The elders in the Hokage's office dispersed, their minds heavy with the strategic implications of the boy's power. Meanwhile, inside Training Ground 3 , Minato's demonstration was also drawing to a close.
He knew he had to be careful. He couldn't expose his ability to turn into light, nor could he reveal the Sharingan swirling beneath his mask of innocence. Even the Rasengan , despite being a "pure" Ninjutsu , was a bit too shocking for a five-year-old to have "self-created" at this stage. He had already revealed his Wood Release , and since he didn't actually know any formal Senju techniques yet, he had shown almost everything he could without breaking character.
If I don't want to resort to firing high-intensity lasers, I need a more surgical way to end this, Minato thought coldly.
He reached out his right hand, and particles of brilliance began to coalesce in his palm. In the blink of an eye, a magnificent Light Sword hummed into existence, its blade vibrating with pure energy.
"What kind of move is this now..." Nawaki muttered, his jaw dropping.
To be honest, when Minato first defeated him, Nawaki felt a sting of indignation. Watching Minato spar with Jiraiya only made him more jealous of such monstrous talent. But when the Light Release appeared, his heart finally settled. You couldn't compete with a Bloodline Limit . By the time the Wood Release came out, the jealousy vanished entirely, replaced by a stunned, hollow realization that the gap between them was a vast canyon.
Jiraiya leaned in, his eyes wide with interest. "Oh? You can even condense the light into a solid weapon? I wonder how much cutting power it actually has."
"This move... I think I'll use it on Senior Orochimaru instead," Minato said, swinging the glowing blade so the tip pointed directly at the pale man.
Orochimaru let out a low, melodic chuckle. "Oh? Does this mean that in Minato-kun's eyes, my strength is more reliable than Jiraiya's ?"
"Nani?! Minato , do you really think so?" Jiraiya looked as if he'd been betrayed by his own shadow. "I sparred with you for an hour and almost got impaled by a tree, yet you think Orochimaru is the more reliable one?"
"They're... they're both very reliable, haha..." Minato laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.
Internally, his thoughts were much more pragmatic. I just know that Orochimaru is harder to kill. In this world, there are many debates about who is the strongest, but when it comes to survival ability, that man is in a league of his own.
"A sword made of light?" Tsunade rubbed her chin, her eyes tracing the golden glow of the blade. "When it comes to precision and swordsmanship, that is indeed Orochimaru's forte."
"Tsunade, even you're taking his side—"
"Beat it! Stop being so noisy!"
"Okay," Jiraiya whimpered, immediately silencing himself.
Under their expectant gazes, Minato gripped the Light Sword . His figure blurred into a streak of gold as he utilized a burst of speed, appearing instantly before Orochimaru and slashing toward his waist.
Here it comes! Orochimaru used a Body Flicker to retreat, sliding back two paces. Just as he drew a Kunai to counter, he noticed Minato's movement suddenly stall. The sword tip was aimed directly at his abdomen, but Minato was still a few meters away.
"Wait... this isn't right!" Orochimaru's instincts screamed. He twisted his waist sharply.
The moment he dodged, the Light Sword flared. A new section of the blade extended instantly from the tip like a spear of light, scorching a black, smoking line across Orochimaru's Chunin vest.
Jiraiya let out a bark of laughter and clapped his hands. "Despicable! Truly despicable!"
"Bastard! Who talks about a child like that?" Tsunade landed a heavy punch on Jiraiya's head, making him stagger.
Orochimaru breathed a quiet sigh of relief, looking at the now ten-meter-long blade in the boy's hand. He didn't know whether to be annoyed or impressed.
"Minato-kun's battle intelligence is very high," Orochimaru noted.
Low EQ: Despicable. High EQ: High battle intelligence.
"Haha..." Minato smiled sheepishly, retracting the blade.
"Humph, it's only because you guys lack experience against his style," Tsunade said, pulling Minato to her side and ruffling his soft yellow hair. "It's a sword made of light; isn't it perfectly reasonable that it can extend?"
"It makes sense. I was bound by common sense," Orochimaru conceded. "Minato-kun, can you show me the actual cutting strength?"
Minato nodded. He took a standard Kunai and pressed it against the edge of the Light Sword . The moment they touched, the metal turned a brilliant, searing red. Within seconds, the high temperature melted right through the steel like a hot knife through butter.
"Subarashii..." A flash of genuine excitement crossed Orochimaru's golden eyes.
Minato dispersed the sword and took a steadying breath. Maintaining the form consumed a significant amount of physical energy—far more than a simple Laser blast. With his current 5 -year-old stamina, he couldn't keep it up for long.
"Alright, let's end it here for today," Tsunade announced with a beaming smile. "Good performance! I'm very satisfied. To celebrate, we're going to get barbecue today—my treat!"
"Oh!!" Nawaki shouted, his exhaustion instantly forgotten.
Minato's eyes also lit up. He hadn't had a proper meal in a while, and the thought of high-quality protein made his stomach growl.
"By the way, weren't you supposed to be treating us to a meal anyway?" Jiraiya muttered, rubbing the massive bump on his head.
"I said I'd treat you to barbecue; I never specified which day," Tsunade snorted, waving him off like an annoying fly. "Does it really matter if I treat you now or six months from now?"
"Well, if we calculate the interest—"
"Do you have an objection?"
"No, no... Hahaha! Eating barbecue is a wonderful thing!"
The group made their way to the restaurant, the air filled with laughter. Minato and Nawaki sat on either side of Tsunade , while the two men sat opposite them. Soon, the table was covered in plates of marbled meat sizzling on the grill. The rich aroma filled the room, making everyone's mouth water.
"Let's eat!"
As the first pieces finished, Nawaki and Jiraiya lunged with their chopsticks. They dipped the meat in sauce and shoved it into their mouths, hissing in pain as the hot grease burned their tongues. Their comical struggle made Tsunade laugh heartily.
Minato watched the scene quietly, a gentle smile on his lips. Suddenly, a perfectly grilled piece of meat was placed on his plate. He looked up to see Tsunade watching him.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked softly.
"Nothing," Minato replied, shaking his head. "It's just been a long time since things were this lively around me."
Tsunade's gaze turned tender. She placed a fair, warm palm on his head. "It will always be like this from now on. You're not alone anymore."
Minato nodded, offering a smile that was as sunny and gentle as his "Golden Boy" persona required. Yet, Tsunade felt something different—it felt more real, more grounded than before.
Jiraiya grinned, seeing the bond forming, while Orochimaru watched with a faint, uncharacteristic smile. Meeting Minato felt like looking into a mirror of his younger self—handsome, talented, with a heart that felt as elusive as a reflection in water. But as he watched the boy eat, Orochimaru realized they weren't the same. Minato had a certain quality, a hidden depth that even Orochimaru couldn't quite fathom. It made him deeply curious about the boy's future.
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