Shinji picked up his glass, took a sip, and shrugged. "Observing the behavioral patterns and interactive responses of specific human subjects under specific social pressures is an interesting exercise in mental training and data analysis." He deliberately used slightly academic, detached language to conceal his newly stirred appetite for gossip.
That was not entirely an excuse. As someone who had transmigrated into this world with knowledge of its "plot," he always observed it with a subtle sense of detachment and a researcher's mindset. These characters, in particular, would one day leave indelible marks on the history of the Shinobi World. Their youth, the development of their personalities, and their budding feelings held a distinctive charm and research value for him, helping him better understand the "code" that governed this world.
During Friday's practical ninjutsu class, Kushina seemed to have finally decided to play the "trump card" she had been preparing for so long.
That day's lesson involved advanced chakra control exercises-continuously gathering chakra in the palm at a steady rate and precisely controlling its rotation to keep a fragile leaf suspended and spinning at a uniform speed in the resulting airflow, without damaging the leaf at all. It demanded an extremely stable chakra output and exceptionally fine control.
This exercise posed little difficulty for Shinji. With an adult's concentration and the training he never neglected, he soon had the leaf spinning steadily above his palm as though guided by invisible threads, like a miniature green vortex. Having completed the task, he leisurely began observing the performance of his "test subjects."
Minato likewise displayed his astonishing talent. The leaf in his hand spun with exceptional steadiness and endurance, tracing a smooth, circular path that demonstrated his outstanding chakra control. Just then, Shinji keenly sensed Kushina quietly forming an exceedingly subtle hand