"Sensei... I can't go on anymore... I really can't train any longer..."
Obito's small face was covered in dirt, his orange goggles caked in dust, making it impossible to discern their original color. His hands trembled as he dragged the massive sword behind him, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath like a defeated dog.
"Is this your limit?" Minato stood lazily atop a high platform, eyes focused on an ancient-looking tome in his hands.
Without even glancing up, he asked with a smile, "Let me tell you a real statistic, Obito. Do you know how many Konoha shinobi perished in the last Great Ninja War?"
Obito, still struggling to catch his breath, shook his head.
"Two thousand five hundred," Minato stated calmly. "Less than half survived."
Obito's eyes widened in shock. "That many...?"
The sheer number of casualties was beyond his imagination. Beneath that cold, lifeless statistic lay thousands of shattered families.
If he were to compare it to the Uchiha clan, two thousand deaths would mean wiping out nearly every single member. It would be like an entire war had been waged just to eradicate his clan.
"Being born into the Uchiha grants you privileges, protection... But it also makes you a target," Minato continued, finally closing the book and stretching his limbs.
His previously relaxed demeanor vanished, replaced by a stern expression. "War is ruthless, Obito. Your surname may be Uchiha, but your enemies won't fear you—if anything, they'll be even more determined to hunt you down because of your eyes."
Minato gestured toward the vast barrier surrounding the Uchiha compound. "Just a few months ago, Root operatives attempted to infiltrate the clan. I had to personally drive them back."
Obito's breath caught in his throat. "Even here in Konoha...?"
Minato shut his eyes, recalling the last war—the mountains of corpses, the rivers of blood, the unending despair.
"You'll face countless enemies. Their sole purpose will be to kill you. They'll use rare sensory techniques to bypass all defenses, infiltrate your position in ways you'd never expect, and then strike with every means imaginable.
It could be a kunai, a handful of explosive tags, a complex jutsu… or just a single punch."
Minato's voice lowered as he added, "Some shinobi can't even protect their own village. All they can do is watch as it gets reduced to nothing but ashes."
His words were laced with an unsettling nostalgia, as if he was recalling something he had personally witnessed—or even done.
Obito shuddered. "Who the hell—" But as he caught the sharp glint in Minato's eyes, he quickly backtracked, forcing a nervous chuckle. "...Ah, never mind."
Minato ruffled Obito's hair, his smile returning. "Listen, Obito. You have access to resources and opportunities that most shinobi your age could only dream of. You're a genius, and a lucky one at that."
"Before turning ten, you already wield a legendary sword, have unrestricted access to advanced jutsu, and—most importantly—you have me as your teacher." Minato winked. "The only other kid in your class who enjoys such privileges is the Third Hokage's son, Asuma Sarutobi."
He crouched slightly, locking eyes with Obito. "Every moment you slack off, your power diminishes. And if one day, Konan is in danger..." Minato let the words hang, watching as realization dawned on Obito's face.
"...You might not be strong enough to protect her. And you'll lose her—forever. Tell me, Obito, would you regret not pushing yourself harder today?"
Obito's breathing steadied, his exhaustion fading as newfound determination ignited within him. He clenched his fists, nodding firmly. "Sensei, I understand! Don't go easy on me—train me as hard as you can!"
Minato grinned. "Good!"
With a single leap, he landed back on the high platform, raising a single finger. "Then I won't hold back. Try not to die, Obito."
"Wait, what? Try not to die—?!"
*FWOOOSH!*
A thick pillar of fire roared past Obito's ear, searing the air and leaving a charred black scar on the ground.
Obito blinked, his body frozen. He hadn't even activated his Sharingan yet—he had only seen a fleeting flash of fire. He reached up to touch his ear, feeling the residual heat still clinging to his skin.
Slowly, he turned to stare at Minato, who remained relaxed and smiling. 'If I were fighting someone like Sensei in a real battle... I'd be dead in a single move,'Obito thought grimly.
Minato casually blew on his fingertip. "That was Katon: Rairi Senkōhō Ichishiki—a fire technique I've been developing recently. You're the first one to experience it, Obito."
Obito gulped.
With another flick of his wrist, Minato conjured a swirling fireball on his fingertip. The air around it shimmered with heat. He raised his hand, forming the shape of a gun, and smirked.
"Now, let's see how fast your Shunshin no Jutsu really is!"
*FWOOOSH! FWOOOSH! FWOOOSH!*
Minato fired a barrage of scorching fire pillars, weaving them into a deadly, inescapable web. The sheer heat distorted the air, creating a whirlwind of blistering currents.
"Sensei! This is way too much!" Obito shrieked, but his feet moved on instinct, dodging wildly. His exhaustion from before had completely vanished—his survival instincts had kicked in.
Minato observed him carefully, noting the change in his movements. "*Good... He's starting to use his abilities instinctively now.*"
At first, Obito had merely relied on brute force, pouring all his chakra into raw speed. But now, his dodging was calculated—he was predicting the fire's trajectory and moving accordingly.
Watching Minato remain so casual despite the fierce assault, Obito scowled. "You look way too relaxed up there, Sensei! Don't think you've already won!"
With a quick hand seal, Obito yelled, "Doton: Tenkyōgai!"
A section of space warped above Minato, and from it, a massive turtle made of hardened earth plummeted toward him at terrifying speed.
Obito smirked. "And now for the finisher!"
He inhaled deeply, chakra surging through his lungs, before releasing a giant fireball straight at Minato. "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"
The flames roared forward, illuminating Minato's silhouette. With nowhere to dodge, the turtle and fireball closed in from above and in front.
Yet Minato only smiled. "Not bad, Obito... You still had this much energy left?"
As the attacks converged on him, Minato stretched his neck with a sigh.
"But have you forgotten what jutsu I specialize in?"
*Poof!*
He vanished.
Obito's face paled. "Damn it, you—"
A cold touch pressed against his throat.
Minato was suddenly on his shoulders, pinning him down, a Hiraishin kunai resting against his neck. His smile was warm as ever. "Impressive, Obito. A space-distorting Earth Release? At your age? You really are something."
Obito groaned, struggling beneath him. "Sensei, you're the worst! Who uses Flying Thunder God against a student?!"
Minato chuckled, tapping Obito's shoulder. "You're just lucky I marked you in three different spots. If I only left one, and you lost a limb... well, you'd be out of luck."
Obito shuddered.
Minato dusted himself off. "Alright, since you clearly still have the energy to fight back..." His fingers formed a few hand seals.
"Let's add another round of training, shall we?"
Obito's scream echoed through the training grounds.
The orange flames twisted the air with their scorching heat, distorting the very environment around them. Below, the once-lush green grass withered almost instantly, drained of all moisture, turning a brittle shade of yellow.
"This... this isn't an ordinary Fire Release!" Obito's eyes widened in shock as he scrambled to evade the oncoming flames.
"Obito, use ninjutsu to fight back. I'll hold back my strength," Minato's voice called out, steady and reassuring.
Fire Release. Water Release. Earth Release. Wind Release. Lightning Release…
Obito frantically unleashed ninjutsu of all five elemental natures, trying to counter Minato's blazing orange fire pillars. But nothing worked. None of his techniques could stop the relentless advance of the flames.
Minato continued his attacks without pause, but inwardly, he reevaluated Obito's potential. 'All five chakra natures? This talent... it's even better than mine.'
"Even Water Release doesn't work? Just what kind of technique is this?!" Obito gritted his teeth, watching in frustration as his water jutsu was instantly evaporated by the scorching fire.
His mind raced. 'This isn't just about chakra quantity. Sensei isn't even using much chakra. That means... it's the nature of the chakra itself!'
"Could it be… a Kekkei Genkai?!"
Minato nodded slightly, confirming Obito's suspicions. "Fire and Wind combined form Scorch Release. Though it looks like regular fire, it has the ability to drain moisture from nearly anything. It's especially effective against other shinobi."
During the Second Shinobi War, Minato's team had clashed with a special squad from Sunagakure. Among them were two notable foes—Rasa and Pakura—both wielders of rare Kekkei Genkai.
Rasa controlled Magnet Release, a fusion of Wind and Lightning chakra. Pakura wielded Scorch Release, the combination of Fire and Wind. Their abilities were formidable, but Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique, along with his strategic use of explosive tags, had kept them at bay.
By coincidence, Minato himself possessed Fire, Wind, and Lightning chakra natures, covering both of those Kekkei Genkai completely.
Magnet Release, a closely guarded secret of the Third Kazekage, had proven too complex to replicate. But Scorch Release… that one had progressed surprisingly well.
"Kekkei Genkai… can be learned*? Obito's eyes lit up as he surveyed the scorched, lifeless ground around him. "Sensei, can I learn this too?"
"You? Just focus on your Sharingan," Minato replied, dismissing Obito's enthusiasm with a small chuckle. "You're almost ten years old and still haven't awakened it yet. Even Fugaku would be embarrassed by your slow progress…"
Ignoring Obito's protests, Minato unleashed another barrage of Scorch Release fire.
"Keep going, Obito. We're training until exhaustion!"
"NOOO! Sensei, have mercy!" Obito whined, but his survival instincts forced him to keep moving.
Minutes passed. Obito's movements slowed, his breath grew ragged, and his body trembled with exhaustion. His hands rested on his knees as sweat dripped from his forehead, soaking the already-scorched earth beneath him.
'Is this his limit? Maybe it's time to give him a break…'
Just then, Minato's keen senses caught a glimpse of movement near the training ground's entrance. A small, delicate figure had arrived, carrying three neatly stacked lunchboxes.
It was Konan.
"Obito, Konan's here," Minato said, his tone suddenly laced with amusement. With a swift motion, he fired another Scorch Release attack—this time even faster than before.
"Watch out, Obito!" Konan called out in concern.
The overlapping voices of Minato and Konan reached Obito at the same time. His eyes lit up at the sight of Konan, but when he turned back, the blazing flames were already upon him.
'Move! MOVE!' Obito screamed in his mind, urging his exhausted body to react. 'If I can't even protect myself… how can I protect Konan?!'
A strange sensation washed over him—a faint, chilling energy.
Then—
His vision sharpened. The flames, once too fast for him to react, now moved in slow motion.
A crimson glow filled his eyes. Two tomoe spun rapidly in each of his irises.
'This is… the power of the Sharingan?!'
A wide grin spread across Obito's face as he felt the newfound strength in his gaze. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I DID IT!"
Minato blinked in mild surprise. 'That was… fast. Obito's talent really is frightening. But… why do all Uchiha start laughing like lunatics the moment they awaken their Sharingan?'
Clearing his throat, Minato spoke in a casual tone. "Well, since you've got so much energy, Obito, why don't you run a hundred laps around Konoha to burn off some of it?"
"WHAT?! Sensei, no! I just awakened my Sharingan, can't I rest a little?!" Obito whined, looking pleadingly at Konan. "Konan brought me lunch! It'll get cold!"
"Don't worry, Obito, I can reheat it for you," Konan said sweetly, waving at him with a playful smile. "I'll wait for you, so do your best!"
"Ugh… fine…" Obito hung his head in defeat and trudged out of the training ground. Minato followed at a leisurely pace, training alongside him.
"After all, nothing beats a hot medicinal bath after a long run," Minato said with a nostalgic smile. "You'll come to cherish these training sessions when you're my age."
"You're only twenty, Sensei," Obito grumbled, counting under his breath. "Thirty-two… ugh…"
Just then—
"Six hundred and fifty-seven laps! YOUTH KNOWS NO LIMITS!"
A powerful voice boomed through the area, interrupting Obito's count.
A middle-aged man in a green jumpsuit stood at the center of the street, tears streaming down his face as he passionately addressed a small boy dressed exactly like him.
"Even if you didn't get into the Academy your first year! Even if you failed the second year! Even if you couldn't pass the entrance exam! IT DOESN'T MATTER!"
"BECAUSE YOUTH NEVER ABANDONS THOSE WHO NEVER ABANDON IT!"
Minato raised an eyebrow and turned to look at the two figures.
It was Might Duy and his son, Might Guy.
His sharp instincts as a shinobi—honed by years of experience—immediately detected something unusual.
A boy, at this young age, capable of running seven hundred laps*l around Konoha?
That was not normal.
Minato shook his head. Ever since the Uchiha Clan's influence had risen, the Academy's standards had become more demanding, prioritizing combat-ready students. Shinobi were now expected to have balanced skills in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu.
"Under the old system, this boy would have had no problem getting into the Academy…"
A thoughtful expression crossed Minato's face. His team currently had only two members—Obito and Konan.
They needed a third.
And this boy… was unexpectedly interesting.
After a brief pause, Minato's usual warm smile returned. He approached Might Duy with a friendly wave.
"Excuse me, sir. May I have a moment of your time?"
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