"...Is that Sage Mode?"
Minato Namikaze looked at the red eye shadow on Natsuhiko's face and the chakra around him that carried the aura of nature. A look of disbelief appeared on his face, though he quickly calmed himself.
Of course he recognized Sage Mode, because his teacher Jiraiya could use it—and he himself had also studied it.
Although personally he didn't think he had mastered it very well, he at least understood how terrifying this technique was.
Natsuhiko could use Sage Mode?
This was truly beyond his expectations, yet somehow it also felt natural.
After all, Natsuhiko was a member of the Senju clan. According to the records in the Hokage's office, the First Hokage had been a ninja extremely skilled in Sage Mode.
Minato didn't quite understand why the First Hokage's records had been so tightly sealed away.
Most of the people who knew what the First Hokage had done were already old—very few of them were even still alive.
The younger generation only knew that he founded Konoha. Beyond that, they knew almost nothing.
However, as Hokage, Minato still had access to quite a bit of information.
Shaking his head, he decided it was better not to think about those matters right now.
Especially the reasons why so many of the previous Hokage's deeds had been hidden.
After being shocked by Natsuhiko's abilities so many times already, Minato felt that the more he thought about things, the more confused and uncomfortable he became.
"Is this the Sage Mode of the Senju clan?"
Pushing away the thoughts in his mind, Minato asked calmly.
"No, it isn't the Senju clan's Sage Mode."
Natsuhiko shook his head and looked seriously at Minato.
"I didn't receive the approval of the Slug Sage, so my Sage Mode was learned from somewhere else."
Somewhere else?
Minato raised an eyebrow, as if something had occurred to him.
His own teacher Jiraiya had learned Sage Mode from the sage toads of Mount Myoboku, one of the 'Sage' Regions.
Natsuhiko hadn't gained the Slug Sage's approval, yet he still learned Sage Mode. That left only two possibilities.
One possibility was that the First Hokage had left behind records of Sage Mode.
The other possibility was that giant lizard.
Regardless of which it was, Minato's evaluation of Natsuhiko rose once again. And he also realized something else.
Natsuhiko had never revealed that he could use Sage Mode, and he hadn't even used it during the Commander selection match.
"Did you only learn it recently?" Minato suddenly asked.
"Not exactly. I learned it some time ago. My family had some records that allowed me to use a simplified version."
Natsuhiko smiled gently.
"But later I gained the recognition of Lizardmaru, and I studied it properly for a while in the hospital."
"Lizards?"
Minato raised an eyebrow and looked at him with curiosity.
"So you could already use some Sage Mode power before, and now it's just more complete?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Natsuhiko nodded sincerely.
"But it places too much burden on me, so I rarely use it. However, now…"
Natsuhiko stopped speaking there, and Minato nodded in understanding.
The Senju clan had records of Sage Mode. Although he didn't know why Natsuhiko hadn't received the Slug Sage's approval—or how he learned Sage Mode without it—
If what Natsuhiko said was true, and he had secretly studied it and accidentally mastered part of it, then his talent for Sage Mode was simply astonishing.
If that were truly the case, then it would be normal for his Sage Mode to place a heavy burden on him, since he didn't have a complete inheritance.
Perhaps Kakashi had once seen Natsuhiko use an incomplete Sage Mode, and only such an explanation could explain why Kakashi had misjudged his strength.
Minato Namikaze naturally filled in many possibilities in his mind. Even so, he still maintained a certain level of rational vigilance toward Natsuhiko.
This was something he had to do as Hokage, because Natsuhiko's thoughts were rather complicated. Especially considering that some of the things he had done before were quite dangerous.
If Minato truly had no vigilance at all, he wouldn't have survived the battlefield back then—and he certainly wouldn't be qualified to become Hokage.
However, all of this gradually changed after Natsuhiko voluntarily gave up the commander position and chose to participate in the theoretical exam instead.
Unconsciously, Minato had lowered his guard quite a bit.
By giving up his own interests and protecting Minato's dignity as Hokage, Natsuhiko had inevitably gained a great deal of favor from him.
In addition, Natsuhiko's Flying Thunder God technique had been taught by Minato himself.
Not to mention that he had also saved Kakashi.
Moreover, Natsuhiko had been relatively honest with him. His goals and intentions were always clearly stated, and the intelligence he provided had extremely high value.
When all these real circumstances were considered together, even though Minato still held some caution in his heart, their relationship and mutual trust inevitably deepened.
He wasn't an old politician like Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was skilled at calculation and political maneuvering.
Minato was still young, and he still followed his own emotional judgment.
In fact, even Hiruzen Sarutobi had emotions of his own. The difference was that he could separate his personal feelings from his position and beliefs.
Just look at his relationship with Danzo. Their personal friendship had been extremely deep.
But when it came to work, they treated each other almost like complete strangers.
They constantly used all kinds of tactics against each other, and Danzo had even resorted to assassination attempts.
But what happened afterward?
Danzo still suffered no real consequences. In fact, he even lived three years longer after Hiruzen's death, and he almost managed to sit on the Hokage's throne.
"Then I'm looking forward to seeing Natsuhiko-kun's Sage Mode," Minato said as he looked at Natsuhiko's current state, feeling a hint of excitement.
"It won't disappoint you, Hokage-sama." Natsuhiko smiled slightly.
"But there's one thing I hope Hokage-sama can keep secret. You are currently the only person who knows that I can use Sage Mode."
Hearing this, Minato's heart stirred slightly.
"You haven't even told your family?"
"No." Natsuhiko nodded lightly. "I haven't told anyone."
Minato nodded gently and said nothing more.
He raised his kunai with one hand, his expression turning more serious. At the same time, his chakra began to surge.
"Thank you for trusting me, Natsuhiko-kun," Minato said softly.
"But I will also start getting serious. I want to see the power of Sage Mode."
"As you wish."
Blue chakra once again appeared along Natsuhiko's ninja blade.
"Hokage-sama—"
"Boom!"
A dull explosion echoed through the quiet forest.
Countless birds perched on the treetops were startled awake by the sound and quickly flew into the sky.
The tremors continued. As trees collapsed one after another, clouds of dust rose in scattered corners of the forest.
Only two ghost-like figures could be seen drifting and flashing through the battlefield.
They were like streaks of light, leaving no trace behind.
To the naked eye, it was impossible to clearly see who they were. Only the violent energy released by their constant clashes made one feel a chill.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The sharp sound of metal collisions echoed repeatedly.
This time, the rhythm was even faster and more intense than before, and for a moment the two of them seemed to be locked in a stalemate.
Natsuhiko was actually quite satisfied with this situation.
Although he had to rely on Sage Mode just to match Minato's speed, that alone was already more than enough.
Minato Namikaze's speed was monstrous, something Natsuhiko had already experienced firsthand.
Meanwhile, Natsuhiko's Sage Mode was only at a beginner level.
Being able to keep up with Minato like this was already completely acceptable to him. At the very least, he no longer had to worry about being beaten without any chance to fight back.
"Besides, the enhancement from Sage Mode isn't limited to taijutsu alone!"
After blocking Minato's kunai, Natsuhiko immediately pulled out another kunai with his left hand and thrust it directly toward Minato.
Minato reacted extremely quickly. He grabbed Natsuhiko's left hand, and at the same time a faint burst of chakra appeared.
However, the release of chakra happened so quickly and without any trace that Natsuhiko seemed not to notice it at all.
But soon Minato had no choice but to release his grip, because Natsuhiko's ninja blade once again glowed with azure chakra.
That sharp blue glow, combined with the blade's edge and tremendous force, kept pressing against Minato's kunai.
The kunai had already endured a long battle. Under such pressure, it could no longer withstand the strain. Visible cracks began to appear across it.
Facing this situation, Minato could only retreat.
Naturally, Natsuhiko wouldn't miss such an opportunity. The moment his left hand was released, his ninja blade slashed forward.
However, Minato's speed was astonishing. With a slight backward leap, he casually avoided the lightning-fast strike.
Seeing this, Natsuhiko immediately threw the kunai in his left hand toward Minato, while his entire body rushed forward at the same time.
Minato quickly drew another kunai. With the crisp sound of metal clashing, he blocked the incoming weapon. Then with a light flick of his wrist, he flipped his kunai and charged straight toward Natsuhiko.
"Clang!"
Another sharp metallic sound rang out as their weapons pressed tightly against each other.
Feeling the force transmitted through the kunai, Minato couldn't help but nod slightly.
"Very good. But this isn't your full strength, is it?" Minato asked softly.
"Probably not," Natsuhiko replied. His voice sounded slightly breathless, though he still maintained his usual gentle tone.
"Hokage-sama is the same, isn't he? At least neither of us has used the Flying Thunder God Technique yet."
Minato nodded slightly.
Indeed, neither of them had used the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Soon his brows furrowed slightly, because the Natsuhiko in front of him suddenly turned into a cloud of smoke.
Substitution?
Minato was momentarily stunned.
That kid Natsuhiko could still use Substitution Jutsu at a moment like this?
Just how proficient had he become with that technique?
But he had no time to think further, because Natsuhiko suddenly attacked from his side.
Minato's body coordination was also exceptional. He quickly turned around and raised the kunai in his hand, blocking Natsuhiko's ninja blade with perfect precision.
However, Natsuhiko had no intention of prolonging the clash. After a brief contact, he immediately spun around, circling past Minato's front while his left hand struck toward Minato's back.
Minato immediately twisted his body to turn.
Although Natsuhiko's punch touched him, it only brushed past his clothes.
But when Minato spun and launched a kick toward Natsuhiko, the figure standing there once again turned into smoke, leaving behind nothing but a pile of wood.
This kind of elusive substitution technique, appearing and disappearing unpredictably, made even Minato sigh in admiration.
"Sage Art: Water Release — Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
However, Natsuhiko clearly didn't give Minato much time to breathe.
Not far away, a powerful surge of chakra erupted. Immediately afterward, a massive water dragon roared into existence and charged straight toward Minato.
The water dragon contained the aura of nature, and the chakra within it was of extremely high quality.
So, this is Senjutsu.
Minato Namikaze understood what it was at a glance.
He knew that when Sage Chakra was used together with ninjutsu, the power would become absurdly strong. However, he himself had never tried such techniques.
Likewise, he had never faced such a technique before. When Jiraiya sparred with him, he never used senjutsu.
Now that he was facing a Sage Art performed by Natsuhiko, he felt both curious and intrigued.
Wait... why does it feel less powerful than I expected?
Minato thought to himself, and soon couldn't help but find it a little amusing.
Natsuhiko had only learned the complete Sage Mode recently, and his chakra reserves weren't particularly large either.
So it was perfectly normal that the power displayed wasn't as overwhelming as Minato had imagined.
Although he was somewhat surprised at how quickly Natsuhiko could enter Sage Mode, which was ridiculously fast.
But that could simply be attributed to Natsuhiko's exceptional talent.
Still, I need to handle this properly!
Looking at the roaring water dragon, Minato tossed the kunai in his right hand into the air and caught it with his left.
At the same time, a mass of rapidly spinning blue chakra appeared in the palm of his now free right hand.
In just an instant, that chakra stabilized into a perfect sphere.
This ultimate shape-transformation technique was Minato's signature jutsu: The Rasengan.
And using Rasengan meant that Minato had officially entered a more serious state.
BOOM!
The moment the water dragon infused with Sage Chakra slammed toward Minato, the Rasengan in his hand collided directly with the dragon's head.
A thunderous explosion erupted instantly.
The powerful chakra contained within both techniques scattered violently in all directions.
Minato's expression changed slightly. He had already felt the true strength of this Sage Art.
Although his Rasengan could resist it—after all, the chakra Natsuhiko had gathered for the technique was only moderate—
The explosive power produced when the technique detonated was definitely not something a human body could withstand.
The Rasengan still has one weakness... it lacks range, Minato sighed inwardly, then his gaze turned serious.
He had already roughly gauged the power of Natsuhiko's ninjutsu. Even though he wasn't sure whether Natsuhiko could maintain this level consistently, such power was already more than enough.
A ninja's defense was never particularly strong. If a jutsu of this power were used at the right moment, it could easily kill an opponent instantly.
Minato was not someone who relied on luck.
The cruelty of war had taught him too many lessons. He knew that any moment of carelessness could drag him into irreversible disaster.
His chakra stirred slightly.
At the very instant when the Rasengan and the water dragon collided and exploded, Minato vanished from where he stood.
Almost at the same time, his figure appeared beside Natsuhiko.
The Flying Thunder God Technique had been activated.
However, just as the kunai in his hand was about to press against Natsuhiko's back, the Natsuhiko before him suddenly disappeared as well.
At the same time, the sound of a blade cutting through the air came from behind him.
...
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