Minato Namikaze

"The winner, Asami Ri!"

As the referee's ringing declaration echoed across the arena, the stands erupted.

Asami Ri let out a long breath, his taut nerves finally relaxing.

With that whistle, these Chunin Ninja Exams, filled with scheming and tactical contests, officially came to an end.

He walked off the stage to cheers. Before he could even steady himself, Might Guy's deafening roar rang in his ears: "Ri! This is an explosion of youth! I saw your passion burning!"

Asami Ri smiled as he approached his friends, returning to the spectator seats amid the roaring crowd.

Meanwhile, in the room at the very top of the examination building.

A faint ripple stirred the air. Brilliant golden light cut through the darkness, and Minato Namikaze quietly appeared.

He put away his kunai and came to a steady stop beside the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Minato, thank you for your hard work."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep draw from his pipe, and the rich scent of tobacco spread through the room.

He watched the boy waving to Might Guy on the television, his clouded eyes filled with amazement and delight.

"This boy... he has something of your flair when you were young."

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, a touch of emotion in his voice. "In just a few days, he not only mastered the Earth-Style Wall, but even found clever ways to use an ordinary Lightning Ball. His understanding and control of techniques are already beyond what one would expect of an ordinary genius."

Minato Namikaze lowered his head slightly. The television's glow fell across his profile, tracing its gentle contours.

"You're too kind, Lord Hokage," he replied modestly. His gaze settled on Asami Ri's back as he added candidly, "To tell the truth, even at his age, I might not have done any better."

Hiruzen Sarutobi drew deeply on his pipe, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and nodded slightly.

"The next match is Obito Uchiha against Might Guy, correct?"

"Yes." At the mention of that name, a subtle, complicated smile touched Minato Namikaze's lips, mingling affection with weary exasperation. "This student of mine... his personality really is rather 'one of a kind.'"

Before Minato could explain exactly what he meant by "one of a kind," the arena below provided the answer.

Obito Uchiha stood in the center of the arena, but instead of taking a fighting stance, he had turned completely around and was enthusiastically waving to Rin Nohara in the stands.

He beamed, utterly oblivious to the referee's raised arm.

"Begin!"

Even after the referee's voice fell silent, Obito remained caught up in Rin's cheering, not so much as turning his head.

Facing him was Might Guy, a hot-blooded boy with "youth" etched into his very bones.

The instant the whistle sounded, Guy became a green gale, launching himself forward without a moment's hesitation.

"Konoha Whirlwind!"

By the time Obito belatedly felt the rush of air behind his head and turned in shock, Guy's sandal was already filling his vision, hurtling toward him with tremendous force.

Thud!

A dull impact rang out.

Obito did not even have time to scream before the kick sent him flying several meters.

The impact was so powerful that the goggles he treasured on his forehead shattered in midair, scattering fragments of their lenses across the ground.

The sudden farce made the formerly solemn atmosphere of the examination arena turn faintly ridiculous.

At the top of the stands, Hiruzen Sarutobi abruptly froze with his pipe between his lips, smoke lingering motionless around his mouth.

Watching Obito Uchiha clutch his face below, the corner of his eye twitched.

"This child..." the Third Hokage began slowly, his voice filled with an indescribable mix of emotions. "He really is... worlds apart from the Uchiha I remember."

As Minato Namikaze watched his bedraggled student below, such intense embarrassment washed over him that he wanted to use Flying Thunder God to leave the room on the spot.

He could only raise a hand with a strained smile and helplessly press it to his forehead.

"Perhaps... we should watch Kakashi's match first."

Minato Namikaze awkwardly changed the subject, hoping a genius's performance would overshadow the embarrassing farce.

The atmosphere in the arena changed completely in an instant.

If Obito's performance had been a comedy, the confrontation between Kakashi Hatake and Might Guy brought the Chunin Ninja Exams to the pinnacle of skill and physical prowess.

"Gate of Opening, Gate of Healing, Gate of Life—open!"

In the center of the arena, Might Guy let out a beastlike growl.

As the third gate, the Gate of Life, opened, his skin flushed an unnatural crimson from the surging blood, and thick green vapor blazed around him.

At that moment, he removed the limits on the oxygen supplied by his heart and lungs. His blood flowed so swiftly that it roared like the tide.

It was a fundamental transformation of raw strength and speed.

Guy vanished into the air, leaving only zigzagging green streaks. Moving too quickly for the naked eye to follow, he left afterimages in his wake.

Yet in the face of that ferocious assault, Kakashi displayed composure far beyond his years.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A barrage of metallic clashes burst out like pounding rain.

Kakashi stood firm amid the storm, the kunai in his hand becoming an impenetrable black barrier as it moved between his fingers.

Every block precisely intercepted Guy's line of attack.

Guy was fast, but Kakashi's command of timing was nothing short of an art.

On top of that, Kakashi rapidly formed hand seals with one hand as he moved at high speed.

As his footwork shifted, earthen walls abruptly rose from the arena floor, forcing Guy to change his charge; at other moments, lightning coiled around the tip of his kunai, its numbing effect weakening Guy's explosive bursts.

He interwove elemental ninjutsu and kunai combat into a seamless web of defense and counterattacks.

Finally, after a fierce collision, the sound of a heavy body hitting the ground came from the spreading dust.

The green flames slowly faded. Guy knelt on one knee, gulping down air as white vapor rose from his overheated body.

His muscles trembled violently from the excessive strain. Though the fighting spirit in his eyes remained undiminished, his body had reached its limit.

Kakashi stood before him, his kunai angled toward the ground. His breathing beneath his mask was somewhat hurried, but his gaze remained calm.

Watching the scene below, Hiruzen Sarutobi lightly tapped his pipe with his fingertips, his earlier exasperation over Obito swept away.

"Just what I would expect from Sakumo's son. With that sharp fighting style and his ability to coordinate his ninjutsu, he truly has few rivals among his peers." He looked approvingly at Minato. "Kakashi's strength is already approaching the standard of a jonin."

"The young people in this year's exams have certainly given me plenty of pleasant surprises."

Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Kakashi below, smiling with satisfaction and nodding in approval.

"It seems much of that dark cloud has finally lifted," the Third Hokage remarked. "Kakashi's eyes are far gentler now than they used to be. His teammates, Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara, deserve much of the credit for that change in his state of mind. Bonds truly are the best medicine for loneliness."

At those words, Minato Namikaze's gaze softened as well. He quietly added an update on his student. "Yes. Though he still acts aloof on the surface, he has learned to look after his teammates. Little by little, he's regaining the vitality a boy his age should have."

"That's good."

Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped his pipe and shifted his gaze from Kakashi to Asami Ri, who was chatting and laughing with Might Guy in the stands. A thoughtful look flickered in his eyes.

"At this rate, Kakashi will be able to formally apply for promotion to jonin next year. A young eagle must eventually soar on its own. Once he becomes a jonin and leaves the squad to lead a team himself, there will be a place open in your team."

He turned to Minato Namikaze, his tone growing solemn. "I intend to assign Asami Ri to you then. The boy has no teammates at present, and his fighting style is highly compatible with yours. Training at your side will also allow you and your future student to get to know each other sooner. With you teaching him personally, I can rest easy."

Minato Namikaze paused in surprise, then solemnly accepted the assignment.

He looked down at Asami Ri again, his eyes now holding scrutiny and anticipation.

He had long since come to appreciate the boy's talent as well.