Consider?
Consider what?
Minato was momentarily confused. Mikoto had already turned away, busying herself with peeling peanuts.
His gaze fell on the tips of her reddened ears, and suddenly he understood.
Given her attitude, what else could she be considering?
Since she hadn't asked him to make a choice, she must be considering accepting his philandering!
But it went this smoothly?
To be honest, he hadn't even planned to try and win her over at this point.
Yet, after just one confession of his feelings, they'd made such rapid progress.
Could this be the legendary "self-conquest"?
Little did he know that Mikoto was also panicking internally, her hands trembling slightly as she peeled the peanuts.
She was simply relieved to discover that although Minato and Kushina liked each other, they hadn't made any substantial progress.
In that instant, the thought of "striking first" and her guilt towards Kushina flashed through her mind simultaneously.
This caused her head to spin, leading her to say something that sounded both like giving him a chance and like a declaration of possession.
What do I do?
How do I explain this now?
Do I really have to agree to this greedy guy's terms?
But that was just too absurd—
Mikoto's mind was a tangled mess.
Seeing the faint blush on Mikoto's ears, a smile played on Minato's lips.
"Mikoto-nee," he said.
"Hmm?"
"Thank you for not resenting me for my greed." His voice was gentle and sincere.
Mikoto's movements paused slightly at his words, then she let out a soft hum.
The moment stretched infinitely.
They didn't discuss their feelings or the war. Instead, they quietly shared food, occasionally chatting about Ninjutsu or missions. The atmosphere was harmonious and comfortable.
This subtle shift in atmosphere didn't escape Tsunade's notice.
That night, as soon as Minato lay down, Tsunade slipped her hand under the covers and gripped his.
Minato turned to look at her. Her amber eyes were fixed on him, unblinking.
What's your relationship with Mikoto?
Tsunade's thoughts came through, her beautiful eyes filled with interrogation.
Minato hesitated for a moment before answering: We mutually like each other.
You damn flirt!
Tsunade clicked her tongue, but to his surprise, she didn't seem angry. I promised Orochimaru I wouldn't interfere in the two of you.
Minato nodded, his guess confirmed: "So it was Senior Orochimaru's idea after all? But why did Teacher agree?"
"Shouldn't be hard for you to figure out, should it?"
Tsunade snorted. "Do I have to say something embarrassing just to satisfy your twisted sense of humor?"
Minato sighed imperceptibly. "I feel like I owe Teacher so much."
Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Don't give me that! How much do you not owe me?"
After a moment's thought, Minato gently scratched the palm of Tsunade's hand.
The next instant, her hand clamped around his.
"Don't get any ideas. We're not alone."
"So... it's okay when we are alone?"
"I never said that! But if you insist on thinking that, I can't help it."
Tsunade closed her eyes, trying to ostrich herself, her guilty expression making Minato chuckle inwardly. The desire to grow up and be more mature burned even more fiercely within him.
Suddenly, an inexplicable stream of information flooded Minato's mind, freezing the smile on his face.
"I need to use the bathroom—" he muttered under his breath. He released Tsunade's hand and, under her displeased gaze, quickly stood up and left the room.
Leaving a Clone behind at the camp, Minato used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport back to his home in Konoha.
He hurried to the bathroom and stared at the mirror, his eyes filled with disbelief as he gazed at the unique patterns of his Sharingan.
At the center of the pair of crimson eyes was a small circle, pierced by an eight-pointed star, resembling a miniature sun.
These Mangekyō Sharingan had awakened on the day his mother died.
However, only the left eye's Dōjutsu had awakened at that time. For the past three years, due to his lack of strong emotional fluctuations, the right eye's Dōjutsu had remained dormant.
But just moments ago, in his desperate longing to grow up, his right eye's Dōjutsu had finally awakened!
Its name was: Amaterasu's Decree!
Its ability was to alter the target's physical growth state.
For example, it could reverse aging to make someone young again, or instantly age someone to dust.
It could also make localized changes, such as altering height, appearance, organ development, or nerve maturity.
The target could be himself or another person, but it only affected living beings and could not regenerate organs or severed limbs.
What disappointed Minato most was that the technique only had a permanent effect on himself. The duration of its effects on others varied depending on their Eye Power and the target's Chakra.
The more Eye Power consumed, the less Chakra the target possessed, and the longer the alteration would take.
Conversely, the less Eye Power consumed, the more Chakra the target retained, and the shorter the alteration would last—potentially failing to affect the target altogether.
The exact duration would need to be determined through experimentation.
The moment Tsunade understood the effects of his right eye's Dōjutsu, she mentally posed in dozens of different positions in Minato's mind without repeating herself.
But she had to admit, while this Dōjutsu was rather improper, it was incredibly practical!
Moreover, this technique was arguably his only current method capable of effectively threatening enemies at the Ōtsutsuki level.
Against foes of that caliber, even a momentary disruption could determine the outcome of a battle.
With this in mind, Minato turned his gaze to his left eye in the mirror.
Compared to his right eye's Amaterasu's Decree, the left eye's power couldn't directly harm enemies. Yet it remained his greatest trump card. The left eye's Dōjutsu was called: Ame no Uzume.
Its ability was to reject what had already occurred—even rejecting injury, or even death itself!
Unlike Izanagi, which required pre-set activation conditions, Ame no Uzume directly denied established facts!
Of course, the Eye Power consumption was also terrifyingly immense.
Minato could feel that the Power of All Things within him had reached its final stage of fusion. His Eye Power was growing extremely slowly, clearly having reached its peak.
Even so, he could currently only use it three times at most!
But Minato wasn't in a hurry. Once the Power of All Things completely fused, he would awaken the Rinnegan, and the drawback of blindness would no longer be a concern.
Gazing at the pair of crimson eyes in the mirror, Minato felt like a child who had just received a new toy, eager to test the effects of his right eye. Yet reason forced him to suppress the urge.
He had no intention of revealing his Sharingan for the time being, and he didn't want to risk hindering the Rinnegan's evolution.
When the Rinnegan awakened, it would grant him the Six Paths power and two new Dōjutsu. Revealing his Sharingan now would offer no advantage.
In the original story, only Uchiha Madara had awakened the Rinnegan, and with no prior experience, Minato didn't dare take any risks.
With these thoughts, Minato fell into deep contemplation.
Come to think of it, had Madara awakened the Rinnegan by this time?
He recalled that Nagato had met Yahiko and Konan during the Second Shinobi World War, meaning Nagato had likely received the Rinnegan transplant around this time.
This suggested that Madara had likely awakened the Rinnegan.
Should he seize this opportunity to steal Madara's eyes?
Minato pondered this as he quietly returned to the front lines and replaced his Clone.
Back in his room, he slipped into bed, and Tsunade's hand found hers again.
As the saying goes, "A sharp weapon in the hands of a warrior naturally breeds murderous intent."
If his physical age had previously restrained certain impulses, he now felt a genuine urge to unleash Amaterasu's Decree upon himself.
This was destined to be a sleepless night!
Fortunately, his constitution allowed him to function perfectly after a night without sleep.
The next morning, Minato approached Orochimaru.
"Senior, could I get a map of the combat zone?"
He recalled that Nagato lived in the combat zone, and while Yahiko and Konan's exact location was uncertain, they shouldn't be too far away.
Minato planned to send a Shadow Clone to find Nagato and secretly swap Madara's eyes.
Orochimaru didn't ask for his intentions and simply handed him a map.
The map detailed Konoha's offensive routes in the event of a simultaneous war with Sunagakure and Amegakure, along with logistics and trap zones—classified information that Orochimaru casually gave to Minato.
Minato could only conclude that having an official friend was truly invaluable!
To express his gratitude, Minato took the initiative and built the command post.
After constructing two more barracks, Minato, citing insufficient Chakra, took Mikoto back to their room.
"Minato, what do you need the front-line map for?" Mikoto asked curiously as soon as they were inside.
If this had been before yesterday, she would never have dared to ask such a question.
But after they had bared their hearts to each other the day before, while she remained gentle and proper when facing Minato, she now clearly displayed more of a womanly demeanor.
Minato glanced at the map and casually replied, "You might not believe me, but I'm protecting this world."
"Protecting the world?" Mikoto found the idea absurd, yet nodded. "It sounds incredible, but I trust you!"
Hearing this, Minato smiled warmly. "Mikoto-nee, you truly are the gentlest girl I've ever met."
"Wait a minute—doesn't something feel off to you?" Mikoto's expression didn't soften at Minato's praise. Instead, she planted her hands on her hips and fixed him with a sharp gaze. "I just called you Minato, not Minato-kun."
"Hmm?"
Minato blinked, then asked, "So?"
So?!
Mikoto's smile turned dangerous, a '#' symbol popping up above her forehead. Her delicate fingers pinched Minato's cheek, her voice laced with a hint of threat: "So, what should you call me, Minato?"
Minato blinked again. "Dear?"
Mikoto's face flushed crimson.
She snatched her hand back as if electrocuted, her face a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. "You—don't call me that!" she scolded.
"Then what should I call you?"
Minato leaned closer, tilting his head and looking at her with a playful glint in his eyes. "Mikoto? Mikoto-nee?"
Mikoto fell silent, suddenly feeling that Minato was being unusually aggressive today.
Meeting his close-up azure eyes, she instinctively took half a step back, only to see Minato had already resumed his usual gentle smile.
"Just Mikoto will do," he said with a light chuckle, turning to sit by the fireplace. "I'm planning to send a Shadow Clone to the war zone to find something and gather some intelligence along the way."
As he spoke, Minato formed hand seals. "Shadow Clone Technique!"
Poof! A Shadow Clone materialized in the room.
The clone nodded at the original body and vanished in a flash.
"So clones can use the Flying Thunder God Technique too—" Mikoto exclaimed in astonishment. "That's so unfair!"
"Clones have a limited sensory range and react far slower than the original body," Minato explained. "They're not very effective against strong opponents."
He had actually considered sending a Wood Clone, but worried that if it were suddenly destroyed, it might be unable to transmit information in time. That's why he opted for the Shadow Clone.
This Shadow Clone possessed half his Chakra and was as strong as a Jonin. In terms of information transmission efficiency, Shadow Clones were indeed superior.
Soon, Minato sensed a new Flying Thunder God Mark appear directly to the north.
North of the camp, the Shadow Clone transformed into an adult man in a black cloak, speeding along the official road.
As the saying goes, "Sharpening the blade doesn't delay the woodcutting." The clone didn't rush to find Nagato. Instead, it planned to first spread Flying Thunder God Marks throughout the Land of Rain.
Although the Clone didn't possess the same extraordinary perception range as the original, it still retained its sensing abilities.
As a member of the Uzumaki Clan who could withstand the power of the Rinnegan at such a young age, Nagato should have an exceptionally large amount of Chakra. A thorough, systematic search should suffice.
In the blink of an eye, a week had passed.
During these days, Minato's routine was simple: slacking off, flirting with Mikoto during the day, and flirting with Tsunade at night.
Meanwhile, the Clone was working day and night, tirelessly searching for Nagato's whereabouts.
Flying Thunder God Marks spread across the Land of Rain like a starry net, yet they still hadn't detected the massive Chakra signature unique to the Uzumaki Clan.
Just then, the Clone sent back a message.
Nagato hadn't been found, but it had found Yahiko!
Outside a small town in the central Land of Rain, a Shadow Clone stood at the mouth of a cave, its black cloak flapping wildly in the wind and rain.
Inside the cave, a red-haired boy clutched a battered kunai, guarding several large crates. His eyes were wary, fixed on the Clone.
"Who are you?" The boy's tone was aggressive, bristling with hostility.
It was only natural. In the Land of Rain's current climate, an orphan without a hint of aggression wouldn't survive.
"Just a passerby."
The Clone sensed the surroundings, confirming no White Zetsu were nearby, before dispelling the Transformation Technique and reverting to its original appearance.
"I'm Namikaze Minato. What's your name?"
"Transformation Technique? You know Ninjutsu?"
Yahiko's expression shifted instantly, his eyes wide with surprise as he stared at Minato. "I'm Yahiko! You're—"
His gaze fell on Minato's forehead protector, and Yahiko's words trailed off, a flicker of panic crossing his eyes.
"Are you a Konoha Ninja?"
"Yes."
The Clone nodded politely. "Could I shelter here from the rain for a while?"
"Hmm—"
Yahiko hesitated briefly before nodding. "You can, but I have some food you can have too. In return, could you teach me some Ninjutsu? Please!"
A faint smile touched the Clone's lips. "Sure!"
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