"Lord Shiki, I'll… I'll try to beco stronger from now on."
"…"
Shiki paused mid-step and slowly turned his head.
"What did you just say to ? You want to fight again after you get stronger?"
Minato froze but his eyes didn't waver.
This courage… wasn't bad at all.
Shiki smirked.
"Alright then. Co at anyti."
"Yes!"
Shiki had only said it casually, but Minato nodded with absolute seriousness — that firm, unwavering expression making it clear:
From today onward, Shiki was his training goal.
This kid… simple, pure, ridiculously earnest.
Shiki didn't even know what to say for a mont.
Tsuande quietly watched them from the side.
And honestly? Shiki didn't believe Minato would surpass him... not in this lifeti.
At that mont Tsunade suddenly laughed and shot a glance at Jiraiya.
"Well then, who was it earlier saying Minato would win for sure?"
"Urgh—!"
Jiraiya felt the sting imdiately. His face hurt. His pride hurt. His everything hurt.
He wished he could rewind ti and slap his past self shut.
"A-Ahem! Anyway, Minato is still really talented with the Flying Thunder God Technique!"
"Boom."
Tsunade rolled her eyes so hard it was basically a Rasengan of annoyance.
"No matter how talented he is, it's still ninjutsu developed by my Senju clan," she muttered.
Too lazy to argue with Jiraiya, Tsunade turned to Shiki instead.
"Good performance."
Her smile was proud — her man had just defeated soone using the Flying Thunder God Technique. She had every right to be smug.
Even Orochimaru walked over, eyes shining with interest.
"Shiki-kun's strength truly exceeds expectations."
Jiraiya puffed his cheeks irritably.
"Hey! Hey! Shiki won, sure, but Minato did great too! Give my apprentice so praise, will you?!"
Everyone was praising Shiki nonstop — not a single word about Minato.
But anyone could tell:
Despite losing, Minato had displayed monstrous potential.
In just a few years, the boy could definitely beco a top-tier ninja.
Unfortunately for Jiraiya…
"…"
Tsunade and Orochimaru both exchanged a silent glance and very deliberately ignored him.
"Ugh! You two are so annoying!"
Honestly — they were impossible.
"My apprentice is amazing! Why the hell won't you complint Minato too?!"
Minato blinked, confused.
"It's okay, Jiraiya-sensei. I'll keep working hard!"
Jiraiya's mood flipped instantly.
"That's right! Don't you worry! Under my training, you'll definitely beco stronger! Hahahahaha!"
Training the future "Child of Prophecy"?
Hell yeah, he was going to brag for years.
"Yes, Jiraiya-sensei!"
Minato — the purest straight-laced boy in Konoha — responded wholeheartedly.
anwhile, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and even Shiki all looked at Jiraiya with the sa expression:
How did this idiot raise such an excellent apprentice?
"Alright!" Tsunade clapped her hands. "We ate, we drank, we fought. That's enough for today — let's wrap things up."
She had zero interest in continuing the "apprentice rivalry" conversation.
"Ah? Already? I was just getting ready to drink more…"
It was late though.
"Let's go, let's go."
Tsunade and Shiki walked side by side.
When leaving, Shiki and Orochimaru briefly exchanged a glance — an unspoken acknowledgent — before parting.
Jiraiya staggered off, looking for more alcohol.
Minato was about to leave as well when he finally noticed Kushina, who had been unnervingly quiet, staring at the direction Shiki had disappeared toward.
"Kushina?" Minato called gently.
She snapped out of it. "Ah—! No, it's nothing!"
Minato assud she was still shocked by Shiki's monstrous strength and didn't think further.
Their eyes drifted in the sa direction.
Shiki and Tsunade's figures were still visible — walking hand in hand under the moonlight, a strangely natural sense of harmony between them.
"Lord Shiki really is a gentle person," Minato sighed.
"…"
Kushina opened her mouth… then shut it.
Gentle?
Gentle where??
He had literally scared the Nine-Tails into silence.
The Nine-Tails, the most violent, prideful, aggressive bijuu in existence — was now sitting behaved in Kushina's seal like a kitten too scared to breathe loudly.
If Minato had any idea, his worldview might collapse.
But he didn't.
So he just smiled warmly.
"Don't worry, Kushina. I'm going to beco stronger — strong enough to surpass Lord Shiki one day!"
Kushina didn't believe that.
Not even a little.
But as his girlfriend?
"I'll cheer for you."
"Mm!"
Maybe it was Minato's sudden motivation…
But in the days that followed, every ti Kurenai finished school and visited Shiki…
Tsunade would drag her into brutal training.
She used to teach her gently.
Now she trained her like a miniature battlefield soldier.
"Focus! Seriously! I was already killing enemies on the battlefield when I was your age!"
Normally Kurenai would talk back a little.
But when Tsunade was in full "Sannin teacher mode," Kurenai didn't dare.
Still, she glanced pitifully toward Shiki.
"Shiki-nii…"
Why is the world so cruel?
I'm still a kid…
"Oh! The ninja world is dangerous, Kurenai. You need this training," Shiki said calmly.
He doted on her, sure but he couldn't protect her forever.
If she wanted to survive, she needed strength.
"Shiki-nii! I won't disappoint you!"
Tsunade's eyebrow twitched violently.
…Excuse ?
She repeated the sa instructions ten tis and Kurenai ignored her.
But one sentence from Shiki and Kurenai was ready to train until sunrise??
So whose student are you really?!
"Three days!" Tsunade snapped. "Within three days, you must learn the Mystical Palm Technique — or you're not coming here!"
"Yes!!"
Not coming here ans... no eting Shiki-nii?
Impossible.
That possibility shouldn't be even allowed.
Which ant she had to learn it — no matter what.
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