At Training Ground Nine, while Minato and Tsunade were conversing...
Several figures appeared one after another. They were Shinichi, Kurenai Yuhi, Kakashi, and a young girl with short brown hair and a gentle smile—Rin Nohara.
When the two groups met, both sides showed a look of slight surprise, but they quickly exchanged simple greetings.
Kakashi only gave a cold glance as a greeting; Shinichi, Kurenai Yuhi, and Rin nodded politely.
After greeting each other, they each walked toward the area where their respective teachers were located.
However, the moment Minato Namikaze saw Shinichi, his eyes suddenly lit up. The gentle smile on his face instantly became even more brilliant, even carrying a sort of near-impatient enthusiasm.
With a flicker of movement, he took the initiative to step forward, perfectly blocking Shinichi's path, and asked eagerly:
"You must be Higashino Shinichi, right? The one who developed the Shinichi Higashinos Light Blade Initiative: Super Dance Roaring Rasengan!"
?????
What kind of messy name is that?
As his voice fell, a brief, dead silence descended upon the training ground.
Even Tsunade, who was watching the scene from the side with her arms crossed, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, giving him a look that said, 'What on earth is this kid talking about?'
Shinichi was also stunned. He blinked and asked tentatively with some uncertainty, "Senior, are you talking about the Rasengan?"
'Higashino Shinichi' should refer to the name of the technique's developer; that was fine.
'Light Blade Initiative'? Could it refer to the inspiration gained from seeing Asuma's glowing Chakra Blades?
'Spiral' (Rasen) was the core form of the technique, describing the rotating motion of the Chakra.
'Sphere' (Gan) referred to the final condensed spherical shape of the technique.
Then, what the hell were 'Dance Roar' and 'Super Dance Roar'?
Were they just simple interjections meant to sound handsome and cool?
Shinichi's brain worked rapidly, trying to deconstruct this bizarre name using Minato Namikaze's rather unique logic for naming things.
"Right, right, right! Rasengan! Look at me, I accidentally blurted out the name I gave it myself, ahahaha..." Minato Namikaze only then realized, scratching the back of his head with a bit of embarrassment.
"Sor-sorry," Minato explained with a smile, trying to ease the awkwardness. "I just felt your technique was so outstanding that I couldn't help but... well, give it a name. The name Rasengan is great! It's very concise too!"
This kid is truly an unexpected airhead in some aspects.
Tsunade glanced at Minato, who was still trying to maintain his cheerful smile, and complained silently in her heart.
He was clearly a Genius Jonin with extraordinary strength and a clear head, yet he had such a bizarre deviation in his naming aesthetics.
At that moment, another figure rushed in from the entrance of the training ground.
Shizune ran over panting, fine beads of sweat hanging on her forehead, her face flushed from running and anxiety.
"Sor-sorry! I'm late!" She apologized while adjusting her breathing. Her gaze first quickly swept over Shinichi and Kurenai Yuhi before finally landing on Tsunade, her eyes filled with obvious relief and a subtle hint of complaint: "Tsunade-sama! So you were here. When I woke up this morning and found you gone, I thought you had..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear. She thought Tsunade had once again gone to some casino or tavern and hadn't returned all night, even completely forgetting the important business of leading the team for the test today. That was why she had been searching in a hurry and was delayed.
Tsunade's mouth twitched as she looked at the girl she had raised herself. "Am I really that unreliable in your eyes?"
Hearing this, Shizune pursed her lips and didn't answer directly.
Seeing this, Tsunade became even more speechless. A vein seemed to throb at her temple as she waved her hand irritably. "Fine, fine, don't just stand there like an idiot. Get in line! Next time, remember to come directly to the meeting point, don't go looking blindly!"
Minato Namikaze, on the other hand, very tactfully looked off into the distance, pretending to study the trees of the training ground as if he hadn't heard a thing.
Just then, the last latecomer arrived at the training ground entrance, announced by his signature shouting and a burst of distant, messy, and hurried footsteps.
"Sor-sorry! I'm late!!!"
Uchiha Obito came sprinting at a hundred-meter dash pace, also covered in sweat. His goggles were crooked, and his face was written with anxiety and annoyance.
Rushing close, he almost failed to brake and nearly crashed into Kakashi. He quickly steadied himself and bowed in apology. "I'm truly very sorry! Minato-sensei! On my way here, I met an old lady whose cane fell into a ditch. It was hard for her to bend over, so I helped her pick it up. Then she said she couldn't see the road clearly and asked if I could walk her across the street. After crossing, the old lady said she couldn't find her home. She's old and has a bad memory, so I helped her carry her things and asked people along the way based on her vague descriptions. It took a lot of effort to finally get her home!"
"Then on the way here, I also encountered a black cat that suddenly jumped down from a wall and stood right in front of me, staring straight at me. No matter how I tried to go around it, it blocked my path, which delayed me for a while..."
Minato Namikaze quietly listened to Uchiha Obito's detailed description of his helpful deeds before smiling. "Alright, Obito, get in line."
Uchiha Obito finally straightened up as if he had been granted a great pardon. He wiped his sweat and quickly stood next to Rin, even secretly making a face at the expressionless Kakashi.
Tsunade crossed her arms, looked at her three students who had finally all arrived, and then glanced at the already gathered Team Seven. Suddenly thinking of something, she raised an eyebrow and spoke:
"Minato, it's boring for each team to just test separately. How about our two classes have a joint test?"
"A joint test?" Minato was slightly taken aback and looked at Tsunade.
Tsunade called Minato aside and quickly exchanged a few words in a low voice. After hearing Tsunade's proposal, a hint of hesitation flashed across Minato's face, but he eventually nodded. He took one of the two bells he had originally prepared for his own class and handed it to Tsunade.
Then the two returned to the front of the group. Tsunade stepped forward, cleared her throat, and swept her sharp gaze across the six young faces—some calm, some nervous, some excited—and said loudly:
"Brats of Team Seven and Team Ten, listen up! The test rules are simple!"
Tsunade toyed with the bell tied with a red string in her hand, and Minato also held up the one in his.
"See these two bells? Minato and I will each keep one. Your task is to snatch them from us within the time limit!"
"There are only two bells! Individuals who snatch a bell pass the test directly! If a team can snatch both bells at the same time, then the entire team passes!"
At this point, Tsunade's voice suddenly grew heavier:
"As for the other team without a bell—everyone is disqualified! Scram back to the Ninja Academy and study for a few more years. Think carefully about whether you're really fit to be Ninjas!"