The Long-Awaited Competition
After Chi Yu informed Orochimaru of his desire to transfer to Kusagakure, the handover process began without delay.
Once it was complete and his belongings packed, Chi Yu waited calmly for his official transfer orders.
Orochimaru had no missions lined up for him in the interim, so Chi Yu was free to enjoy a rare stretch of rest.
For three days, he loitered around the encampment.
Word had already spread—Chi Yu was leaving Yugakure.
Uchiha Kyosuke and his three comrades had heeded Chi Yu's earlier advice—though not in full.
Kyosuke hadn't aligned himself with Uchiha Kazuo, nor had he joined Minato Namikaze's team. Instead, he accepted a new assignment from Nara Shōji. The four of them were split across different squads.
In their eyes, joining Minato's team en masse would have appeared as an act of submission to the famed "Yellow Flash."
Despite having lived in Chi Yu's shadow for years, they still carried their pride as elite shinobi. Bowing to Minato wasn't an option.
So they chose to follow orders and go where they were sent.
---
Night fell.
Chi Yu lay atop a small hill, gazing silently at the moon.
With the full-scale war looming, his real work was just about to begin.
Once the fighting escalated, elite jōnin from every hidden village would enter the field—and opportunities to earn witness points would appear like water from a bursting spring.
Then, a kunai landed near him—its unique three-pronged design instantly recognizable. The handle bore an inscription: "Sword of Ninja Love."
Chi Yu rolled his eyes just as Minato Namikaze appeared beside it in a yellow flash.
He smirked. "Isn't it a little late to show off your Flying Thunder God Technique?"
Minato calmly retrieved the kunai and tucked it away. "I heard you're transferring to Kusagakure. That's sudden. The situation there is relatively quiet—hardly seems like they need reinforcements."
Chi Yu scoffed. "Where I go is none of your business."
Minato let out a quiet sigh. "Still the same as ever—distant and abrasive."
"I've never claimed to be anything else. And I still can't stand you," Chi Yu shot back coldly.
Minato chuckled, unbothered. "Before you head out, you're returning to Konoha first, right? So am I. With war approaching, even genin will be deployed. The Hokage has ordered all jōnin to lead three-man cells. You must've received that memo too."
Chi Yu's face twisted slightly. "I did. I'm still not doing it."
He hadn't planned to accept the assignment at all.
In his view, newly graduated genin were barely above civilian level. Most hadn't even seen real combat. They weren't Kakashi Hatake—who had become a chūnin at six and was operating on a different level altogether.
Genin were cannon fodder at best. Some weren't even worth that title.
Chi Yu had far too much on his plate to waste time babysitting children.
Minato seemed unsurprised. "I figured as much. It'd be stranger if you did agree. You're probably just heading back to see Kushina."
Chi Yu's eyes narrowed. "What do you want, Minato? I didn't come here to chat. If you want to fight, just say it."
Minato nodded. "I won't lie. That's exactly why I'm here. Once you're in Kusagakure and I'm back on the frontlines, we won't cross paths again for a while. I wanted one last spar before that."
"I thought I'd catch up with you first. We have fought side by side here in Yugakure for years—"
"Spare me the sentiment."
Chi Yu cut him off sharply. "We haven't fought side by side. Don't pretend we're comrades. We're not. I don't want your phony friendship—makes me sick."
He rose, one hand resting on the hilt of his ninja sword.
"But I am curious to see how fast your Flying Thunder God really is."
Minato's expression steadied. He drew two marked kunai from his pouch.
"I'm ready, Chi Yu."
"Then let's begin."
---
The instant Chi Yu's words fell, Minato hurled both kunai—one arcing left, the other curving wide to the right.
Chi Yu's Sharingan spun to life.
The Flying Thunder God Technique didn't just teleport the user—it relied on marked coordinates left in advance. The jutsu allowed for instantaneous movement, useful for offense, defense, and misdirection.
Minato now had two viable options: teleport to either kunai, or fake the move entirely. Chi Yu knew this.
But Chi Yu wasn't the type to sit and wait.
He rushed toward the closer kunai.
From Minato's perspective, it looked like Chi Yu had fallen into his trap. That path left Chi Yu's right flank wide open—perfect for a sudden teleport and ambush.
Minato nearly activated the technique...
Then paused.
Something was wrong.
Chi Yu wouldn't leave such an obvious opening. Not him. Not with the Sharingan active—and especially not knowing the mechanics of the Flying Thunder God.
Minato restrained himself, choosing to remain in place.
A split second later, Chi Yu slashed downward at the marked kunai—then spun and launched a volley of shuriken into the darkness behind him, targeting the second kunai's location.
If Minato had teleported there, he would have been pierced mid-materialization.
Chi Yu raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You didn't take the bait. Did you figure me out, or were you just testing the waters?"
Minato met his gaze seriously, no smile this time.
Chi Yu gave a rare grin. "Guess I made it too obvious. You're sharper than I gave you credit for."
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