Chapter 137: Hiruzen's "Balanced Master-Build"; Going Full Throttle Against Izuna
Konoha. Training Field Three.
Hiruzen Sarutobi wore a faint, teasing smirk as his fingers clamped onto the
handle of the three-pronged kunai.
Minato Namikaze's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. In a golden blur, he
triggered a secondary transfer, retreating to a safe distance fifty yards away.
Hiruzen laughed softly and released the captured blade, letting it drop to the
dirt.
In the next heartbeat, another flash of gold signaled Minato's return. He
appeared directly in front of Hiruzen, already mid-swing with a wooden practice
sword, putting every ounce of his momentum into a vertical strike.
This wasn't Minato being disrespectful or losing his temper. It was a direct
order from the Hokage.
For ninjas at their level, a "friendly spar" was a waste of time. Unless they
fought with the lethal intensity of a real battlefield, there was no way to find
the microscopic flaws in their rhythm. Hiruzen demanded that Minato treat him
like an enemy he intended to execute—and Hiruzen promised to return the favor.
Because of his status as Hokage, Hiruzen couldn't just jump into the arena with
anyone. His every move was scrutinized by international spies; a public spar
would leak his combat data to the Four Great Nations.
But behind closed doors? Konoha was built on the tradition of the master-student
bond.
Hiruzen had a "VIP Hit-List" in his head: a rotation of the village's most
talented shinobi whom he summoned for "Lucky Private Sessions." It was the
ultimate perk for the Leaf's elite—being beaten senseless by the God of Shinobi
until they achieved a breakthrough.
The moment Minato finished his teleportation, Hiruzen moved.
He didn't dodge. He wove a single hand sign and slammed his palms together.
"Earth Style: Weighted Rock Jutsu!"
A crushing, invisible pressure descended like a physical hammer. It felt as if a
small mountain had suddenly been strapped to Minato's back. For the first time
in his career, the "Flash" felt his chakra flow stutter. His internal rhythm was
shattered by the sudden spike in gravity.
Hiruzen's eyes glinted with satisfaction. Hook, line, and sinker.
Teleporters are inherently bold. They rely on their speed to fix any mistake.
But gravity is a domain, not a projectile. You can't outrun a field.
Over the last month, Arata had put his research into Boil Style on the back
burner to focus on the Stone Village intel Nonō Yakushi had brought back. He had
successfully reconstructed the "Weighted Rock" framework into a complete,
combat-ready jutsu.
He had been using the technique to perform high-gravity physical conditioning
at 4:00 AM for weeks. It was a more efficient way to "un-cap" his raw physical
stats than simple weights. And today, Minato was his first test subject.
Hiruzen kept his palms pressed together, maintaining the field while lunging
forward with a heavy, unassisted punch.
My speed is capped by the gravity too, Hiruzen thought, but my body is adjusted
to it. He isn't.
"He countered the Raijin!" Minato's mind screamed. He watched the Hokage's fist
approaching, his brain processing the information at a speed that made the world
look like a still photograph.
I can't shift... the weight is interfering with the spatial sense! I need to
force it!
The "wall" Minato had been hitting in his private training for months suddenly
cracked under the pressure. The absolute necessity of survival acted as a
catalyst.
He felt it—the flicker of a nearby anchor.
He didn't avoid the hit entirely, but he managed to twist his torso a fraction
of an inch.
THUD.
Hiruzen's fist caught him in the shoulder. Minato spun through the air, the
impact numbing his entire left side.
At that exact moment, Hiruzen released the gravity.
Minato's eyes lit up with relief. He tried to trigger a Body Flicker to reset
the distance, but the sudden transition from "10x Gravity" to "Normal" made his
body feel freakishly light—buoyant, as if he were floating in a void.
His physical senses were in total disarray. His chakra flow, already disrupted
by the strike, spiraled out of control.
Hiruzen's body hummed with blue electricity as he flickered forward. He didn't
use a blade or a punch. He curled his middle finger against his thumb and
delivered a monstrously powerful flick to the center of Minato's forehead.
SNAP!
Minato's head snapped back. He felt like a bell had been rung inside his skull.
His vision swam as his eyes rolled toward the back of his head.
The Hiruzen Head-Flick... confuses the brain, but keeps the skull intact!
Minato collapsed into a crouch, his hands hovering over his knees as he gasped
for air. He was swaying, his eyes teary from the sheer impact of the flick.
"Grand-Sensei... give me... give me a minute..."
Against anyone else, Minato would have fought through the pain to maintain his
dignity as the Leaf's prodigy. But against the Hokage? There was no need for the
mask.
"Take your time. That one stung, didn't it?"
Hiruzen walked over and ruffled Minato's blonde hair as if he were ruffling the
petals of a sunflower. "Remember that pain, Minato. The Flying Raijin isn't a
god-mode cheat. This world is full of ancient, bizarre jutsus. If you rely on
one trick, one day that trick will be the reason you die."
"My Master had the Flying Raijin, but the Cloud's Sage Treasures nearly took his
head anyway."
"I'm making you hurt now so you don't have to hurt later. If I lose you to an
'accident,' many people in this village would never forgive me. Including
myself."
Minato froze, a wave of warmth washing over him that had nothing to do with the
sun. He looked up and gave a serious, determined nod. "I understand,
Grand-Sensei!"
He finally realized why people called Minato the "Little Sun" and Hiruzen the
"Great Sun." In the presence of the Hokage, Minato felt protected, energized,
and seen.
"To be able to chain two spatial migrations under that level of gravity..."
Hiruzen mused. "You were hiding that, weren't you? You wanted to surprise your
old teacher?"
Hiruzen gave a boisterous laugh. "Your growth is frightening. I'm starting to
feel the pressure, Minato. If you keep this up, I'll have to retire early just
to save my reputation."
Minato's lip twitched. He got a massive sense of déjà vu. Wait... this is
exactly how I talk to Obito and Guy when I beat them. I tell them how 'talented'
they are to make them feel better about being crushed.
"Grand-Sensei... you're totally mocking me, aren't you?" Minato muttered. "That
felt very insincere."
"Hah! You're overthinking it," Hiruzen waved a hand. "I'm an old man. My peak is
long gone. I'm just a whetstone for the next generation, burning my final embers
to sharpen your blades."
"Really? No breakthroughs?" Minato asked dryly.
"You caught my kunai with your bare fingers. You used a gravity domain I've
never seen in any textbook. And your reflexes... you got faster during the
fight. I'm pretty sure sunsets don't do that."
Minato and Hiruzen had reached a level of familiarity where they could joke
about the power gap. Minato appreciated that the Hokage didn't treat him like a
"Weapon" or a "Successor," but like a student.
Hiruzen let out a hearty laugh. "Well, I suppose being a whetstone for a genius
like you has its perks. I'm learning a few things along the way."
Actually, Hiruzen was analyzing his "System" results. He realized that his
talent was like a Water Bucket.
In his past life's gaming terms, he was a "Balanced Master-Build." When one
stat—like Ninjutsu—grew too far ahead, the System would prioritize his
"shortboards" like physical durability or neurological speed. It forced him into
a state of all-encompassing perfection.
The payouts were tied to the village's prosperity, but the results were
sometimes delayed until the "End of the Quarter." Minato's training just
happened to coincide with a massive "Prestige Dividend" from the Sage Pill
project.
Luck? Maybe, Arata thought. But hard work pays the bills. I'm just cashing the
check.
"Focus on the 'Lag' after the transfer, Minato," Hiruzen lectured, sitting
cross-legged on the grass.
"The Flying Raijin is a precision instrument. To master it in any environment,
you need a 'Heart of Iron.' You have to be able to sense your marks through the
static of an enemy's chakra or a gravity field."
"Next time, I won't warn you. I'll keep the field active and hit you with a real
Fire Style."
Minato nodded, his eyes burning with a new fire. He had already begun theorizing
a counter: "Shining Spiral Shift: Thunder-Conduction Jutsu."
If Hiruzen was training at 4:00 AM, then Minato decided he'd start training
at 3:00.
Three Days Later. The Mountains' Graveyard.
White Zetsu burst from the ground, shouting with manic glee. "LORD MADARA! MAJOR
INTEL!"
"The date for the duel between Seisui and the Yellow Monster is set! And the boy
is gathering the entire Academy! He's going to publicly impeach Danzo Shimura in
front of the Hokage!"
"The Kage-son is in on it! Even the 'Dead-Last' Obito is sharpening his kunai!"
Madara Uchiha glanced at the clone, his Rinnegan glowing with irritation. "You
have the memory of a goldfish. I've been watching the 'Seisui Program' for
weeks. I know their names. It's Might Guy and Kakashi."
Zetsu blinked in shock. "Lord Madara... you actually remembered the 'Weaklings'
names? That's so un-Uchiha of you!"
In the past, Madara only remembered the names of gods—Hashirama, Tobirama,
Izuna. To him, anyone below S-rank was just a blur of grey noise.
"Hmph. Don't waste my time with your theories," Madara grunted, though his face
reddened slightly.
The truth was, he couldn't help but remember them. He was watching Seisui's life
every day. He saw the way the boy interacted with his peers. It was humanizing
him in a way he didn't like.
"The reports say Hiruzen and Mito are looking younger," Madara mused, his hand
stroking his chin.
"They're weak. They've forgotten the weight of the peak. They're clinging to
their mortal lives while I prepare to save the world. It's pathetic."
Madara adjusted the flow of the Gedo Mazo, increasing the chakra injection into
his spine. I need to look my best when I eventually meet Seisui. I can't look
like a mummy if he looks like Izuna.
"Lord Madara, you're talking to yourself again," Zetsu noted. "Are you getting
senile?"
"Get out!" Madara barked.
He turned his focus back to his plan. Hiruzen's move to release the Uchiha from
the Police Force was a "Heaven-Sent" opening.
Hiruzen thinks he's being a 'Noble Father' like Hashirama, Madara smirked. But
he's just giving me more targets.
Madara had finalized the "Moral Dilemma Trap."
He had selected a target: The Madoka Family.
The Madoka were a rival dynasty to the Kujo (the Daimyo's clan) who had been
marginalized two hundred years ago. They possessed the "Twin Mirrors of the
Sun"—relics that were sacred symbols of the Land of Fire's history.
The plan was simple: The Madoka would hire an Uchiha squad for a "Sacred Escort"
mission. Madara would ensure an "accident" happened where the Uchiha would have
to choose between saving their teammates or protecting the mirrors.
If they chose the teammates, the mirrors would break, and the Madoka would use
their political leverage to demand the Hokage execute the Uchiha for "betraying
the Crown."
If they chose the mirrors, Seisui's "Family First" ideology would shatter as he
watched his comrades die for a piece of glass.
Either way, the 'Will of Fire' burns out, Madara thought.
The Academy Training Field.
While Madara was plotting the end of the village, Tobirama Senju (Seisui) was
sitting on the grass, his eyes closed.
He was channeling the Mangekyō ability Isshin had left him: Yata-no-Mitama
(Ancestral Communion).
"It's really you, isn't it, you little bastard...?"
Tobirama felt a familiar, jagged chakra signature entering his system from the
void. It was a scent he would recognize across a thousand lifetimes.
His eyes flared a predatory red. A thrill of genuine excitement—the kind only a
rival could provide—rushed through his heart.
I smelled your arrogance before you even crossed the border, Tobirama thought, a
wide, toothy grin spreading across his Uchiha face.
Welcome back, Izuna Uchiha.
Get ready to work. I'm going to use your soul to pedal this village into the
future!
☆☆☆
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