Light Saw Man

The power of that explosion had rivaled a Tailed Beast Bomb.

But the Nine-Tails was still inside Lady Mito's belly. It couldn't be that the old lady had eaten her fill and run to the edge of the village to fire off a Tailed Beast Bomb to aid her digestion.

If Tsunade had that kind of power, the Third would never have limited her to being a medical ninja.

But the only people present were Tsunade and her disciple...

Instinct told Ken Uchiha that this was likely connected to Tsunade's disciple, but reason told him that was impossible.

Regardless of who had caused it, building a good relationship with Tsunade's disciple could only benefit the Uchiha.

The thought of eliminating a potential threat had merely flashed through Ken Uchiha's mind, then vanished.

Although the rebellion by Setsuna Uchiha and the others had made the higher-ups wary of the Uchiha, Ken was still a part of Konoha.

Besides, there was only a rift between the Uchiha and the village at present, not any obvious friction.

With one path strewn with flowers and applause, and the other condemned by everyone, he wasn't about to get bored and lead the Uchiha down a dead end.

Ken Uchiha glanced at Fugaku, standing in front of him, and a complicated look flickered in his eyes.

As the young clan leader, Fugaku had adequate talent, but he didn't stand out in other areas.

He lacked the ability to judge the situation, and his personality was somewhat indecisive and not resolute enough—completely at odds with his appearance.

Ken Uchiha worried that his son wouldn't be able to shoulder the responsibilities of clan leader. But among the younger generation in the clan, he really couldn't find anyone better than Fugaku.

Thinking of this, Ken Uchiha sighed softly. "To be taken on as Tsunade's disciple at that age, the boy must have something special about him. You could try getting to know him."

"Yes."

Fugaku nodded.

Meanwhile, at the training ground.

Minato's Laser had blasted the lake's water level down considerably.

The grass along the shore had turned to mud, and with the embankment Tsunade had trampled down earlier, the entire training ground looked as if a typhoon had swept through it, leaving everything in disarray.

Tsunade leaped onto what remained of the embankment and surveyed the scene. "Well, looks like there's nothing more I can teach you when it comes to power."

"I've been thinking about changing the way I attack," Minato suggested. "For example, I could turn the light into a serrated disc and increase its cutting power. My Laser only deals piercing damage, so it might not work in every situation. I've already thought of a name for it: Light Saw Man!"

Tsunade shook her head. "The idea's not bad, but let's forget that name."

This kid's talent for naming things was seriously alarming...

"Then how about Light Wheel Cut?"

"Hm?"

Tsunade was taken aback. For once, the kid had come up with a name that was halfway decent.

"Fine, Light Wheel Cut it is."

Worried that Minato might come up with another name that made her skin crawl, Tsunade quickly nodded.

"Um... Sensei?"

"Hmm?"

"I was thinking of restoring the area here. Otherwise, it might cause trouble for anyone who comes to train later." Minato's voice was a little awkward. "Could you put me down first?"

"Hm?"

Tsunade glanced down and only then realized that Minato was still in her arms, her ample chest pressed firmly against the back of his head.

Seeing his embarrassed little face, Tsunade's lips curled into a teasing smile. "You're a cheeky little brat."

Minato looked even more embarrassed.

Seeing this, Tsunade couldn't help laughing as she set him down.

Minato silently created three Wood Clones. The moment they separated from him, they used the Body Flicker Technique to appear at three other points around the lake.

Then all four of them formed Hand Seals at the same time. "Earth Release: Earth Flow Rampart!"

Rumble, rumble, rumble—

The ground trembled, and the collapsed embankment rose back into place, returning to its original shape.

Next, Minato clapped his hands together. "Wood Release!"

Greenery spread across the embankment's slope and the muddy shore, covering them with grass once more.

Tree after tree burst from the ground and encircled the lake. The three Wood Clones transformed into trees and blended in with them.

"Water Release: Waterfall Basin Technique!"

Minato formed Hand Seals again. The lake suddenly rippled, and its water level began rising at a visibly rapid pace.

Only after finishing all of that did Minato let out a long breath.

First, he'd fired an enormous Laser, then used three ninjutsu techniques to reshape the terrain. His chakra was nearly depleted.

Tsunade watched the scene in amazement. "It feels just like watching the Creator make a world."

Minato gave an awkward laugh. "Sensei... I was the one who blew this place up in the first place."

What Tsunade said wasn't wrong, but coming from the culprit who'd caused all this, it sounded a little grim.

"It's fine. This is a training ground, not a fishpond."

Tsunade waved a hand. "So far, there really doesn't seem to be any room left to develop the offensive side. How do you plan to develop its utility? Have you got any ideas?"

"I'll start with changing its color. Like this..."

Minato raised his index finger, and a beam of white light suddenly bloomed from its tip.

Then the light gradually deepened in color, shifting through red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet. "In its normal state, this ability is golden. I can change the color of the light just by changing what I'm thinking."

Tsunade was taken aback. "What you're thinking? Not a technique? That's way too casual, isn't it?"

Minato tilted his little head and spread his hands. "That's just how it works."

"That's so nice. I want an ability like that too."

Tsunade was genuinely envious!

It didn't even require chakra control techniques. He could activate it with a mere thought, which was far more convenient than ninjutsu—and its power was even greater!

"I think maybe I could create optical illusions by changing the color of the light..."

As he spoke, Minato raised both hands and projected a curtain of light above the lake, turning the water golden.

"That's a good idea. It could not only confuse enemies but also make you invisible. You could even conceal a large force, depending on how much area the light covers."

Tsunade stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Its practical value is limited, though. It probably wouldn't fool sensory ninja, but it'd be good enough for a surprise attack. So, how far can you take it right now?"

"I'll give it a try..."

Minato tried shaping the light, a process that wasn't difficult for him.

Guided by the image in his mind, a projection of Tsunade soon appeared above the lake. It looked exactly like her, except that it seemed somewhat illusory.

"Not bad. It's already close to the Clone Technique."

Tsunade considered it. "Since it came together so smoothly, you should be able to develop the ability in this direction, right?"

"I can."

"Then let's start researching that!"

Seeing Minato nod, Tsunade perked up, determined to take her duties as his teacher seriously.

Meanwhile, at the Ninja Academy.

The earlier explosion had thrown the students into a panic.

Only Minato's Wood Clone remained calm. After all, it was just a Wood Clone; death couldn't threaten it.

Besides, the light from the explosion had looked a lot like the Glint-Glint Fruit's Laser blast. The original must have fired it.

Did he run into an enemy?

It doesn't matter. He can become light, so it's no big deal. There's no reason for me, a mere Wood Clone, to worry about it.

"Quiet down!" Ikkaku Umino shouted sternly. The village had emergency procedures for unexpected situations like this.

If it was an enemy attack, the Anbu should already have appeared at the school.

"Continue the lesson!"

"Aw—"

The students let out a chorus of groans.