage, it was the same here.

As the only person in the current Shinobi World who had mastered and improved the Flying Thunder God Technique, Minato was the best teacher.

Originally, Minato had indeed taught the Flying Thunder God Technique to Shiranui Genma and his team, but the three of them had never fully mastered it.

Thinking of this, Hane calmed his emotions.

It wasn't certain he could learn it yet, so there was no need to get excited.

If he ended up learning a half-baked version like Shiranui Genma and the others, it would be a waste of this opportunity.

Seeing the change in the two youths' expressions, with Uchiha Yakumaru looking particularly unable to contain his excitement, Minato's Shadow Clone revealed a faint smile and asked:

"Hane, it seems you have never exchanged your battlefield merits for any ninjutsu?"

"Yes, Lord Hokage, because there was nothing I needed."

The boy's indifferent reply made Minato frown. Recalling the conservative nature of the Hyuga Main Family, Hyuga Hane indeed had no way to learn many ninjutsu, so his tone became even gentler.

"Then your merits are sufficient."

"Yakumaru, you previously captured spies in the village, and your guard duties around the village have also accumulated a fair amount of merit; that is also enough."

An S-rank ninjutsu represents the difficulty of cultivation, not the difficulty of acquisition.

Especially given the strategic value of the Flying Thunder God Technique, the village was eager for more people to learn it.

The merit requirement was merely a basic screening process.

Although as Hokage, Minato could have directly handed the Flying Thunder God Technique to the two of them, since this was already a predetermined arrangement, giving away an S-rank technique without conditions would have been inappropriate.

Minato's Shadow Clone took two scrolls from his robes and handed them to the two.

"These scrolls record the key points and insights for learning the Flying Thunder God Technique. Destroy them after reading; do not spread them."

"Yes!"

Hyuga Hane and Uchiha Yakumaru acknowledged the order and began to read.

Hyuga Hane was shocked by the detailed records inside after only a single glance.

It was no wonder that no one except the Fourth Hokage's Shadow Guard had learned the Flying Thunder God Technique; having such detailed learning insights was a completely different matter from fumbling through it on one's own.

This was Minato's core legacy!

"Among the necessary talents for learning the Flying Thunder God, you may lack the talent for spatial perception."

"But this can actually be cultivated."

"Today, this Shadow Clone of mine will take you to perform the Flying Thunder God a few times so you can personally experience the spatial shifts. There will be intervals between each time, giving you enough time to reflect."

Minato's Shadow Clone said sternly, "From now on, come here at five o'clock every morning for training. When the time is right, I will use the Flying Thunder God Technique to constantly shift around you."

"You cannot use ocular techniques to observe during this stage. My speed will not be very fast; once you can judge where I will appear before I actually arrive at a location, you will have passed. Record this process with your heart."

"If you have any questions, you can ask me directly. I will provide answers until I disappear. Once this stage is completed, we will officially begin the Flying Thunder God training."

"Yes!"

Uchiha Yakumaru glanced at Hyuga Hane and settled his mind to begin studying.

Possessing the Sharingan, he could not afford to be inferior to him when it came to learning ninjutsu!

The Flying Thunder God Technique was one of the forbidden techniques created by the Second Hokage.

Unlike the Impure World Reincarnation, which was classified as a forbidden technique due to its extreme danger and evil nature, this technique was simply incredibly difficult to master.

Even with the guidance of the Fourth Hokage's Shadow Clone and the fact that his talent for spatial perception had indeed been cultivated, Hyuga Hane still had no clue how to execute it.

However, he had been mentally prepared for this, but he was completely unprepared for the person who appeared at the training ground a few days later.

"A fifteen-year-old boy shouldn't wear a heavy expression all day like Kakashi. It's better to enjoy your free time, just like Master Jiraiya."

"Of course, don't pick up his bad habits!"

The woman standing before Hyuga Hane had long, thick red hair, a signature trait of the Uzumaki Clan.

And there was currently only one member of the Uzumaki Clan in Konoha: the wife of the Fourth Hokage and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki—Kushina Uzumaki.

"Kushina, don't disturb Hane; he is training in the Flying Thunder God Technique."

Beside them, Minato's Shadow Clone said with a headache.

"Ha? Isn't he your student too?"

Kushina turned back and retorted, "Are you just going to watch him be as cold as Kakashi?"

"Kushina, Hane has been used to this since he was a child. He is different from Kakashi, so you don't need to worry about it," Minato said with a bitter smile.

"No, I'm going to worry about it. I understand Kakashi's situation, but what kind of life is it to always be like that?"

"As his teacher's wife, it's hard for me to interfere with Kakashi for the time being, but for this Second Kakashi, I'm going to try to correct him no matter what."

Kushina waved her hand and looked at Hyuga Hane.

"Your name is Hane, right? What do you like most?"

"Reading."

Kushina's brows furrowed slightly, and she shook her head. "No, that's too dull. What is your second favorite thing?"

"Training."

"..."

Kushina narrowed her eyes, staring fixedly at Hyuga Hane.

Hyuga Hane's expression remained calm.