Chapter 366: The Talented Younger Brother! (Two in One)

Yoriichi, immersed in the battle within the dojo, did not notice others entering, but Uzumaki Raiden spotted Minato and the others. With a simple dodge and a burst of speed, he maneuvered in front of Yoriichi, grabbing his opponent's hands that held the sword and softly said:

"Let's stop here, Yoriichi."

Uzumaki Raiden moved so swiftly that Yoriichi only realized his hands were being restrained when he heard Raiden's voice. As he slowly withdrew from that intense battle state, his frenzied expression gradually returned to his usual calm demeanor.

"Yes!"

After responding, Yoriichi looked toward the people at the entrance with a gentle smile.

"Father, Mother, Brother. You're here."

Yoriichi flipped his sword into a backhand grip, walked over to Namikaze Minato and the others, and greeted them respectfully. Seeing Yoriichi's serious expression, Kushina laughed and pulled him into a hug, unbothered by the fact that he was drenched in sweat.

"My goodness, you're really... too hard on yourself!"

Kushina adored her youngest son. After hugging him, she looked at his sweat-covered body and couldn't help but complain with concern:

"Raiden, you're being way too strict. Yoriichi is still so young—why such intense training?"

"Even if he needs to train, there should be moderation. What if my child collapses from exhaustion?"

As she spoke, Kushina shot a stern glance at Raiden. She had originally planned for Yoriichi to learn basic chakra control from him, but she hadn't expected Raiden to subject him to such rigorous training. The intensity of the battle just now was clearly beyond what a child Yoriichi's age should endure.

"Mother, I asked Uncle to train me. I can handle this level of intensity."

Yoriichi interjected, trying to ease the tension. At that moment, Minato stepped forward, gently ruffling Yoriichi's hair with a smile, murmuring:

"As expected of my son."

Meanwhile, Naruto, standing off to the side, was visibly excited and chimed in:

"Yoriichi, you've finally started training in taijutsu! Come on, let me teach you, little brother."

"Kendo, huh? Well, I'm actually really skilled at it!"

Was Naruto truly skilled in swordsmanship? Of course not—he was just bluffing to assert his authority as the elder brother. Yoriichi was exceptional in every way—humble, polite, and talented—but the problem was that he was too mature. Around him, Naruto often felt like the younger sibling rather than the elder, robbing him of the satisfaction of being the older brother.

Now that Yoriichi had begun formal taijutsu training, Naruto finally felt like he had a chance to assert himself.

"Naruto, don't mess around. What do you even know about sparring? What if you hurt your younger brother?"

"Go, go, go—get out of the way. Let Yoriichi rest properly. He's drenched in sweat; he must be exhausted."

Kushina waved him away in irritation upon hearing his interruption. She knew Naruto's abilities all too well—he could put in effort, but expecting him to be a careful sparring partner was a different matter.

"Hey, don't dismiss it so quickly, Kushina. What Naruto said isn't entirely unreasonable."

"I'm actually feeling a bit tired. Why not let him practice with his big brother?"

"What do you think, Yoriichi?"

With a smile, Uzumaki Raiden walked over, nodded at Minato in greeting, then tossed a wooden practice sword toward Naruto.

Yoriichi twitched slightly at Raiden's words. Looking at him now, Raiden showed no signs of exhaustion—his breathing was steady, his clothes remained immaculate, and there wasn't a single bead of sweat on him. If anyone was tired, it was Yoriichi.

He had been training for several hours, only pausing for short breaks. Despite his Uzumaki lineage, he was still just a four-year-old child, and his stamina was nowhere near that of an adult.

But seeing Raiden casually tossing the sword to Naruto, it was clear he had no choice but to accept.

"I'm fine," Yoriichi nodded in agreement.

Naruto grinned, stretched his limbs, quickly removed his shoes, and ran to the center of the dojo, wielding his wooden sword.

"Come on, Yoriichi, let your big brother teach you!"

"Raiden, how can you let Naruto be his training partner? With his reckless nature, how could he be a good sparring partner?" Kushina protested, hands on her hips.

Minato glanced at Uzumaki Raiden thoughtfully before lowering his gaze to Yoriichi. Gently stroking his youngest son's head, he instructed:

"Yoriichi, just do your best. Fight freely." His tone was gentle, and he gave Yoriichi a reassuring pat on the back.

Yoriichi looked back at Minato, nodded, and stepped onto the field.

Uzumaki Raiden smiled, then sat down on the side with Minato and Kushina, before announcing:

"Yoriichi, Naruto, there are no restrictions on attack methods. The only rule is to land a hit on your opponent. You may begin!"

"Yoriichi, come at me!" Naruto grinned. "Don't hold back."

Ignoring Raiden's instructions, Naruto spoke to Yoriichi confidently, wielding his wooden sword in one hand without proper stance—his form was riddled with flaws. His earlier claims of swordsmanship prowess had clearly been an exaggeration.

Yoriichi nodded and quietly said, "Brother, be careful."

Even as he spoke, he felt conflicted. The earlier battle with Uzumaki Raiden had shown him how naturally gifted he was in taijutsu. His talent was undeniable—terrifying, even. Against Raiden, he had felt overwhelmed, but against Naruto…

Clearing his mind of hesitation, Yoriichi resolved to give his brother the respect of an earnest fight.

"Haah!"

Yoriichi let out a low growl and moved like a shadow. With swift footwork, he closed the distance and slashed at Naruto's head. His motion was direct, efficient, and without hesitation.

Naruto had barely finished strategizing how to establish his dominance as an older brother when Yoriichi's strike was already upon him. His pupils shrank in alarm, and he instinctively raised his wooden sword in an attempt to block.

But Yoriichi's sword suddenly changed course, redirecting mid-air to intercept Naruto's incoming defense. Before Naruto could react, Yoriichi had already locked his wooden sword in place.

And his attack didn't stop there.

"He predicted Naruto's move?!"

Off to the side, Minato and Kushina watched in shock. They subconsciously leaned forward, Minato even preparing to intervene if necessary.

At the last moment, Naruto twisted his body backward, planting his left hand on the ground and flipping away to create some distance. He looked at Yoriichi in surprise.

He hadn't expected his younger brother—who had just begun training in taijutsu—to have such an instinct for battle.

Naruto realized that in that brief moment, Yoriichi had foreseen his next action, allowing him to react in time. If Naruto had been just a little slower, he would have taken a direct hit.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Naruto forced a laugh.

"Hahaha, that was close! Yoriichi, you're good—but you should swing your sword a little faster."

Just as he finished speaking, he noticed something shifting in Yoriichi's demeanor. His brother's aura, once as calm as still water, now surged like a raging tide.

Minato's expression changed. "How is this possible?" he murmured, glancing between Yoriichi and Raiden. When he turned to Raiden for an explanation, he found him watching with an amused smile.

"Through the world!"

With a deep breath, Yoriichi kicked off the ground and surged forward, his speed now even faster than before. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance to Naruto and repeated his previous attack, slashing directly at him.

Just as Naruto swung his sword to block, Yoriichi twisted his body mid-motion. The wooden sword suddenly shifted its trajectory, intercepting Naruto's weapon from below and forcing it aside. Without missing a beat, Yoriichi crouched low and swept his leg toward Naruto's lower body.

Naruto had anticipated another sword strike and was ready to counter, but he hadn't expected Yoriichi to change tactics so suddenly. Caught off guard, he took the full impact of the sweeping kick, lost his balance, and crashed heavily onto the wooden floor.

The blow momentarily dazed him. He couldn't believe it—he had been taken down by a four-year-old.

When he regained his senses, Yoriichi was already standing in front of him, his wooden sword pointed at Naruto's throat. Naruto met his gaze and was startled by what he saw—Yoriichi's expression was devoid of emotion, his eyes reflecting nothing but absolute focus. He had entered a state of complete battle immersion.

"That's enough."

Raiden's voice echoed from the sidelines, snapping Yoriichi out of his trance. He blinked, withdrew his sword, and knelt beside Naruto.

"Brother, are you alright?" he asked softly.

Yoriichi knew how overwhelming his talent could be. He feared that his strength would cast a shadow over Naruto, making him obsessed with surpassing him. In his past life, his own older brother had walked down a dark path due to such a burden. He didn't want history to repeat itself.

"Yoriichi!"

Naruto suddenly flipped over and jumped to his feet, gripping Yoriichi's shoulders with a serious expression.

Yoriichi was startled. At that moment, Naruto's face overlapped with the image of his older brother from his past life, Jiguo Yansheng.

"You're a genius. A true genius!"

Naruto's intense declaration filled the dojo. But a second later, his serious demeanor collapsed, and he burst into laughter.

"Hahahahahaha! My little brother is a genius!"

Yoriichi was completely thrown off by the sudden shift.

"Uh…" He blinked in confusion. Is my brother… crazy?

"Hahahaha, my brother is a super genius!" Naruto continued, grinning wildly.

"Yoriichi, when I become Hokage, you have to be my right-hand man! We brothers won't lose to Sasuke and his brother!"

"So what if Sasuke has a genius brother? I have one too! Hahahaha!"

Naruto laughed uncontrollably, patting Yoriichi on the shoulder with excitement. Yoriichi, however, still couldn't understand what was so funny.

But one thing he did understand—Naruto and Jiguo Yansheng were different.

"Brother, I promise you."

"I will be your right-hand man!"

Yoriichi nodded firmly, meeting Naruto's gaze with unwavering determination.

What was he searching for? The supreme path of the sword? No. He had long since understood what he truly desired—family.

In his previous life, he was the strongest swordsman, yet his life had been a tragedy. His beloved mother died young, his most cherished brother betrayed him and humanity, and his wife and child were slain by demons. Despite his unmatched strength, he had ultimately failed to protect the ones he loved.

But fate had given him another chance.

In this life, he had a loving father and mother. He had an older brother who was cheerful and kind, who accepted him completely. He even had an uncle who was both gentle and powerful.

At this moment, Yoriichi felt that the heavens had brought him into this world to make up for what he had lost.

And he liked it here.

At the Dojo

Minato and Kushina remained silent for a long time. Was Naruto weak? No, he wasn't.

Among his peers, Naruto stood out. He had been admitted into the Ninja Academy with ease, and even within the academy, he consistently ranked in the top three for taijutsu assessments. His upbringing and natural talent were undeniable.

Yet he had just been completely outclassed by four-year-old Yoriichi. Even though Yoriichi was their own son, Minato and Kushina couldn't hide their shock.

"Raiden," Minato finally spoke, his tone unreadable. "How long has Yoriichi been training in taijutsu?"

Raiden smiled. "I don't know if you've trained him before, but with me, today was his first real fight."

Minato's gaze deepened.

Raiden didn't know what level Uchiha Itachi was at when he first stepped onto the battlefield at four years old, but he was certain of one thing—Namikaze Yoriichi was a true prodigy.

A genius who could rival, or perhaps even surpass, Itachi.

"I haven't seen Guy in a while," Raiden mused to himself. "I should be in Konoha for the next few days."

As he watched Naruto and Yoriichi laugh together in the dojo, his eyes gleamed with intrigue.

(End of Chapter)