Chapter 27

Besides, Minato was so close to Kushina Uzumaki, the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

Someone like him had to be brought over to his side.

"How did the task I gave you go?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi hurriedly composed himself after the indignity of being kicked out of the bedroom by his wife and assumed his Hokage bearing.

"Lord Xuan Zhe and Lord Sakumo certainly live up to their reputations. Today's practice battle really opened my eyes."

Minato Namikaze first expressed his admiration, then looked a little puzzled.

"But Lord Hokage, why did you specifically ask me to observe Lord Xuan Zhe?"

"His temperament is far too dangerous."

Hiruzen Sarutobi put on a deeply pained expression and sighed.

In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back in his chair, a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice.

"You heard what he said before, didn't you? To complete a mission, that man would abandon even his teammates. He doesn't understand the Will of Fire at all."

"What the Will of Fire truly means is for the older generation to burn these old bones of ours to ashes, lighting the way forward for the next generation. But him? He watched that boy Shinnosuke get into trouble and refused to lend a hand. With a temperament like that, I think we need to keep an eye on him."

Minato Namikaze came from an ordinary background and had been steeped in the ideology of the Will of Fire since childhood.

Yet even after hearing those words, he stood stunned for quite a while.

He couldn't help grumbling inwardly. Last time, Hatake Sakumo saved your son and was criticized so badly he could barely hold his head up. Now Hatake Xuanzhe doesn't save your son, and you want him watched?

So nothing they do is right? What exactly do you want people to do?

Of course, he only dared turn those thoughts over in his head and didn't say a word aloud.

"Lord Hokage, there's something else I need to tell you."

Remembering something, Minato Namikaze began his report.

"Senior Jiraiya came to see me today and intends to take me as his student. So... I'd like to set aside the job of watching Senior Xuan Zhe for now and train under Senior Jiraiya."

Hiruzen Sarutobi paused when he heard this.

Of his three students, Jiraiya was the only one who still had any real affection for him.

It wasn't as though he had never considered passing the Hokage's seat on to him.

But in terms of his own selfish wishes, he still preferred to leave the position to his son Asuma.

Between his son and his student, his own flesh and blood naturally mattered more.

Still... having Minato Namikaze become Jiraiya's student?

The old man stroked his still-black beard, pondered for a while, then smiled and nodded.

"Very good. Go and train hard with Jiraiya."

In truth, he had worked it all out quite clearly.

Although Jiraiya was currently the closest to him, he was also the one who cared least about the Hokage's seat.

Knowing his student, even if he really asked him to take over one day, the fellow would most likely turn it down.

Minato Namikaze was different.

On his very first day at the Academy, this boy had declared in front of everyone that he would become the strongest ninja in Konoha's history.

If he became Jiraiya's student, that would make him his own grandstudent.

If he could tie Jiraiya, this student of his, and the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to his side, then his position would truly be secure.

"But surveillance of Xuan Zhe cannot stop. I'll assign someone else to take your place. For now, focus on training with Jiraiya."

Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke with a smile.

Minato Namikaze opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something.

In the end, he swallowed his words.

In the clearing at Training Ground 7, Minato Namikaze bit his thumb and slammed his palm against the ground.

"Summoning Technique!"

Smoke burst outward, and a gigantic toad descended from the sky, making the ground shudder violently on impact.

Standing nearby, Jiraiya's pupils contracted slightly.

This kid summoned Gamabunta on his very first use of the Summoning Technique?

Before he could finish processing that fact, Minato Namikaze and Gamabunta were already forming hand seals simultaneously.

"Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"

A searing pillar of fire spewed from his throat and struck the toad oil Gamabunta spat out, instantly igniting into a sea of flames.

As the flames soared skyward, even the surrounding air trembled with heat.

Jiraiya's mouth twitched as he watched.

He used the Fire Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet I taught him after seeing it just once?

Back when he had learned the technique himself, he had spent over half a month practicing it over and over.

"Jiraiya, this student's talent is far beyond yours," Gamabunta rumbled, his pipe between his lips.

"Shut up!"

Jiraiya's face darkened.

Having a promising student was a good thing, but being told that to his face was deeply embarrassing.

Minato Namikaze leaped off Gamabunta's back and landed lightly.

"Teacher, I've been working on a ninjutsu lately, but I haven't managed to get it right. I'd like to ask for your guidance."

"Oh? Let's hear it."

Jiraiya suppressed his astonishment and assumed the bearing of a teacher.

Minato Namikaze held out his right hand, and a swirl of chakra surged into his palm.

The current spun faster and faster, gradually twisting into the outline of a sphere.

But just as it was about to take shape, the mass of chakra burst like a punctured balloon, sending gusts of wind scattering in all directions.

The experiment had failed again.

Minato Namikaze gave a bitter smile. "I'm developing it myself based on the concept of the Tailed Beast Bomb Lady Mito Uzumaki left behind, but I still haven't been able to complete it."

Jiraiya's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

The Tailed Beast Bomb?

This kid actually dared to use that as a reference?

He took a deep breath, his voice trembling. "Minato... you really are a monster..."

Had he not seen Nagato's Rinnegan with his own eyes, he would almost have been convinced that this blond boy before him was the Child of Prophecy the Great Toad Sage had spoken of.

As the two were talking, several piercing screams suddenly rang out in the distance-

"Aaaaargh!!!"

"H-help!"

"What happened?"

Jiraiya frowned.

"Teacher Jiraiya, let's go take a look."

Without much hesitation, Minato Namikaze rushed straight toward the source of the sounds.

"Let's go."

Jiraiya immediately followed him.

Gamabunta wasn't particularly interested. He blew a smoke ring, then vanished in a cloud of white mist.

Two figures raced through the woods.

As they ran, they gradually realized something was wrong-

This route seemed to be...

When they arrived, the sight before them left both utterly stunned.

The familiar farmland, the familiar wooden cabin.

It was indeed where Xuan Zhe lived.

But the scene beside the fields made their scalps prickle.

A large pack of vicious-looking ninja dogs, some sitting and others lying down, surrounded the field ridges, gnawing on something.

What they were chewing were all bloody chunks of flesh.

Crunch-

One dog that looked like a husky was biting into a bone, crunching it loudly.

Then, with a "ptui," he spat out a lump of something.

Clang-

An object fell to the ground.

Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze focused their eyes on it.

It was-

A Konoha ninja's forehead protector!

Severed fingers and bloodied skulls were also scattered beside several of the other dogs!

"Hmm? All finished eating?"

Just then, the curtain over the cabin doorway lifted.

Xuan Zhe stepped out in casual clothes-a thin white shirt and black trousers-with a straw hat on his head and a hoe over his shoulder.

His tone was as casual as if he were commenting on the fine weather.

"Time to work. Anyone who slacks off goes into tonight's dog-meat soup."

"Woof-"

The huskies that had just been gnawing away with vicious expressions instantly changed their demeanor at Xuan Zhe's shout.

One by one, they obediently put on iron plows meant for oxen and lined up to work the fields.

With the hoe over his shoulder, Xuan Zhe slowly walked over to the pile of things.

His gaze swept over the Konoha forehead protector on the ground.

Then he raised the hoe and smashed it down.

Bang-

The forehead protector shattered into pieces.

"Xuan Zhe, you-"

There were few things left in the world that could shock Jiraiya speechless.

Yet in this short month, Xuan Zhe had delivered more shocks to him than he had experienced in the entire first half of his life.

"Oh, this."