Nine crows soared as Minato and Kei clashed, weaving rapidly through the battlefield, constantly changing their flight paths and angles. Several Flying Thunder God kunai flickered in and out of space, continuously retrieved and thrown by Minato, forming an impenetrable web.
They collided repeatedly before swiftly separating.
A kunai infused with Water Blade Slash clashed endlessly with another kunai enhanced by Wind Release chakra transformation and marked with the Flying Thunder God mark.
Deadly techniques capable of easily taking a jonin's life were exchanged at high frequency, yet neither was able to so much as graze the other's clothing. The sensation was akin to dancing on the edge of a blade, making Minato's hair stand on end.
In the past, his extraordinary reflexes and reaction speed had allowed him to effortlessly evade and counter any opponent. But in this sparring session with his close friend, even with his full focus, he couldn't shake off the overwhelming sense of danger that loomed ever closer!
Thrilling! Deadly! Exciting!
The immense pressure forced him to concentrate even more!
"Damn! Why is this guy getting faster the longer we fight?!"
Kei could feel the same chilling sense of crisis.
He possessed [Zero-Frame Start], which originated from the same source as Minato's but surpassed it in speed. Combined with his powerful sensory abilities that granted a near-omniscient field of view, he should have had the upper hand. Yet, things weren't going as he expected, he wasn't dominating Minato.
Flying Thunder God kunai rained down from unpredictable angles, followed closely by Rasengan strikes and Wind Release-infused kunai slashes.
At such extreme speeds, any technique requiring complex hand seals or lengthy preparation became useless.
"This is bad!"
He had never realized before—Minato was the kind of opponent who grew stronger the tougher the fight became!
Clang!
A fierce exchange ensued.
Kei's right hand locked Minato's kunai in a deadlock while his left hand gathered chakra, aiming to imprint the Flying Thunder God mark on his opponent. At the same time, Minato had the exact same idea, pressing his hand toward Kei's abdomen!
Splash!
Their palms met in midair, but Kei's body turned entirely into water, allowing Minato's hand to pass through harmlessly.
The Hydrification Technique rendered him immune to all physical damage. However, the splashing water did not scatter as expected. Instead, guided by chakra, it infiltrated Minato's body, disrupting his chakra flow!
For a brief moment, Minato's spatial teleportation faltered due to the internal chakra disorder. His eyes met Kei's at that very moment.
Somehow, Kei had already released the kunai from his right hand. Even though his palm had been cut by the Flying Thunder God kunai during his water transformation, it hadn't affected his hand-seal execution at all.
"Kei! No, don't do it!"
Honoka is coming to bring us lunch at noon!
Minato's desperate thoughts didn't change the outcome. The Mind Body Disturbance Technique instantly seized control of his body.
The two figures passed by each other.
Minato's feet stiffened as he stood motionless on the water's surface, unable to break free from the technique's hold despite several attempts. When the user's mental strength vastly surpassed the victim's, resistance was futile.
And Kei's mental strength was several times greater than his! Minato could do nothing but smile bitterly at his friend, silently pleading for mercy.
"Phew—Minato, that was too much! A breakthrough mid-battle? That's just unfair!" Kei shamelessly accused him, despite having won the fight.
---
[Name: Namikaze Minato]
[Career: Ninja]
[Traits: Golden Flash (Red), Sealing Mastery (Blue), Sharp Mind (Blue), Fortune (Blue), Chakra Storage (Blue), Rivalry with a Close Friend (Blue), Wind Release Mastery (Green), Handsome (Green)]
[Rival and Close Friend (Blue):
When a close friend and rival surpasses or approaches the user's strength, training efficiency, focus, and willpower are enhanced. When fighting alongside or sparring with said friend, overall strength and chances of a breakthrough in battle receive a small boost. (Current Rival/Close Friend: Yamanaka Kei)]
---
His previous [Spatial Insight] and [Ultra-Fast Reactions], had disappeared, replaced by [Golden Flash]. The already absurd power boost had increased even further. With just one fusion of abilities, Minato had received an epic-level upgrade.
While the rest of his traits remained largely unchanged, one new entry stood out—[Rival and Close Friend].
What the hell?!
This was clearly targeted at him!
Kei looked at the new trait with mixed emotions. On one hand, he was touched to be considered Minato's close friend. Naturally, he wanted Minato to keep growing stronger. But on the other hand… this was so unfair!
Was there no justice? No laws?
Oh, so the Will of the World just can't bear to see its golden child getting bullied, huh?
Kei flipped off the sky in frustration, silently vowing to speed up his own trait acquisition. Otherwise, he might really fall behind all these cheaters!
"The only reason I had a breakthrough mid-fight is because you're too strong! And even with that, I still lost! How is that unfair?" Minato chuckled, recalling the thrill of surpassing his limits.
Sparring with a true rival really was the best way to grow stronger.
Losing is one thing. Cheating is another. I just need to figure out how to make myself feel better about this.
Kei rolled his eyes. He'd known Minato for years, and winning against him even once was nearly impossible. If he didn't take the time to properly enjoy this rare victory, he'd be insulting all the effort his trait system had put in over the years.
"How about you undo this jutsu first, and then we can talk?"
"Yeah, right. The second I do, you're gonna run away! No way. I'll be generous, though—pick one: Gangnam Style or Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy."
"??? Can I choose neither? Honoka is coming soon!" Minato saw Kei smirking and quickly tried to switch his choice. Unfortunately, Kei's smirk only widened.
"Sensei! I wanna see Gangnam Style! It sounds cool!" From the dense forest near the training grounds, Obito's excited voice rang out. The boy seemed completely unfazed by the idea of his teacher dancing, and instead, his face was filled with anticipation.
"… Sugar Plum Fairy slightly more dignified." Rin tapped her index fingers together, her cheeks slightly flushed. Part of her felt bad for Minato, but another part of her… kind of wanted to see it.
Minato dancing… might actually be a little cute.
"Why not just do both?"
Kurenai blinked her eyes innocently, making her suggestion. Guy and Genma immediately took a step back. Ever since Kurenai started learning Kei's unique genjutsu, she had become increasingly terrifying.
"Shouldn't we wait for Honoka-senpai and Kushina-senpai first?" Rin didn't object to Kurenai's idea but instead dropped the deadliest question of all.
Underneath his mask, Kakashi's mouth twitched violently. Without a word, he silently moved to stand beside Might Guy and Genma.
Women… They were all devils.