Cultivation Thoughts

Hyuga Shinichi looked at the younger brother before him—someone he had only known for a short time, yet who trusted him so implicitly that he was willing to entrust his very life to him—and a wave of warmth surged through his heart.

He had initially reached out because seeing Namikaze Minato's heartbreaking state reminded him of his own background across two lifetimes, stirring a deep sense of sympathy and pity within him.

Thus, he had extended a helping hand, hoping to provide Namikaze Minato with the warmth of a home and let him feel cared for and cherished once more.

From the moment they became brothers, he had treated Namikaze Minato like kin, offering his sincerity and vowing to accompany him through every difficult moment.

Whether in laughter or tears, he shared everything with him; whether in success or failure, he stood firmly by his side to offer support.

This sincere bond was not merely born of sympathy, but also a reflection of that once-lonely self deep within his own heart.

Yet, such unreserved trust from Namikaze Minato was a rare treasure; how many in this world could truly achieve such a thing?

This alone was enough to show that Namikaze Minato already viewed him as a brother in all but blood, an indispensable member of his family.

At this thought, the corners of Hyuga Shinichi's mouth curled upward involuntarily, followed by a hearty laugh.

The laughter echoed in the air, as if to broadcast all his joy and relief. As the sound gradually faded, Hyuga Shinichi reached out to gently wipe away the tears at the corners of his eyes.

He could not tell if they had fallen from laughter or from being deeply moved; perhaps only Hyuga Shinichi himself would ever know.

Hyuga Shinichi slowly extended his right hand, intending to ruffle Namikaze Minato's thick, yellow hair.

But as his hand reached mid-air, he paused. Hyuga Shinichi looked at the Namikaze Minato before him and sighed inwardly.

Namikaze Minato seemed even more mature than he had imagined.

The hand in mid-air slowly curled into a fist, which he then held out toward Namikaze Minato, nodding with a faint smile.

Namikaze Minato understood his meaning; he beamed, extended his own right hand, and bumped his fist against Hyuga Shinichi's.

"What a silly little brother. Leave it to me, Namikaze Minato! I absolutely won't let anything happen to you!"

Jiraiya finally agreed to start with combination ninjutsu, attempting to perceive the changes that occurred when two types of chakra fused.

Hyuga Shinichi immediately began teaching Namikaze Minato Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, thinking it could be combined with the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique that Jiraiya had just taught.

Namikaze Minato was highly perceptive, and with the live demonstrations from both Hyuga Shinichi and Jiraiya, he mastered the basics of both techniques in just over two hours.

After a short break, Namikaze Minato couldn't wait to test the combined effect. Facing the wooden stakes ahead, he mobilized the chakra within his body and performed the hand seals with lightning speed.

He took a deep breath, condensing the chakra in his mouth into a fireball, but before he could exhale, he performed another set of seals to unleash Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.

However, the envisioned scene of the wind enhancing the fire's power did not occur. Instead, thick black smoke billowed from Namikaze Minato's mouth, as if he had suffered a failed magical experiment.

Though he was physically unharmed, Namikaze Minato tried again and again, but the result was always the same. Not only did he fail to achieve his goal, but he was also choked by the dense black smoke, breaking into a fit of coughing.

Observing the state of Namikaze Minato's chakra with his Byakugan, Hyuga Shinichi thought to himself: Sure enough, he's trying to run before he can walk. It's still too much for him. But seeing the excitement on Namikaze Minato's face, it was clear he wasn't discouraged by a momentary failure.

Jiraiya watched this scene with a helpless smile and said, "Don't rush. Take it slow."

Nawaki also chimed in to share his own experience.

"When I first encountered combination ninjutsu, I was just like you, constantly hitting walls and failing. It's actually perfectly normal.

I only reached the level I showed when sparring with Hyuga Shinichi just now after countless training sessions and attempts.

So, Namikaze Minato, you must not be discouraged! As long as you practice with persistence, I believe you will succeed one day."

Namikaze Minato nodded and readjusted his state.

Nawaki's words gave Hyuga Shinichi a new idea, especially the phrases "countless times" and "many attempts." He recalled that in the original story, Naruto used a specific technique to train in Sage Mode and the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.

The Multi-Shadow Clone Technique!

By creating shadow clones to train, the memories and experiences of the clones would return to the original body upon dispelling, which could drastically accelerate Namikaze Minato's training progress.

He himself only knew the standard Shadow Clone Technique; although he had learned it faster than his peers, he wasn't very skilled at it, could only summon two, and couldn't maintain them for long. He could only use them for taijutsu and swordsmanship, unable to channel chakra through them, so he explained his idea to Jiraiya.

Jiraiya understood Hyuga Shinichi's thought instantly. His eyes lit up, and he excitedly slammed his right fist into his left palm.

"That's it! That's possible, why didn't I think of that!"

The two began teaching Namikaze Minato the Shadow Clone Technique. Neither of them knew the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique, nor could they use it; after all, neither of them possessed the massive chakra reserves of the Uzumaki clan combined with the Nine-Tails.

An ordinary person would have exhausted their chakra the moment they summoned so many clones, and since each clone would receive so little chakra, they would be useless in battle and only put the user at a disadvantage.

Therefore, even if someone could trade for the forbidden technique in the Scroll of Seals, they wouldn't choose the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique.

After they finished teaching Namikaze Minato the Shadow Clone Technique, the sun had gradually set, forcing them to stop today's training and continue tomorrow morning.

The four of them returned to the Senju compound. Why four?

Because Hyuga Shinichi's cooking was too delicious, and they all wanted to come over for a meal—a request Hyuga Shinichi naturally wouldn't refuse.

This dinner included the same group from the previous banquet, missing only Orochimaru. As his teammates, neither Jiraiya nor Tsunade knew where he had gone.

After the meal, they agreed to meet again the next morning. Jiraiya and Dan Katō left the Senju compound together, chatting and laughing, as both had matters to attend to.

In Hyuga Shinichi's view, as Jiraiya's romantic rival, Dan Katō should logically have been unable to get along with him harmoniously.

However, Jiraiya remained just as he was in the original story: he only wished for Tsunade to be happy and content, and he gave little thought to other concerns.

In the original story, Jiraiya had said, "A man only becomes stronger when he's been dumped; if he doesn't have the grace to laugh about it, he's not a real man," and "Besides, happiness isn't something a man should pursue."

In truth, this explained a great deal. It wasn't that Jiraiya had never pursued happiness, but that there were things in his life far more important than his own personal joy.

Because Jiraiya's life had long been burdened with the responsibility of being the Child of Prophecy and changing the world.