Chapter 18: A Sparring Invitation from Minato Namikaze

"Chōmei, my good days are coming to an end…"

As Kazuyama walked through the village, he couldn't help feeling a sense of helplessness. With the exposure of his Flying Thunder God Technique and his teleportation abilities, any hopes of maintaining a low profile had vanished. Still, he took some solace in his arsenal—he still had the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique and the Eight Inner Gates. In this cutthroat world, where survival meant devouring others before being discarded, these tools were invaluable.

Chōmei's voice resonated in his mind, brimming with frustration. "Don't think I don't know. You're my Jinchūriki now, and I know exactly how strong you are. From what I see, if you actually gave it your all, no average Jōnin could beat you. Even that muscle-bound Kumo ninja wouldn't stand a chance."

Chōmei continued, his tone dripping with exasperation. "And that's without even tapping into my power. If you did, not even most Kage-level shinobi could touch you."

Kazuyama wasn't having it. He shot back at Chōmei's words, unapologetically blunt.

"What do you know? Sure, I have Kinjutsu, but I still need the chakra to use them effectively. Come on, I'm only 14! How much chakra do you think my scrawny body can handle?"

He shook his head, picturing his recent opponent. "Did you see the size of the Third Raikage's son? His arm is thicker than my waist. Forget it, let's not pick a fight with him."

Chōmei paused for a moment before letting out a resigned sigh.

"…You're right. You're right. You're right."

When Kazuyama finally made it home, he was greeted by the sight of his younger brother. A genuine smile crossed his face; no matter how chaotic the world was, his family remained his anchor.

"Aunt Ebisami, I'm home." He handed over a handful of money. "Here, the payment for this mission."

Ebisami looked at the stack in his hand, momentarily stunned. "How much is this?"

"I did the math—it's about 115,000 ryō."

The mission itself hadn't paid nearly that much. With two team members lost in battle, most of the official compensation went to their families. He and Heichi had each received only 10,000 ryō, but the rest? That had come from the Kumogakure ninja they had taken down.

It was hard not to be impressed—Kumogakure shinobi seemed to make a fortune from their missions in the Land of Hot Water.

Ebisami blinked in disbelief. "Why is there so much? What kind of mission was it? B-rank? A-rank?"

Kazuyama considered the question for a moment. Recalling his clash with the son of the Raikage, he decided that an ordinary A-rank mission wouldn't have come close to the difficulty they'd faced.

"It should count as an A-rank mission," he said casually. "Lord Hokage assigned it personally, so I didn't have much choice. I didn't have time to tell you either."

Ebisami's gaze lingered on his dust-covered appearance, but whatever words she had planned to say faded away as she took in the state of him.

"Haha, I'm fine! I'm back alive, aren't I?" Kazuyama said with a laugh.

"And because I completed this mission, my rank will be promoted to Jōnin. From now on, I'll finally be able to walk around the village with some real authority!"

Jōnin are the backbone of a ninja village. Their strength and numbers are a key factor in determining a village's overall power. Konohagakure had maintained its leadership among the five great ninja villages not only because of its generations of geniuses but also due to its large number of capable Jōnin.

"Jōnin…" Ebisami said, her expression darkening. "Be more careful on future missions, and if all else fails, run. Running away in the heat of battle is better than losing your life."

Perhaps it was the thought of losing her loved ones and friends, but her face reflected deep worry. As a survivor of war, she understood its cruelty all too well.

"Don't worry," Kazuyama replied lightly. "If it comes to fighting, I might not be great, but when it comes to running, I'm definitely the best in all of Konoha."

Chōmei, however, couldn't resist silently scoffing at his words.

In the days that followed, Kazuyama registered his Jōnin status. He barely had time to enjoy his new rank when he was stopped in his tracks.

"No, Minato. Why do you have to spar with me?"

Minato grinned. "Hahaha, I learned from Sensei. I didn't expect this, Kazuyama—you've also learned the Flying Thunder God Technique!"

Kazuyama immediately understood. The Third Hokage must have asked Jiraiya to inform Minato that he had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, knowing Minato would insist on testing him.

I have to hand it to them. These people in high positions—they're all sick in the head!

Minato had come directly to him, and there was no way out. Having been classmates with Minato, Kazuyama knew his personality all too well. His persistence explained why Naruto Uzumaki turned out so stubborn—like father, like son. Once Minato set his mind on something, nothing could change it.

"Yes, yes, I know the Flying Thunder God Technique. Minato, don't you know it as well? It's nothing special."

The instant Kazuyama admitted it, Minato's eyes lit up like a child discovering a new toy.

"Kazuyama, let's spar! Just the Flying Thunder God Technique."

Great, Kazuyama thought grimly. What I feared the most is happening. Sparring? Absolutely not.

With Minato's reflexes, he was leagues above Kazuyama. He might not even match A, the Third Raikage's son, whom Kazuyama had previously encountered. Fighting Minato would be suicide.

"Well, Minato," Kazuyama said with a practiced casualness, "I've only just mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique. I'm not very skilled with it yet. Forget the sparring, but we can exchange techniques instead, don't you think?"

He pulled out one of his kunai etched with the Flying Thunder God formula.

Minato's face lit up even more, and from behind him, he retrieved one of his own kunai. It wasn't just any kunai, though—it had a distinctive, customized design, unlike the standard type.

"This is my special ninja blade and technique. What do you think?" Minato said, clearly proud.

"Awesome!" Kazuyama responded, masking his reluctance.

The middle schooler version of Minato Namikaze had logged on, his enthusiasm boundless.

"The Sword of Love... Minato, your taste is still just as… uh…" Kazuyama trailed off, failing to mask his discomfort.

Minato chuckled at the jab but soon turned his attention to Kazuyama's kunai. His smile faltered.

The words on Kazuyama's kunai made him freeze.

"Your father is here?!" Minato thought in disbelief. What kind of person etches something so ridiculous into a jutsu formula?

This is beyond absurd.

Kazuyama didn't seem to notice Minato's shock and continued smoothly. "Minato, do you know any other uses for the Flying Thunder God Technique?"

This question snapped Minato out of his daze.

"You mean the Flying Thunder God: Mutually Instantaneous Revolving Technique?"

Minato's eyes sparkled with recognition. He had always been aware of this technique. However, as the sole user of the Flying Thunder God Technique, he had never had anyone to collaborate with to try it out.

"Yeah, exactly!"

"We each mark the other's body with the technique. Then, using the Flying Thunder God, we can teleport alternately."

"What an incredible ninjutsu," Kazuyama remarked, gesturing theatrically as he spoke.

The Flying Thunder God: Mutually Instantaneous Revolving Technique was undeniably a formidable ability. However, it came with a critical requirement: both participants had to be ordinary humans.

If one of them wasn't... well, things could get interesting.