The summoning jutsu ripple in the air was unmistakably similar to the Flying Thunder God Technique.
But it wasn't just a simple teleportation—it was a reverse summoning. That meant someone or something was being transported to this location.
Uchiha Kaien narrowed his eyes in understanding.
There weren't many people who could pull something like this off.
Long-distance, pinpoint teleportation using the Flying Thunder God. Just the reaction time alone had taken over ten seconds. Just how far had this person come from?
Kaien was curious. As a fellow user of the technique, he knew exactly how much chakra such a maneuver demanded.
It wasn't a massive burden for him, but for a certain blond-haired shinobi, this was probably close to draining his entire chakra pool.
Was he not worried about running into an ambush?
Or did he trust that Kaien would intervene if anything went wrong?
With a faint smirk, Kaien decided to lend a bit of his chakra to help stabilize the technique.
Sure enough, after a few more seconds of silence, Namikaze Minato materialized out of thin air, landing safely before Kaien and Orochimaru.
"Long time no see, Minato. Looks like I beat you to it again. I mastered the Flying Thunder God first."
The blond boy didn't seem much different—still wearing that bright, sunny smile—but the beads of sweat on his forehead betrayed the strain beneath the surface.
"Kaien..."
Seeing him again threw Minato for a moment.
[Affection from Namikaze Minato +2]
He'd nearly failed the transmission just now. If not for Kaien lending his chakra at the last second, the long-distance jump wouldn't have succeeded.
Still, Kaien's teasing drew a faint, bitter smile from Minato.
Even with Kushina's help, he'd still learned the Flying Thunder God slower than Kaien?
Minato couldn't help but marvel at Kaien's inhuman learning speed again.
Sure, Kushina sometimes needed him to watch over her, but her knowledge—especially of sealing techniques—had been invaluable.
Beyond the Four Symbols Seal, Minato had studied other fūinjutsu styles as well, picking and choosing what worked best. Only then had he developed his own version of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The process wasn't impossibly difficult, but it was time-consuming—by far the most chakra-intensive jutsu he'd ever attempted.
Still, mastering his first S-rank technique had boosted his confidence considerably. At least now, he had the right to pursue his rival rather than merely watch him from afar.
"You came at the perfect time, Minato. This mission… is a hot springs getaway."
The moment Kaien mentioned it, his whole aura seemed to shine with anticipation. Yugakure's famous hot springs had clearly made quite the impression.
Orochimaru and Minato exchanged knowing looks. If that's what Kaien wanted, then why not indulge a little? Even shinobi needed rest.
Kaien's intel was worth the downtime. Kagami-senpai, we'll leave the rest to you for now.
Given how long Uchiha Kagami had been in deep cover here, one more day wouldn't change anything. Orochimaru figured it was time to let his student enjoy himself for once.
Even if his undercover work has gone smoothly, it must still be exhausting. He deserves a break.
Minato agreed. Six months in deep cover, with training on top of that—it had to be brutal. He had no reason to turn Kaien down.
Uchiha Kagami had avoided using any chakra at all to perfectly blend into Yugakure. That made him nearly impossible to locate with sensing techniques.
The sun had already begun to set. It was the perfect time to find a local inn, enjoy a warm dinner, and relax in a quiet, secluded hot spring.
With that plan in mind, the three of them used Transformation Jutsu to casually book a room at a local inn. Once inside, they switched into more casual clothes.
Dinner was nothing special—Kaien never skimped on good food—but the hot springs? That was the real event.
Even with all the minor steps leading up to it, Kaien's enthusiasm didn't waver.
First came grabbing a disposable toothbrush from the counter. The pristine, pearly-white smile that followed was oddly satisfying to witness—Minato found himself glancing at it a couple times longer than necessary.
Then came storing their personal items in lockers and heading to the bath area to clean off.
Thankfully, they'd already changed into casual wear after renting the room, so tossing their clothes into the lockers was uneventful.
Kaien still wore that black bracelet made by Uchiha Madara. It was a surprisingly useful thing—able to resize itself over the years. Kaien had worn it since he was small, and it had always fit just right.
"Can that bracelet really keep changing size, Kaien?"
Minato noticed and couldn't help but ask. He remembered Kaien wearing it for years—yet it never looked too tight or too loose.
Not to mention, Kaien always used it as the medium for his Lightning Blade transformations.
"It's made of a special material. Crafted by an old man who really put his soul into it. I found it at home one day and decided to treat it like a keepsake."
"I see…"
Minato felt like Kaien had gotten even more sentimental during their time apart. He was always alone—anything he wore probably had deep meaning behind it.
...
In a way, it was a keepsake. After Uchiha Madara's death, it really had become the relic of a grandfather—one who might come back to life someday.
Wrapped in a pure white robe, Kaien stepped into a private bath chamber.
His pale feet padded silently across the wooden floor, barely making a sound. The robe covered everything else, leaving only glimpses of his soft, pinkish soles as he walked. His slim ankles gave rise to an odd, almost intrusive thought in Minato's mind—something about wanting to reach out and grab—
A shadow loomed beside him, cutting off that train of thought.
"Beautiful things have a way of captivating the eye, don't they? In every way, Kaien is flawless. Watching over his future is a pleasure in itself."
"Orochimaru-senpai…"
Minato turned to speak, but Orochimaru gently interrupted him. His golden, slit-pupiled eyes gazed down calmly.
"You're going to be the anchor that saves him. So you need to become stronger."
He patted Minato's shoulder and walked into the bathing room, leaving the younger ninja standing in silence.
Anchor…?
Minato mulled over Orochimaru's words.
Would he be the one to pull Kaien back someday?
Was there some deeper meaning hidden in that statement?
He didn't fully understand it yet—but he took Orochimaru's final words to heart.
I still need to become stronger.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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