Outstanding

On the branch of a large tree, Yang Xing saw Minato Namikaze approaching and calmly raised both hands.

"Fourth Hokage, I have something I would like to discuss with you."

"Something to discuss?" Minato Namikaze stopped in his tracks, landing a few meters in front of Yang Xing. His eyes remained vigilant, sweeping over a nearby patch of grass. His eyes narrowed slightly, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he muttered softly, "I didn't expect this brat to find a partner to help him."

Yang Xing seemed not to notice that Minato Namikaze had realized the ambush, maintaining his calm demeanor as he smiled and said, "I want to make a request of you."

"What request?"

"A very simple one. It's like this: if I don't just touch your bells, but actually manage to snatch them away," Yang Xing's gaze sharpened, his expression turning serious, "I want you to admit that you have lost."

"Oh? Interesting." Minato Namikaze had to admit that his own gaze had shifted; the Yang Xing before him now stirred an inexplicable excitement within him. "You have a big mouth. You say you can snatch the bells from me? Do you really have that kind of confidence?"

Within the Five Great Nations, few ninjas could keep up with his speed. Even the lightning-fast ninjas of the Land of Lightning could barely touch him when he was serious. Yet, this brat before him, who possessed only a small amount of chakra and didn't even know how to utilize it properly, claimed he could snatch his bells.

This piqued Minato Namikaze's interest, enough to make the blood in his veins begin to boil.

"Let's put that aside for now. I just need you to agree that if I manage to take them, you must admit defeat." Yang Xing spoke every word with extreme gravity, his gaze unwavering.

Minato Namikaze had no reason to refuse; he was curious to see what tricks the brat had up his sleeve and what method he would use to keep pace with his speed.

"I agree. If you truly manage to take them," Minato Namikaze touched the bells at his waist, his own expression becoming equally serious, "I am willing to admit defeat once. After all, I don't believe there is anyone who can snatch these bells from me. Brat, let me see your tricks."

If such a person truly existed, he wouldn't mind admitting defeat, whether it was in a fight or a game.

"Then, let us begin." A smile flashed across Yang Xing's lips. He formed hand seals and called out quite ordinarily, "Clone Technique."

The movement was fluid, but the sheer ordinariness of the execution made Minato Namikaze's eyes widen in confusion. He watched as Yang Xing followed up with a clone, pulled out a shuriken in a mundane fashion, and aimed it at him before throwing it.

Minato Namikaze moved his body, charging forward without a second thought.

"At this distance, it's impossible to hit me. Brat, you are too naive." Minato Namikaze found it amusing. His eyes flicked toward the nearby woods, and while a smile remained on his face, he kept his gaze locked on Yang Xing. "Even if Rin Nohara is helping you, it's impossible for you to touch me. Just surrender, Yang Xing."

The projectile was dodged, and Yang Xing, standing motionless, didn't make another move. A flicker of caution crossed Minato Namikaze's eyes, and his movements slowed.

"Now!" Yang Xing's shout caused Minato Namikaze to pause, his instincts triggering a defensive reaction.

However, swish, swish!

"More projectiles? Is this the trick he's playing? How could these possibly hit me? No, wait—the trajectory is wrong. This brat!" Indeed, the projectiles were not aimed at Minato Namikaze, but at the spot where Yang Xing was standing. Minato Namikaze's face showed shock, and his body reacted instantly.

Yang Xing was a piece of unpolished jade, a potential future genius of Konoha. Minato Namikaze could not simply stand by and let him get hurt.

As he lunged forward, he caught the kunai flying in from the side with one hand, leaving his entire body exposed to Yang Xing. The moment he gripped the kunai, Minato Namikaze's heart sank. Trouble. This brat.

Clang!

"Fourth Hokage—no, Teacher Minato, I win!" Yang Xing, holding a bell in one hand, beamed with a smile.

"You brat." Minato Namikaze was both annoyed and frustrated. He turned to snatch the bell back, but Yang Xing, clearly having anticipated this, had already tossed it in a high arc to someone emerging from the woods.

"Hey, Rin, catch!"

"Oh, oh!" Rin Nohara, still looking shaken, caught the bell and looked at Yang Xing with a complex expression.

Seeing that the bell was now impossible to retrieve, Minato Namikaze grabbed Yang Xing. "Hey, are you trying to get yourself killed? Do you have any idea what you just did?"

"Haha, Teacher Minato, I only know that you should understand what I said earlier. I won, didn't I?" Yang Xing smiled.

Looking at the brat's grin, Minato Namikaze felt a wave of helplessness with nowhere to vent his frustration.

"You..." Looking at Yang Xing's smiling face, Minato Namikaze didn't know what to say. He could only stare into the boy's eyes and say seriously, "There will not be a second time for this."

"No, no, Fourth Hokage—no, Teacher Minato, you don't understand." Yang Xing straightened his expression, his smile fading into a look of earnestness. "I truly won this time."

"How can you call using such a method a victory?" Minato Namikaze retorted, exasperated.

Yang Xing's serious face remained unchanged, his tone calm. "But this competition was meant to witness our friendship, wasn't it?"

Minato Namikaze: "..."

Minato Namikaze stared at Yang Xing. Looking at the boy, he felt as if he weren't facing a child, but a true adult. No, this boy had considered more than even he had.

Just as Minato Namikaze had thought, Yang Xing's words calmed his initial frustration. "Teacher Minato, I was able to make a medical ninja like Rin Nohara throw projectiles at me without a moment's hesitation. Doesn't that prove how deep our trust is? And wasn't the core of this competition to deepen our friendship? Teacher Minato, didn't I win this time?"

Right. Friendship was the entire point of this game.

Minato Namikaze's expression softened. He couldn't help but glance at Rin Nohara. His face returned to a calm state as he released Yang Xing and stood up straight again.

"Brat—no, Yang Xing, you're right!" Understanding Yang Xing's point, Minato Namikaze broke into a wide smile. "I really hadn't considered that. Hahaha, I didn't expect you to know my true intentions. I did indeed lose this time. I lost completely."

With a smile, Minato Namikaze shook his head, admitting defeat with total grace.

At that moment, a faint chime sounded in Yang Xing's ear, making him rejoice.

Mission completed exceptionally. Mission rating: 5 stars!

"Good! A 5-star rating—the rewards must be incredibly generous. My efforts didn't go to waste. I really am an all-around genius, hahaha!"