A Flash of Inspiration!

The practical exam came to a smooth close, and Hayato returned to the familiar training journey he loved, working diligently day after day like a seeker steadfast in his pursuit.

On a quiet morning, as dawn's first light broke, golden sunlight spilled across the lake. Its shimmering ripples looked like stars dancing on the water, a sight beautiful enough to take one's breath away.

Hayato and Minato stood shoulder to shoulder, each gripping a rubber ball—their important tool for exploring the mysteries of the Rasengan.

After a period of arduous training, they had successfully learned to gather chakra and burst a water balloon. It marked a solid first step and laid a firm foundation for the training to come.

Just as they were concentrating on their practice, a figure quietly appeared on a nearby tree trunk.

It was Jiraiya. His wild, unruly white hair fluttered in the breeze, making him look like some otherworldly sage.

With his arms folded across his chest, he watched them in silence, his gaze deep and keen, as if assessing their progress.

The crisp clack of wooden sandals against the ground accompanied Jiraiya as he strolled toward them. Every step was unhurried, carrying the air of a master.

"Master Jiraiya!" Minato recognized him at once and called out in delight.

Hayato stopped what he was doing and turned toward the legendary ninja, admiration and curiosity shining in his eyes.

Jiraiya smiled as he joined them. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Minato, he turned his attention to Hayato and noticed the Uchiha Clan Badge on his sleeve.

An Uchiha Clan kid?

Minato put away his rubber ball and stepped over to Jiraiya.

"Master Jiraiya, did you come looking for me?"

Jiraiya gave a slight nod, then motioned toward Hayato with his lips.

Minato quickly introduced them. "Master Jiraiya, this is Hayato, my friend. We were just working together on that jutsu we discussed before."

Jiraiya's eyebrows lifted. He crouched down to speak with Hayato on equal, friendly terms. "Hello, Hayato."

Hayato replied politely, "Hello, Master Jiraiya."

Without wasting time on small talk, Jiraiya asked about their progress.

"By the way, you said you were working on that jutsu. How's it coming along?"

"I think we've found the right approach," Minato said excitedly.

Minato eagerly shared what they had accomplished.

Jiraiya listened, rubbing his chin as he fell into thought.

Drawing on his understanding of ninjutsu, he mentally pieced their ideas together.

Then he slapped his right fist into his left palm and looked at Minato with approval.

"I'll say, Minato—you really are a genius. This is bound to be a powerful jutsu."

Minato was a little embarrassed by Jiraiya's praise, but he didn't take all the credit.

"Actually, Hayato and I came up with all of this together. His ideas were crucial."

Jiraiya looked at Hayato in surprise, not expecting him to have been the one leading the way.

He had assumed Hayato was learning ninjutsu from Minato. He hadn't realized they were researching it together.

"You're pretty impressive, kid."

Hayato accepted the praise without either arrogance or false modesty. "You're too kind."

"So you've hit a wall when it comes to power, is that it?" After a moment, Jiraiya offered his analysis and advice.

His valuable experience seemed to open the door to a whole new world for Hayato and Minato.

Jiraiya was undeniably an excellent teacher, with a thorough grasp of ninjutsu.

The two listened as if they'd found a treasure. They exchanged a smile, eager to put his advice into practice.

But Jiraiya reminded Minato at just the right moment, "Minato, training is important, but you can't neglect your missions. There's an urgent one you need to take care of."

Minato was reluctant, but he understood how urgent the mission was.

Still, he could try things out on the way.

He put away his rubber ball, went over to Hayato, and said goodbye.

"Hayato, I have to go. You can try it on your own, and we'll discuss it later."

Hayato understood. Minato hadn't spent every day training with him lately, either. When he had a mission, he had to take care of it.

After all, Minato had to support himself with mission pay.

Jiraiya waved goodbye to Hayato.

"See you next time, Hayato!"

Hayato politely said goodbye to the two of them, then turned his attention back to the rubber ball in his hand.

He used the method Jiraiya had taught him to try to break through the second stage's bottleneck.

Hayato was undeniably talented, and Jiraiya's more systematic explanation helped even more.

At last, he broke through the second stage, which had held him back for two days.

After three more attempts, he finally burst the rubber ball in his hand. Uncontainable joy spread across his face, as if the whole world were cheering for him.

"I did it!" Hayato exclaimed.

Only the final stage remained. Just as he was about to begin training to maintain the shape, a flash of inspiration struck him as he thought things over. He came up with an idea for improving the Rasengan.

He had been trapped in a fixed way of thinking, assuming the Rasengan could only be learned in three stages.

Could he improve the training process further?

He looked at the rubber ball that had just burst, its fragments scattered across the ground.

First, there had been a balloon filled with liquid. Then came a tougher rubber ball filled with air.

What if he added a solid ball as one final step?

Liquid, gas, and solid—three states of matter?

The final stage was about maintaining the shape anyway. Adding a new stage or two shouldn't hurt.

It might even produce an unexpected result.

So he hurried to Konoha's shopping district and picked out two suitable sand-filled balls to use for training.

Back at the lakeside, he began trying and adjusting, again and again. Each attempt brought new challenges and uncertainties, but he never gave up on his pursuit of perfection.

Before long, the morning slipped away.

Hayato turned his attention to the Flying Thunder God Technique.

He didn't know much about the jutsu, but he understood that it was one of the hardest challenges he faced.

With unwavering Guts, he pressed forward step by step, like a fearless warrior climbing a steep mountain.

A week passed in the blink of an eye, and Hayato remained steadfast on his training path, like a warrior who would never admit defeat.

In the distance, Minato and Kushina approached at an easy pace.

As they drew closer, Minato quickened his stride and hurried over to Hayato, excitement written all over his face.

"Hayato, I've mastered that technique!" His voice brimmed with the urge to share his joy.

Hayato stopped training and asked curiously, "A new jutsu, or the Flying Thunder God?"

Minato didn't answer directly. Instead, he held out his right hand and gripped his right wrist with his left.

In an instant, a blue-and-white swirling sphere formed between his hands, like the eye of a typhoon. It glimmered like a brilliant pearl in the night sky.

"This!"

Kushina was just as startled. "That's a jutsu with no hand signs! Minato, you're incredible!"

Seeing it, Hayato couldn't help feeling genuinely happy for Minato's achievement.

He knew that in the original timeline, Minato had needed three years to complete this jutsu.

Now, thanks to Hayato's involvement and influence, Minato had achieved such an astonishing result in just three months.

It was a point of pride for Minato, and proof of their shared efforts.

Their friendship and teamwork shone as brightly as that brilliant pearl, lighting the way forward for them both.