Minato Namikaze

Seeing Kushina Uzumaki being bullied, tears streaming down her face, Chiyu felt his blood rush furiously to his head.

He had sworn to protect Kushina Uzumaki's smile!

Chiyu's eyes were bloodshot. He hunched slightly, gathering Lightning Release Chakra.

The Genin who had initially looked down on Chiyu's expression changed instantly upon seeing lightning crackling around him.

As a Genin, he had only learned one C-rank Ninjutsu so far.

The lightning coursing over Chiyu's entire body made it obvious that this Ninjutsu was of a very high level.

The Genin no longer dared to underestimate him. He released Kushina Uzumaki's hair and rapidly formed hand seals.

"Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spear!"

A sharp stone spike thrust upward from beneath the ground.

But the stone spike was too slow, and there was only one of them. Chiyu avoided it with a single step backward.

Chiyu pushed open the sword guard with his left thumb, slightly drawing his Longsword.

"Thunder Breathing First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!"

The moment the word "Flash" fell, Chiyu transformed into a streak of lightning and charged straight at the Genin.

The Genin first heard the booming crash of thunder. Then, a flash of blue light streaked across his vision. Finally...

The Genin suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and fell stiffly to the ground.

"Big brother!"

The little brat's eyes widened in shock. How had his brother suddenly ended up on the ground, constantly coughing up blood?

Then, the little brat heard crackling thunder behind him.

Stiffly turning his head, he discovered that Chiyu had already picked up Kushina Uzumaki and was staring at him with scarlet eyes.

The little brat's pupils shrank sharply. A bone-deep chill swept through his body, and he staggered back several steps before falling onto the ground.

The Genin also stared at Chiyu in disbelief.

Chiyu had struck him with the back of his blade, yet his chest was now sunken in, several ribs were clearly broken, and the properties of Lightning Release Chakra had left his entire body numb.

He was clearly just a brat still attending the Ninja Academy, not even a ninja yet. How had he mastered such a powerful Ninjutsu?!

In Chiyu's arms, Kushina Uzumaki stared blankly at his face.

To the Genin and that little brat, Chiyu looked terrifying right now. But in Kushina Uzumaki's eyes, he looked incredibly cool.

Kushina Uzumaki's heart pounded wildly as an indescribable feeling began to sprout within her.

Chiyu said in a low voice, "Kushina, wait here for me."

After gently setting Kushina Uzumaki down, Chiyu drew his sheathed Longsword again and strode murderously toward the blood-spitting Genin and little brat.

The Genin and the little brat recoiled in terror, constantly shuffling backward.

"Y-you, what are you trying to do?!"

"The village rules say you can't attack your comrades!"

Chiyu's expression twisted viciously. "Can't attack comrades? Then what were you doing just now? Don't worry, I won't kill you. I'll break all four of your limbs!"

Just as Chiyu was about to strike, a Kunai shot straight toward him.

Chiyu swung his blade and knocked the Kunai aside.

Chiyu looked toward the direction the Kunai had come from.

Minato Namikaze stood on a tree branch and said to Chiyu, "That's enough, Chiyu. They've already been punished."

Chiyu asked with a dark expression, "You were watching the whole time?"

Minato Namikaze froze for a moment and said nothing.

He had indeed been watching the whole time.

Minato Namikaze had seen Kushina Uzumaki run this way, so he followed her.

Minato Namikaze had a favorable impression of Kushina Uzumaki and had always wanted to get to know her.

But Minato Namikaze had not expected Kushina Uzumaki to be attacked by a Genin.

That little brat had always caused trouble for Kushina Uzumaki at the Ninja Academy, but Kushina Uzumaki had always utterly crushed him in a beating.

As a classmate at the time, Minato Namikaze had not helped that little brat.

So this time, when Kushina Uzumaki was being retaliated against by the little brat and his older brother, Minato Namikaze did not know whether he should help.

At the Ninja Academy, Minato Namikaze got along quite well with everyone.

Minato Namikaze felt that he had not helped the little brat when Kushina Uzumaki had beaten him up before, so it did not seem right to help Kushina Uzumaki now.

Seeing Minato Namikaze remain silent, Chiyu sneered, "So you really were here the whole time. You saw Kushina being bullied and turned a blind eye, but when I retaliate against them, you step in to help them. Minato Namikaze, you're really something!"

Minato Namikaze hurriedly explained, "No, that's not it!"

Chiyu pointed at the Kunai on the ground. "What isn't it? You even took out a real Kunai and threw it at me. Tell me, what exactly is this supposed to be?"

Minato Namikaze's heart tightened. "That Kunai isn't mine. It's the Kunai he used to attack Kushina Uzumaki earlier, the one stuck in the tree!"

Chiyu's already dark and vicious face grew even more furious. "You used a real Kunai against Kushina?!"

Chiyu reversed his Longsword. The back of the blade had been facing outward before; now, the edge faced outward.

"I'm cutting off all your hands and feet!"

Chiyu pushed off with both feet and instantly leaped toward the terrified little brat and Genin.

Minato Namikaze's scalp went numb. This is bad. Chiyu is serious this time. He immediately rushed toward Chiyu.

After picking up the Kunai from the ground, Minato Namikaze used it to block Chiyu's Longsword as it slashed toward the Genin's left leg.

The Genin was so frightened that tears welled up in his eyes. If Minato Namikaze had not blocked it for him, Chiyu's blade would have already cut off his leg.

Minato Namikaze tried to persuade Chiyu. "Chiyu! If you cut off their hands and feet, you'll be punished too!"

Chiyu's bloodshot eyes darkened as he said, "So what? They were the ones who threw a Kunai at Kushina first. If I cut off their hands and feet, who can they blame?

"And Minato Namikaze, you saw them throw a Kunai at Kushina and did nothing. What are you pretending to be a good person for now?!

"I'll say this again: if you want to stand by and watch, then get lost. Don't get in my way. If you want to help them, I'll cut you down along with them!"

Minato Namikaze shouted in a low voice, "Chiyu! Calm down! No matter what, they're comrades from the same village!"

Chiyu sneered, "Minato Namikaze, you really are hypocritical. They're your comrades, but Kushina isn't, is that it? Since you want to help them, that's your choice!"

"Thunder Breathing Second Form: Rice Soul!"

In an instant, Chiyu unleashed five lightning-shaped consecutive slashes.

Every hair on Minato Namikaze's body stood on end. His exceptional reaction speed allowed him to roll backward and evade Chiyu's five strikes.

Minato Namikaze rose from the ground. When Chiyu had used Thunderclap and Flash earlier, he had already noticed how fast Chiyu was—so fast that the naked eye could barely catch his figure.

Only now, when truly facing Chiyu, did Minato Namikaze realize just how fast Chiyu was.