Chapter 22: Chapter 22: A New Challenger
Minato instinctively turned around, only to find himself staring directly into a pair of eerie glowing red eyes. For a moment, his mind blanked, his surroundings spinning into disarray.
"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock on me!"
Pikachu's familiar cry echoed in Minato's ears. He jolted as electricity coursed through his body, snapping him back to reality. His vision cleared, revealing one Hayato holding a kunai pointed at his waist while another stood distantly on a tree branch, observing coldly.
So this is the power of Genjutsu with the Sharingan?
A wry smile spread across Minato's face as he rubbed his forehead. "As expected of the Sharingan that it can cast genjutsu with just a glance. I've lost again."
"Don't feel bad, Minato. The Sharingan is notoriously troublesome," Hayato said, his shadow clone vanishing as he leapt down from the branch. His tone was calm but not devoid of encouragement. "Fighting without relying on sight is incredibly difficult. Sharingan-induced genjutsu can only be broken with an external disruption of your chakra flow."
"Still, you managed to break free. If you integrate auditory cues into your combat strategy, you might even develop a counter to me. Your technique—what was it again, something about lightning flash? It has a lot of potential, especially against opponents encountering it for the first time."
Hayato chuckled, genuinely impressed. Minato really can make even basic shadow clone tactics shine.
"It's called 'Double Shadow Rending Lightning Flash Second Form!'" Minato corrected indignantly. "I spent a lot of time thinking up that name. Pretty cool, huh?"
He bent down, gently picking up his battered Pikachu. Leaping toward Hayato, his expression was resolute. Next time, I'll come up with something even stronger.
"Heres a Burn Heal for Pikachu," Hayato said, suppressing a smile at Minato's naming sense. As long as he doesn't name his techniques after me, it's fine.
Pikachu let out a faint "Pika…" as Minato cradled it, acknowledging the gesture.
Meanwhile, the spectators had mixed reactions.
"Nice! Hayato won again!" Kushina cheered, punching the air in victory. Behind her, Nonō and Ruri stood frozen in shock.
Uchiha Hayato winning is no surprise… but when did Minato become so strong?
Ruri clenched her fists, her resolve strengthening. This is the person who said he'd welcome me if I joined them, isn't it?
On the way to the training grounds:
"Hideki, is this Uchiha Hayato really as interesting as you say?"
A boy walked beside Sarutobi Hideki, his hands lazily resting behind his head.
"I don't know for sure, but his Pokémon are definitely cute," Hideki replied, recalling Chimchar's fiery determination. "Even my father said Hayato might become the first Uchiha Hokage."
"The future Hokage should be me!" the boy declared, raising his chin. His face bore a striking resemblance to Uzumaki Naruto. "I'm the grandson of the First Hokage, the founder of Konoha! One day, I'll inherit the title of Hokage!"
"Besides, didn't you say you'd be my advisor, Hideki? Whose side are you on, anyway?"
"Relax, Nawaki," Hideki said, pushing Nawaki's face away playfully. "I'm just repeating what my dad said. Of course, I support you."
"Hmph, you'd better." Nawaki glanced around. "Seriously, though, why did Hayato set up his training ground so far away? If Orochimaru-sensei wasn't out, I wouldn't have bothered coming here with you."
I'm not a kid anymore, Nawaki thought. I've matured far beyond what I was in my second year. There's no way Hayato could be as impressive as everyone says.
"Looks like this is the place," Hideki said, pointing to the entrance of the training grounds.
"Where is everyone?" Nawaki asked, disheartened. "We came all this way, and there's no one here. Hideki, how are you going to make this up to me?"
"Don't worry," Hideki said with a laugh, scanning the area. He noticed someone training nearby. "Let's ask him."
Dekai wiped sweat from his face, finishing a round of intense training. Unlike Minato and Hayato, who were constantly sparring, he focused solely on improving his strength.
Dekai admired Hayato and Minato's camaraderie but couldn't shake a lingering envy. Although their previous conflicts had been resolved, he wasn't as close to them as they were to each other.
Occasionally, Might Duy would invite him to train together. While Dekai appreciated the gesture, Duy's insistence on promoting green bodysuits tested his patience. How much courage does it take to wear something like that?
Dekai noticed Hideki and Nawaki approaching.
"We're looking for Uchiha Hayato," Nawaki said before Hideki could speak. "I hear he's being considered one of the future Hokage. As a descendant of the Senju clan, I wanted to meet him and see if he's really as amazing as everyone claims."
"The future Hokage will be me!" Nawaki added, pointing proudly at himself.
Why does everyone want to be Hokage? Dekai wondered. Being admired was one thing, but the role carried too much responsibility. That's not for me.
He realized the boy in front of him must be Nawaki, the grandson of Senju Hashirama and Tsunade's younger brother.
"Hayato and Minato are off battling somewhere. They might not be back for a while. You can wait here or come back another day," Dekai said earnestly.
"Battling? Are they afraid of me?" Nawaki joked, laughing loudly.
Hideki shook his head. Nawaki's antics reminded him more of Jiraiya than Orochimaru. Maybe Nawaki ended up with the wrong mentor after all.
"Do you want to spar with Hayato?" Dekai asked. "If you'd like, I could be your opponent instead."
Dekai clenched his fists. Watching Minato and Hayato spar so often had made him eager to test his own progress.
"You?" Nawaki stopped laughing, sizing up Dekai.
The tall, sweat-drenched boy looked strong.
"Shouldn't you rest after training?" Nawaki asked, not wanting to take advantage of a worn-out opponent.
"No need. I'm at my best right now," Dekai replied, feeling the rhythm of his training pushing him to new heights.
Nawaki's smile faded. Was this guy underestimating him? A flicker of anger sparked in his eyes.
"Just so you know, I'm not forcing you into this. But I've learned plenty from Orochimaru-sensei. Don't cry when you lose."