Minato didn't dwell on it, readily accepting the explanation with joy. "Great! I was worried this mode might lead Seiki astray, but now that a teacher is overseeing things, there's definitely no problem!"
Jiraiya chuckled awkwardly. "Of course! Who do you think I am? I'm Jiraiya the Toad Sage, one of the legendary Sannin!"
Calm and composed, Minato continued seriously. "Before explaining the method, I need to first inform both of you about this mode's drawbacks."
The two weren't surprised by this.
Every advantage came with its share of drawbacks.
"Due to the limited time for chakra extraction, the amount collected at once won't be substantial, and the consumption during usage will be quite severe. Let me use myself as an example — the maximum amount of Sage Chakra extracted at once can only support three uses of the Super-Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan, and when factoring in losses, realistically there's only enough left for two applications!"
Minato said with some helplessness. "Actually, this mode isn't particularly useful for me. Compared to Sage Art, the Flying Thunder God Technique suits me better."
"For ordinary opponents, combining the Rasengan with the Flying Thunder God Technique is sufficient. But against powerful foes like the Raikage or Bijuu with strong vitality, even two hits of Sage Art wouldn't really cut it. That's why after developing it, I rarely ended up using this mode."
Jiraiya looked serious. Indeed, a third of chakra being wasted was still considerable.
Seiki, however, had his eyes shining brightly. For him, this mode's greatest use was actually combining it with [Eight Gates].
Although his talent in Taijutsu was indeed relatively "ordinary," he had started training in [Eight Gates] several years earlier than Guy did, and also used the opportunity to heal Duy's hidden injuries to refine his own training path, so he could open the Fifth Gate of [Eight Gates].
As for why he hadn't used it before — partly because the first three gates of [Eight Gates] were considered safe zones, beyond which certain risks arose; another reason was that the Fifth Gate of [Eight Gates] couldn't coordinate with Sage Mode.
Activating [Eight Gates] would make the chakra inside the body aggressive, conflicting directly with the stillness principle of Sage Mode.
Of course, that didn't mean it was completely impossible.
Like someone barely able to swing a hundred-pound hammer, handling a thirty-pound one becomes effortless.
[Eight Gates] followed the same logic. The first three gates were already his absolute limit for full control; going further meant losing the ability to sustain Sage Mode.
Furthermore, combining Sage Mode with the first three gates produced roughly the same power level as opening the Fifth Gate alone — but with less damage and longer endurance. In that case, he saw no point in even bothering to open the Fifth Gate.
The strength of One-time Sage Mode lay precisely here — he could activate and deactivate it instantly, unleashing ultimate output while briefly opening the Fifth Gate, then exiting Sage Mode without hesitation the very next moment.
The only real question remaining...
Seiki raised his head and asked, "Aniki Minato, can this One-time Sage Mode be used consecutively?"
He wasn't worried about chakra loss anyway. After all, activating these two modes already signified he was ready to fight with everything he had — there wouldn't be time to think about any of that by then.
"Used consecutively?" Minato blinked, contemplating slowly. "To be honest, I've never tried consecutive usage before, since the physical burden from this mode isn't minor either."
"But considering you're a ninja who cultivates Taijutsu..."
His physical constitution is much stronger than mine. Maybe I can use it two or three times!
Jiraiya sighed, "So it really is a one-time Sage Mode. Still, it might have some unexpected effects sometimes."
After going over the mode's limitations, Minato began explaining the core techniques and steps involved.
Two hours later.
Seiki nodded thoughtfully. "I get it now."
The next moment, he immediately entered the One-Time Sage Mode.
Jiraiya, standing beside them, was stunned. What was going on?
He hasn't even gotten it yet—how did you already master it?
Minato smiled awkwardly. "It really is simple, right? Actually, it's just a small trick I came up with when I was bored."
Seiki, however, shook his head and said, "Even if the method's simple, just coming up with such a technique is impressive enough."
Hearing both of them speak so casually about it, Jiraiya nearly doubted his life choices.
Was he just too stupid, or were these two simply not human?
At this moment, Minato suddenly remembered someone had been forgotten and quickly asked, "Right, sensei, do you have any advice?"
Though he really wanted to say, I suggest you explain it again… Jiraiya still managed a smile out of concern for his dignity as a teacher. "Ha, ha ha, your Sage Mode is pretty creative. Not bad at all. You've got a bit of my former style!"
Delighted at hearing this, Minato exclaimed, "That's great to hear! I was worried you'd scold me for taking an unconventional route since it looks so simple."
Clutching his chest in visible discomfort, Jiraiya mumbled under his breath. No more—he couldn't stay any longer. He was going to get worn out by these two geniuses' sheer intellectual presence!
"Good job, keep it up." After a few half-hearted encouraging words, Jiraiya stumbled out like he was fleeing.
Seiki didn't care. He continued discussing details with Minato.
At 3:00 PM.
The two were still engaged in academic discussion when Torifu Yamanaka called them out.
"Sorry to interrupt, but Orochimaru-sama requests both of you attend a meeting." Even Torifu felt embarrassed delivering this message. These two had been working the entire night and barely gotten any rest before being summoned again—machines need downtime too!
Still, he could understand Orochimaru's reasoning; after all, they were just too convenient to use!
Seiki and his companion, however, were completely unfazed.
After all, both possessed hearts fully devoted to serving Konoha.
In the meeting room,
Besides Orochimaru and Jiraiya, all the other Jonin were already present. It was clearly going to be a very formal session.
Once everyone arrived, Orochimaru began speaking, "The current situation has now become a chaotic three-way battle. Don't, however, hold out hope that our enemies will fight each other to death. Relying on Cloud and Mist to engage in prolonged combat against each other is unrealistic."
"According to intelligence gathered by Undercover Agents, Raikage has decided to personally lead a team to retaliate against Mizukage. At the same time, both are also showing signs of mobilizing forces against us."
No one found this surprising.
The previous two wars followed the same pattern. It started with Konoha facing off against three or four villages one by one, but as the battles dragged on, the other villages inevitably turned on each other.
Even Iwagakure and Kirigakure once took advantage of Konoha's war with Cloud Village to launch a sneak attack, only to immediately turn on each other over the spoils of war—fighting so fiercely that both the Second Tsuchikage and the Second Mizukage perished together in that battle.
With such precedents, no one would think it strange if those villages did something similar again.
After assigning tasks one by one, Orochimaru encouraged them further, saying, "The current situation is indeed difficult. Everyone, just hold on a bit longer—[Master] will arrive soon to reinforce us."
No sooner had his words ended than an uproar stirred among everyone.
"What? The Hokage himself!"
"But what about the village's safety..."
Unlike Cloud Village, Konoha sits right in the center of the Four Great Ninja Villages, making it vulnerable to attacks from all sides.
Unless the war reaches its most critical moment, the Hokage usually remains inside the village to protect it.
Of course, there were exceptions.
Back when Lady Mito, the former Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, guarded Konoha.
Thinking of this, Minato couldn't help but ask, "Orochimaru-sama, Kushina..."
Orochimaru smiled and nodded, "The professor trusts her completely with this responsibility."
Warmth welled up within Minato's heart, as he spoke for Kushina, saying, "We won't let the village down, not for a second!"
Meanwhile, Seiki silently sighed inwardly, thinking that once he became Hokage, he would have The Third serve as the administrative director of the Academy.
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