Compared to the gloomy atmosphere within the Sand Ninja camp, the mood on Konoha’s side was completely different.
Especially after the news spread that Sakumo Hatake had personally killed Chiyo’s son and daughter-in-law, the entire camp became lively.
Tsunade was the first to react.
“Hahahaha!
Well done!
That damned old hag finally got what she deserved!”
In her excitement, she directly wrapped an arm around Yu’s neck and pulled him tightly against her chest.
“Let go!
Let go already!” Yu struggled frantically, his still somewhat youthful face turning completely red.
“Are you trying to suffocate me to death?!”
Tsunade casually patted her chest with a proud expression.
“This Lady is rewarding you, brat.
Don’t be so ungrateful.”
Seeing her reaching toward him again, Yu immediately retreated several steps with lingering fear on his face.
“Enough already!
Once was more than enough.
How many more times are you planning to do that?!”
“What a clueless little brat.” Tsunade snorted disdainfully before once again laughing loudly like a madwoman.
Naturally, everyone present understood why she was in such a good mood.
Chiyo specialized in poison.
Tsunade specialized in medical Ninjutsu and antidotes.
The two had been bitter rivals for years already.
Every time Chiyo developed a new poison, Tsunade would eventually crack it.
And whenever Tsunade successfully neutralized one of her toxins, Chiyo would angrily curse at her before immediately returning to create another one.
Likewise, whenever Tsunade encountered some unfamiliar poison on the battlefield, she could almost instantly guess who had created it.
While cursing Chiyo’s entire family line, she would still grit her teeth and develop an antidote.
Now that Chiyo’s own son and daughter-in-law had died, Tsunade naturally felt incomparably refreshed.
Nearby, Jiraiya looked at Yu with obvious envy before shamelessly leaning toward Tsunade.
“Tsunade, that kid is still too young to appreciate your kindness.
If you still feel unsatisfied, you can come hug me instead.
I definitely know how to properly appreciate such benefits.”
The moment he finished speaking, a delicate-looking fist rapidly enlarged before his eyes.
Boom!
Jiraiya immediately let out a miserable scream as his entire body flew backward violently.
Nearby, a blond-haired little boy silently covered his face in embarrassment.
Having a teacher like this truly felt humiliating.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru completely ignored the chaos nearby and calmly handed a sword toward Yu.
“This is what you requested.”
Yu’s eyes instantly lit up as he accepted the weapon happily.
The Kusanagi Sword.
Well, technically speaking, this particular version was more accurately described as a straight blade.
Regardless, Yu had been eyeing this weapon for quite a long time already but never found a suitable excuse to ask for it before.
During the previous mission, he had casually mentioned it while negotiating conditions with Orochimaru.
To his surprise, Orochimaru had actually agreed without hesitation.
As Yu slowly unsheathed the blade, a sharp cold aura immediately spread outward.
At this moment, Orochimaru suddenly looked toward him with a faint smile.
“By the way, Yu-kun, why did you willingly give away the credit for this mission?”
Yu lightly swung the straight blade a few times while examining its balance carefully before smiling casually.
“Forget it.
During that mission, I was basically only assisting anyway.
Those two were killed personally by Sakumo.
Since that’s the case, why bother trying to steal his contribution?”
Hearing this response, Orochimaru’s smile gradually deepened.
“My intuition tells me Yu-kun is planning something interesting.”
Clang.
Yu slowly sheathed the blade again before looking directly into Orochimaru’s eyes.
“Oh?
Then can Captain guess exactly what I’m planning?”
For several moments, neither of them spoke.
The two simply stared silently at each other.
Eventually, faint smiles gradually appeared on both their faces simultaneously.
Orochimaru lightly chuckled first.
“I have no interest in guessing, as long as Yu-kun isn’t plotting against me.”
Yu rested the straight blade against his shoulder while smiling calmly.
“You’re my captain.
Why would I plot against you?”
Orochimaru merely smiled without answering.
Their relationship indeed appeared harmonious on the surface.
However, both of them understood very clearly that neither side truly trusted the other completely.
Yu had his own ambitions.
And Orochimaru naturally possessed his own goals as well.
At that moment, Jiraiya suddenly ran over while stuffing tissues into his still-bleeding nostrils.
“Yu!”
Yu casually swung the Kusanagi Sword several more times before finally returning it to the sheath.
“I’m in a good mood today, so hurry up and say whatever you want.”
Jiraiya immediately pulled the blond-haired boy beside him forward proudly.
“This is my newly accepted disciple!”
The little blond boy looked somewhat nervous as he respectfully bowed toward Yu.
“Hello, Senior.
My name is Minato Namikaze.
I just recently graduated from the Academy.”
Yu calmly nodded.
Naturally, he had already recognized the boy long ago.
Naruto’s father.
The future Fourth Hokage.
The man who would later become known throughout the Ninja World as Konoha’s Yellow Flash.
Jiraiya scratched his head awkwardly before continuing.
“Look, Chiyo just lost her son and daughter-in-law.
Once the Sand Ninja launch their retaliation, things here are definitely going to become chaotic again.
Add Hanzo into the mix, and I probably won’t have enough time to personally watch over Minato.”
As he spoke, Jiraiya looked toward Yu somewhat expectantly.
“So I was hoping you could help teach him for a while.
Mainly battlefield survival experience and practical combat.”
Yu frowned slightly.
“Get to the point.
My patience is limited.”
Jiraiya coughed awkwardly before speaking directly.
“I want you to help train him temporarily.”
To Jiraiya’s surprise, Yu agreed almost immediately.
“Fine.
But I’m quite harsh when training people.
Don’t come complaining afterward.”
“I won’t, I won’t!” Jiraiya hurriedly waved his hands repeatedly.
He trusted Yu’s teaching ability very much.
Although Yu’s mouth was often unpleasant, everything he taught was genuinely useful battlefield knowledge.
Just look at Nawaki.
Orochimaru taught him Ninjutsu.
But Yu taught him how to actually survive on a battlefield.
The difference was obvious.
Meanwhile, Minato himself became visibly excited and immediately bowed deeply.
“Then I’ll be troubling you from now on, Senior.
Thank you very much!”
Before this, Jiraiya had already told him many stories regarding Uchiha Yu.
A terrifying genius who displayed overwhelming talent immediately after graduating from the Academy.
Although still only a Jonin officially, his actual combat strength already far surpassed ordinary Jonin and could even rival elite-level Shinobi.
Yu quietly looked at Minato while various thoughts surfaced in his mind.
Minato was currently ten years old.
Which also meant Kushina should be around the same age now.
This was currently Konoha Year 32.
There were still many years before Kushina officially became the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
In other words…
He still had plenty of time to prepare.
“Senior?
Senior?”
Minato’s voice immediately pulled Yu back from his thoughts.
Yu slowly looked toward him before a faint smile appeared on his lips.
“Come outside with me.”
Jiraiya immediately nodded approvingly.
“Go on.
This will be good for you.”
The surrounding people also followed curiously as the two walked outside the tent, many already anticipating an entertaining scene.
Especially Nawaki, whose face was practically blooming from excitement.
Once outside, Yu casually raised the sheathed Kusanagi Sword toward Minato.
“Draw your weapon and attack me.”
“Huh?”
Minato immediately froze before hurriedly waving his hands.
“No, no, I can’t attack a Senior!
What if I accidentally injure you…”
The surrounding shinobi instantly burst into laughter.
Even Tsunade could not help laughing at how amusing the boy was.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya directly covered his face helplessly.
“Minato, stop overthinking things.
Just do exactly what he says.”
Only then did Minato finally realize the misunderstanding, and his face instantly turned red from embarrassment.
He quickly pulled out a Kunai from his pouch before bowing once more.
“Then…
please be careful, Senior.”
Yu looked calmly at Minato’s posture while inwardly sighing in admiration.
As expected of Minato Namikaze.
The moment this kid picked up a weapon, his entire aura immediately changed.
His previous nervousness vanished completely, replaced by intense concentration.
“Come.”
The next instant, Minato’s eyes narrowed sharply as he suddenly rushed forward.
Thud!
Yu casually blocked the incoming strike with the scabbard alone.
“Not bad.
Compared to ordinary Academy students, you truly are a genius.
Again.”
Clang!
Minato immediately attacked once more.
Each time Yu casually blocked him, he would calmly offer another evaluation.
If it had been anyone else, being treated so casually like this would probably have crushed their confidence already.
However, Minato simply gritted his teeth harder each time before charging forward again without hesitation.
Even though his face gradually became flushed from exhaustion, he never showed the slightest intention of stopping unless Yu himself ordered it.
Watching this scene, Tsunade could not help marveling aloud.
“Jiraiya, you’ve actually accepted quite a good disciple this time.”
The others nearby also nodded one after another.
Minato’s talent truly was frightening.
At the very beginning, he could not even survive a single exchange against Yu.
Yet after only a short period of adaptation, he had already begun instinctively dodging Yu’s attacks while even attempting occasional counterattacks.
Jiraiya immediately puffed out his chest proudly.
“Hahahaha!
Of course!
After all, he’s this great Jiraiya-sama’s disciple!”