Boom! Boom! Boom!
Inside the training ground, a flash of emerald green blurred through a series of explosions. The figure lunged left and dodged right, narrowly escaping the blasts by a hair's breadth. Riding the shockwaves of the final eruption, he propelled himself clear of the danger zone.
"Leaf Great Whirlwind!"
With a mid-air spinning kick, the boy launched himself toward a silver-haired youth sitting on the sidelines reading a scroll. Facing the gale-force strike, Tatsuma didn't even look up. He simply raised his right hand and performed a swift, one-handed seal.
"Earth Style: Stone Spear Thousand Years of Death!"
As the seal was completed, two stone arms erupted from the earth, fingers locked in the Tiger Seal directly beneath the descending emerald-clad youth.
"AH!!! HNGHHH—!"
The boy froze mid-air, his face contorting into an expression of indescribable agony. The stone arms crumbled immediately after, and he plummeted to the ground. Upon impact, he scrambled to roll over onto his stomach, arching his rear slightly with a look of pure, unadulterated pain.
It took several minutes for him to overcome the... soul-shattering sensation. Shaking like a leaf, he climbed to his feet and glared at Tatsuma. "Tatsuma, you're getting dirtier and dirtier. If it's not paper bomb traps, it's these underhanded tactics!"
"Your performance was impressive, too," Tatsuma replied with a touch of irony. "Being able to trigger every single paper bomb in a minefield is a talent in itself, Nawaki."
Nawaki scratched his head sheepishly. "Wait, they weren't all connected? Whatever. Do you think I'm at the level to pass the graduation exam now?"
Tatsuma nodded, watching Nawaki—who had just survived a minefield without a single actual scratch. "If you can survive that, you can probably survive the battlefield."
Nawaki didn't catch the underlying meaning. He rubbed his sore backside and asked, "You and Minato are taking the Chunin Exams tomorrow, right? How are you feeling? Confident?"
The Chunin Exams were held slightly before the Academy's early graduation. This gave the clan kids extra time to study their family's secret techniques before they were officially shipped out.
Thinking of the upcoming test, Tatsuma spoke casually. "It shouldn't be a problem. I suspect this will be the easiest Chunin Exam in years. Even if it were the most difficult, Minato and I would be fine."
"But what if you two have to fight each other early? Or what if you get ambushed by a three-man cell? I still think it's weird the Third didn't put you two in a team together. Splitting you up into two different units seems risky," Nawaki said, his brow furrowed with concern.
Tatsuma shrugged. "Minato and I have different teachers now. Besides, most three-man cells have already spent months building their chemistry. If they forced me or Minato into one of those squads, we'd just disrupt their rhythm. By going in as solo entries or in makeshift duos, we don't have to worry about teammates dragging us down—and we won't drag them down either."
"True. Hey, once you guys become Chunin, how about you lead my squad? Chunin are allowed to lead Genin teams, right?"
The sudden suggestion caught Tatsuma off guard. He had never considered it. After all... Chunin were kind of weak, weren't they? Leading a team of Genin just sounded like leading three even weaker kids to their deaths.
This was a major cognitive bias on Tatsuma's part. Since his graduation, the only ninjas he had spent significant time with—aside from his very first mission—were geniuses like the Sannin or elite specialists like Hatake Sakumo. On the battlefield, he faced the absolute best of the other villages and had even clashed with Jonin. He felt "weak" by comparison, but in reality, Chunin were the backbone of every village.
A Chunin was more than capable of guiding Genin. Most Genin-to-Chunin transitions required a mentor to teach them the basics of survival and advanced jutsu, and a Chunin captain was standard for non-sensitive missions.
Seeing Tatsuma dazed, Nawaki waved a hand in front of his face. Tatsuma snapped out of it and laughed. "On the front lines, we'll be fighting in large battalions, not small squads. Besides, you're older than both of us. Wouldn't it be weird for us to lead you?"
"What's weird about it? Youth means seeking guidance from anyone stronger than yourself! If I have the chance to be on your team, you'd better take me!"
Nawaki flashed a thumbs-up and a wide, toothy grin. Tatsuma smiled back, knowing that even if they did form a squad, their "optimal" leader would always be Orochimaru.
As for him and Minato, if they were assigned students, they'd likely be given support-type units as a trial run before being trusted with high-potential Genin after they made Jonin. Being a captain was like being a teacher; it required a wealth of experience. Someone like Tsunade, for instance, wouldn't even realize she needed to teach the basics because everything was so intuitive to her.
Tatsuma and Minato had been lucky to have Jiraiya—who, despite being a first-time teacher, had the connections to "borrow" the best curricula when he couldn't teach something himself. Jiraiya wouldn't truly master the art of teaching until the Ame Orphans; by the time he got to Naruto, he was a legend.
My own teaching style... Tatsuma thought. He had been Mito's "class representative" for Sealing, and he had helped Nawaki and his classmates improve, but he felt less like a teacher and more like a lead exercise instructor. He didn't impart wisdom; people just followed his lead.
Shaking off the thought, Tatsuma pulled his scroll back up. "You'd better work hard then. It would be embarrassing if Minato and I became Chunin and you failed to even graduate."
Nawaki gave a fiery laugh. "Youth won't betray me! I'll pass! I'm starting right now... five thousand pull-ups! If I fail, it's five thousand frog hops!"
As Nawaki sprinted off to punish his muscles, Tatsuma returned to his scroll, occasionally weaving signs with his fingers to verify the simplified formulas he was reading.
At dusk, they headed back to the Senju compound. The Sannin had already deployed to the front. Before leaving, Tsunade had arranged for Tatsuma to stay at her family home—under Orochimaru's suggestion.
Tatsuma was essentially living out of a suitcase—except the suitcase belonged to Nawaki. He was wearing Nawaki's old clothes, and with the sudden appearance of samurai around the village lately, he knew the "Senju Masquerade" was in full effect.
Orochimaru hadn't confirmed anything, but he'd misled Mifune enough that the village had to maintain the illusion until the Land of Iron's mobilization was complete. Tatsuma was stuck playing the part of a Senju scion for the foreseeable future.
As for Minato... Tatsuma hadn't seen him in nearly a month. Jiraiya had departed with the others, yet Minato remained MIA.
Nawaki and Kushina were worried, but Tatsuma had a good guess where his friend was: Mount Myoboku.
Minato wasn't ready for Sage Mode yet—his body, chakra reserves, and control weren't there—but the Toads had far more to offer than just Senjutsu. They had masters of combat, ninjutsu, and various exotic arts. A few weeks there would skyrocket Minato's practical combat ability. Plus, a diet of high-protein insects might just trigger the growth spurt he needed.
Reverse Summoning really is the ultimate fast-travel, Tatsuma thought.
Still, tomorrow was the first phase of the Chunin Exams, and Minato's absence was finally starting to bug him. It took Tatsuma almost a full minute longer than usual to fall asleep.
The next morning, Tatsuma skipped his usual heavy routine, doing only light stretches before heading to the Academy—the site of the written exam. He didn't go inside immediately; instead, he leaned against the wall near the gate.
When there were only ten minutes left on the clock, Tatsuma finally smiled.
Whoosh—!
A figure blurred into the schoolyard at staggering speed. The gate guards, stationed to protect the Academy from potential wartime infiltrators, barely had time to blink.
"Tatsuma! Long time no see. Were you waiting for me? Sorry, Sensei took me to Myoboku to train. I couldn't get back until the Reverse Summoning formula he left in the village was activated today."
Minato landed in front of Tatsuma, wearing baggy, traditional clothes that looked a bit dated. He looked energized, his aura sharper than before. Tatsuma grinned. "Looks like you've improved. That speed... even I might have trouble keeping up now."
Minato nodded. "Sensei said speed is my greatest asset, so we spent the last two weeks focusing exclusively on it."
Tatsuma was genuinely impressed. He had the system; he could see his 10,000+ Jonin-level stats and knew he was gaining 3 or 4 points every day. Even focusing on Tobirama's notes, he hadn't slacked on physical training. Yet Minato, who had started at a similar speed, had somehow pulled ahead.
Minato likely had more than one "hidden" speed talent. He probably possessed both [Divine Intellect] and [Godspeed] naturally—and maybe more. It was the only way to explain how he could outpace Tatsuma's system-assisted growth. The man the Second Lord called 'fast'...
Tatsuma felt a sudden urge to be a bit mischievous. "You look like you've grown an inch. Your face is fuller, too. The food must have been great, huh?"
"Guh—"
Minato's face went instantly pale. He slumped against the wall, looking at Tatsuma with a haunted, soul-crushed gaze. "Don't... please, don't talk about the food."
"You two! Are you planning to forfeit the Chunin Exams?!"
A voice barked from the school entrance. They turned to see a familiar face.
"Goppu-sensei!" they shouted in unison.
"Hmph! I thought you two geniuses had forgotten about me."
Sarutobi Goppu's gruff exterior couldn't hide his proud smile. He pointed upstairs. "Minato, I've already pre-verified your paperwork. Go to my office and grab it, then get to your exam room. Both of you—move!"
"Yes, sir! Let's go, Tatsuma!"
"The Chunin Exams, huh?" Tatsuma smirked. "Let's do this!"