Qianyu gathered the seventeen Flying Thunder God kunai pinning Minato to the ground, reeling them in with a thread.
Minato's expression darkened.
So that was Qianyu's plan. He hadn't been attacking, only defending, all to wait until Minato exhausted his entire supply of kunai.
Careless. He'd been far too careless.
A wave of frustration washed over Minato. Why hadn't he been more meticulous? Since mastering the Flying Thunder God Technique, he'd never tasted defeat. Every enemy fell before him, crushed under overwhelming speed. Even with constant reminders not to underestimate Qianyu, his opponent's purely defensive stance had lulled him into a false sense of control. He'd let his guard down.
Minato took a deep breath. Regret wouldn't change anything now.
His grip tightened on the single kunai left in his hand. His eyes sharpened.
He prepared to throw it.
But Qianyu moved first.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Chakra gathered in Qianyu's throat. A massive sphere of flame roared forward, engulfing the space where Minato stood.
The fireball exploded. From the flames—
A kunai shot toward Qianyu's face.
"Thunder Breathing, Fourth Form: Distant Thunder!"
Lightning erupted around Qianyu. He surged forward, a bolt of electricity aimed at the flying steel.
But Minato didn't appear before him. Instead, he materialized by the cluster of seventeen kunai.
"Wind Style: Wind Cutter Technique!"
Minato exhaled. Air sharpened into invisible blades, slicing toward the threads binding his tools.
A smirk touched Qianyu's lips. "Already accounted for that!"
His shadow clone drew its sword.
"Thunder Breathing, Sixth Form: Rumble and Flash!"
From the clone's center, a storm of jagged, lightning-like slashes exploded outward. Minato's wind blades vanished, shredded into nothing.
Minato was trapped. He couldn't use the Flying Thunder God. The single kunai was guarded by Qianyu's main body. The seventeen were covered by the clone's electric storm. And he couldn't afford to block. One hit from those slashes meant paralysis. The follow-up would be unavoidable.
He danced on a razor's edge, relying on pure reflex to weave through the storm of lightning.
When the last slash faded, Minato leaped back, putting distance between them. His breath came a little faster. He eyed the two Qianyus.
The main body was now casually twirling his last kunai between its fingers. The clone stood guard, unwavering.
Minato's brow furrowed. With Qianyu's defenses locked down, using the Flying Thunder God wouldn't be easy.
He was still searching for a strategy when Qianyu… dissolved the shadow clone. Then, he simply tossed the kunai aside. It clattered on the ground. Qianyu brushed his hands together and turned to leave.
"Qianyu!" Minato called out, confused. "Where are you going? The fight isn't over."
"Already is." The voice came from a different direction.
The Qianyu in front of him shimmered. Grew faint. Vanished.
Minato's head snapped toward the new voice. Qianyu stood there, watching him.
Minato's pupils contracted.
A genjutsu. He'd been caught in one. When? He'd been careful not to meet Qianyu's eyes. It shouldn't have been possible.
His mind raced, searching for the flaw. The moment of weakness.
Silence stretched for a full minute. Then, Minato let out a low, rueful chuckle.
"Of course. That moment."
He understood now. The only opening was when Qianyu had said, "Only eighteen kunai total." The shock had made him glance up instinctively. That split-second look was all it took.
"Incredible. Can't let my guard down for a single second with you." He shook his head, but there was no discouragement in his eyes. Only renewed fire. "But even without the genjutsu… I think I'd lost."
He'd learned valuable lessons today. Never let an opponent know how many markers you have. If they lock down your tools, you're crippled.
Minato exhaled slowly, a long, steady breath. He collected his scattered kunai from the ground. Then, he was gone, melting into the night.
Back in his own room, Qianyu replayed the fight in his head.
Unless his reaction speed surpassed Minato's, the Flying Thunder God was a nightmare to deal with. Right now, Minato's offense was almost entirely built around it—his wind jutsu were basic, standard fare. A sign that Jiraiya had taught him combat foundations, but his elemental affinity wasn't fully developed yet.
If he learns Sage Mode later… that'll be a whole new level of trouble.
And now that Minato had learned this lesson the hard way, he wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Future encounters would be… complicated.
…
Two days later.
Qianyu entered the strategy room.
Orochimaru addressed him without preamble. "Your transfer request has been approved. Return to Konoha and report directly to the Hokage. He will give you the official orders. Then you may depart for the Land of Grass."
Qianyu nodded. "Understood. Thank you, Orochimaru-sensei."
"There is another matter," Orochimaru continued, his voice cool. "As a jonin, you are required to lead a team of genin. You were informed previously."
Qianyu's face immediately soured. "Sensei, I have to decline. I don't have time to babysit genin on missions."
Orochimaru shook his head slowly, a warning glint in his eyes. "I know your reluctance. But as a member of the Hokage's faction now, it is unwise to refuse. Think. Even if you find that Uzumaki survivor, convincing the village to abandon their fully-trained Kushina is not a simple matter. They won't just accept your candidate as the Nine-Tails' container."
He leaned forward slightly, his tone becoming analytical, precise. "You must increase not only your strength, but also your influence. And most importantly, you must appear compliant. Obedient. At least in their eyes. Only then will the council consider choosing your 'backup of a backup' over their established option. They will be assessing your value, Qianyu. Your utility to the village. Your… willingness to play your part."
The words landed with cold clarity. Qianyu's playful resistance vanished. His expression turned serious, absorbing the lesson in realpolitik his teacher had just laid bare.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
Read up to (50+ ) advanced chapters on Patre\on
Visit us here: patreon.com/GoldenLong
Happy reading, everyone!