"Boom!"
A muffled explosion rang out, leaving a circular crater that took up nearly half the width of an old tree trunk with a 50-centimeter diameter.
Yue looked at the result with satisfaction. After three days of training, he had pretty much developed the full potential of the Rasengan.
Time to head back. I only asked my mother for three days off, and she mentioned that we'd have a guest over for lunch today.
Time had flown by. Seven months had passed in the blink of an eye, and Yue had celebrated his fifth birthday a few months ago.
For his birthday, Minato and Kushina had given him a cake along with various ninjutsu techniques, including one of Minato's signature moves—the Rasengan. Yue had only come out to train with it in the past few days.
They also taught him various Wind Release jutsu and sealing techniques from the Uzumaki Clan.
In these past seven months, Yue had grown taller again. For a five-year-old, reaching a height of 180 cm in the future was almost guaranteed.
His hair had also grown longer. He casually tied it into a ponytail, with his bangs brushed to the sides, revealing his forehead. If he were a bit taller, he'd look like a handsome young man.
During this period, Yue's strength had improved significantly. Though he had neglected his kenjutsu and elemental jutsu training somewhat, he had already mastered the nature transformations of four different chakra natures and had deepened his understanding of sealing techniques.
More importantly, through daily meditation, he had begun to guide natural energy into his body. While it didn't bring much immediate benefit, Minato had explained the principles of Sage Mode to him. This was his first step toward that path.
Even though he hadn't formally trained in elemental jutsu for seven months, Yue had spent his time at home analyzing jutsu principles and chakra control.
He had already devised several new jutsu concepts, just waiting to be tested.
For example, a Vacuum Domain using Wind Release, Wind Senbon, and a Wind Release chakra-enhanced body mode inspired by Lightning Release taijutsu.
Yue had already completed the theoretical groundwork. All he needed was some time and shadow clones to assist with development.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Deciding to head home, Yue dispelled his shadow clones. Twelve clones instantly vanished into wisps of smoke.
It's been a while since I last saw Itachi. I wonder if his health is really as bad as they say.
For the past seven months, Yue had been keeping Kushina company. He had tried to visit Itachi twice but never managed to see him. Who knew what he had been up to?
As for Yūhi Kurenai and Kakashi, the two people he had some ties with—one was constantly away on missions, while the other had practically taken up residence near Yue's house, no matter the weather.
Every day, Kakashi would politely invite Yue to eat with him, but unless Minato personally called him over, he would never actually show up.
In addition to his duty of protecting Kushina, Kakashi had also taken on the role of Yue's sparring partner.
Yue frequently ambushed him, setting traps and attacking with projectiles. It annoyed Kakashi to no end.
One time, Kakashi finally lost his patience and appeared outside Yue's window, pleading for a break. Yue, ever composed, simply told him, I noticed you tend to space out, so I'm helping you stay alert to better protect Kushina.
With no real way to argue back, Kakashi resigned himself to his fate as a sparring dummy. However, in retaliation, he started hitting Yue harder during training, often leaving him bruised and battered—giving Yue a taste of what Itachi must have felt like.
Thankfully, Yue's body was incredibly resilient. Any bruises he got would completely heal after a single night's rest, which eased Kushina's worries.
Through their long bouts of sparring, Yue gained a clearer understanding of his own strength and rapidly improved his combat experience. He knew that having raw power without skill was meaningless.
That said, these minor skirmishes were just that—minor. Because of the constraints of their training ground and their roles, they couldn't use many techniques, such as ninja tools or full-scale ninjutsu.
Deep down, Yue was wild and aggressive. He loved the rush of adrenaline.
"Sensei's wife is already preparing food so early… and there are a lot of ingredients. Are they expecting a guest?"
From his usual hidden vantage point, Kakashi observed Kushina carefully. Over the past few months, his workload had lightened considerably. At the very least, he was having fewer nightmares.
That brat should be back soon. I should find a new spot… This place would be a poor position if an attack were to happen.
Kakashi now paid more attention to Yue than to his own mission. He couldn't ignore him—Yue's progress was simply too fast.
During casual conversations, Yue had mentioned his Uzumaki sensory abilities, reassuring Kakashi that if anything abnormal happened, he would be the first to notice and notify him.
If it weren't for Yue constantly messing with him, Kakashi figured this mission might actually be easy—maybe even easy enough for him to sneak in some time reading his little books.
Relocating to a more advantageous spot, Kakashi tensed up. He figured Yue would be back any minute now.
A few minutes later, he felt a sudden gust of wind behind him. Something felt off. Instinctively, he turned to look.
Wait… is Yue trying to kill me?!
Throwing all caution to the wind, Kakashi abandoned stealth and leaped backward—right into the middle of the street, attracting the attention of several passersby.
"You're overreacting."
Dismissing the Rasengan in his hand, Yue looked at the flustered Kakashi, finding his reaction amusing.
"I swear, were you actually trying to kill me?!"
Kakashi, now standing beside Yue again, questioned him. However, his tone had changed greatly from seven months ago. It was no longer lifeless—there was a hint of playfulness.
"I would've dispersed it in time. Your reaction today just caught me off guard."
"Want to see how you react if I suddenly hit you with a Chidori?"
Yue smirked.
Their relationship had improved a lot. They were much more casual with each other now.
"Mother said we have a guest tonight. Want to join us for dinner?"
"I'll pass. I don't want to intrude."
"Alright then."
With that, Kakashi vanished again, while Yue walked through the front door.
"I'm home."
"Yue, can you help me for a bit?"
Now eight months pregnant, Kushina's belly was huge, making daily tasks difficult for her.
Yue had only gone out because he had nothing else to do. Since they had a guest today, he had returned earlier than usual—only to find that Kushina had already started cooking.
"Let me handle it. You should rest."
Gradually, Yue had taken over most of the household chores—cooking, washing dishes, and other tasks. Minato would mop the floor when he came home, and they relied on a washing machine for laundry.
The technology in this world is really bizarre… Yue concluded.
"Thanks, Yue. Honestly, your cooking is better than mine. I feel a bit embarrassed as a mother."
Back in his university days, Yue had cooked for himself to save money. To ensure his own taste buds had a decent experience, he had put considerable effort into learning how to cook.
He made everything and stored the dishes in a food warmer, then sat down with Kushina to wait for Minato and their guest.
And that was the day he learned his little sibling's name:
Naruto.
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