Compared to the tall Saitō Toshio, Kyōsuke was very small in stature. However, his strength and speed far exceeded those of children his age, which left Saitō inwardly astonished.
In his judgment, Kyōsuke already possessed the strength of a Genin and had passed the examination.
Unfortunately, merely passing was not what Kyōsuke wanted—he wanted outstanding results.
"Whirlwind Palm!"
Kyōsuke lowered his body to evade Saitō's attack. Chakra gathered in his right hand, spinning rapidly and forming a violent current of air like a raging storm before he slammed it into Saitō's abdomen.
More than a year ago, the five of them had attempted to develop the Rasengan, but they had never succeeded. Fortunately, they were adaptable. Since forming a perfectly controlled sphere of chakra proved too difficult, they lowered the difficulty—abandoning the spherical form and instead releasing chaotic, high-speed rotating wind chakra. The result still produced considerable power.
Boom!
Saitō Toshio was blasted backward. A sharp pain shot through his abdomen as he lay on the ground, staring at Kyōsuke in disbelief.
"What kind of Ninjutsu is that?"
Kyōsuke smiled. "A new Ninjutsu I developed—Whirlwind Palm."
"Incredible. That technique already has the power of a C-rank—perhaps even B-rank technique. Kyōsuke, you truly are a genius."
Takahara Naoyasu looked at him in shock. He had never expected a child who had only attended the Academy for a few months to create his own Ninjutsu.
"I will report your performances to the village. Wait for further orders."
After standing up, Saitō Toshio departed. The examination had concluded.
The following day, Kakashi and Kyōsuke officially graduated from the Academy and became Genin. They were assigned to Team 19, led by Minato Namikaze.
Upon receiving the news, Kyōsuke informed the others through their shared dream connection, and everyone was thrilled.
After weeks of rigorous training, Chisuke's skin had grown darker, and his demeanor more composed. He spoke seriously:
"Minato Namikaze is not only a reliable leader, but also an exceptionally powerful shinobi. You'll be able to learn many Ninjutsu from him."
Yamori added from another perspective:
"You're now directly under Minato Namikaze. That places you within the Hokage's faction. Things will be much easier for you in the future—perhaps you'll even have the qualifications to compete for the position of Hokage."
Ōoka Shin was equally excited.
"I can feel my growth accelerating lately. It seems we're entering a period of rapid development. A few days ago, I found traces of the Akatsuki. It shouldn't be long before I locate them."
Oniichirō thought for a moment before saying,
"Kyōsuke, Minato doesn't just know many Ninjutsu—he also uses Fūinjutsu, the Summoning Technique, and even Sage Mode. He's a treasure trove. You need to plan carefully. Ah… if only Minato Namikaze didn't die so early, you could benefit even more."
A glimmer flickered in Kyōsuke's eyes.
"That's not certain. The stronger we become, the more influence we exert on the world. The future of the shinobi world can change. Perhaps Minato Namikaze won't die on the night of the Nine-Tails' attack."
Yamori shrugged. "Hopefully. The longer Minato lives—and remains Hokage—the more advantageous it is for you as part of his direct faction."
The next day, Team 19 assembled.
Aside from Kakashi, Kyōsuke met another teammate: Noriko Hyūga, a newly graduated Genin. She had short hair, wore a black headband, and looked to be thirteen or fourteen years old. When she smiled, a dimple appeared on her cheek.
"Haha, hello everyone. I'm your jōnin instructor, Minato Namikaze. From today onward, we're comrades. Let's introduce ourselves."
Minato smiled brightly, like a friendly older brother next door. His golden hair shimmered under the sunlight.
Kyōsuke couldn't help joking to himself—having such conspicuous hair must make stealth missions more difficult.
Kakashi introduced himself first.
"I'm Kakashi Hatake. I specialize in kenjutsu and some basic Ninjutsu. My goal is a one-hundred-percent mission completion rate."
Noriko smiled.
"I'm Noriko Hyūga. I specialize in reconnaissance and the Gentle Fist. I'm currently studying medical Ninjutsu. I've heard that two geniuses joined this team. Don't worry—I won't hold you back."
In the original timeline, Minato's disciples did not include Noriko Hyūga. Perhaps she had existed but never appeared. Perhaps she died early. Or perhaps Kyōsuke's butterfly effect had already begun altering events.
Whatever the reason, Kyōsuke didn't care much.
When it was his turn, Kyōsuke spoke openly.
"My name is Uesugi Kyōsuke. I specialize in Taijutsu. I know very few Ninjutsu, and I can't use Genjutsu. My goal is to become Hokage—the first Hokage born from a civilian family."
His declaration stunned the others. Even Kakashi, who had studied with him, hadn't known Kyōsuke harbored such ambition.
Noriko encouraged him warmly. "Then you'll have to work very hard."
Minato reached out and ruffled Kyōsuke's hair with a smile.
"Kyōsuke, you're a Genin now. To become Hokage, you must first become a Chūnin, then a jōnin. It's a long and difficult path."
Kyōsuke lifted his chin confidently.
"Don't worry—I'll succeed. But, sensei, I come from a civilian background and don't know many Ninjutsu. Could you teach me?"
As he spoke, he put on a playful grin, looking at Minato with obvious eagerness.
Minato didn't take offense. He chuckled instead.
"Don't worry. I know quite a lot of Ninjutsu—you'll have plenty of opportunities to learn. But first, let's test your chakra nature."
Minato was not exaggerating. As Jiraiya's disciple, he had access to a wide array of Ninjutsu. Even forbidden techniques that ordinary shinobi rarely encountered could be made available to him if he requested them from Konoha's higher-ups.
That was the advantage of being in the Hokage's direct lineage.
With Minato's instruction, Kyōsuke's training became more systematic and efficient. He also gained the opportunity to study more Ninjutsu.
When it was discovered that Kyōsuke possessed affinity for Wind, Lightning, Water, Fire, and Earth Release, Minato paid even greater attention to him. He advised Kyōsuke to shift away from focusing solely on Taijutsu and devote more effort to Ninjutsu training—otherwise, his talent would go to waste.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
In the Land of Rain, on a rare clear day, Ōoka Shin formed hand seals and expelled a massive fireball.
"A good teacher really makes all the difference. In just one month, I've learned several Ninjutsu."
After finishing his training, Ōoka Shin returned to the village and entered a courtyard, where Masao was cooking and little Kanae crawled around inside her crib.
"I'll be away for a while. I've stocked plenty of food at home. If anything happens, you can ask Aunt Eri next door—I've already asked her to look after you. And if you encounter danger, hide in the secret room like I taught you."
Masao looked worried but nodded firmly. "Please don't worry. I'll wait for your return."
After arranging everything for the siblings, Ōoka Shin traveled for a full day and arrived at a town under attack.
"Damn that Akatsuki! Saying we're not allowed to harm civilians—and they killed several of our men! I'll slaughter these civilians just to spite them!"
"Yeah! Let's kill them all and see what the Akatsuki can do about it!"
"Enough talking—grab the money!"
"After this job, we can't stay in the Land of Rain. The Hidden Rain and the Akatsuki won't let us off. Let's go to the Land of Fire—better environment there."
"That's Konoha's territory. Not safe. Better to head to the Land of Rivers or the Land of Birds—no powerful shinobi there."
Within the town, over a dozen rogue ninja were slaughtering civilians and looting wealth. Flames raged, and cries of despair filled the air.
Just as they prepared to leave, they ran straight into Ōoka Shin.