"Can I learn this move?" Xue Ge looked at Minato and asked.
"Of course, I'll teach you." Minato waved his hand generously. "You made a huge contribution to the development of this ninjutsu, so you will definitely have your name on it in the future."
"..." Xue Ge felt that he might have done something incredible. "Thank you for the high praise."
"Don't be so polite..." Minato was somewhat amused by Xue Ge's deliberate efforts to keep a sense of detachment.
Next, he spent several hours explaining the training method for the Rasengan to Xue Ge and gave him hands-on guidance. He still carried some unused balloons from yesterday, and right by the waterfall, he gathered materials on the spot and handed them to Xue Ge.
The speed at which Xue Ge practiced the Rasengan First Version was quite fast. After all, Xue Ge was already quite proficient in manipulating chakra outside the body-since he had to control two Prosthetic Limbs to move every moment.
When the sun was right overhead, Xue Ge was already barely able to control the water balloon so that it didn't burst.
His speed was still quite a bit slower compared to Minato. On one hand, he indeed lacked experience relative to Minato, and on the other hand... Minato was a genuine civilian genius.
Being able to reach this kind of progress in a single morning was still because he himself excelled at external chakra control, and he was the one who proposed the rotation principle in the first place, making him understand it faster.
"Alright, let's stop here for now." As the nth water ball burst in Xue Ge's hand, Minato clapped his hands and pressed down on Xue Ge's shoulder. "I've taught you everything I should, and you basically know how to practice the rest. Stop for now and practice later when you have free time."
Xue Ge looked up at the sky, and half a day had passed without him noticing.
Feeling his stomach empty, Xue Ge subconsciously took a special Soldier Pill out of his pouch, preparing to swallow it.
"Hey!" Minato hurriedly pressed down on Xue Ge's hand. "Your habit is really strange. I said it yesterday, you can't eat too many Soldier Pills. Although this stuff fills your stomach when you eat too much of it, it hurts your body."
"This is a special kind." Xue Ge had known about the problem that eating too many Soldier Pills easily caused indigestion years ago.
"A special kind won't do either!" Minato said righteously. "As a ninja, you must never be stingy with yourself. Don't mistreat yourself just to save a little time. Let's go, I'll take you to eat ramen."
"..." Before Xue Ge could say anything, Minato hoisted him up and sat him on his shoulder.
"Sit tight." After Minato finished speaking, he suddenly accelerated.
A gust of violent wind rushed into his face, and Xue Ge learned for the first time the strength of Minato as a Jonin-at least this kind of exaggerated speed was something he had never seen before.
After finishing lunch, Xue Ge began following Minato to do various D-rank missions.
They included but were not limited to finding cats, plowing fields, helping clean up at the nursing home, helping neighbors move, quickly harvesting crops...
Xue Ge could only say that these matters stirred up his memories of poverty alleviation, making him more and more energetic as he did them instead.
The two of them, one big and one small, swept through twelve D-rank missions in two days, doing even more on the second day than the first. This made some ninjas unable to help inquiring about what background these two had.
Then, upon learning that the blond was a disciple of Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, and the dark-haired one was a disciple of Danzo, an elder of the village, they immediately shut their mouths.
They didn't eat anything proper for Sunday's dinner. After Minato swept through the snack street with Xue Ge, their two days of missions were declared over. With dusk approaching, it was time for the two of them to part ways. On the bustling street, Minato and Xue Ge leaned against the wall.
"After these two days, do you have any reflections?" Minato looked at Xue Ge with a smile.
"...Being a ninja is really hard work." Xue Ge spoke the truth.
"Yeah, ninjas are indeed very hardworking." Minato said with some emotion, "Finding cats, babysitting, moving things, all kinds of odd jobs, ninjas have to do them."
"There's also assassinations, bodyguards, scouting unknown locations, stealing intel. Or participating in wars and facing powerhouses head-on."
"These are things a ninja has to do."
Minato seemed to be looking at the crowd on the street, or perhaps his gaze drifted upward, looking at the Hokage Rock on the distant cliff opposite.
"However, I still choose to become a ninja. Konoha is my home, and only by becoming a ninja can I protect her. I suppose the various Narutos also held this kind of thought when they became ninjas—well, no, the First and Second were both born in the Warring States period. Well, that was also to protect their own clan, right."
Under the setting sun, Minato's blond hair was also dyed rose-red.
"We become ninjas to defend Konoha and build Konoha. And you are the future of Konoha, and you will also become ninjas in the future."
"Wherever the leaves dance, the fire is also burning. The light will continue to illuminate the village and make the leaves of new life sprout."
"This is the Will of Fire, passed down among every generation of ninjas in Konoha."
He spoke earnestly, then patted Xue Ge's head and smiled as he looked at him.
"Ninjas of the same village should support each other, and the older generation should take care of the younger ones. Starting next year, I will also serve as a Guiding Jonin. Well, let me explain it to you. After you graduate from the Ninja Academy, as novice Genin, you need a Jonin to lead the team to execute missions, and at the same time, the guiding Jonin concurrently holds the tasks of protection and teaching. This is a Guiding Jonin."
"I promise you, when you graduate, I will definitely choose to be your Guiding Jonin. This is a promise between you and me, are you willing?"
Minato said these words from the bottom of his heart. Although at first he just took over a mission from Naruto, after spending two days together, he found that this child Xue Ge had unexpected talent. For example, sharp insight in ninjutsu, a mature inner self, and a tenacious will.
Xue Ge's own strength was also very good, and Minato truly had this thought: if he were Xue Ge's team leader, it should be quite relaxing.
Facing Minato's invitation, Xue Ge hesitated for a moment and nodded. For some reason, he suddenly remembered what Danzo said last night.
His goal was to graduate from the Ninja Academy within a year, and Minato happened to start serving as a Guiding Jonin next year.
Perhaps this was fate.
"It's a deal then." Minato smiled easily. "Well, I'll be leaving first."
"Goodbye." Xue Ge's reply was as direct and crisp as ever.
As soon as his voice fell, Minato's figure disappeared from sight.
...As expected, this guy's speed is really fast. No wonder he wants to develop signless ninjutsu.
Xue Ge thought to himself in his heart.
Dazed for a moment, he raised his eyes to look at the bustling crowd, and then looked at the Hokage Rock bathed in the afterglow in the distance. For some reason, after traveling to this world, for the very first time, he felt a sense of unfamiliarity that made him feel awe.
Protected by Konoha, becoming a ninja of Konoha, protecting the future of Konoha
. And so it goes in a cycle.
Xue Ge recalled Minato's words just now, and a burst of exclamations suddenly came to his ears. He looked at the crowd and saw everyone looking in one direction and pointing in surprise.
Following the direction people were pointing, Xue Ge saw patches of mist floating in the sky above Konoha, and a huge and eye-catching rainbow half-hung in the clouds.
Is this the Will of Fire?