Fool's Ninjutsu

Water Release: Water Clone!

At last, Nawaki took Minato's kick head-on and barely managed to use his first ninjutsu.

The Water Clone, a C-rank ninjutsu that ordinary chunin could generally learn.

It was stronger than the Clone Technique because it cast no shadow. No matter how fast Minato's reflexes were, he could not distinguish it by sight and could only break it with actual attacks.

Water Release: Water Clone... Water Release: Water Clone... Water Release: Water Clone...

Nawaki used Water Clones to open up some distance, then... kept using the same technique over and over.

"Holy crap! Nawaki, have you no shame?!"

Kushina could not help planting her hands on her hips and cursing.

Nawaki looked awkward as he replied, "Learned it from you."

Throwing his weight around with sheer chakra reserves... the Senju Clan and Uzumaki Clan's specialty.

"What do you think?" Tsunade rubbed her forehead.

Jiraiya spoke seriously for once. "This kid has quick reactions, solid fundamentals, and plenty of ideas. He uses the basic three body techniques in all sorts of ways. More importantly, his neural reflexes and physical coordination can absolutely be called genius-level."

"He is indeed quite good." Orochimaru nodded.

Tsunade's face darkened. "I was asking what you think of Nawaki."

Orochimaru fell silent.

Jiraiya scratched his head. "Ha... haha... His chakra reserves are huge, at least jonin-level. As for the rest... the rest... ha... haha..."

Tsunade wanted nothing more than to punch him again.

"Whew, I lose."

Just then, Minato dispersed the last Water Clone and raised his hand helplessly, panting heavily.

"My chakra is exhausted."

His blue bar had hit bottom—a fatal weakness.

Nawaki awkwardly formed the Seal of Reconciliation with him. "Sorry."

"It's nothing. Nawaki-kun's chakra reserves are unfathomable. I'm far inferior to you."

Minato smiled without a trace of resentment, making Nawaki even less able to lift his head.

"In battle, it's right to make the most of your strengths."

Minato's sunshine-like smile warmed everyone's hearts once again.

Compared to the rash, peacemaking Nawaki, his gentle personality was undoubtedly more likable.

"Wuye..."

As he walked down, Minato quietly tugged at Wuye's wrist. "Don't choose Nawaki as your opponent. His chakra reserves are too great; skill won't matter at all."

That was why he had wanted to go first... to test the waters for his best friend.

"After all, he challenged me just now. Avoiding the fight would be humiliating," Hyuga Wuye said.

"Although it looks like he used up quite a bit of chakra fighting me, the entire field is now covered in water left behind by his Water Clones. And he specializes in Water Release, so the training ground has basically become his home turf!"

Minato said anxiously, "That means the Nawaki you face will only be more troublesome than before."

"I know." Wuye pulled his hand away. "But I have a reason I must fight."

Watching Hyuga Wuye walk toward the center of the field, Minato sighed. "At worst, the three of us can stay in school and keep studying together."

"Minato, actually..." Kushina stood beside him and hesitated. "Actually, you've never seen Wuye's true strength—his strength beyond taijutsu."

"Beyond taijutsu?"

Minato did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Could it be that so-called self-created shuriken technique of his?"

Kushina's cheeks visibly twitched three times. "That's not what I mean..."

At the edge of the field.

"Tsunade, your Nawaki has a stepping stone now. This time, we'll definitely get to see his potential," Jiraiya said.

But Orochimaru scrutinized Hyuga Wuye from head to toe. "This child is dressed like a Hyuga Clan member, isn't he? Why doesn't he have the Byakugan? Is he not from the Hyuga Clan?"

"He's from the Hyuga branch family, but he was born without the Byakugan," Tsunade said.

"Unlike the Uchiha Clan, whose Sharingan is a dominant trait, the Byakugan is recessive." Orochimaru quickly reached a conclusion. "It seems this child is an illegitimate child of the Hyuga Clan. His mixed bloodline resulted in him not being born with the Byakugan."

"What recessive and dominant?"

Jiraiya's eyes went blank.

Orochimaru glanced at him, then silently turned back to observe Hyuga Wuye.

He was usually too lazy to explain things to people without a spirit of scientific inquiry.

The moment Hyuga Wuye stood opposite Nawaki, he suddenly shivered... What's with this feeling of being watched? It's giving me chills...

At that moment, the Third Hokage suddenly turned and said something to the chunin instructor beside him.

The instructor immediately jogged over. "Please wait. Nawaki has just gone through a battle, so continuing to fight would be unfair. Hyuga Wuye, this teacher suggests that you choose another opponent."

Hyuga Wuye glanced toward the Third Hokage and saw him nod slightly... It seemed the Third Hokage believed he was no match for Nawaki and was worried that, if he lost, there would be no reason to let him join the Anbu?

Well, in his normal state, he could not even defeat Minato. The Third Hokage's concerns were justified.

But he had never intended to do things the way the Third Hokage wanted...

"I still have ninety percent of my chakra left, and the entire field is covered in water. This is practically my home turf, so we can have a completely fair fight," Nawaki said.

Hyuga Wuye spread his hands toward the Third Hokage in helplessness, then finally got his wish and formed the Seal of Confrontation with Nawaki.

"Come on, Wuye. I won't hold back."

Kunai in hand, Nawaki stood ready.

"That's for the best." Hyuga Wuye slipped his right hand into his ninja tool pouch. "I have a self-created ninjutsu. Please give me your guidance."

"It can't really be that one, can it?"

Kushina's eyes widened.

Seeing Hyuga Wuye's solemn expression, Nawaki could not help becoming even more vigilant.

"Ninjutsu..."

Wuye shouted with full force, then spread both hands wide, like a celestial maiden scattering flowers.

"All-Shuriken Toss Technique!"

Seeing over a dozen shuriken fly chaotically in every direction, the entire audience was dumbstruck.

Minato covered his eyes, unable to bear the sight. "Wuye really is..."

"Jiraiya," Tsunade said in a very strange tone, "what do you think of this self-created ninjutsu?"

Jiraiya's expression did not change, nor did his heart skip a beat. "This ninjutsu may look simple and crude, but it is actually quite sophisticated. It has a great deal of my style."

"He threw a large number of shuriken at disorderly angles, achieving an unexpected effect."

"This ninjutsu has a low learning threshold, obvious results, barely consumes any chakra, and has no cooldown. Its only drawback is that it wastes metal."

"Tsunade, what do you think of that assessment?"

Tsunade fell silent.

"When it comes to shamelessness, no one can compare to you," Orochimaru said faintly.

"This ninjutsu..." Tsunade said expressionlessly, "was created by a low-level ninja and is extremely practical. Yet people often refer to such miraculous ninjutsu by the common name... Fool's Ninjutsu."

Jiraiya was unconvinced. "How can you call it a fool's ninjutsu? Didn't you see Nawaki get forced back too?"

"He wasn't forced back. He backed away in shock because he had never seen this style of fighting before," Orochimaru said calmly. "After all, not everyone is like us and has seen it before."

Jiraiya remained unconvinced. "Any technique that gets results is a good ninjutsu."

Looking at Hyuga Wuye, who had seized the initiative in the field, Orochimaru and Tsunade fell silent...