"Basic nature transformation only requires an understanding of a certain attribute, but if you want to go further, you need to infuse emotions at the moment of change."
Minato held his hands out in front of his chest, and two gusts of wind with different properties were reflected in Makiya's pupils.
'Infuse... emotions?' Makiya thought to himself.
"Yes. Adding thoughts of freedom, lightheartedness, or curiosity can further increase the speed of the wind. Adding thoughts of loneliness, passion, or solemnity can increase the cutting power of Wind Style."
Minato's words seemed to open the door to a new world for Makiya. He realized his perception had been stuck in the plot of the original series, and his view of ninjutsu was superficial and somewhat rigid.
'Emotions and thoughts... then the Fire attribute...'
Makiya extended his hands, his chakra surged, and orange flames erupted, condensing into a fireball the size of a basketball.
Then, Makiya recalled the Hidden Mist battlefield. The successive battles had made his blood boil. As his strength increased, he craved battle more and more, desiring worthy opponents as if it were carved into his very bones.
The fireball fluctuated violently. A wisp of golden flame merged into it, gradually mixing with the orange, and finally stabilizing into a golden-orange fireball.
"You mastered it that quickly?" Minato clicked his tongue in wonder. Makiya's comprehension truly deserved the title of genius; he had only demonstrated it once, and Makiya had already succeeded.
Obito and Makiya were clearly from the same clan, so why was the difference between them so vast?
Minato didn't look down on Obito. No matter what Obito's talent was, he was his student. However, a teacher always hopes for their students to succeed, and the more talented the student, the more fulfilling it is to teach them.
"Uh... may I ask what kind of emotion you added?" Minato looked at the golden-orange fireball before him, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
"Of course, this is your secret. It's fine if you don't want to say. I'm just asking casually."
"There's nothing to hide." Makiya looked at Minato with a burning gaze. "The emotion I added was: Combat feels great!"
Minato froze for a moment, then looked thoughtful. "A passion for battle? I see. A searing battle intent can increase the temperature of Fire Style. That makes sense."
Makiya dispelled the fireball and canceled all his Shadow Clones. He looked at Minato solemnly. "Minato, could you help me with my training?"
He felt that the opportunity for his flames to evolve again was right in front of him. If he missed this chance, he would have to figure it out slowly on his own.
This strange feeling came very suddenly, leaving Makiya confused. Battle intent surged in his heart, and something deep within his bloodline seemed to be sprouting.
He chose to follow his impulses and sent a PVP request to Minato.
"Do you want to spar with me?"
Minato was stunned for a moment. Sensing the battle intent radiating from Makiya, he instantly understood his meaning and gave a bright smile. "Of course. The biggest taboo in practicing ninjutsu is working behind closed doors. Let's improve together."
Makiya shook his head and said seriously, "This time you are helping me. Consider it a favor I owe you."
The two of them formed the Seal of Confrontation and retreated to create distance, facing each other across the melting river water.
Then, their figures vanished simultaneously, and the river water instantly dipped inward, revealing the wet silt at the bottom and a sleeping carp.
Carp: ?
The two appeared above the river surface. The sound of clashing metal was endless as the Flying Raijin kunai and the short sword collided over a dozen times in an instant.
Golden-orange flames sputtered out, and the unlucky carp was roasted to a crisp. Makiya scanned the surroundings with his three-tomoe Sharingan, trying to capture Minato's figure.
Swish!
A Flying Raijin kunai was thrown at Makiya from a blind spot. He blocked it with a backhand, and Minato instantly appeared behind him, the glow of a Rasengan illuminating Makiya's cheek.
A massive amount of chakra surged from Makiya's palm, instantly condensing into a high-speed rotating golden-orange fireball. He turned around and slammed it hard against the Rasengan.
Although the fireball's rotation wasn't as fast or concentrated as the Rasengan, it excelled in temperature and total volume. The two rotated in opposite directions, like heavenly thunder crashing into earthly fire.
Boom!
Golden-orange flames burned everything. Minato dodged and shifted, attacking Makiya from all directions.
The ultra-high attack frequency and elusive movement left Makiya struggling to cope.
Even though the super-enhanced dynamic vision granted by the three-tomoe Sharingan could track Minato, Makiya's body couldn't keep up.
As the intensity of the battle escalated, the Taijutsu from Navy Makiya and Soul Reaper Makiya further integrated and harmonized. Every gesture and movement felt like instinct, and Makiya responded to Minato's attacks with increasing ease.
"Is even his Taijutsu talent this strong?" Minato grew more astonished as they fought. Makiya's body seemed to have infinite potential; as long as enough pressure was applied, surprising new things would always emerge.
"Six Powers: Tempest Kick."
A massive vacuum blade flew toward Minato, cutting through every obstacle in its path.
"A Taijutsu I've never seen before. It's so strong." Minato immediately used Flying Raijin to leave the spot. As soon as he landed, he looked up to find Makiya already in front of him.
Body Flicker + Shunpo + Soru—Makiya's speed had reached a whole new level.
"What?" Minato was shocked. Golden-orange flames enveloped him, and his Jonin vest began to spontaneously combust.
Whoosh!
Using Flying Raijin again, Minato appeared a hundred meters away. He hurriedly stripped off his burning clothes, leaving him in just his boxers, much like Makiya.
'He can already keep up with Flying Raijin within a small range?' Minato's expression turned grave. He placed Makiya in the position of an enemy and realized there wasn't a good way to restrict him. He could only find a way to drain his chakra step by step.
But Makiya had an abundance of chakra. How many people would have to be lost just to drain him dry?
"It seems I must be even faster." Minato's competitive spirit was also piqued. Countless specially-made kunai were driven into the ground around Makiya. His figure stretched into a thin line, continuously shuttling through space as if countless Minatos existed simultaneously.
Makiya controlled the flames and temperature to avoid the kunai. His clash with Minato made his blood boil, his heart thumping like thunder. He discarded all distracting thoughts and focused solely on enjoying the battle.
Boom!
Yet another clash between the golden-orange flames and the Rasengan occurred. A large swath of the forest collapsed, and the orange color gradually faded from the flames.
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen finished his work and finally found a moment of leisure to take out his beloved crystal ball.
Suddenly, the office door was pushed open. Hiruzen's hands moved in an afterimage, instantly clearing the desk.
"Lord Hokage, this is bad! Jonin Minato and Makiya Uchiha are fighting!"
"What?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was startled. He quickly stood up and followed the Anbu toward the Forest of Death.
What happened? Why would they start fighting?
Hiruzen was bewildered. Makiya was a straightforward kid; logically, Minato should have been able to get along with him very well.
The battle had disturbed a number of people. Those who didn't know the situation might have thought an enemy had reached their doorstep.
Sensory ninjas identified the location, and word soon spread. A large number of ninjas rushed toward the Forest of Death.
At Training Ground 16, Obito watched the ninjas passing by with a face full of curiosity.
"Kakashi, what's happening over there?"
"How should I know?" The white-haired, masked boy with dead-fish eyes rolled his eyes and lowered his head to continue practicing his ninjutsu.
"Let's go take a look too." Obito looked at Kakashi, but there was no reaction. Then he looked at Rin Nohara. "Rin, you want to go see too, right?"
"Mm, I'm a bit curious." The cute young girl with face paint smiled sweetly, right into Obito's heart.
"Great! Rin, let's go together. Kakashi, are you coming or not?"
Watching the receding backs of his two teammates, Kakashi let out a long sigh and followed behind.
Inside the Forest of Death.
Golden-orange flames surrounded Makiya as if guarding a king. Makiya's enthusiasm was high, and his heart was surging with emotion. Flames clung to his arms as he clenched his fists to collide with Minato's ninjutsu.
Boom!
The two pulled apart. The surroundings were in a mess, with flowing lava crisscrossing the ground.
Although Makiya had consciously controlled the flames, the aftershocks of the battle were too great, making it inevitable that the ground beneath them would be scorched.
The blazing fire became more and more dazzling. Finally, the last trace of orange quietly faded away, leaving only a radiant, majestic gold.
The temperature rose once again. In an instant, all the surviving Flying Raijin kunai in the distance melted. The ground was covered in lava, and heatwaves steamed upward.
"I did it! I did it!" Makiya's eyes were filled with excitement. He looked toward Minato and shouted loudly, "Minato, the next one is the final move. Be careful!"
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