Early the next morning, Tsunade brought Minato to a small lake in a secluded corner of the village.
Standing on the shore, they gazed at the azure surface of the lake. Tsunade nodded in satisfaction. "This will do."
Minato's Light Release was too powerful, its attacks accompanied by intense heat and explosions—too conspicuous for training in crowded areas. Normally, ninjas would head to open fields outside the village to practice such disruptive techniques. But Tsunade believed that even the slightest risk of danger—no matter how infinitesimal—was unacceptable for Minato at his current stage.
Absolute safety doesn't exist, so safety itself is absolute nonsense!
Given Minato's prodigious talent, she couldn't be too cautious.
Thus, she chose this training ground in a remote corner of the village. The expansive forested area, complete with a central lake, was perfect for honing Water and Fire Release techniques.
"Although I'm supposed to be training you, I still know nothing about your Light Release," Tsunade said, leaning slightly forward with her hands clasped behind her back, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity as she looked at Minato.
"Would you mind explaining it to me?"
"Not at all."
Sensing Tsunade's respect for his privacy regarding his abilities, Minato felt a warm glow in his heart. He said softly, "The Light Release's power is somewhat unique, as it's activated directly through physical energy."
"What ninja call 'physical energy' can be refined into chakra, encompassing both physical and mental strength. However, the physical energy required for Light Release is purely physical, with no connection to mental strength."
"Therefore, strictly speaking, it doesn't fit within the ninja system."
"I see..." Tsunade pressed her chin thoughtfully. "Well, that certainly makes it convenient."
For ninja, extracting chakra requires both physical and mental strength. Even if physical strength is abundant, excessive mental strain prevents chakra extraction. Light Release, however, has no such limitations.
"So, how do you plan to cultivate it?"
"Two directions!" Minato raised two fingers. "First, to deeply develop its inherent power. Second, to integrate it with the chakra system. I intend to start with the first direction."
Although his primary purpose for this cultivation wasn't the cultivation itself, Minato wouldn't half-heartedly approach it now that he was here.
"Judging by your previous performance, this ability seems to enhance your speed and allows you to directly release energy attacks."
Tsunade pondered. "It already seems quite comprehensive. Is there any room for further development in other directions?"
"Yes, Teacher, there is."
Minato chuckled softly. "Didn't I mention it before? The essence of this ability is light—not just the sunlight, firelight, or lamplight visible to our eyes, but the concept of light itself!"
"For example, lasers, auroras, and even invisible wavelengths all fall under this umbrella!"
"..."
Tsunade's expression shifted to surprise. "If that's the case, this ability's value seems to rival even the Wood Release."
"Exactly. Not only that, but Light Release's direct combat capabilities are already remarkably strong, leaving little room for further development in that aspect."
Minato sounded somewhat resigned. "That's why I plan to focus on functional applications."
"That's quite a bold claim," Tsunade said, raising an eyebrow. "Why don't you demonstrate your ability first? Show me its full range: power, speed, destructive force, and range."
"Very well."
Minato nodded. Even though Tsunade didn't understand Devil Fruits, she was still a Jonin and might be able to offer advice from another perspective.
"I won't demonstrate my strength," Minato said. "Light Release doesn't enhance physical power; it only amplifies attack force through speed. As for speed, would you like to race me, Teacher?"
"Oh?" Tsunade's eyes lit up. "How do you propose we race?"
Minato pointed at a tree on the opposite shore, several hundred meters away. "Let's use the lake as our track. The winner is whoever reaches the opposite shore first. How about it?"
"Intriguing!" Tsunade agreed without hesitation. She casually picked up a pebble and tossed it into the air. "We'll use this as our starting signal. The race begins the moment it touches the water."
Minato nodded. "Agreed."
With that, Tsunade crouched into a starting position. "Let the race begin!"
She tossed the pebble toward the lake.
Under their watchful gaze, the pebble arced through the air in a perfect parabola and splashed into the water with a plop.
The instant the pebble touched the water, the riverbank exploded in a roar!
A massive avalanche of soil and rocks cascaded into the river as Tsunade's foot struck the shore, collapsing the entire bank in a single stride!
Simultaneously, her figure shot across the lake like a cannonball, leaving twin trails of splashing water in her wake.
The saying goes, "Speed is power."
But Tsunade believed this saying could be turned on its head!
Combining her monstrous strength with meticulous chakra control, each step she took on the lake's surface felt as solid as earth beneath her feet.
Harnessing the recoil from her monstrous strength, she propelled herself to her absolute peak velocity.
In the blink of an eye, she arrived on the opposite shore.
Then, she planted her foot firmly onto the grass.
Before she could even cheer, a small, yellow-haired figure appeared beside her.
"This..."
Tsunade's lips twitched as she glanced back at their starting point. The shore they had stood on moments before had completely collapsed, the lake's surface churned as if ravaged by a hurricane, its ripples chaotic.
"The speed boost from Light Release is quite impressive..." Minato scratched his head, grinning.
Tsunade was speechless.
Though she wasn't naturally swift, her monstrous strength allowed her to match even the fastest Jonin in speed.
Seeing Minato's nonchalant, unflustered demeanor, Tsunade inwardly chuckled.
This kid knows how to handle her emotions.
"Not bad. At this speed, I don't need to worry about you being unable to escape danger in time," Tsunade said, nodding in satisfaction. "Now, let's see the true power of your Light Release. What you've shown us before can't possibly be your limit, right?"
Minato nodded. He was also curious about how much power he could unleash with his current physical energy when pushing himself to the limit.
With this thought, he raised his palm toward the center of the lake. The palm emitted a dazzling light.
Though there was no dramatic buildup, the steadily accumulating energy sent a bone-chilling threat radiating out, making Tsunade's hair stand on end.
Suddenly, a sphere of light shot from Minato's hand and plunged into the lake.
Boom!
In the next instant, the lake water surged skyward!
A terrifying explosion created a wave nearly a hundred meters high, like a crimson hemisphere slamming down onto the lake surface. The blast's impact covered almost the entire small lake!
The massive disturbance was clearly visible even kilometers away.
Overcoming her shock, Tsunade practically snatched up Minato the moment the wave surged upward. She sprinted away, her heart racing with suppressed excitement.
That display... it must have been at least S-rank level!
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