The next morning, Tsunade officially handed over command of the entire frontline to the White Fang, Sakumo Hatake. She herself withdrew from direct battle, devoting all her time to creating an antidote for the Sand's deadly poison.
But amidst the chaos and exhaustion, there was finally some good news Nawaki had arrived.
Shane Mountain had never met Nawaki before. The young man had short brown hair and a healthy flush on his cheeks, radiating the unrestrained energy of youth.
At that moment, Nawaki's excitement was almost impossible to contain. On the Earth Country front, where he'd been stationed under Orochimaru, he hadn't been allowed anywhere near the front lines. Orochimaru forbade him from fighting or even cleaning up after battles. Every day, Nawaki was forced to sit and listen to Orochimaru discuss strategy and logistics, topics that felt like a foreign language to him.
To Nawaki, a ninja's purpose was simple: to fight for his village, to face the enemy head-on, to stand where the action was. What was the point of staying behind the lines?
Still, as a shinobi, obeying orders was his duty. Even if his heart burned with frustration, he followed Orochimaru's instructions to the letter.
Then, one day, a messenger arrived with a command from his sister. Tsunade was calling him to the front.
The sudden shift in fate filled Nawaki with joy.
If he couldn't fight under Orochimaru, then surely under Tsunade, his own sister, he would finally be allowed to stand on the battlefield!
Fueled by that belief, Nawaki packed his gear and set out immediately, traveling nonstop for more than two days before reaching Tsunade's camp early that morning.
When he arrived, Tsunade met him briefly at the medical tent. Her face was grim and streaked with fatigue. "I'm glad you're here, Nawaki. But you shouldn't stay near me right now it's dangerous here. Go find Minato and his team; they're expecting you."
"Minato?" Nawaki blinked. Of course he knew who that was Minato Namikaze, the rising star of Konoha, and Kushina's rumored partner. But Nawaki couldn't think of any reason why Minato would be looking for him.
Still puzzled, he went straight to their tent only to find it completely empty. The place was spotless and quiet, without a trace of anyone inside.
"Hmm?" His eyes caught a small note on the table.
'By the eastern river urgent matter.'
It seemed Minato had left it behind in case someone came looking for them.
Nawaki slipped the note back into place, tightened his hitai-ate, and sprinted toward the river.
At the same time, Shane Mountain was by the riverside, kneeling with both hands pressed together in a meditative stance. His expression was focused and serious.
"Shane's at it again," Choza Akimichi said between mouthfuls of roasted meat, smirking. "Always doing weird training."
Minato, watching carefully, shook his head. "Weird, maybe but it looks powerful. I can feel the chakra from here."
Just then, a shadow landed near them. The newcomer's sharp eyes swept over the group, locking on Minato. After a quick glance, he nodded. "Blond hair, calm eyes yeah, you must be Minato Namikaze."
Sensing the presence, Shane opened his eyes and exhaled slowly. He tossed aside the leaf he'd been carving with chakra, the tiny veins shaped into a delicate flower pattern.
Looking up, he saw a boy who looked strikingly similar to Minato, walking toward them with easy confidence.
He raised an eyebrow and thought, So this is what Naruto would look like without the whisker marks. Not bad-looking though still behind me and Minato, of course.
Out loud, he said with polite curiosity, "You must be Nawaki?"
Nawaki grinned broadly. "That's me! Senju Nawaki. My sister sent me here to find you guys. I stopped by your tent first, but no one was there. The note said you'd be at the river."
"See?" Minato said with a triumphant smile. "Told you leaving a note was a good idea."
"It's a good idea," Shane replied dryly, "but labeling it 'urgent matter' might've been a bit much."
After teasing Minato, Shane walked up to Nawaki and patted him on the shoulder. "Nice to meet you. I'm Shane Mountain. I'm currently studying sealing techniques under Lady Mito. I was actually the one who asked for you to be transferred here."
"You?" Nawaki blinked in confusion. He didn't know this boy at all. Compared to Minato, who at least had a reputation, Shane was a stranger. Why would he be the one requesting Nawaki?
"That's right," Shane said cheerfully. "Lady Mito mentioned you a few times said you're full of energy but don't think before acting. She worries you'll charge into battle and get yourself killed, so I figured I'd bring you here and train you personally."
Nawaki's expression darkened immediately.
He, Senju Nawaki, grandson of the First Hokage, a prodigy who had become a chunin just a year after graduation was being looked down on by some random guy?
He clenched his fists. Am I really that underestimated?
Before he could snap, Shane continued casually, "By the way, since you're the grandson of the First Hokage, can you use Wood Release yet?"
Nawaki nearly shouted. "Of course not! That's Grandpa's unique bloodline! It doesn't just get passed down like a family heirloom! If it did, my dad would've had it long before me!"
"Oh? Then what about the Second Hokage's Flying Raijin? You learned that, right?"
Nawaki inhaled sharply and forced himself not to yell again. "The Flying Raijin is the most difficult space–time jutsu in the entire ninja world! Only my granduncle could ever use it!"
"Is that so?" Shane said lightly, then turned to Minato with a smirk. "Hey, show him."
Minato understood immediately. With a flick of his wrist, he threw a kunai forward.
Whoosh!
A heartbeat later, he vanished then reappeared beside the kunai, catching it midair as if it had never left his hand.
The whole group froze in disbelief.
Even Choza and Shibi were speechless. They'd been teammates for weeks, yet they had no idea Minato had already mastered such a technique.
As for Nawaki, his jaw nearly hit the ground.
He had tried to learn the Flying Raijin once. He knew how impossibly complex it was. To see someone actually perform it someone younger than him was staggering.
Minato scratched his cheek awkwardly. "I only mastered it recently. It eats up a lot of chakra, so I mostly use it for emergencies or retreating. It's not as amazing as it looks."
Nawaki could only gape, his voice trembling. "You... you can actually do it..."
Shane chuckled softly. "So you came here without a special ability or an advanced technique, planning to survive on enthusiasm alone? No wonder Lady Mito was worried."
It wasn't meant as an insult. Shane remembered clearly how Lady Mito had spoken about her grandchildren during their training sessions.
She never worried about Tsunade her granddaughter was already one of the strongest kunoichi in Konoha.
But when she spoke about Nawaki, her tone always shifted. She described him as bright, energetic, and brave just like Hashirama but also reckless, impulsive, and naive. He talked about becoming Hokage, yet didn't understand what that responsibility truly meant.
That worry was what had led Shane to bring him here.
Minato smiled knowingly. So that's why Shane wanted Nawaki to join us to keep him safe for Lady Mito's sake.
He nodded in agreement. "It makes sense. With Shane around, even a chunin like Nawaki will be fine. He'll be safer here than anywhere else on the battlefield."
Nawaki stood there, still stunned, watching the three of them with a mix of pride, embarrassment, and awe. He had come here expecting to prove himself but instead, he realized just how far he still had to go.
Still, deep in his heart, a new determination began to burn.
If Minato could master the Flying Raijin, if Shane could earn the trust of Lady Mito herself then he, Nawaki Senju, would find his own way to stand among them.
This time, he wouldn't just dream about becoming Hokage. He'd fight to deserve it.
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