Ken woke to the smell of antiseptic.
White ceiling.
Soft light.
For a long moment, he didn't move—only stared upward as his thoughts slowly churned back into place.
…He had lost again.
And this time, there was no excuse.
The match against the Uchiha had ended badly, yes—but that defeat had come from surprise. A genjutsu he hadn't expected. Shameful, but manageable. Given another encounter, he knew he could deal with it.
This fight was different.
Against Kakashi, he had used everything.
Every feint.Every jutsu.Every trick in his arsenal.
And it still hadn't been enough.
Worse—he had been forced to rely on an incomplete technique.
One he couldn't fully control.
One that had nearly killed his teammate.
Ken lifted a hand and pressed it against his forehead.
A slow breath escaped him.
That moment would linger.
Not just in his mind—but in Minato's as well.
Even if the match had been declared a draw, the truth remained.
Losing control was dangerous.
Unacceptable.
He stared at the ceiling again.
Then his eyes sharpened.
Dwelling wouldn't help.
The path forward was clear.
First—his arsenal wasn't wide enough.
There were gaps. Predictable ones. He needed to fill them quickly.
Second—close combat.
He couldn't keep retreating against close-range fighters. His taijutsu wasn't weak, but against capable shinobi it would always lead him into a dead end. Even against Guy, his victories came from tricks—and pure close-combat specialists were rare. Most taijutsu-focused shinobi still possessed ranged options.
Either he picked up a sword…
Or he became strong enough to break one.
And finally—
That rising hunger during battle.
The rush.The pull.
It was growing faster than his strength.
Ken exhaled quietly.
"…A long road ahead."
The door slid open softly.
Ken didn't need to look.
"Awake already?" Minato's voice came lightly.
Ken turned his head."Yes, Minato-sensei."
The jōnin stepped inside, hands tucked into his sleeves. His expression was calm, but his eyes were sharp—already assessing posture, breathing, chakra flow.
"You went too far," Minato said plainly.
Ken didn't argue.
"I know."
Minato sighed and pulled a chair closer, sitting backward with his arms resting across the backrest.
"I won't be harsh," he continued. "You were pushed. You made decisions under pressure. That part is understandable."
Then his gaze hardened slightly.
"But losing control is not."
Ken nodded once.
"That technique… if it had landed, Kakashi wouldn't be standing right now."
"I know," Ken replied quietly.
Minato studied him for a moment before his expression softened.
"…Still, the outcome wasn't entirely unexpected."
Ken looked at him.
"The Hokage likely wanted this effect," Minato said. "For Kakashi to face someone his age who could truly push him. Someone who could stand toe to toe with him."
A peer.
Not a superior.Not a subordinate.
Ken understood.
After a moment, Minato asked, "What do you plan to do next?"
"I need to expand my arsenal," Ken replied immediately."First, Earth Release: Subterranean Voyage. I need reliable repositioning and escape."
Minato nodded. "And the second?"
"Earth Release: Earth Spikes. I can already imitate it through Mud Wall, but learning it properly would deepen my understanding."
"Reasonable."
"And close combat?" Minato asked.
Ken exhaled.
"I can't keep retreating against blade users. Either I learn swordsmanship—or push my taijutsu to a level where weapons stop being an advantage."
Minato smiled faintly.
"For now, follow the conditioning plan Might Duy prepared for you."
Ken blinked. "That's… it?"
"For strength and speed, yes," Minato said. "But close combat is built on experience, not drills."
He tapped the chair lightly.
"We'll spar. Taijutsu only. No ninjutsu. No tricks."
Ken's eyes sharpened.
"I understand."
Minato stood.
"There's one more thing," he added. "Your technique."
Ken had expected this.
"I wanted a finishing move," he said calmly. "Something decisive."
He glanced at his bandaged hand.
"I didn't have the merit to request a high-level ninjutsu. So I experimented. I wondered what would happen if chakra rotated extremely fast around a single point."
Minato listened without interruption.
"When flattened, the rotation gained cutting properties," Ken continued. "The closer it is to my palm, the stronger the cut—"
"And the greater the backlash," Minato finished.
Ken nodded."If my hand touches what I'm cutting, the flow destabilizes. It detonates."
There was no hesitation in his explanation.
No concealment.
His way of saying: I have nothing to hide.
Minato studied him quietly.
"You're unconsciously incorporating wind-nature transformation," he said. "That's where the cutting power comes from."
Ken stiffened slightly.
"If you formed the disc on the back of your hand instead," Minato continued, "the restriction might loosen. Improving wind transformation would also help stabilize it."
Ken froze.
"…That's possible?"
Minato smiled faintly.
"Possibly. But I wouldn't recommend it. The chakra cost would leave you helpless afterward. That effort could be better spent on other finishing techniques."
So basically… a prototype of the Rasenshuriken.
Ken exhaled softly.
Minato straightened.
"Until that technique is fully stabilized," he said firmly, "you are forbidden from using it in combat."
Ken bowed his head.
"I agree."
Minato turned toward the door.
"Minato-sensei," Ken said hesitantly.
Minato paused.
"…Is Kakashi alright?"
This time, the question held no calculation.
No advantage.
He simply didn't want to become someone who harmed others without reason.
Minato turned back with a gentle smile.
"He's fine," he said. "More shaken than injured."
Relief loosened something in Ken's chest.
The door slid shut behind him.
Ken lay back against the pillow, eyes fixed on the ceiling.
The road ahead was long.
But at least—
he knew which direction he was walking.