The Sword of the Thunder God Was a Perfect Match for Uchiha Yi

When Tsunade returned home, Uchiha Yi, Uchiha Mikoto, Nawaki, Kushina Uzumaki, Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and the others were already waiting there.

As Jiraiya's student, Minato Namikaze had been brought along today, a rare occasion.

Over the past six months, Minato's strength had improved before everyone's eyes. Jiraiya truly had a gift for building a student's foundations, and Minato was exceptional in his own right. Under Jiraiya's guidance, he had become one of the best in his year.

He was still nowhere near Uchiha Yi, or even Kushina Uzumaki, but he had caught up with the children from prominent families and even surpassed them.

Everyone expected Minato to meet the graduation requirements in his second year. Whether he applied for Early Graduation would be up to him and Jiraiya.

Applying for Early Graduation alongside Uchiha Yi and the others, however, was out of the question. Minato had not reached that level yet, and Hiruzen Sarutobi would not allow it.

Minato was stunned for a moment when he heard Uchiha Yi was applying for Early Graduation, but he soon accepted it. He knew there was a considerable gap between them. He would catch up!

"Kid, this sword is yours." After greeting the others, Tsunade tossed the Sword of the Thunder God to Uchiha Yi.

"Is that the Second's Thunder God Sword?" Jiraiya exclaimed at the sight of it.

He had taken a liking to the sword back then and had even asked the old man for it. But the old man had been too stingy to give it to him.

"Yep, it's the Thunder God Sword." Tsunade folded her arms, looking proud. "Oh, and officially, we traded Chidori for it. Remember to make a Ninjutsu scroll for Chidori and give it to the old man."

"Right, I understand." Sure enough, Uchiha Yi had no objection to handing over Chidori. Instead, he eagerly examined the Thunder God Sword. The moment he channeled Chakra into it, lightning burst from the blade.

"So it's that sword!" Mito Uzumaki recognized the Sword of the Thunder God at once. Her expression turned distant. "I remember Tobirama forged it to make up for his lack of skill with Lightning Release."

"The Second wasn't good at Lightning Release?" Orochimaru looked at Mito Uzumaki with curiosity. His idol was neither the mighty First nor his own teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, but Tobirama Senju.

He had never expected Tobirama Senju to be poor at Lightning Release.

"Tobirama developed his Lightning Release later. But early on, he really wasn't very good at it. A great deal of special material went into forging this sword, too, so it's exceptionally sharp.

"Apart from a handful of other weapons, the Sword of the Thunder God is among the finest in the world." Mito Uzumaki gazed at it, lost in memory. "Yi, try channeling Lightning Release Chakra into it."

"Yes!" As Uchiha Yi channeled Lightning Release Chakra into the sword, the lightning around its blade flared to at least twice its previous intensity.

"Lightning Release increases the sword's power. It can even block some Ninjutsu with ease," Mito Uzumaki explained. "But in the end, the Sword of the Thunder God is only a tool. Don't rely on it too much. Your own strength is what matters."

"I understand, Grandma Mito!" Uchiha Yi formed Chidori's hand signs with one hand. In an instant, Chidori shrieked to life. Its lightning coiled around the Sword of the Thunder God, making its glow brighter still. Everyone turned to look.

Clearly, the sword suited Uchiha Yi even better than they had imagined.

Uchiha Yi looked pleased. He had not developed Chidori Stream yet, but with the Sword of the Thunder God, he had achieved something close to it.

That also meant he was now qualified to challenge a Special Jōnin. He would not shrink from facing even some veteran Jonin.

Uchiha Yi had finally begun to come into his own, but this was no time to get carried away. Powerful figures from other villages knew about him and wanted to eliminate the threat he posed. Madara Uchiha, lurking in the shadows, was another problem he would have to face.

Until Madara Uchiha died, Uchiha Yi needed to keep an even lower profile.

At the very least, he could not reveal strength that Madara Uchiha could not control.

"Looks like the Sword of the Thunder God suits you. Don't let it down!" Tsunade watched Uchiha Yi with pride. If Second Grandfather could see this, surely he would rest easy.

"I won't, Teacher Tsunade!" Uchiha Yi knew the Sword of the Thunder God was neither all-powerful nor indestructible. Naruto and Sasuke had smashed it to pieces, after all.

If they could break the sword, other powerful fighters certainly could. He still needed to grow stronger himself.

"By the way, Orochimaru, how's your squad shaping up?" Tsunade asked. "I heard from Teacher Sarutobi that Hizashi Hyuga might be joining it."

"He is." Orochimaru nodded calmly. Hizashi Hyuga, Nawaki, and Uchiha Mikoto made for a solid squad.

It would also give him a better chance to study the Senju and the Uchiha. He was probably the first person ever to lead a squad with that combination.

The Hyuga Clan was no slouch, either. It was a prestigious clan with a thousand-year history and one of the three great Dōjutsu.

The Byakugan had immense strategic value. Together with Uchiha Mikoto's careful nature, it would make up for Nawaki's recklessness.

"You two get to lead squads, unlike me." Jiraiya scratched his head in frustration. "Minato clearly can't graduate early this year. And finding teammates who can keep up with him won't be easy."

Minato Namikaze gave an awkward smile. He was holding Teacher Jiraiya back. He really was sorry.

"Isn't that your own fault? If Minato wanted to graduate early, he could just about manage it. You could keep him with you after that. Don't think we don't know what you're planning." Tsunade folded her arms and looked at Jiraiya with disdain.

Tsunade had no intention of stopping Jiraiya from forming a squad entirely of civilian Ninja. Many civilian Ninja carried Senju blood, after all.

It was what her grandfathers had wanted to see. But civilian Ninja were bound to lack certain advantages from the start.

Jiraiya had set his standards as high as Minato Namikaze. It would be more surprising if he actually found anyone.