A Match Against Jiraiya

Watching the undisguised fighting spirit in Nawaki's eyes, Minato smiled without saying anything and efficiently gathered up the dishes.

He was about to go wash them when Tsunade snatched them from him.

"By the way, I should tell you: from now on, you just need to cook. Leave the dishes to Nawaki and me. We usually split the housework between us. I do the laundry and cook, while Nawaki sweeps and mops. Now that you're here, I've got one less thing to do~"

As Tsunade spoke, she shoved the dishes into Nawaki's arms. He looked exasperated, but still obediently went to wash them.

Tsunade propped her head on one hand and lounged lazily on the tatami.

Laundry and cooking...

Minato gave Tsunade a peculiar look.

Because of what he'd seen in the original story, he'd always assumed Tsunade wasn't very capable of taking care of herself.

After all, ever since Tsunade first appeared, Shizune had always been the one looking after her.

And Tsunade herself had mostly been portrayed as a heavy drinker and gambler.

But thinking about it, Tsunade was still under twenty, in the prime of her youth. Even if she was a little lazy, she couldn't be as bad as she'd been in the original story—especially since she also had a younger brother to look after.

Besides, the Tsunade in the original story had probably become so listless mainly because of her brother's and lover's deaths.

The two versions of her also looked quite different. This Tsunade wore her hair in a high ponytail, which made her look lively. Her voice was gentler and softer, too, giving her more of a girl-next-door feel.

Soon, the three of them had finished getting ready. As soon as they stepped outside, they saw two figures walking toward them.

"Yo, ohayō~ Tsunade."

Jiraiya waved with a cheeky grin. Orochimaru stood beside him with his hands behind his back, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Big Brother Orochimaru!"

Nawaki waved excitedly when he saw them.

"You've grown a little, Nawaki."

Orochimaru's voice was soft, carrying a hint of affection.

"Hey! We came together, so why do you only have eyes for Orochimaru? Didn't you see the dashing Lord Jiraiya?" Jiraiya complained.

Nawaki chuckled. He admired Orochimaru more, since he was known as a genius, though Jiraiya treated him well too.

Tsunade looked surprised to see them. "Jiraiya, what are you two doing here?"

Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely. "Well, someone still owes us a barbecue."

"Tch, I almost forgot about that."

Tsunade pursed her lips and ruffled the little blond's hair beside her.

"Speaking of which, this kid..."

Jiraiya stared at Minato in a daze. He and Orochimaru had noticed Minato as soon as they arrived; that shock of blond hair was impossible to miss.

"Heh heh, let me introduce you. This is Minato Namikaze, my student!"

Tsunade introduced him proudly, then patted Minato. "These two are my teammates, Jiraiya and Orochimaru."

"Good morning, seniors!" Minato greeted them with a nod.

"Huh?"

Jiraiya looked utterly stunned, his gaze shifting back and forth between them.

For some reason, at that moment he inexplicably felt as though he'd lost something—as if he'd been cuckolded.

Was I jealous that this kid got to live at Tsunade's place?

That didn't seem quite right either. Weird...

"I never thought you'd take on a student..."

Orochimaru examined Minato. "Tsunade disappeared right after you left yesterday. Don't tell me she threatened you into becoming her student?"

"How rude..."

Tsunade put her hands on her hips, displeased. "The boy asked to become my student himself, didn't you, Minato?"

"Yeah."

Minato nodded, playing along.

"So where are you all headed?" Jiraiya asked.

"Obviously, to test my student's abilities~"

Tsunade shrugged, her tone playful. "I just assigned Nawaki the task."

"Hahaha, that sounds fun. We'll come along too!" Jiraiya immediately perked up.

"Suit yourselves, but don't get in my way."

They went to the nearby Third Training Ground. Minato and Nawaki faced each other and formed the Confrontation Seal.

Tsunade took her place between them as the referee.

"Well... no need for a long speech. You can use ninjutsu. If anything dangerous happens, I'll step in immediately. If that's all clear, let's begin!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Nawaki's hands flashed to his waist and he flung six shuriken at Minato.

The next instant, Minato's figure flickered and vanished.

"So fast!"

Nawaki's heart tightened as he instinctively searched for Minato.

Before he could even move, a kunai was already pressed against his neck.

Feeling the kunai's sharp edge, Nawaki froze.

I... got taken out in one move?

"The winner is Minato Namikaze!"

"How is that possible? Aaaah!"

Watching Minato calmly put away his kunai and hold out his hand to form the Seal of Reconciliation, Nawaki's composure shattered. "What's with you, anyway? Why couldn't I even see you?!"

"Hahahaha! That'll teach you to get cocky!"

Tsunade burst out laughing. "You're two years older than him, and you couldn't even see his shadow. You've still got a long way to go~"

"Damn it!"

Nawaki let out a groan and reluctantly hooked his finger around Minato's to form the Seal of Reconciliation. Still, he stubbornly insisted, "I was careless this time. I didn't dodge. I absolutely won't lose to you next time!"

Minato nodded warmly. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to it."

Damn, he even had such a nice personality!

Nawaki hadn't expected Minato to react like that. The mature, gentle air about him made Nawaki feel a little ashamed. Then he remembered telling Minato yesterday that he'd look out for him, and his face turned bright red.

"That Body Flicker was faster than many Genin's. Looks like Minato is a speed-type shinobi."

The two who'd been watching walked over. Orochimaru looked impressed. He'd been called a genius since childhood too, but at five, he hadn't been as outstanding as Minato.

"Of course. Nawaki did well, too."

Nawaki wore a bitter expression. "I got taken out in one move..."

"It's just that your talents lie in different areas."

Orochimaru smiled faintly. Minato had a strong aptitude for learning and chakra control, and he was level-headed. He was much like Orochimaru had once been, which was why he could already put his talent to use at this age.

As a descendant of the Senju Clan and the First's grandson, Nawaki certainly wasn't lacking in talent. He was simply held back by his age and mindset, and needed more time and training to bring that talent out.

"But still, we haven't really tested this kid's abilities."

Jiraiya rubbed his chin, looking at Minato with interest. "How about I give him a try?"

"Hmm... sure."

Tsunade thought it over. She'd planned to test him herself, but she was a medical ninja. Although she could fight, her style differed from the mainstream.

When it came to experience in a head-on fight, Jiraiya was indeed a better choice.

"Yosh! The great sage himself will test your abilities!"

Jiraiya leaped forward, stepping into a bow-legged stance. He spread all five fingers on both hands, extending one hand forward and the other behind him, striking a classic kabuki pose.

Minato turned to Tsunade with a questioning look.

Tsunade paused for two seconds, then smiled gently. "Well... go ahead and give it your all. No matter what happens, I'm here."

Minato nodded and took two steps forward. "Please go easy on me, Jiraiya."

"Oh, of course, of course!" Jiraiya replied eagerly. Judging by Tsunade's attitude, Minato's talent must have been quite impressive.

"Then... begin!"

Tsunade lightly lowered her arm.

Minato's eyes sharpened. A flash of golden light flickered beneath his feet, and he appeared in front of Jiraiya in an instant.

"So fast!"

A flicker of shock crossed Jiraiya's eyes, but his extensive combat experience let him instinctively block the attack.

He crossed his arms in front of him and easily stopped the straight punch aimed at him.

Thud!

Feeling the force of the punch, Jiraiya relaxed a little.

Good. His speed was incredible, but because of his age, his physical strength wasn't very impressive.

Though that was only compared to Jiraiya. Among his peers, the kid's strength was absolutely overwhelming!

And what was that golden light beneath his feet? He'd been twice as fast as he was when he fought Nawaki...

Some kind of special Body Flicker Technique?

Or... a Kekkei Genkai?

He'd better not let his guard down. If he got caught out by a kid, he'd never live it down...

With that thought, Jiraiya forcefully pushed Minato away with both hands, then closed in and punched at him!

Because of the difference in their heights, Minato had jumped to throw his earlier punch. After Jiraiya pushed him back, Minato had only just landed when Jiraiya's fist came crashing down.

In the blink of an eye, Minato abruptly leaned back. As his knees hit the ground, he formed six shuriken with both hands, then swung his arms and sent them flying at Jiraiya's face!

He's fast to react, too!

Jiraiya was about to tilt his head back and dodge when the corner of his eye caught Minato's movements—at the same time he flung the shuriken, Minato had turned sideways, dropped low, and kicked upward, aiming between Jiraiya's legs!

Jiraiya's heart sank. He cried out in alarm.

"Wait—hey, hey, hey!!"