A dull thud echoed through the clearing.
No one present could even track how Minato managed to counterattack.
In a mere fraction of a second, Kato Dan's body buckled like a folded shrimp. He was sent hurtling backward with the velocity of a cannonball, his frame slamming violently into the trunk of a massive tree.
"Pfft! Cough, cough..."
Dan tumbled from the rough bark in a state of utter disarray. He coughed up a thick spray of blood, his eyes stretching wide with pure, unadulterated shock as he stared at the young boy standing before him.
"Teacher Dan!"
Ayako cried out, her voice trembling with worry as she watched her mentor get kicked away so effortlessly by Minato.
Nawaki reached out a hand to steady her, offering a quick word of reassurance. "Don't worry, Minato knows what he's doing."
"One of the core proficiencies in a ninja's tactical repertoire — Taijutsu."
Minato held his follow-through posture for a moment longer, his expression as calm as a still pond. He slowly retracted his leg as the others watched him in stunned silence.
"As the only skill in the shinobi system that can be used instantly without the need to refine chakra, I must say that Senior Kato's development in this area is quite lacking."
The reality of the situation was reflected in the cold data of the world: $Kato Dan's Strength Stat is only 7$.
"Cough—"
Hearing the critique, Dan spat out another mouthful of blood. He gritted his teeth, forcing his trembling arms to prop his body up against the dirt.
He was a monster.
This child was nothing short of a freak of nature.
The sheer, terrifying force behind that single kick had been so intense that Dan felt his entire life flash before his eyes for a split second.
Could this person truly be only eight years old?
A smoke bomb suddenly detonated at Dan's feet, masking the area in a thick grey haze. Clutching his bruised abdomen, the Jonin used the cover to vanish into the shadows of the forest.
"He's so strong!"
From her vantage point on a distant branch, Mikoto watched the display with a light gasp. She covered her mouth with her hand, her dark eyes shimmering with a mix of awe and admiration.
She hadn't expected Minato to nearly finish off a seasoned Jonin with a single strike. By comparison, she realized that Minato had been incredibly gentle with her during their previous sparring session.
Deep within the woods, behind the safety of a thick trunk, Kato Dan leaned back to catch his breath. He turned his head slightly to peek at Minato in the distance, his forehead dripping with cold sweat.
The impact of Minato's kick had scrambled his thoughts into a confused mess.
Just as he began to wonder how he could possibly manage such an unpredictable opponent, a soft, polite voice drifted into his ear from right behind him.
"What are you looking for, Senior? Should I help you find it?"
"!!!"
Dan's heart nearly stopped. Just as he coiled his muscles to strike back, he felt the cold, sharp edge of a kunai pressed firmly against the skin of his throat.
"I'm sorry, Senior, but I really don't have the time to play games with you anymore. The only reason I've humored you with words until now is out of respect for your age."
Minato looked down at the beads of sweat on the man's brow. His voice was flat and devoid of warmth. "I don't have a problem with men who have ambition, but you made a mistake trying to scheme against the people around me."
There was nothing wrong with having feelings for someone, and Minato could even respect a few clever tricks to get ahead, but Dan's ulterior motives had become far too transparent to ignore.
"You... you've got it all wrong, Minato-kun."
Now that his most shameful secrets were laid bare, Dan's heart sank into his stomach. He swallowed hard against the blade and forced a nervous, shaky smile. "I was just..."
"I didn't come here to listen to your excuses, Senior."
Minato slowly pulled the kunai back, though his tone remained as unyielding as steel. "Nawaki is going to become Orochimaru-sensei's disciple. He might join the Anbu later, or perhaps even the Root. Team 7 is going to have new members, and we all have very bright futures ahead of us."
A bright future. Dan's lips twisted into a bitter, self-deprecating smile as he lowered his head in defeat.
He wasn't stupid. He understood perfectly that Minato wasn't offering a well-wish; he was delivering a final warning.
If he didn't learn his place and stay away, the next person sent to deal with him wouldn't be a polite student, but an Anbu executioner.
The young boy standing over him was already wielding power and influence that far exceeded anything Dan had imagined.
"I suppose I should thank you for not embarrassing me in front of my own students."
Despite his flaws and his schemes, Dan wasn't a completely ungrateful man like Danzo.
He knew Minato had the skill to kill him right then and there.
Even if the Third Hokage found out, the old man would likely just accuse Dan of trying to harm a precious user of the Wood Release bloodline.
Minato simply shook his head at Dan's words, remaining silent.
He hadn't been trying to save the man's reputation. It was simply a matter of convenience; some things were better left unsaid while Nawaki was within earshot.
Turning his back on Dan, Minato began to walk away at a leisurely pace.
Beneath the surface of his calm eyes, his pupil power was swirling. He was secretly prepared for the chance that Dan might lash out in a fit of rage or shame.
If the man dared to try an ambush, Minato was ready to end it instantly: "Kato Dan, you are inherently evil, so I will..." However, even after he had covered a significant distance, Dan never moved. Minato felt a small, secret spark of disappointment.
"Let's go, Nawaki."
Once he found Nawaki again, Minato instantly slipped back into his usual, friendly persona.
Nawaki looked around, noticing that Dan was nowhere to be seen. He looked at Minato tentatively. "Um, what about Brother Dan?"
"He's a bit banged up. He'll be fine after a rest, and it won't get in the way of the mission."
Minato brushed it off casually. Since he was a student of Tsunade, he knew exactly how to handle these kinds of social situations.
"Alright then..."
Nawaki looked at his two teammates with an awkward expression. "I'll head back to the village for now. It's going to be tough for you two to keep an eye on Brother Dan while he recovers."
"Mhm..."
The two students nodded quickly, clearly terrified of saying something that might earn them a kick of their own.
Minato started leading the group away. As they walked, Nawaki glanced over at Mikoto. "By the way, I forgot to ask. Who is she?"
"This is Uchiha Mikoto, she's Orochimaru-sensei's newest student."
Minato handled the introductions. "And Mikoto, this is Nawaki, Teacher Tsunade's little brother."
Mikoto gave a polite nod. "It's nice to meet you. I hope we get along."
"Orochimaru-sensei's student?!"
Nawaki looked like he had just been betrayed. He didn't even bother with a proper greeting, blurting out his frustration. "Brother Orochimaru actually took a student? He told me he was too busy to lead a team lately! And even if he did, why an Uchiha?"
"That's pretty rude. Is there something wrong with being an Uchiha?"
Mikoto's brows knit together, her face showing her clear annoyance.
Realizing he had stuck his foot in his mouth, Nawaki gave her a sheepish, apologetic grin. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I just..."
"You just feel left out, don't you?"
Minato teased him lightly. "Since you've already moved on from the team, you're free to try and become his disciple, but whether he actually wants to teach you is a different story."
"Of course he will! We've got a great bond!"
Nawaki sounded confident, but then he tilted his head. "But why did you suddenly want to give me this special training anyway?"
Minato's answer was short. "To make sure you can actually survive on a real battlefield."
"The battlefield..."
Nawaki's smile faded slightly. Based on what Minato was saying, it sounded like war was right around the corner. He didn't press for details, though; he knew he wasn't high enough in the ranks to be told everything yet.
As the younger brother of Tsunade, he might have been as loud and reckless as someone like Naruto, but his upbringing gave him a solid understanding of when to be serious.
"So, what's the plan? What are you going to teach me?"
Nawaki pushed his worries aside and looked at Minato eagerly.
"I'm going to teach you how to stay alive."
Minato smiled warmly at him, but his next words made the hair on the back of Nawaki's neck stand up.
"Starting tomorrow, aside from your regular training, I'm going to be attacking you constantly. This goes for both you and Mikoto."
"You only need to remember one rule: only the people who survive are allowed to worry about winning."
Nawaki opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out.
After a long silence, he finally spoke up in a tiny, weak voice.
"Um... do you think it's too late for me to just go back to my old team?"
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