Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!

Minato put away his kunai. The gentle smile he usually wore faded, replaced by an expression full of apology and panic.

"Sorry! That was my instinctive reaction as a teacher—it was too intense."

"You were too fast. I nearly mistook you for an enemy on reflex. Are you all right?"

Ye touched his neck, his back already soaked in cold sweat.

The future Fourth Hokage and the Yellow Flash—his battlefield instincts really weren't just for show.

He really had something.

But when Ye raised his head, that lingering fear had already vanished, replaced by an utterly harmless expression.

"Minato-sensei, that move just now nearly chilled my neck clean through."

Tilting his head, Ye smiled with perfect innocence while pointing directly at the bell on Minato's waist.

"An apology alone doesn't seem very sincere, does it?"

"This counts as a workplace injury. You nearly sent your student off early, so asking for a bell as compensation for emotional damages... isn't too much, right?"

The entire field fell silent.

Minato was dumbfounded.

Obito, who had only managed to crawl halfway out of the mud, nearly had his jaw hit the ground.

This actually worked?!

Kakashi's hand, which had been wiping his blade, froze in midair.

Even the Genin watching from the edge of the training ground had their expressions completely shattered.

"You can ask for one like that?"

"Why didn't I think of taking that route during my graduation test?"

"Wake up. Even if you had thought of it, it wouldn't have worked. You weren't qualified to make your teacher nearly kill you."

Minato looked at Ye's outstretched hand and fell silent for two seconds.

Then he burst out laughing, his eyes filled with appreciation.

"Sure."

"Your Body Flicker Technique let you get that close without me noticing immediately. That alone proves