Masaichi's Gym

Actually, Hiruzen Sarutobi's unfairness could be seen from a small matter.

A major event recently occurred in Konoha: twelve-year-old Kakashi became Konoha's youngest Jonin, and newspapers overwhelmingly hyped this genius.

By the way, they also promoted Kakashi's teacher, Jonin Minato Namikaze, who was none other than the most outstanding member of Konoha's young generation.

Meanwhile, Masaichi, who had also made meritorious contributions to Konoha's northeastern defense line, was left out in the cold.

The newspapers rarely mentioned his great achievements.

Even though Orochimaru sat in his office with some friction with his student, his student had made such a great contribution yet didn't even receive a single commendation. He felt it was truly unreasonable, so he went to see Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Regarding this, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood by the window and explained earnestly, "Orochimaru, the teacher has his own considerations."

"Masaichi is still too young. Heavily promoting his excellence will only bring him harm."

"The primary mission of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen established by the Hidden Mist Village is to assassinate the genius youths of various ninja villages. The leaders of other villages also have narrow minds. You should know about the incident where Kushina was snatched away by the Cloud Shinobi, right?"

"If Minato hadn't discovered it and followed them, maybe..."

"Therefore, only a genius who successfully survives the growth period is a true genius."

"Is that so?" Orochimaru felt that what the teacher said made a lot of sense.

Yet he always felt something was amiss.

However, the logic itself was indeed sound.

Orochimaru didn't want his student to be assassinated by others either.

Just like Nawaki who walked into an enemy trap and sacrificed his life in vain.

The fragility of life.

Didn't Masaichi like fitness?

Orochimaru personally rewarded him with a gym. For someone of value to him, he was like this—stingless with his rewards.

The equipment inside was all designed by Orochimaru based on human mechanics.

Lat pulldown machines for the back, chest fly machines, Smith machines...

These apparatuses could profoundly train various parts of the body.

The most formidable of all had to be the gravity room Orochimaru invented for Masaichi, which featured 1.2 times the gravity of Earth on the inside, already the limit of current ninja world technology.

Orochimaru firmly believed back then that merit deserved a reward.

On the day the gym opened, cough cough, Masaichi also dabbled in a side hustle. He posted flyers all over the streets and alleys of Konoha, encouraging Konoha's shinobi to come and sign up for memberships.

Four hundred and ninety-eight ryos a month, and it included bathing.

It focused on being economical and affordable, earning a little extra pocket money.

Orochimaru didn't interfere. Seeing that bathing at the gym was troublesome, he even carved out two hours of his time to build a water heater.

At that time, bathing in Konoha required burning firewood or using Fire Release to heat water yourself.

The water heater he made could produce hot water as long as one channeled chakra into it or plugged it in.

The opening of Masaichi's Gym also brought convenience to the common folk.

Most villagers didn't like fitness, and they couldn't handle the heavy weights that shinobi played with. Instead, they mostly topped up monthly passes just to use the gym for showers—four hundred and ninety-eight a month for baths was a truly appealing price.

With Masaichi's being the only gym in all of Konoha, the customer traffic could well be imagined.

Ever since he was provoked by Masaichi that day, Obito worked hard, harder, and hardest. On the battlefield, he bravely slaughtered enemies; in private, he rigorously exercised.

Hearing that a gym had opened in Konoha where one could build muscles, he rushed over to grind the moment he withdrew from the battlefield.

He came secretly behind everyone's back and was even prepared to buy an annual pass.

Yet the gym owner—

"Why is it you running this place?" Obito turned around to leave the moment he stepped inside.

"Hey hey hey, don't, come on." Upon seeing this, Masaichi hurriedly went out and pulled him back.

"Obito, hand on heart, how has your big bro treated you?" Masaichi prepared to say a few heartfelt words to Obito.

"You?" Obito wore a look of disdain, though he also felt a bit aggrieved. "I only remember that day I said Rin liked collecting shells, and someone gave Rin a whole bucket of them."

"Yes, yes." Masaichi felt somewhat ashamed. Obito had been so foolish before turning dark, yet he still bullied the guy.

Madara bullied him, and Black Zetsu bullied him too.

From the perspective of Brother Obito, this muddle-headed fellow had indeed been fooled for a lifetime.

"Tou-chan." Masaichi solemnly patted Obito's shoulder.

"Act normal." Obito felt goosebumps rise all over him.

"Sigh." Masaichi didn't know what to say either. The plan targeting Obito had been set by Lord Madara; how could a mere Chunin like him be a match for that lord?

"Take care of yourself."

Masaichi gave Obito a weekly pass.

Actually, strictly speaking, Obito belonged to Minato's faction and was their political enemy. His act of giving away a weekly pass was aiding the enemy.

However...

Perhaps it was guilt.

Masaichi was just that kind-hearted.

Then, a week later, Obito found out he couldn't leave the gym anymore and bought an annual pass.

Minato didn't take Obito with him every time he was dispatched to a campaign.

He didn't even take Kakashi.

Seeing that both of his students were soaked in the gym, he was also a bit curious about what kind of magic the gym held.

Yet the Ninja War required him everywhere.

Minato was like a firefighter, shuttling across various battlefields with simply no time to go inside and take a look.

Today, Konoha's engagement with the Hidden Rock Village was going unfavorably, and the remaining members of the squad were down to just four people.

After Minato appeared, he utilized the Flying Thunder God Technique to kill fifty shinobi in one breath, including Dōjin, a Jonin from the Hidden Rock Village.

His might shook the Hidden Rock Village! The high-ranking officials of the Hidden Rock Village discussed retreating to avoid his sharp edge.

Ōnoki was certainly unwilling to give up the fruits of battle, but... the dread of the Flying Thunder God user appearing once more led him to issue an order: anyone who encountered the Yellow Flash was permitted to immediately abandon their mission and flee, and the village would not hold them accountable.

One could see that this single move genuinely hammered out Konoha's backbone.

"The Flying Thunder God Technique? What kind of ninjutsu is this? Was it invented by Jonin Minato?"

"It has to be him! Aside from Jonin Minato, it seems Konoha doesn't have any other shinobi who can use the Flying Thunder God like that."

"So strong! Is that the Yellow Flash?!"

For a time, all of Konoha was in an uproar.

Every street and alley was discussing the prominent Minato Namikaze featured in the newspapers.

In the past, people only knew Minato was strong and outstanding, but they didn't know he could kill fifty Rock Shinobi in one single breath.

Moreover, according to the newspaper propaganda, slaying fifty Rock Shinobi was only because there were precisely fifty Rock Shinobi on the battlefield that day. Killing fifty in one breath was still far from reaching Minato's upper limit.

"What is all that noise outside?"

Inside the gym, Masaichi and Obito were lifting weights. Obito felt impatient because his state was being disrupted.

Kakashi was occupying an apparatus while reading a book. That's right, this fellow was simply the one who bought a membership card just to take showers.

The gym business was booming. As long as male shinobi coming down from the battlefield had free time, they would come to "torture" themselves and secrete the dopamine pleasure in their brains, making the equipment extremely hard to grab.

A group of people glared at Kakashi, as if they wanted to pierce him to death with their gazes.

Yet Kakashi remained as steady as an old hound. After all, he was close personal friends with the gym owner—this was having connections, something the rest of them couldn't match.

"Has it begun?" Masaichi put down the equipment in his hand. From the moment Minato was hyped up as the Yellow Flash, the gears of fate began to turn.

It was starting right here, where Teacher Orochimaru would gradually fall behind and ultimately taste defeat.