Chương 120: Minato’s Less-Than-Stellar Progress

Within the Anbu headquarters, having finished their meal, the trio from the morning watch lingered in the Personal Guard's private lounge. It was still a while before the shift change, and they were enjoying a rare moment of respite. Genma's squad had already taken their positions in the Hokage's office, ensuring a seamless transition. As for why they didn't shadow Minato Namikaze directly? They certainly would have liked to, but keeping pace with a master of the Flying Thunder God was an exercise in futility.

Furthermore, given Kushina's status as a Jinchuriki, the Fourth's residence was permanently ringed by specialized Anbu details; there was simply no need for the Guard to trail him home.

"Why aren't we off the clock yet?" Yugao Uzuki lamented, slumping in her seat.

"I have a date this afternoon!" Hayate Gekko's ears perked up instantly. He sensed a disturbance in the force. Zhen Dongye wasn't worried about any sudden rivals appearing; he was merely curious.

"A date? With whom?"

"Hmph. Like I'd tell you." After savoring her small moment of mystery, she relented.

"It's with Meiko and Anko. Kurenai might show up, too." Hayate looked surprised.

"Since when did you become so close with them?"

"What, am I not allowed to have girlfriends?"

"Of course you are."

"Ahem!" Zhen chimed in with mock gravity.

"Expanding your social circle is commendable. However, I'm afraid you'll have to cancel. Duty calls. Besides, we can just accompany you next time. I've been quite missing Rocky lately." The young girl stared at Zhen with a flat expression.

"Do you actually miss the dog?"

"Genuinely. I swear it."

"Hmph. Not a word of that is true. I am absolutely not bringing you boys to a girls' outing." Hayate shot Zhen a look that clearly said: We're dead in the water. Zhen's expression turned stern.

"Yugao, I am the Captain. You must follow orders!"

"Zhen Dongye," Yugao hissed in a low voice, "you will regret this!"

"..."

"Hahaha!" The three of them broke into a fit of laughter, the heavy atmosphere of the Anbu base momentarily replaced by the buoyant energy of youth. Since joining the Guard, they had seen Danzo Shimura in the office twice. None of them cared for the gloom-shrouded elder. Every visit involved a heated debate with the Fourth. During the first encounter, Danzo had reflexively uttered his classic "You will regret this" line.

By the second time, he had realized his audience had changed and the words had caught in his throat. Recalling the man's pained, constipated expression as he struggled to swallow his own script brought them no end of joy. They had even taken to finishing the unspoken lines for him in private. That afternoon, after clearing a modest stack of files, Minato Namikaze led his Guard to a secluded training field—a clandestine facility reserved for the Hokage's personal use. What was the most vital trait for a Kage?

Charisma? Political acumen? Administrative finesse? No. Those were merely the foundations. The core requirement was strength. Without overwhelming power, how could one command respect? In the world of shinobi, heroes were measured by their combat prowess. As a leader of one of the Five Great Nations, if you couldn't outmatch your challengers, your authority was hollow. Konoha was not Takigakure; it had no intention of forgetting the art of war. Thus, a Hokage could never neglect their own progression.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, now in his twilight years, trained primarily to arrest his decline, desperate to avoid becoming as "useless" as his two elder colleagues. Minato, however, was only twenty-four. He was in his prime, with vast horizons of potential still ahead of him. He had no intention of letting the hat turn him into a sedentary bureaucrat. Usually, Genma's squad handled the perimeter during these sessions. Today, however, Minato had requested Zhen's team as well.

Distributed around the field, the six of them maintained a vigilant watch, though Zhen's group was technically working overtime. In the center of the field, Minato held out his palm, manifesting a swirling sphere of chakra. He maintained the Rasengan, his brow furrowed in intense concentration. After a moment, the sphere destabilized and dissipated. He repeated the process several times, each attempt ending in failure. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen.

Please report the violation. Finding no immediate breakthrough, he signaled toward a specific tree line. Zhen appeared before him in a flicker of movement.

"Senior Minato? What do you need?" Zhen asked. In non-official settings, he used the more familiar address at Minato's request. Minato looked slightly sheepish.

"Zhen, I know your mastery over Wind Nature Transformation is quite profound. Would you mind giving me a demonstration?" The Hokage felt a pang of embarrassment asking a subordinate for training advice, but his curiosity outweighed his pride.

"Of course," Zhen agreed readily.

"In my study of Wind Nature, I focus on two primary characteristics: ethereal flow and severing sharpness." Zhen demonstrated by performing a series of light leaps. His body moved with the weightless grace of a falling leaf.

"For flow, my initial goal was to augment my speed and solve the problem of mid-air maneuverability. As I delved deeper, I realized this nature had immense potential. For instance, what I just used was a technique I developed called Wind Style: Light Air." Then, Zhen began to hover, suspended half a meter above the ground.

"This is the next stage: Wind Style: Levitation. It doesn't just allow for mid-air turns; it facilitates true flight." Minato's eyes widened with genuine wonder.

"So this is how you flew during the battle with Roshi of the Stone? Remarkable. You've used Wind to achieve the same effect as the Tsuchikage's flight."

"Yes, Senior. But there's a drawback. It's a massive drain on chakra. I can't drift effortlessly like the Tsuchikage for hours. Even with my reserves, I can only sustain it for ten minutes. For most shinobi, it wouldn't last thirty seconds. It's not quite practical yet."

"Do you have a path toward a solution?"

"I do. The wind tells me that if I can deepen the transformation further, I should be able to 'become' the wind itself—making flight an instinctual state rather than an active expenditure." Minato, a Wind Nature specialist himself, nodded in approval.

"That would be the third stage, then. What should we call it? It needs a title with flair... wait, let me think of one." Zhen moved quickly to preempt the inevitable naming disaster.

"Wind Style: Sky Waltz. I've already settled on the name." Minato looked disappointed.

"Is that so? It's... fine. Simple and direct." Simple is the point, Zhen thought. If I let you name it, we'd be here until the Fifth Ninja War just listing the title.

"There is another issue, Senior. My affinity for nature transformation is... atypical. It would be difficult for an average shinobi to replicate this level of control, making this series of jutsu hard to standardize." Minato chuckled.

"That is only natural. Talent is the ultimate arbiter, and you, Zhen, are an anomaly among geniuses. If it were easy, the Stone would have an entire air force instead of just one flying Tsuchikage."

"I suppose you're right. It's a shame; I had hoped to see everyone taking to the skies."

"Don't worry about that. The fact that you're willing to share your original jutsu is enough to make me—and the Third—immensely proud. It is the purest expression of the Will of Fire. Now, regarding the dossiers... they mention you use a specialized technique that can induce total paralysis. I assume that is an application of the 'sharpness' aspect?" This was the true reason Minato had called him. He was currently struggling to fuse that very sharpness into his Rasengan.

"It's my Wind Style: Gale Finger." Zhen once again moved first to name the technique. A tiny, condensed orb of chakra formed at the tip of Zhen's index finger, looking like a miniature Rasengan. As Zhen infused it with Wind Nature, the orb sprouted rotating "wings" at its base, resembling a high-speed shuttlecock. Minato's gaze was electric.

"Yes! Exactly! You've fused the sharpness directly into the containment sphere. What is the destructive potential?"

"The results are... unconventional." Zhen flicked his finger, launching the 'bullet' into a nearby ancient oak. The projectile buried itself in the trunk with a sharp thwack, followed by a brief, muffled explosion. Then, silence. Minato stepped forward, examining the small, clean entry wound.

"The penetration is decent, but the external damage seems... underwhelming?"

"On the contrary, Senior. That tree is already dead; it just doesn't know it yet. The wind chakra has shredded the cellular structure of that entire section. The branches and leaves above will no longer receive nutrients from the roots. Its fate is sealed."

"I see... extraordinary. If used on a human, it would sever the connection between the cells and the chakra pathway system. Since Wind counters Lightning, it likely disrupts neural signals as well, hence the paralysis. A terrifying technique." Inspired, Minato manifested his own Rasengan. He attempted to channel Wind Nature into the swirling mass, but the orb immediately became volatile, vibrating violently as if it were about to burst.

Zhen watched for a moment, then said shamelessly, "That looks quite a bit like the precursor sphere to my Gale Finger, just magnified several times."

"Exactly. So, Zhen... could you attempt to replicate the fusion on this scale?" Minato asked, his voice full of hope.

"I call it the Spiraling Flash Super Round Dance Howl Jiraiya Dual Formula Sphere—" Liar. It's a Rasengan. If you used that name in front of your wife, she'd slap the yellow right out of your hair. Zhen ignored the name and extended his right hand. With effortless precision, he condensed a matching Rasengan.

"Like this, Senior?" Minato dissipated his unstable sphere.

"Yes! Now, use the logic of your Gale Finger. Infuse the Wind." Zhen did as instructed, slowly bleeding Wind Nature into the sphere. As the sheer volume of sharp chakra increased, the Rasengan began to expand and scream. Zhen acted as though he were "struggling for control" as the technique stabilized. Four massive, rotating blades of translucent wind sprouted from the center, transforming the sphere into a giant, screeching shuriken.

The high-frequency pitch was deafening, clawing at the eardrums of everyone in the vicinity. Hayate and Yugao turned toward the center of the field, their instincts screaming danger. Minato stood frozen. This was it—the completed form of the Rasengan he had envisioned but had never been able to manifest. Zhen had done it on his first try. As much as Minato was thrilled to see the finished jutsu, he felt a sudden, profound weight in his heart. A literal mountain of psychological damage crashed down upon him.

I always thought I was the prodigy. Everyone told me I was. I was a fool. A complete and utter fool. This... this is what a real genius looks like.