White Moonlight

The wooden sword whistled through the air, slashing toward Minato Namikaze's chest.

At this moment, Kakashi Hatake had eyes only for his target.

The Hatake Style Sword Technique, inherited from the White Fang of the Leaf, granted him a massive boost in combat power, even if he had only just grasped the basics.

As Minato Namikaze kicked Yuki Yuichi away, Kakashi seized the opening; if Minato wanted to dodge, he would surely be forced into a clumsy position.

This was Kakashi's genuine assessment, yet the gap in their strength was, in the end, simply too vast.

What he imagined was one thing, but reality was quite another.

Seeing the blade swing down, Minato did not dodge. Instead, he flashed a smile, and the moment the wooden sword made contact, he transformed into a puff of white smoke.

Kakashi's wooden sword struck a wooden log, emitting a dull thud of impact.

"When?!" Kakashi was shocked, his head whipping around to scan his surroundings.

"When did he weave the hand signs?!"

Just as he was searching, Minato reappeared. Seeing their expressions, he chuckled, "If your mastery of ninjutsu is deep enough, you can cast them without hand signs, you know."

Minato's words were direct, making it clear to both of them that he didn't need hand signs to perform the Substitution Technique.

However, at that very moment, Yuki Yuichi picked up the wooden sword he had dropped earlier.

Minato's kick had been perfectly controlled; it had sent him flying, but he hadn't been injured.

He felt a bit of discomfort, but for an ordinary person, such a sensation would have hampered their combat effectiveness.

He was different, however; he possessed the recovery abilities of the Uzumaki Clan, and even in such a short time, that vitality had quickly washed away the discomfort.

Gripping the sword in his right hand, Yuki Yuichi looked at Minato and charged forward once more.

Having a blade is always better than having none!

The sword is easy to learn but difficult to master.

The essence of the blade lies in hacking and slashing!

Beyond that, there are techniques for lifting, stabbing, intercepting, blocking, collapsing, chopping, wiping, guiding, and entangling.

The spirit of swordsmanship lies in courage.

As long as you have strength and know how to hack and slash, you know swordsmanship.

That is the simplicity of the blade; anyone can pick one up and swing it a few times.

Yuki Yuichi was no exception.

Having a sword and not having one were two entirely different things.

Seeing Yuki Yuichi charge at him again, a flash of surprise crossed Minato's eyes, though he realized the reason the moment he saw the boy's red hair.

If there was anyone besides the Uzumaki themselves who understood the clan best, Minato was undoubtedly that person.

After all, he had been in close contact with descendants of the Uzumaki Clan.

Likewise, his understanding of the clan was profound.

At that moment, Yuki Yuichi closed the distance, swinging his blade toward Minato's shoulder and neck.

Minato did not dodge, nor did he intend to use the Substitution Technique.

Compared to Kakashi, Yuki Yuichi's swordsmanship was so sloppy that Minato could dodge it at will.

Therefore, as Yuki Yuichi swung, Minato reached out directly, intending to grab his arm and disarm him of the wooden sword.

Seeing this movement, a look of triumph appeared in Yuki Yuichi's eyes.

"Now is the time!"

Yuki Yuichi let out a sudden roar, and the tomoe of his Sharingan emerged, staining his pupils a scarlet hue.

The wooden sword slipped from his hand, and Yuki Yuichi instantly retracted his arm, weaving hand signs at blinding speed.

"Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique!"

Whether newly awakened or at a higher level, the Sharingan always amplifies genjutsu.

The Hypnotic Eye played a significant role here.

Even if the hypnotic effect of a single-tomoe Sharingan wasn't high, when layered with genjutsu, the results were gratifying.

Even an elite jonin like Minato Namikaze was caught off guard for a split second by Yuki Yuichi's maneuver.

At that instant, Kakashi also lunged forward, seizing the moment of hesitation to swing his blade.

Minato was truly an elite jonin, a genius since childhood.

As he broke free from the genjutsu, the first thing he saw was Kakashi's wooden sword. Minato caught the blade with his hand and looked at the two of them with a smile.

"Alright, I've seen enough of what you two can do."

As Minato spoke, his face beamed with a bright, sunny smile, much like a little sun.

Feeling the warmth radiating from his smile, Yuki Yuichi and Kakashi were both stunned.

Yuki Yuichi, in particular, couldn't help but sigh inwardly as he looked at that smile; he truly lived up to his title as the "Little Sun" of Konoha.

Previously, he hadn't quite understood how there could exist someone in this world whose smile alone could be so infectious to others.

But now, having personally felt the emotions radiating from Minato Namikaze, he knew that such people did indeed exist in this world.

Minato Namikaze's smile gave off a feeling of warmth and harmony.

Yuki Yuichi took a deep breath, then looked at him earnestly and said, "Sorry for the trouble, Big Brother Minato!"

Kakashi Hatake, though a step behind, joined Yuki Yuichi in thanking Minato Namikaze.

"No need to thank me." Minato Namikaze maintained his sunny, gentle smile. "I don't have anything else to do right now anyway."

"The Hokage once said that where the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire burns on; the fire's light will illuminate the village and allow new buds to sprout."

"And right now, I am the fire, and you are the new leaves."

Minato Namikaze was a ninja who had truly inherited the Will of Fire in the truest sense.

Although some things were a bit hazy in his memory, Yuki Yuichi still remembered how Minato Namikaze had sacrificed himself during the Nine-Tails incident to reseal the Nine-Tails and protect others.

While many claimed he had died for love, there wasn't much evidence to support that.

Besides, even if it were true, what did it matter? His actions of protecting the village and protecting others were real, and that was enough.

Regardless of the process or the outcome, he had sacrificed himself.

A gentleman is judged by his deeds, not his heart; if one were to judge by the heart, no one in this world would be perfect.

Compared to Minato Namikaze, everyone else seemed lacking.

This statement was no lie; a ninja with immense strength, a kind personality, a helpful nature, and who perfectly embodied the Will of Fire was a figure of pure, unattainable brilliance in this world.

As Yuki Yuichi pondered these thoughts, Minato Namikaze spoke again: "I have assessed your strength."

Hearing this, Kakashi Hatake looked at him with an expectant expression.

Yuki Yuichi pulled back his thoughts and looked at him with equal curiosity.

Seeing their reactions, Minato Namikaze chuckled softly, then sat directly on the ground, ignoring the mess and filth, and gestured for the two of them to sit as well.

"Let's start with you," Minato Namikaze said, looking at Kakashi Hatake with a smile.

"Your strength is quite impressive among your peers."

"Especially your swordsmanship; many genin cannot compare to you."