Naruto: My Unique System

Chapter 32: Reason For War

"I'll give it another thought."

As Minato mulled over his commitment to graduate early and serve the village, thoughts of Kushina crept into his mind, leaving him with an unexpected sense of uncertainty.

Could it be that he harbors feelings for her? Minato pondered the question, acknowledging that there hadn't been any overt romantic signals between him and Kushina thus far. Perhaps, he considered, his hesitation stemmed from a desire to witness Kushina seamlessly become an integral part of the village.

While Kushina has managed to forge a few friendships since her arrival in Konoha last year, they remain confined to a select group of female ninja, including Inuzuka Tsume and a senior Uchiha girl from another class.

Regrettably, the boys in the class, whether they were once involved in bullying Kushina or were victims themselves, along with others from different classes and grades connected to these conflicts, still harbor animosity towards her.

Minato, having spent the past year as a mere observer, frets about the potential challenges that might arise for Kushina after he leaves the Academy. He worries that, despite his genuine concern, he might not be able to intervene promptly should anything untoward happen to her.

Nevertheless, Minato perceived that things remained within a manageable scope, and, importantly, Kushina hadn't endured any losses in physical altercations.

Caught in a web of conflicting thoughts, Minato found himself at a crossroads with Tatsuma. They exchanged rice and other ingredients before parting ways to return to their respective homes. Naturally, their evening training routine proceeded as usual.

The need to tie their hair in braids had become obsolete due to their advanced training. Their Chakra control had reached an impressive level, rendering the practice unnecessary. While they refrained from delving into intricate Ninjutsu like Medical Ninjutsu or Puppet Jutsu that demanded precise Chakra control, their proficiency in general Chakra control had already reached a satisfying level. The fruits of their continued training were proving highly effective.

Mastery had been achieved in both Needle Jizo and Wild Lion's Mane Jutsu, though flexible application still eluded them, with a bit of distance left to cover. Unfortunately, the circumstances didn't permit them to practice these techniques in genuine combat scenarios.

Beyond these two Ninjutsu, during Jiraiya's recent return, he introduced yet another hair-related technique called Needle Hell. Diverging from Needle Jizo, Needle Hell transformed hair into Senbon, propelling them with force.

While lacking the Sage Chakra augmentation found in Jiraiya's later Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon, this technique proved effective for concealment, even if its overall impact was more moderate.

Both of them have indeed mastered this Ninjutsu, but due to a shortage of Chakra and not delving deeply into Chakra form manipulation, its power is restricted and falls short of the effectiveness achieved with physically thrown Senbon.

It is a pity that Tatsuma has never received the talent for changing the shape or nature of chakra. Perhaps these two are not talents, but more like compulsory courses for ninjas.

Just like throwing ninja tools, Tatsuma has never picked up the talent of throwing ninja tools from others. Namikaze Minato's one is limited, and he can clearly realize now that this is a talent that cooperates with the Flying Thunder God jutsu.

Over the past year, Tatsuma had entertained the idea of developing the Rasengan, given his familiarity with its principles and training methods. Unfortunately, due to insufficient Chakra and a lack of proficiency in Chakra form manipulation, creating the Rasengan remained an difficult feat for him. Nevertheless, he persisted, dedicating some time each day to attempts at creating the Rasengan as supplementary training for form manipulation.