"Brother Qingshui," Yahiko asked softly, his eyes fixed on the battlefield, "who do you think will win—Nagato or Senior Minato?"
Qingshui did not answer immediately.
He watched the two figures standing opposite each other, one calm and restrained, the other sharp and ready to explode into motion at any moment.
After a brief pause, he spoke.
"Nagato will win."
The answer came without hesitation.
If any ninja from Konoha had heard those words, they would have immediately objected.
Minato Namikaze was widely acknowledged as a once-in-a-generation genius. The fact that Jiraiya had taken him in as a direct disciple immediately after graduation spoke volumes. After all, Jiraiya was not just any jōnin—he was the student of the Third Hokage himself.
Only those with exceptional talent were ever considered worthy of his tutelage.
Over time, Minato had more than proven himself. Speed, composure, intelligence—he possessed all three in abundance. Many in Konoha believed that among his peers, no one could rival him.
But talent was not exclusive.
Nagato, too, was an undeniable genius.
In Qingshui's judgment, despite training under Jiraiya for just a little over a year, Nagato was already stronger than Minato, who was several years his senior.
The reason was simple.
Nagato was an Uzumaki.
And he possessed the Rinnegan.
Bloodline and destiny alone placed him on an entirely different level.
"Senior Minato is also very strong, though," Konan said hesitantly. Having personally sparred with Minato, she couldn't deny his ability.
Her words didn't mean she wanted Nagato to lose.
If anything, among all of Jiraiya's students, she was closest to Nagato.
Qingshui smiled faintly and gently patted her head.
"Then let's watch," he said. "You'll understand soon enough."
---
"Match start!"
The moment Jiraiya's voice rang out, Minato vanished from where he stood.
Body Flicker Technique!
Through their recent interactions, Minato had already grasped the core problem.
Nagato's chakra reserves were monstrous.
Engaging him in a prolonged battle would be suicide.
So Minato chose the only path that made sense—
Speed.
Speed was his greatest strength.
Even before Jiraiya finished speaking, Minato had already appeared in front of Nagato, kunai flashing as he thrust forward.
The attack was clean.
Sharp.
Decisive.
But Minato had misjudged one thing.
Nagato's perception.
Even without the Sharingan's kinetic vision, the Rinnegan's perception far exceeded that of ordinary eyes.
And Minato, at this stage, had not yet mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique.
As the kunai neared Nagato's throat, another kunai suddenly rose to meet it.
Clang!
Metal struck metal.
Minato's eyes widened in surprise.
He had expected to gain at least a small advantage—if not land a decisive blow.
Instead, his opening attack had been completely neutralized.
"Minato underestimated Nagato," Qingshui said quietly from the sidelines, shaking his head.
Yahiko and Konan both turned to him, confusion evident on their faces.
"What do you mean?" Yahiko asked.
Qingshui explained calmly, breaking down Minato's strategy and its flaw.
Only then did understanding dawn on their faces.
At the same time, Nagato pressed forward.
The clash of kunai continued, sparks flying as the two exchanged blows at close range.
But Minato quickly realized something unsettling.
He wasn't winning.
In terms of taijutsu alone, he held no clear advantage.
Without hesitation, he disengaged, leaping backward to create distance.
Then, his hands moved.
A dozen shuriken flew from his grasp in rapid succession.
But these weren't ordinary throws.
The shuriken collided midair, changing trajectory again and again, weaving into a deadly pattern.
In the blink of an eye, they surrounded Nagato from all directions—front, back, left, and right.
A perfect net.
This level of shurikenjutsu rivaled even that of the Uchiha clan.
At the same time, Minato began forming hand seals.
He intended to finish the fight with ninjutsu.
Qingshui's eyes flickered with admiration.
In mere seconds, Minato had already adapted his tactics and launched a second offensive.
Yahiko's expression tightened.
"With that many shuriken… Nagato can't dodge all of them!"
"Relax," Qingshui replied calmly. "This won't be enough."
Despite appearances, Nagato had been in control from the very beginning.
As if responding to Qingshui's words, the approaching shuriken suddenly halted.
Then—
They were blown away.
Not deflected.
Not dodged.
Simply repelled.
Almighty Push.
Nagato had already learned to use the Rinnegan's basic abilities under Jiraiya's guidance.
To Minato, the sight was baffling.
No hand signs.
No visible chakra flow.
The shuriken were simply… gone.
Before he could analyze what had happened, Minato completed his seals and shouted:
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!"
Blades of compressed wind tore through the air, sharp enough to slice bone and flesh effortlessly.
"This technique is already at a solid chūnin level," Qingshui commented. "Minato's control is excellent."
"But then—doesn't that mean Nagato will lose?" Konan asked nervously.
Qingshui shook his head.
"It still won't be enough."
Nagato inhaled calmly.
Then exhaled.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
The difference was immediate.
Nagato's vast chakra amplified the technique to terrifying levels.
The gale he unleashed didn't merely counter Minato's Wind Cutter—
It overwhelmed it.
The wind blades shattered, swallowed by the roaring storm that continued forward unabated.
Minato dodged instantly, but the range was too wide.
Even so, he narrowly avoided serious injury.
Still, the outcome was clear.
"Nagato wins!" Jiraiya announced.
Yahiko cheered instantly.
"That's amazing! Nagato won!"
Konan smiled as well, though she restrained herself to avoid hurting Minato's pride.
Qingshui had already stepped forward, beginning treatment.
"Minato," he said gently, "your loss wasn't because you're weak."
Minato looked up.
"You lacked information," Qingshui continued. "You didn't know about the Rinnegan's abilities."
That was true.
But Qingshui didn't say the rest out loud.
Even with full information, the result wouldn't change.
Against overwhelming chakra and power, strategy alone could only go so far.
Minato smiled faintly.
"I know you're trying to comfort me, Brother Qingshui," he said. "Don't worry—I'm not that fragile."
[Successfully treated Minato Namikaze.]
[Reward obtained: Blue Orb.]
[Chakra increased by 50 points.]
After finishing the treatment, Qingshui stood up and turned toward Jiraiya.
"Lord Jiraiya," he said respectfully, "this opportunity is rare. I would like to challenge you."
"Please don't hold back."
The rain continued to fall softly.
And Jiraiya's eyes—
Sparkled with interest.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)