When Uchiha Hayashi stepped down from the training ground, Minato and the others were still frozen in place.
Hayashi glanced at Nawaki's gaping mouth and smiled. "What's wrong? Surprised? That was just the force of a C-rank ninjutsu at best."
"But how did you come up with that? Too sneaky!" Nawaki shouted, frustrated.
Hayashi shrugged casually. "It's something I developed while training with your sister."
"Impossible! My sister isn't even good at shuriken throwing!" Nawaki protested loudly.
Minato frowned. "Still… how is your throw that destructive? No matter how you look at it, that power seems exaggerated."
He didn't believe Hayashi's words at all. As someone who knew him well, Minato doubted the explanation immediately.
Mikoto stayed silent, but her eyes lingered on Hayashi, curiosity clear on her face. Kushina, meanwhile, looked on with open envy. She wanted those skills for herself.
Hayashi finally admitted, "It really is thanks to Tsunade-sensei. I've been learning chakra control from her lately."
Minato's eyes widened. "Chakra control? Wait… you once said that Super Strength is a type of chakra control. So this throwing technique… is it similar in principle to that?"
"Exactly," Hayashi nodded. "As you know, Tsunade-sensei's greatest strengths are medical ninjutsu and her monstrous strength. Both come from precise chakra control. By applying that same principle, I developed a technique I call Super Strength Throwing. It's officially a C-rank ninjutsu."
Hayashi extended his hand, and a small sphere of chakra formed in his palm. He pulled a kunai from his pouch and set it into the spinning chakra. Slowly, the chakra sphere rotated, holding the weapon steady.
"Like this," Hayashi explained.
Minato leaned closer, his face tinged red with frustration. His own chakra control wasn't anywhere near this level.
"Next," Hayashi continued, "while stabilizing the chakra, you gradually increase its rotation speed."
The chakra ball spun faster and faster, until it wavered on the edge of instability. "Then, just when you're about to lose control, you throw the kunai forward. At the instant it leaves your hand, you detonate the chakra sphere. The explosion accelerates the kunai beyond your natural throw."
He demonstrated. The kunai tore from his hand like a bullet, vanishing into the sky until it disappeared from sight.
Nawaki slumped in defeat. "That's impossible. I'm terrible at chakra control."
Hayashi ignored his dramatics and went on. "Of course, the technique has flaws. First, you need extremely fine chakra control. Maintaining the rotation isn't easy. Second, timing is everything. If you mess up, the chakra detonates in your own hand."
He scratched the back of his head and smiled. "Still, I have a few ideas for developing it further. Imagine combining this with the Uchiha clan's multi-shuriken techniques, throwing several kunai at once. The destructive power could reach the level of a B-rank or even A-rank ninjutsu."
Hayashi's enthusiasm was obvious. While Minato and Mikoto couldn't reproduce his technique exactly, they both understood the potential behind it.
Hayashi glanced at Minato. "How far can you get with chakra control right now?"
Minato hesitated before stretching out his palm. A few strands of chakra spun weakly, unable to form a proper sphere. He gave an embarrassed smile. "Honestly, I'm not good at this at all. Chakra control feels impossible for me right now. And how much chakra does this jutsu of yours consume?"
"Not a lot," Hayashi replied. "If you want more power, the chakra cost goes up, but it's still manageable."
---
Time slipped away, and soon the day's lessons came to an end. Nawaki, still recovering from his injury, postponed his own test.
As school ended, the group split up at an intersection.
Nawaki and Kushina headed toward the Senju compound. Kushina still had lessons with Mito Uzumaki about sealing arts. Minato returned to his home.
Mikoto and Hayashi walked back together toward the Uchiha district.
The streets were quiet, bathed in the warm glow of late May. The sun dipped through the clouds, painting the sky crimson. Trees lined the roadside, their green leaves rustling gently in the evening breeze. It was one of those rare dusks where Konoha felt timeless, cut off from its usual noise and bustle.
"Look," Mikoto said softly, gazing at the horizon. "The sky looks like the ocean."
They walked slowly, side by side, the sunset stretching their shadows across the empty path.
Mikoto suddenly broke into a run, then spun around a few steps ahead of him. Her black hair glowed like silk under the setting sun.
"Hayashi," she called.
"Yeah? What is it?"
"Do you think we'll always stay together like this?" Her voice was calm, but her eyes carried an unspoken hope.
"Of course," Hayashi answered without hesitation.
Mikoto smiled, repeating his words softly as if committing them to memory. "Then it's a promise." With that, she darted forward again.
"Wait for me, Mikoto!" Hayashi called, chasing after her.
Their two silhouettes stretched long and thin beneath the glowing dusk, side by side against the canvas of Konoha's evening sky.
---