"We can only find out once we get there." Minato smiled. He neither stated his own opinion nor denied Yūki's speculation.
*Sizzle sizzle sizzle.*
The meat slices hissed on the grill, the aroma of barbecue filling the air. Kiyoshi picked up a piece of well-cooked meat, dipped it in chili, and ate it. For a place to be famous, the restaurant's flavor was indeed good.
"Hiss hiss…" Hearing the White Snake's frantic hissing, Kiyoshi picked up two slices of raw meat and fed them to her.
Watching Kiyoshi feed the White Snake, Kurenai found him quite compassionate.
As time passed, the atmosphere at the table gradually livened up.
"I'm full. I'm going to rest for a bit." Kakashi put down his chopsticks and walked to a well-ventilated area to be alone. He preferred his own company.
"Kakashi…" Rin looked toward him.
"Is there any progress with the Lightning Release you were discussing with Kakashi recently?"
"No progress." Rin's movement of picking up barbecue paused. Her eyes darkened, and she said softly, "I can't knead the 'Lightning' chakra nature. I'm falling behind Kakashi a little."
No matter how much theoretical knowledge one had, it was just talk on paper. Creating a new Jutsu required countless experiments.
"What are you talking about?" Kurenai turned her head, her red eyes filled with curiosity. Since seeing Rin at Kiyoshi's house that day, Kurenai had been bothered by the matter and wanted to know the reason.
"Kakashi wants to create a new Jutsu, and Rin wants to help him." Kiyoshi explained the situation; there was nothing to hide. Many Ninjutsu were in a state of development and reform, and almost every ninja considered creating their own Jutsu. Whether they could achieve it was another question.
"It's good that young people have ideas." Minato drank a cup of water, finding the barbecue a bit rich after too much consumption. "But developing a Ninjutsu isn't that simple. Take your time." He was a veteran; it took him three years to develop the Rasengan, and he was very supportive of Kakashi creating a Jutsu.
"I'll go check on Kakashi." Kiyoshi stood up.
Developing a Ninjutsu was normal. But who would have thought that Kakashi was quietly developing the S-rank Jutsu, Lightning Cutter? Of course, at this stage, the technique was called Chidori.
"Kakashi, how is the development of your new Jutsu coming along?"
"I have a few clues." Kakashi turned to face Kiyoshi, who was walking over.
Developing a Ninjutsu was still too difficult. Kakashi truly only had a few clues at the moment. He intended to activate his body with Lightning Release chakra, allowing the activated parts to instantly gather a large amount of Lightning Release chakra, exceeding the usual limits of the meridian system, thereby generating incredibly sharp lightning.
However, a question that needed consideration was whether to use one of the twelve basic hand signs for this Jutsu, or to create a special, unique sign.
Furthermore, issues like how to rapidly refine Lightning Release chakra and how to keep it within the body for a longer duration needed to be resolved. Developing a Ninjutsu was never an overnight success; it required a significant investment of time and energy.
"Kiyoshi, you understand Lightning Release, right? I heard from Rin that you taught her a lot of things." Kakashi asked.
"I do have some understanding."
"Let's practice."
"It's not convenient here. How about we try something else?" Kiyoshi looked at Kakashi. After letting Kakashi grow for a while, his strength should have improved. Kiyoshi wanted to see if he could still extract Traits.
"Fine." Kakashi didn't hesitate and immediately agreed to Kiyoshi's suggestion. Kiyoshi was the only one of his peers who could keep up with his pace. The others were improving, but too slowly. Additionally, their areas of expertise didn't align with Kakashi's, except for Kiyoshi, who was very similar to him.
They both knew swordsmanship, and their fighting styles were equally steady. There was a rooftop above Yakiniku. The two quickly jumped out the window, using chakra to create adhesion on the soles of their feet, and walked up the wall.
"Are Kiyoshi and Kakashi going to spar?" Rin had been watching closely after Kiyoshi headed toward Kakashi. She vaguely heard Kakashi and Kiyoshi talking about going up to practice. Seeing the two suddenly leave made her curious.
"Rin, hurry up and eat! Don't worry about whether Kiyoshi and Kakashi are sparring; it's boring." Obito urged Rin while busy picking up the cooked meat slices. Now that those two troublesome people were gone, he needed to cherish his time with Rin.
"Let's go up and see." Minato said. He was very curious about Kiyoshi. It wasn't surprising for an Uchiha to have elite strength. But it was rare for an Uchiha to possess the genuine Will of Fire. The Uchiha were not without the spirit of the Will of Fire, but unfortunately, due to their arrogance and obstinacy, it had transformed into the "Uchiha-style Will of Fire."
Minato was looking to be selected as the next Hokage. Hiruzen had suggested that he should first try building a trusted inner circle of his own. Initially, Minato only planned to mentor Obito. After all, associating too much with the Uchiha would cause dissatisfaction among the high-ranking officials and other ninja clans who held important economic leverage in the village.
But Kiyoshi was different; he had gained Hiruzen's attention. Therefore, Minato wanted to see what kind of person Kiyoshi truly was.
"What's so interesting about that?" Yūki frowned. As the Jōnin leader, he naturally couldn't miss the Chunin Exams, so he saw Kiyoshi's performance throughout. This made him feel disgruntled. Why could an Uchiha become so strong so easily after awakening his eyes? While commoners like them had to work twice as hard? The world created by the Sage of Six Paths was truly unfair. It was just as the Second Hokage had said: the Uchiha were an evil clan, and all of them were unbearably arrogant.
"Then I'll go." Minato showed a polite smile and followed them.
"I… I'm going too, Yūki-sensei." Kurenai put down her plate and followed Minato with quick steps.
Rin also quickly said she was going. The two young girls followed Minato together. Now, only Yūki, Asuma, and Obito remained at the table. They exchanged glances.
"Cough, I'm going too then." Asuma couldn't sit still, not wanting to leave Kurenai and Kiyoshi alone.
"Wait for me." Obito also coughed, subtly expressing his disdain for Asuma's eager behavior, completely forgetting that he had just called it boring.
"Let's go." Asuma said. He was different from simple, eager suitors like Obito; he and Kurenai were genuine childhood friends! It was just that things had changed slightly after Kiyoshi arrived.
Soon, Yūki was the only one left at the large table.
"Why is everyone so focused on this Uchiha?" This made Yūki burn with jealousy, but there was nothing he could do.
***
***
Read 30 Chapters early on P-atreon.com/Redestro666