Naruto: My Unique System

Chapter 13: Tatsuma vs Minato

"Sarutobi-sensei, are we being detained here just to endure these kids' mundane display?"

Within the confines of the Academy's teaching building, inside an unoccupied classroom, Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, flanked by his three diligent students, observed the scene unfolding on the playground below. Orochimaru voiced his discontent.

"Patience, Orochimaru. The true protagonists I want you to witness have yet to make their entrance. I've organized a showdown between them. Take a closer look later and gauge if it can kindle your interest in mentoring apprentices."

Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand and spoke, Orochimaru furrowed his brow and replied, "I'll pass. I've already promised Tsunade to look after her brother. Adding another responsibility with our current workload would be too distracting."

Upon hearing Orochimaru's straightforward decline, Sarutobi Hiruzen chose not to press the matter further. Instead, he cast a glance at Jiraiya and Tsunade. Jiraiya reached into the gap in his clothes, scratched his belly, and then remarked:

"I wouldn't mind taking on an apprentice. After all, I should make for a good sensei. But it depends on the individual; not everyone piques my interest, hahaha."

Jiraiya's words brought a smile to Hiruzen's face. He then redirected his gaze to Tsunade. Tsunade furrowed her brow and remarked, "Jiraiya mentioned he's interested in taking on an apprentice. Why not let him mentor both?"

"Tsunade, the inheritance of the Will of Fire is not confined to a specific individual or generation. It is the responsibility of every Konoha ninja, extending to every villager of Konoha. Just as I received the Will of Fire from Tobirama-sama and passed it on to you, your Will of Fire should also be shared, carrying on for the sake of the new generation."

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke with great sincerity, but Tsunade still shrugged dismissively. At that very moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen noticed the arrival of the two children. Abandoning his attempts to persuade her, he instead remarked:

"It's those two kids. Take a closer look; they might be the ones to carry on your will," Sarutobi Hiruzen said.

Observing the significance placed by Sarutobi Hiruzen, even Orochimaru, who had initially sworn off taking on apprentices, became slightly more attentive, focusing his gaze on the playground below. Jiraiya casually leaned against the windowsill, scrutinizing the scene, while Tsunade continued to play with her hair, displaying a hint of impatience.

On the playground, Tatsuma and Minato, having stepped into the designated duel area, initiated the Seal of Confrontation without Sarutobi Atoma needing to intervene. Even before the competition commenced, both focused intently on honing their chakra.

"I must say, it's impressive," Tatsuma began with his customary opening phrase, then added, "After the extensive training last night, you succeeded in defeating Choza and Sento consecutively. However, this time, I am determined to secure the victory."

"It's not that simple, Tatsuma. Remember, you used up more chakra than I did last night," Minato said with a smile. The recent swift resolution of Tatsuma's match against Uchiha Tenko deviated from Tatsuma's usual style. There was only one explanation for this: Tatsuma's stamina might be inferior to Minato's, placing him at a disadvantage now.

Aware that exploiting Tatsuma's significant lack of stamina and slowing down the match's pace could secure his victory, Minato confidently plotted his strategy. Tatsuma fell silent upon hearing this. Indeed, his stamina was in a dire state. Although Tatsuma's diverse talents surpassed Minato's, the inherent limitations of his abilities were evident. Minato held more advantages that remained untapped.