The next day, on the training grounds of the Ninja Academy.
Namikaze Minato felt uneasy. The first layer of that sealing technique, referred to as the "Foundation Establishment Stage," had been surprisingly easy to master in just one night.
However, as a consequence, the three basic academy jutsu—Transformation, Clone, and Substitution—had all become unusable. Whenever his chakra extended beyond his skin, the seal would generate a powerful suction force, pulling the chakra back into his body and rendering the techniques ineffective.
On the other hand, as chakra accumulated within the seal, his physical sensitivity had significantly improved, enhancing his taijutsu. But without access to ninjutsu, he wasn't sure whether this was a net gain or loss.
His confidence for today's sparring session wasn't as high as usual.
His gaze involuntarily drifted toward Uchiha Kin's direction.
Kin-senpai was lying sideways under a tree!
The shade of the tree covered him as he breathed rhythmically, looking utterly at peace.
Stop being so peaceful!! Kin-senpai, it's time to wash away your past disgrace!!
Teacher Inoue's face is already turning black!!
Get up already!!
Minato's heart screamed internally.
"I hate problem students," Inoue Satoru muttered, his face dark as coal. The pencil in his hand, meant for recording student performance, snapped under the pressure of his thumb and forefinger.
He quickly pulled out a new one from the pouch on his leg.
For problem students, the most essential preparation was always extra stationery.
He couldn't take his frustration out on the students, after all.
That would be utterly unprofessional.
Looking at the names on his list and the evaluations he had to write, he was sorely tempted to mark Kin's combat assessment with a big "X." But his sense of responsibility as a teacher held him back.
Glancing at his other, more well-behaved students, he sighed in relief.
Why did a repeat student like him end up in Class A?!
He couldn't understand it.
But regardless of his confusion, the class had to go on.
"Today's lesson is one-on-one sparring. Pair up with an opponent, and I'll evaluate your performance," Inoue announced to the students.
To be more precise, they'd be fighting all day.
This wasn't just a test of their combat skills but also their endurance, limits, and physical prowess. By the end of the day, most would be pushed to their breaking point.
As for the potential harm to their young bodies? That wasn't something a ninja should worry about.
The Academy's standards weren't as lenient as they would become in the future.
"Begin!"
As Inoue's voice rang out, the students quickly sought out their opponents.
Several Uchiha clan members cracked their knuckles and headed toward a certain someone, eager to teach him a lesson he wouldn't forget.
Minato could no longer spare any attention for Kin—someone had already set their sights on him.
"Hyuga Kiyoshi of the Hyuga clan. Let's spar."
Kiyoshi's Byakugan was locked onto Minato.
As the perennial top-ranked student, Minato wasn't without rivals. Kiyoshi, who had always been second, was determined to surpass him today.
The title of "eternal runner-up" wasn't exactly flattering.
Minato scratched his cheek awkwardly. Even though he wasn't sure how much stronger he'd become, he knew Kiyoshi, who relied solely on the Gentle Fist, stood no chance against him.
He'd actually prefer to spar with Kin-senpai.
Hesitantly, he tried to dissuade Kiyoshi.
"Uh, maybe you should pick someone else? You can't beat me right now."
He meant it sincerely. The Hyuga clan's stubbornness was baffling—they could use ninjutsu but simply refused to.
If it came down to pure taijutsu, Minato had improved significantly.
Kiyoshi's expression remained stoic as he assumed his stance, but anger soon flashed across his face.
"You, Namikaze Minato—!"
"I won't forgive this!"
Meanwhile, just as Kin was about to doze off, his half-lidded eyes registered the presence of several Uchiha surrounding him.
Uchiha Hiru, with his cropped hair, looked down at him disdainfully.
"Uchiha Kin, if you have even a shred of pride as a member of the Uchiha clan, duel me. The loser leaves the Academy."
The Uchiha couldn't afford to have a disgrace like him tarnishing their name.
Kin dug a finger into his ear. These brain-dead Uchiha were insufferable.
Dropping out? He'd tried that before, only to have his request flatly denied.
Wouldn't it be better to live as a wealthy civilian or a merchant? Who wanted to be a damn ninja anyway?
But he had no choice.
The Uchiha clan would never allow a chakra-wielding member to live as a civilian, and Konoha would never let a potential Uchiha shinobi slip away.
"Actually…" Kin looked up at Hiru with feigned shyness. "I could always marry into the Hyuga clan and take their name."
Hiru's face twisted first in shock, then in fury.
"You—!! You disgusting—!!"
If not for the two other Uchiha holding him back, this wouldn't have been a spar—it would've been a fight to the death.
Suggesting an Uchiha take the Hyuga name was akin to calling Hashirama trash to Madara's face.
The other two Uchiha didn't look pleased either.
"Next," Kin yawned, waving them off.
Uchiha Toshimori, with his long hair, stared at him coldly, while Uchiha Mui restrained Hiru to prevent him from lunging.
"To think someone like you was born… Your parents must've—"
Toshimori couldn't finish his sentence.
Kin's eyes snapped open, his gaze shifting into something terrifying—his dark pupils like abysses.
Toshimori instinctively took a step back.
Regret immediately flooded his face, and he glared at Kin.
But Kin, who had been right in front of him, was suddenly—
Gone.
A chill ran down Toshimori's spine as he felt breath on the back of his neck.
What the—?!
Before he could react, a kunai was already pressed against his throat.
"You—?"
In that instant, it felt as if a venomous snake had coiled around his back, its fangs poised to strike.
"AAAAHHH!!" Toshimori's scream of terror drew the attention of everyone on the field.
Screams like this were unheard of during routine training.
Kin's left hand rested casually on Toshimori's shoulder.
"Jokes are jokes, but don't bring parents into it. You don't actually want to die here… right?"
"That's enough." Inoue's hand clamped down on Kin's wrist, his expression exasperated.
"Don't direct killing intent at your comrades."
He'd sensed it immediately—the murderous aura Kin exuded. It was the kind of intent honed through years of life-or-death battles, though without actual bloodshed, it lacked true lethality. Still, it was more than enough to terrify Academy students.
Who would've thought this problem student had trained so rigorously?
"I was just joking, Teacher Inoguchi," Kin said with a grin.
A vein bulged on Inoue's forehead.
"It's Inoue!"
"Got it, Teacher Inaka."
He's definitely doing this on purpose!!
Meanwhile, Minato looked down at the defeated Hyuga Kiyoshi, flexing his fist.
"This power is really something."
Kiyoshi lay on the ground, staring blankly at the blazing sun overhead, his worldview shattered.
The Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist had been utterly crushed by sheer brute force.
"This… wasn't how it was supposed to go."
His Gentle Fist had even performed beyond his usual level, yet Minato's strikes carried monstrous strength. Just a few exchanges had left his arms bruised and swollen.
And then, in just a few more moves, he'd been knocked flat.
"Why is the gap this huge?"
Facing Minato now felt like facing a Hyuga clan Chunin.
"Sorry, I might've gone a bit too hard," Minato said apologetically, offering Kiyoshi a hand up.
Kiyoshi stared at the outstretched hand and Minato's bright, sunny smile.
And then—
He burst into tears.
Congratulations, Minato. You've achieved the art of adding insult to injury.
"Those guys were so weak! I took them all down in, like, three hits! Hahaha!"
Uzumaki Kushina stood by the riverbank, hands on her hips, laughing boisterously.
Kin shot Minato a questioning look.
What exactly do you see in her?
Her murderous tendencies or her violent temper?
Minato understood the unspoken jab and turned away, his face reddening.
"Why are you blushing, you idiot?!"
Kushina whirled around, sensing Kin's silent mockery despite not hearing a word.
Kin averted his gaze. Damn women and their sixth sense—even if Kushina was still a kid, that ability transcended age.
She glanced at Minato's flushed face and scowled.
Why is my underling so girly?! Show some backbone and punch that damn Uchiha already!!
Noticing the tension, Minato quickly changed the subject.
"Tomorrow's the ninjutsu class… What are we going to do?"
He was genuinely worried. With the seal active, he couldn't use a single technique.
Kushina, who had also barely completed the first stage of the seal, wasn't concerned at all—Inoue wouldn't dare give her a hard time.
"Relax." Kin patted Minato's shoulder. "The final year is mostly theory, with some extra stuff like intelligence gathering and stealth mixed in. As long as you don't volunteer to demonstrate, no one will notice."
Ninjutsu theory was part of the standard curriculum, while the "extra stuff" were survival skills the teachers sneaked in to prepare students for the battlefield.
There wasn't much hands-on practice. The final year's content was designed to carry students through their Genin days—or even Chunin, for Class A.
Despite the reassurance, Minato remained uneasy.
As the top-ranked student and the teachers' golden boy, the chances of being called up for demonstrations were anything but low.
In stark contrast to the peaceful Academy, the battlefield roared with chaos.
Explosions of ninjutsu lit up the mountainside, and the detonations of explosive tags were relentless.
Amidst the carnage, a voice wailed in grief.
"Stop the bleeding!"
"Stop it!!"
"I said STOP IT!!"
Tsunade's voice was raw with agony as she poured every ounce of her chakra into the Mystical Palm Technique.
A nearby ninja tried to intervene.
"Tsunade-sama… he's already gone."
Her face froze, as if something were gnawing at her heart. Unable to bear it, she let out a scream.
"AAAAHHH!!"
Like the cry of a mourning cuckoo.
Perched on a tree branch, Orochimaru watched his dead student and his teammate's despair.
He didn't know what expression to wear. It felt as if more than just his student had died—
A part of himself had died too.
Humans were such fragile things.
Nawaki—grandson of the First Hokage, student of Elite Jonin Orochimaru, and younger brother of Elite Jonin Tsunade—
Was pronounced dead.
(End of Chapter)