2 five-star reviews, 1 extra bonus chapter!
50 power stones, 1 extra chapter!
Seeing the undisguised battle intent in Nawaki's eyes, Minato smiled and said nothing, briskly clearing the dishes.
He was about to wash the bowls, but Tsunade snatched them away.
"I should tell you, from now on, you just focus on cooking. Leave the dishwashing to Nawaki and me.
We usually split the household chores; I handle the laundry and cooking, while Nawaki does the sweeping and mopping. Now that you're here, my workload has decreased by one more thing~"
As Tsunade spoke, she shoved the dishes into Nawaki's arms.
Nawaki looked speechless but obediently went to wash them.
Tsunade, meanwhile, propped up her head with one hand and lay lazily on the tatami.
Doing laundry and cooking...
Minato's gaze toward Tsunade became a bit strange.
Influenced by the original plot, he had always thought Tsunade lacked basic self-care skills.
After all, ever since Tsunade appeared in the original story, Shizune had always been the one taking care of her.
And Tsunade's own image was mostly defined by her alcoholism and gambling.
But thinking about it carefully, the current Tsunade was not even twenty years old yet, in the prime of her youth.
Even if she was a bit lazy, she wouldn't be like she was in the original story, not to mention she had a younger brother to look after.
Furthermore, her state in the original story was likely mostly due to the decadence caused by the deaths of her brother and lover.
Additionally, there was a big difference in their appearances.
The current Tsunade still wore a single ponytail—a high one at that—which made her look very energetic.
Her voice was also gentler and more delicate, giving off more of a young girl's vibe.
Soon, the three of them finished tidying up.
Just as they stepped out the door, they saw two figures slowly approaching from ahead.
"Yo, Ohayou~ Tsunade."
Jiraiya waved with a grin, while Orochimaru stood beside him with his hands behind his back, a faint smile on his lips.
"Big Brother Orochimaru!"
Nawaki waved excitedly upon seeing the two.
"You've grown a bit taller, Nawaki."
Orochimaru's tone was soft, carrying a hint of doting.
"Oi! We clearly came together, so why do you only have eyes for Orochimaru? Did you not see the suave and dashing Lord Jiraiya?"
Jiraiya complained.
Nawaki chuckled.
Personally, he still admired Orochimaru, who held the title of genius, more, even though Jiraiya was also very good to him.
Tsunade was somewhat surprised by their arrival.
"Jiraiya, why are you two here?"
Orochimaru's voice was raspy.
"Hehehe, isn't it because someone still owes us a barbecue meal?"
"Tsk, I almost forgot about that."
Tsunade curled her lip and roughly rubbed the head of the little blond boy beside her.
"By the way, this child..."
Jiraiya stared blankly at Minato.
The two had noticed him when they arrived; after all, that head of blond hair was far too conspicuous.
"Humph, let me introduce you. Minato Namikaze, my disciple!"
Tsunade introduced him proudly, then patted Minato.
"These two guys are my teammates, Jiraiya and Orochimaru."
"Hello, Seniors!"
Minato nodded in greeting.
"Huh—?"
Jiraiya looked shocked, his gaze darting back and forth between the two.
For some reason, at this moment, he inexplicably felt as if he had lost something, like he had been cuckolded.
"Could it be that I'm jealous this brat gets to live at Tsunade's house?"
It didn't quite feel like that, strange...
"I really didn't expect you to actually take a disciple..."
Orochimaru also sized up Minato Namikaze.
"Tsunade disappeared after you left yesterday. Could it be that she threatened you into becoming her disciple?"
"How rude..."
Tsunade put her hands on her hips, her expression displeased.
"It was clearly this child who took the initiative to ask, right, Minato?"
"Yes."
Minato gave her face and nodded.
"So where are you guys headed?"
Jiraiya asked.
"To test my disciple's strength, of course~"
Tsunade shrugged, her tone playful.
"I just gave this task to Nawaki."
"Hahaha, sounds interesting! Let's go along too!"
Jiraiya's interest was piqued.
"Suit yourself, but just don't get in my way."
The group arrived at the nearby Training Ground 3.
Minato and Nawaki stood facing each other, both forming the Seal of Confrontation.
Tsunade stood between them as the referee for this duel.
"Well... I won't waste words. Ninjutsu is allowed, and I'll intervene immediately if there's any danger. If there are no questions, let's begin!"
As she finished speaking, Nawaki's hands quickly swept behind his waist, and six shuriken were suddenly fired at Minato.
In the next instant, Minato's figure blurred and vanished from the spot.
"So fast!"
Nawaki's heart tightened as he instinctively searched for Minato's figure.
But before he could make a move, a kunai was already held against his neck.
Sensing the sharpness of the kunai, Nawaki's movements instantly froze.
I was... insta-killed?
"The winner, Minato Namikaze!"
"How is this possible? Argh!"
Watching Minato calmly put away the kunai and reach out to form the Seal of Reconciliation, Nawaki's composure crumbled.
"What's with you, kid? Why couldn't I even catch a glimpse of your figure?!"
"Mwahahaha, that'll teach you to be so cocky!"
Tsunade laughed loudly.
"You're at least two grades above him, yet you couldn't even see his shadow. It seems you still have a long way to go~"
"Damn it!"
Nawaki wailed and reluctantly hooked his finger with Minato's to form the Seal of Reconciliation, though he remained stubborn.
"I was careless this time and didn't dodge. I definitely won't lose to you next time!"
Minato nodded gently.
"Mm, I look forward to it."
Damn it, even his personality is so good!
Nawaki hadn't expected Minato to react this way.
The other's mature and gentle temperament made him feel somewhat ashamed.
Remembering how he had said he would protect the guy yesterday, his face flushed bright red.
"That Body Flicker just now was faster than many Genin. It seems Minato-kun is a speed-type ninja."
The two onlookers stepped forward.
Orochimaru showed a look of appreciation.
Although he had also been called a genius since childhood, at the same age of five, he truly hadn't been as outstanding as Minato.
"Of course, Nawaki's performance wasn't bad either."
Nawaki made a face.
"I was clearly insta-killed..."
"It's just that your talents lie in different areas."
Orochimaru smiled faintly.
Minato had strong learning ability, excellent chakra control, and a steady personality, much like he used to be. That was why he could realize his talent at this age.
As a descendant of the Senju Clan and the grandson of the First Hokage, Nawaki himself didn't lack talent.
He was just limited by his mentality and age, needing time and training to realize his potential.
"But speaking of which, we still haven't been able to gauge this kid's true strength."
Jiraiya rubbed his chin, eyeing Minato with interest.
"I say, how about I give it a try?"
"Hmm... alright."
Tsunade thought about it.
She had planned to do it herself, but she was a medical ninja. Although she had combat capabilities, her style differed from the mainstream.
In terms of direct combat experience, Jiraiya was indeed more suitable than her.
"Yoshi! Then let this Sage test your strength!"
Jiraiya leaped out, lunging forward with his fingers splayed, one hand forward and one back, striking a classic kabuki pose.
Seeing this, Minato turned to Tsunade with a questioning look.
Tsunade pondered for a second, then smiled gently.
"Well... just give it your all. No matter what, I'm here."
Minato nodded and stepped forward.
"Senior Jiraiya, please guide me."
"Oh~ Sure, sure!"
Jiraiya said enthusiastically.
Judging by Tsunade's attitude, Minato's talent must be quite remarkable.
"Then... begin!"
Tsunade's arm dropped slightly.
Minato's eyes sharpened.
A flash of golden light flickered beneath his feet, and his figure suddenly appeared in front of Jiraiya.
"So fast!"
A flash of shock crossed Jiraiya's eyes, but his rich combat experience allowed him to block instinctively.
Crossing his arms in front of him, he easily blocked the incoming straight punch.
Bang!
Feeling the force from the punch, Jiraiya couldn't help but feel relieved.
Fortunately, although the speed was fast, his physical strength wasn't very high due to his age.
But that was only relative to him; for someone his age, this child's strength was definitely at an overwhelming level!
And what was with that golden light under his feet?
His speed was actually twice as fast as when he fought Nawaki just now... some special Body Flicker Technique?
Or perhaps... a Kekkei Genkai?
It seems I can't be careless. If I suffer a loss at the hands of a child, I'll lose all my face...
Thinking this, Jiraiya used both hands to push Minato away, then lunged forward, throwing a punch at him!
Due to his height, Minato had jumped to land that previous punch.
He had just touched the ground after being pushed back when Jiraiya's fist came crashing down.
In a flash, Minato leaned back sharply.
As his knees hit the ground, he produced six shuriken with both hands and flung them toward Jiraiya's face!
His reaction is so fast too!
Just as Jiraiya was about to tilt his head back to dodge, he suddenly caught Minato's movement out of the corner of his eye—at the same time he threw the shuriken, he turned sideways on the ground and kicked upward, aiming straight for Jiraiya's crotch!
Jiraiya's heart went cold instantly, and he cried out in alarm.
"Wait a... Hey, hey, hey!!"