Minato, who had originally worn a determined expression, hesitated slightly in his eyes.
The Third smiled gently and opened a drawer on the desk in front of him, pulling out a scroll.
Placing the scroll on the table, he looked at Minato and asked, "Minato, what do you believe is your greatest strength?"
"Speed," Minato replied immediately without hesitation.
Whether before or after regaining his earlier memories, speed had always been Minato's greatest strength.
"Do you know who among all ninja has the fastest speed?" The Third asked again.
"If we're talking about current ninja, it's definitely the Third Raikage of the Land of Lightning. I've personally witnessed the Yagura Clan's ninja body techniques—they rely on Lightning Release chakra to enhance their speed and increase their destructive power."
"But if we speak of all ninja throughout history, there's no doubt that it would be Lord Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage of Konoha. He was hailed as the fastest ninja of all time, unmatched in speed!"
Minato answered. No one could possibly be more authoritative on this topic than him.
After all, both the Third Raikage and the Second Hokage were slightly inferior to Minato—the Yellow Flash of Konoha—in terms of speed.
"Looks like you've read quite a few scrolls from those attics," The Third chuckled, then continued, "Then you should also know why The Second Hokage was called the fastest ninja of all time."
"The Space-Time Ninjutsu—[Flying Thunder God Technique]!" Minato said, eyes narrowing slightly. At this point, he could already guess the contents of the scroll on the desk—this must be the gift The Third intended to give him.
"Precisely! It's the gift I prepared for you," The Third laughed joyfully, picked up the scroll, and tossed it toward Minato.
Minato caught the scroll and couldn't hide the look of pure joy on his face.
He had long since mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique himself, but until now, he hadn't had the chance to retrieve the Scroll of Seals (a forbidden archive sealed away by the village elders), which meant he lacked justification to openly use it.
Now, The Third had personally handed him the Flying Thunder God. From this point forward, no matter how frequently he used it, no one would suspect anything.
He had originally planned to ask The Third for permission to borrow the Scroll of Seals, but now all those worries were gone.
"Although I don't personally master the Flying Thunder God Technique, the Second Hokage did explain its usage and conditions to me before. Before you meet the requirements written on the scroll, it's best not to casually use it in battle."
The Third explained. As the one who possessed the method for training in the Flying Thunder God Technique, he had indeed considered cultivating someone like the Second Hokage, someone proficient in speed and Space-Time Ninjutsu.
However… success had never come. The conditions required to use the Flying Thunder God Technique were indeed strict.
As the Professor of Ninjutsu, it wasn't that he couldn't learn it—it was just that, personally, the Flying Thunder God Technique didn't suit him.
He was naturally skilled in manipulating five different chakra natures. Compared to that, the Flying Thunder God Technique and his own cultivation path represented two completely different roads.
"You are known for your speed and have personally developed S-rank Ninjutsu before, so it's only fitting that I entrust you with the training of the Flying Thunder God Technique."
Sarutobi had clearly given this careful thought before passing the Flying Thunder God Technique to Minato. Though the technique was difficult, mastering it was relatively easier compared to creating an S-rank Ninjutsu from scratch.
Minato would definitely be able to master it, but whether he could meet its usage requirements within such a short time depended entirely on his effort and talent.
"As for how well you master it within a year and a half—that depends on your own abilities."
The Third Hokage smiled warmly as he thought—Minato would only stand a real chance of success after following this rigorous training regimen for about a year and a half.
Grateful for everything the Third Hokage had done for him, Minato felt a lump form in his throat.
He had lost both his parents at a young age, but since becoming a ninja, he had always felt the warmth of family.
His lover, his friends, his teacher—each had stood firmly by his side, offering their unwavering support no matter what.
Though his background was ordinary, he had better luck than most—meeting so many people who truly cared for him. His achievements weren't solely due to his own efforts.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage!" Minato deeply bowed to the Third.
The Third Hokage nodded with a warm smile and said, "Hehe, I asked Jiraiya to take you as his student. As your teacher, he irresponsibly ran off to recruit other disciples. So as his mentor, naturally, I must ensure your proper education."
"You are Konoha's hope. I've already entrusted both the village and Kushina to your care."
Upon hearing those words, Minato solemnly nodded.
"Now then," Sarutobi continued, "I will try not to assign you any missions over the next year and a half."
As a Jonin, Minato normally took on missions ranging from a week to a month—or even several months—which greatly cut into his training time. Even if he mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, there was still little chance he could defeat Sakumo Hatake within a year and a half.
Still, Minato was a Tokubetsu Jonin, making going completely mission-free impossible for such an extended period.
Minato understood this was already the maximum flexibility the Third Hokage could provide.
"Go now," the Third waved his hand gently.
Minato bowed once more before leaving the Hokage Office.
...
When he returned home and opened the door, Kushina was already waiting in the entryway.
Her beautiful, large eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Seeing her like this, Minato gave a bitter smile—it seemed he would have to break another promise to her again.
But reality was unavoidable. He led Kushina into the living room and told her everything he'd discussed with the Third Hokage.
As one of the central figures involved, she deserved to know—this wasn't considered leaking information.
Expecting disappointment, Minato braced himself for disappointment—but instead, Kushina gave him a radiant, heartfelt smile.
He could clearly see—this wasn't a forced smile meant to comfort him, but one filled with true joy.
"Aren't you upset?" Minato asked.
Kushina beamed and said, "How could I be angry? You went to negotiate with the Hokage for my sake, and the Third Hokage really went out of his way for me. Earlier, I even disrespected him. As a ninja myself, I was truly immature."
"You don't need to rush things. Whether it takes a year and a half, two years, or three, even if I can't become a Chunin, I'm still a ninja who can handle some simple D-rank missions. It'll be good training to help shape me up."
Minato was slightly caught off guard, but soon smiled and said, "I'm really glad you understand, Kushina. But you don't have to worry—I'm not bluffing. Just wait and see."
Without hesitation, Kushina nodded, showing unwavering trust. "I believe in you! You'll definitely make it happen!"
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