In the Forest of Death.
Fierce battles raged as ninja fought to seize each other's Heaven and Earth Scrolls.
Each day, some perished or lost their scrolls. The Genin from the five great ninja villages employed every tactic to stand out.
It was clear that few teams would complete the task, perhaps very few.
But this was no concern for Tengen.
By the second day's morning, his team reached the central tower.
"This is the final checkpoint." Tengen said, gazing up at the tower. "Let's go in."
"Alright." Shizune, Anko, and Kurenai followed him inside.
Inside the tower, they opened their Heaven and Earth Scrolls, summoning a ninja who informed them they had passed the Forest of Death. They would need to wait five days for the official announcement to proceed to the next stage.
"Tengen-sama Minato, this is boring. Can I come back on the fifth day?" Tengen asked in a corner of the tower, addressing Namikaze Minato.
"That's against the rules." Minato said.
"Don't worry, I'll be back on time." Tengen assured him.
"Then make sure you're punctual." Minato said.
"No problem. Oh, and if Shizune or the others come looking for me, let them know." Tengen said, waving as his figure flickered and vanished from the office.
"That Tengen." Minato said, shaking his head with a smile. "In terms of genius, he's on par with Kakashi."
Tengen soon returned to the heart of Konoha.
"It's got a bit of that modern-world vibe." Tengen said, stretching. He bought some snacks from a roadside stall, munching as he strolled.
He estimated that in a few years, this world's technology might rival his original one.
The ninja world's tech tree, however, seemed warped to him. Some areas were advanced, others strikingly primitive.
Perhaps the presence of supernatural powers caused this uneven development.
"Tengen!" A joyful voice called out. A white-haired man jogged up to him. "Come with me. I've got something to show you."
"Pervy Sage." Tengen said, wincing as Jiraiya dragged him along.
At a Konoha training ground.
"Check this out, my latest mastered ninjutsu, created by my student Minato." Jiraiya said proudly.
"Oh?" Tengen eyed Jiraiya's smug expression, suspecting it was the Rasengan. He'd mastered it long ago but rarely had a chance to use it.
"This is a no-hand-sign ninjutsu, no seals needed." Jiraiya said. "Watch this."
In Jiraiya's hand, powerful chakra swirled, forming a hurricane-like vortex in his palm. As he compressed it, it shaped into a pale blue orb.
The orb appeared calm, but its core brimmed with destructive power.
Inspired by the Tailed Beast Bomb, this was Minato's chakra sphere.
"It's called the Rasengan, and it's incredibly powerful." Jiraiya said. "Tengen, want to see its strength?"
Jiraiya glanced around, then charged at a large tree, slamming the Rasengan into it.
The tree bore spiral marks, splintering and cracking before exploding with a boom, a hole blasted clean through.
"Pretty cool, right? Want to learn?" Jiraiya said, grinning, his eyebrows practically dancing.
"This is Tengen-sama Minato's technique. Is it okay for me to learn?" Tengen asked.
"Of course! You're my little bro." Jiraiya said, clapping Tengen's shoulder.
"Alright, teach me." Tengen said. A legitimate chance to claim he learned the Rasengan? He'd take it.
"The first stage was to gather chakra in your palm." Jiraiya said. "Try it. If you struggle, I'll guide you."
Ten minutes later.
"Is this what a genius looks like?" Jiraiya stared, dumbfounded, at the chakra swirling in Tengen's hand.
"On to the second stage: release chakra steadily and consistently." Jiraiya said, producing a water-filled balloon. "Pop this, and you've passed this stage."
"This might take some time, but don't worry." Jiraiya said, patting Tengen's shoulder.
Twenty minutes later.
"I hate geniuses." Jiraiya muttered, watching Tengen pop the balloon with ease. He felt like spitting blood. Mastering the Rasengan had taken him ages, yet Tengen made it look effortless.
He knew Tengen was a prodigy, but this was a blow to his pride.
"Third stage: maintain the chakra release and solidify it until you can pop a rubber ball." Jiraiya said, handing Tengen one from who-knows-where.
"Then the fourth stage combines all three steps to form the powerful Rasengan." Jiraiya explained. "That's it."
With that, Jiraiya vanished. "I'll be back in an hour."
He was dodging another potential blow to his ego.
Watching Jiraiya leave, Tengen smiled. Powerful chakra gathered in his palm, forming a pale blue orb.
A hurricane-like force swirled within.
If Jiraiya saw this, his eyes would probably pop out.
"Hm?" Tengen spotted a familiar figure, a white-haired youth with a long blade on his back.
"Killer Bee."
***
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