Minato Namikaze—a character in the original story who always left behind a lingering sense of regret.
He had no special Kekkei Genkai, nor did he come from a clan famed for secret techniques.
Yet, this man—a mere commoner—accomplished feats that even those born into great bloodline clans could not.
Through sheer determination and exceptional battle talent, he earned the recognition of all.
Step by step, he rose from the bottom to become the Hokage everyone respected.
There was no doubt—he was a true powerhouse.
Even when he simply stood there with that bright, sunny smile, one could still feel an invisible pressure radiating from him.
A genuine Kage-level shinobi.
He might not have been the "true Yellow Flash" of the Fourth Great Ninja War—the one who could instantly enter Sage Mode—but the man before them was still a daunting opponent.
Flying Thunder God Technique. Rasengan.
Every technique he touched, he pushed to its absolute limit.
"Let's fight!"
At Konoha's Training Ground Seven, the new Team Minato had officially taken shape.
Three young shinobi stood opposite Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage of Konoha.
Hakken stood in the center. To his left, Itachi's Sharingan had already activated, scarlet tomoe spinning.
To his right, Kakashi wore a grave yet slightly helpless expression.
Fight?
Kakashi knew full well just how powerful Minato truly was.
Against such an opponent, trying to take the bells was already close to impossible.
But the person beside him actually wanted a head-on fight.
Unlike Kakashi, the moment Minato caught sight of that strange Zanpakutō, he had already drawn his custom-made kunai.
Sensei… you can't be serious.
Kakashi's mouth twitched.
Others might not recognize the special kunai in Minato's hand—known as the "Blade of Love"—but he certainly did.
Flying Thunder God.
The legendary jutsu that made the Yellow Flash famous across nations!
He's using that and still expects us to snatch the bells?
You've got to be kidding.
"Minato's really bullying them this time."
On the sidelines, Kushina—her belly round with pregnancy—watched speechlessly.
Using Flying Thunder God kunai against two kids barely six years old?
"Foolish."
A cold, mocking voice suddenly echoed in her mind, making Kushina freeze.
That voice...
"Nine-Tails?"
The Nine-Tails was speaking to her of its own accord?
Kushina blinked in shock, wide-eyed.
"If that brat's blade lands even once…"
"He'll die for real."
Inside the mysterious seal space, the usually restless Nine-Tails was lying quietly behind the great iron gate, its two paws crossed lazily like a dog's. Yet its feral eyes, through Kushina's own, were fixed on the scene outside.
Only the occasional flick of its tails betrayed the turmoil within.
Tailed Beasts could observe the outside world through their Jinchūriki.
That boy…
The Nine-Tails' eyes narrowed slightly as Kurama shifted uncomfortably.
No one knew what it had experienced during that shout yesterday.
Those slitted eyes—Hakken Yoru's gaze—had locked directly onto it.
A gaze brimming with killing intent, feral will, and the instinct to battle.
The sharp, predatory instinct of a beast.
In that instant of eye contact, the Nine-Tails had felt an immense pressure descend upon it.
It wasn't like the rage and hatred it felt under the control of a Sharingan—no, this was something else.
This was the illusion of death itself.
As though…
It had been stared down by Death.
Its soul had trembled.
Kurama was certain—this boy bore no trace of the Sage of Six Paths' bloodline.
So where did that power—the power to command life and death—come from?
It didn't know.
It only knew that with this brat around, it couldn't cause trouble for Kushina.
A battle between the Fourth Hokage and that kid, huh?
This might actually be interesting.
Though, to be fair, aside from that one called Hashirama Senju, no Hokage had ever been worth fighting.
Still… it might be worth watching.
After all, when you spend every day either sleeping or replaying old memories like "Mito Uzumaki" and "Kushina Uzumaki," even a spar like this seemed entertaining.
Swish!
As Minato hurled his Flying Thunder God kunai forward, the battle officially began.
"Earth Release! Earth Flow Wall!"
"Sensei, I'm confiscating your kunai first!"
Kakashi, who knew Minato's fighting style better than anyone, had no intention of letting the Flying Thunder God technique come into play and put him at a disadvantage. His hands moved at blinding speed, forming seals before slamming onto the ground.
A sturdy wall of earth rose up before him—not tall, but enough to intercept the path of Minato's custom kunai.
"Senpai, didn't you say your chakra was running low?"
Beside him, Itachi frowned and pointed toward the Earth Wall ahead.
"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked, puzzled.
The lack of chakra wasn't his fault—it was that damned Sharingan, constantly draining his reserves without rest.
"Then what's with those dog heads?"
Following Itachi's gaze, Kakashi saw several clearly defined dog-shaped carvings decorating the wall, leaving Itachi momentarily speechless.
Heads could roll, blood could spill—but an Earth Flow Wall without dogs? Unthinkable.
Kakashi didn't bother explaining.
"Kakashi has really come a long way," Minato said from the front, nodding with approval.
Limiting a space–time ninja and preventing them from setting up their Flying Thunder God formation—an effective tactic indeed.
But.
Minato's eyes gleamed with sharp light as his figure vanished in a flash of gold. The next instant, he reappeared beside his special kunai.
A faint blue glow began to swirl in his palm, condensing rapidly into a Rasengan.
Boom!
The Earth Wall shattered instantly.
But before Minato could even move forward, a massive flaming blade came crashing toward him, forcing his eyes wide in surprise.
What kind of fighting style was this?
"So this is your coordination with Itachi, Hakken?"
"Impressive. As expected of my student. The fusion of a Wind-natured Chakra Blade and Fire Release: Great Fireball…"
"I'll call it—Blade Release: Gale-Flame Spiral Slash Zero Form!"
Kakashi froze mid-swing.
That's… quite the name.
Even Hakken, in the middle of his slash, nearly stumbled, his body trembling as he struggled to keep his composure.
Truly worthy of the Yellow Flash—his naming sense was as radiant as his personality.
But still…
How was he planning to block this strike?