"Training ground? Again?" Uchiha Hayashi waved his hand lazily, looking completely unmotivated.
After all, he had already squeezed most of Minato's stamina and tricks in their past spars. There wasn't much he could gain this time.
"If you're a friend, then come to the training ground!" Minato said with confidence, his eyes gleaming. "This time, I've mastered something new. Just give me three minutes, and you'll be hooked."
"…"
Hayashi gave him a long look. "So confident… aren't you a little too sure of yourself?"
Minato only smiled mysteriously, already walking away. "I've got the training ground ready, and I'll be waiting."
Hayashi stared at Minato's back and shook his head. Those eyes… They gave him the chills, as if Minato were saying, I've already booked the room—waiting for you.
The heat must've fried his brain, Hayashi thought. Still, with the others following along, he made his way toward the training grounds.
---
Soon, the two boys stood at the center of the training field beneath the merciless sun. Minato's posture radiated fighting spirit, while Hayashi looked like he'd rather be napping.
"Same rules as always?" Hayashi asked.
"Yeah," Minato nodded.
That meant no genjutsu from Hayashi. Even though Minato had trained to break illusions, Hayashi's genjutsu was far too strong. One slip and Minato would be trapped before the fight even began.
"Summoning Technique!"
At the very start, Minato bit his finger, formed the seals, and slammed his palm down. Smoke billowed, and a toad about a meter tall appeared before them. The creature wore simple clothes and a cloth sash, giving it a roguish air.
Hayashi blinked. This is his big move? With his chakra reserves, summoning this thing must've cost a lot… how much does he even have left?
Minato smirked. "Not bad, right? After years of training, I can summon something this size!"
"Hey, brat. As usual, I want a hundred servings of food, you got that?" the toad growled in a street-tough tone.
"But… but I've already searched the whole forest. There aren't enough caterpillars for a hundred servings…" Minato pleaded. "Can't you settle for less?"
Hayashi's lips twitched.
This is supposed to impress me? Orochimaru summons Manda, demanding sacrifices, and Minato's summon demands… caterpillars.
Sighing, Hayashi decided not to waste time. The heat was unbearable, and he wanted this over with quickly.
He drew several shuriken from his pouch, tossing them in a precise arc. With his other hand, he followed up with another set, making the blades collide midair and curve toward Minato.
Minato instantly realized they were regular throws, not enhanced with chakra. He shot a glance at his toad.
The toad nodded, then snapped its tongue out at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, the shuriken's trajectory was broken.
"Oh, nice tongue," Hayashi admitted.
A bold idea sparked in his mind. He couldn't help but envy the power of a summoning beast. But there was no time for that now. He focused, his expression sharpening.
Minato was strong, but still manageable. The real problem here was the toad.
A surge of chakra flared beneath Hayashi's feet, propelling him forward at blinding speed. In an instant, he closed the distance to Minato.
Minato didn't back away. With a kunai in hand, he met Hayashi head-on. The ring of clashing steel filled the training ground.
But soon, Minato began to falter.
The toad intervened, its tongue whipping out like a whip.
"Too close."
Hayashi disengaged, flipping away just as the tongue slammed into the ground, shattering it.
But the toad didn't stop. Its tongue lashed out again and again, matching Hayashi's speed and tearing up the training field.
Watching from the edge, Nawaki swallowed hard. "That speed… that power… even most Chūnin couldn't handle it. As expected of a Mount Myōboku toad."
Minato seized the moment, flinging shuriken that blocked Hayashi's retreat path. The toad's tongue struck, hitting Hayashi square in the back—
Bang!
A log splintered apart.
"Substitution Technique… When did he even form the seals?" Minato tensed. He knew Hayashi could form seals with one hand, but the sheer speed was unnerving.
Where is he? Above? Behind?
Before he could react, Hayashi appeared at his back, fist poised to strike. But once again, the toad's tongue forced him to dodge.
"Kou, use oil!" Minato commanded sharply.
The toad reacted instantly, scooping Minato onto its back and leaping high into the air. Its cheeks bulged, then expelled a torrent of glistening oil.
Minato's fingers blurred. "Fire Release: Fireball Technique!"
The oil ignited, and a roaring wave of flame swept across the training ground, engulfing more than half the area.
From the sidelines, Mikoto shook her head. "Minato's Toad Oil Flame Bullet… It's strong, but the chakra cost is enormous."
She was right. Between the summoning and this combined jutsu, Minato's reserves at his age were almost completely drained. Already, he was panting heavily.
Hayashi stood before the inferno, eyes glinting with amusement.
"In all my life, of all the opponents I've faced," he declared with mock gravity, "I, Uchiha Hayashi, am willing to call your tongue… the strongest."
Then the flames swallowed him whole.
Gasps rippled from the onlookers.
But inside the fire, Hayashi's body burst into smoke.
"Shadow Clone Technique," Kushina muttered, realizing what had happened.
A kunai whistled through the flames, shooting past Minato's head like a cannonball. It embedded itself deep into the wall behind him.
Slowly, a strand of golden hair drifted down through the air.
---