Chapter 254: The Thoughts of the Human Version of the Tailed Beast Ball
Upon hearing Minato, Dekai and Kamizuki Izumo, who stood beside him, also greeted Mugetsu.
They hadn't known each other before, but fighting a Jinchuriki together meant risking their lives side by side, and that experience quickly forged a bond among them.
"Minato, you're back! Has the war on the front lines ended?" Mugetsu asked, slightly surprised.
"It's not completely over. Iwagakure hasn't surrendered or signed a peace treaty yet, but their forces have been pushed out of the Land of Grass. The war can be considered temporarily settled, and my mission is complete, so Jiraiya-sensei let me return first," Minato explained with a smile.
"Their complete defeat is only a matter of time. Konoha is just stronger," Dekai said with a laugh.
The recent victories against Iwagakure had filled him with confidence.
"I see. Then you've truly worked hard, successfully keeping the enemy out of the Land of Fire," Mugetsu said with a nod of approval.
As Mugetsu had expected, the war with Iwagakure had reached a temporary conclusion. If nothing unexpected happened, Minato would soon become Obito's instructor.
"Haha, Mugetsu, aren't you one of the hardworking ones too? The fight with the Jinchuriki back then was thanks to you," Dekai said with a grin, patting Mugetsu on the shoulder.
Dekai had been deeply impressed by Mugetsu's Ninjutsu. His Fire Release had nearly injured the careless Five-Tails Jinchuriki, and he could even hold his ground against the Four-Tails Jinchuriki's Lava Release alone for a time.
"It was thanks to everyone's efforts," Mugetsu said with a light chuckle.
"Oh, isn't that Minato? You're back!"
A cheerful young kunoichi with a ponytail spotted Minato and waved excitedly. Two other female ninja her age followed behind her, smiling as they greeted him.
"Yes, hello," Minato replied with a warm smile. They weren't close, but he was always polite.
"Minato, you're amazing! I saw the latest issue of the Leaf Newspaper! You and Lord Jiraiya repelled the Jinchuriki. You're truly a hero of Konoha!" the ponytail girl said, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
"It wasn't just me and Jiraiya-sensei; many others contributed," Minato said modestly.
Not only Mugetsu, but Dekai and Kamizuki Izumo had also fought directly against the Jinchuriki with them.
"Eh, and who's this?" one of the girls—a long-haired kunoichi—asked curiously, noticing Mugetsu.
"Minato, is this your brother? Which one of you is older?" she asked, comparing their smiles.
"My name is Hayate Mugetsu. I'm not Minato's older or younger brother—we're not related by blood or even distant family," Mugetsu replied calmly.
He was already used to this kind of question; it happened often. Minato's expression remained composed as well, clearly used to it too.
"Hayate Mugetsu? Isn't that the ninja who fought alongside Lord Jiraiya against the Tailed Beast in the newspaper?" the ponytail girl suddenly remembered, looking at him in surprise.
"Yes, that's me," Mugetsu said with a polite nod.
"You must be tired from the battlefield. How about we treat you to a meal?" the wavy-haired girl suggested enthusiastically, clasping her hands together.
Her two friends gave her thumbs up behind her back, thinking, Good job!
"Thank you for your kindness, but I have something else to take care of later," Mugetsu said kindly but declined.
If it was just a simple meal, he wouldn't mind. But gatherings like that usually turned into long conversations, maybe even drinking, and he didn't have time to waste.
He wasn't without desires, but right now, he had too much on his plate. If it weren't for Shadow Clones, he wouldn't even be able to keep up with everything.
"The same goes for me, but thank you anyway," Minato said, smiling politely.
He preferred Mugetsu's cooking to restaurant food. He had just finished reporting his mission and planned to visit Mugetsu's house to bring Kushina some of his food. He didn't have time for small talk with unfamiliar kunoichi.
"That's a shame. Let's have a meal together next time, if we get the chance," the wavy-haired girl said with a regretful smile. The three girls waved goodbye and left.
"That Mugetsu is really handsome. How did I never notice him before?" one of them whispered.
"He's handsome, but I still like Minato more. It's a pity he said no," another sighed.
"I actually think Mugetsu is better looking. He's gentle and calm, but there's something wise about him too," the third said dreamily.
Dekai and Kamizuki Izumo exchanged helpless looks.
"Sigh, I shouldn't have stood next to you two. Maybe then a girl would've noticed me," Dekai groaned.
"There were three girls and not one looked at us. They only talked to you two!"
"When has any girl ever come up to talk to you first? I really got dragged down by you again," Kamizuki Izumo replied dryly, patting Dekai on the shoulder.
He had fair skin and well-defined features. While not astonishingly handsome, he was definitely good-looking—but next to Minato and Mugetsu, he seemed rather ordinary.
"Being approached isn't always a good thing," Mugetsu said casually. "If Kushina saw Minato being approached by other girls, she might get sulky unless he explained it properly."
Kushina had once asked Mugetsu about Minato's situation when she wasn't around—specifically, if any girls had come to see him.
Minato felt fortunate that he was someone who knew how to refuse. Not only was an angry Kushina difficult to deal with, but seeing her upset would also hurt him deeply.
After a brief chat, the four parted ways. Minato and Mugetsu walked in the same direction since they were neighbors.
When Minato returned home, he created a Shadow Clone to tidy up while his main body went to Mugetsu's house to help prepare dinner.
"I've really been troubling you all this time," Minato said apologetically as he washed the vegetables.
He couldn't even stay to eat anymore and still had to ask Mugetsu to pack food for him to take away. Just thinking about it made him feel embarrassed.
"We're friends, so let's just call it mutual help," Mugetsu replied with an easy smile. "You've helped me plenty with Sealing Technique, and Kushina even taught me the Four Symbols Seal recently."
"After learning it, I realized how powerful this Sealing Technique is. Without Kushina, it would've been difficult for me to obtain something of this level."
"The value of a jutsu lies in people learning it," Minato said seriously, snapping vegetables into smaller pieces. "You have real talent for Sealing, Mugetsu. I'm sure Kushina enjoyed teaching you."
He was genuinely impressed—Mugetsu had already learned the Four Symbols Seal, a top-tier conventional sealing technique.
To celebrate Minato's return, Mugetsu specially prepared Kushina's favorite braised pork belly. The dish required a long simmer, so the two talked as they waited.
"Compared to us humans, Tailed Beasts really are blessed," Mugetsu said thoughtfully. "Not only do they possess enormous Chakra reserves, but they can also use jutsu like the Tailed Beast Ball. Its power is terrifying."
"Tailed Beast Ball…"
Minato's expression turned distant. Mugetsu's words brought back memories of the battlefield—the blinding white explosion, the crater gouged deep into the earth.
The reason that battle was etched so clearly in Minato's mind wasn't because of fear, but because his own girlfriend, Kushina, was a Jinchuriki—and the one housing the most powerful of them all, the Nine-Tails.
Thinking about such a terrifying creature sealed within Kushina's body, Minato couldn't help but sigh.
"When the war turns critical, the Jinchuriki will definitely be sent to the battlefield," Minato said grimly.
Even though Konoha was keeping Kushina's location secret for now, he knew it was only to give her time to master the Nine-Tails' power—to turn her into a controlled weapon for war.
Minato understood the truth well: in a shinobi village, Jinchuriki weren't meant to be protected—they were meant to be used.
In a world this unstable, Minato couldn't guarantee that Konoha would always hold the upper hand. One day, Kushina might be forced to fight on the front lines. And when that time came, her opponents wouldn't be ordinary ninja—they would be other Jinchuriki or the strongest warriors from rival villages.
"It would be great if there was a Ninjutsu with power close to the Tailed Beast Ball," Minato murmured.
The sheer destructive force of that jutsu was beyond comparison. Even Jiraiya, in Sage Mode, could only dodge it rather than take it head-on. If Kushina, who hadn't mastered the Tailed Beast Ball yet, faced another Jinchuriki capable of firing one, she'd be at a severe disadvantage.
"Then why not develop a Ninjutsu similar to it?" Mugetsu suggested with a calm smile.
Minato froze.
"To create something with similar power, imitating and refining the concept should be the fastest way, don't you think?" Mugetsu said, still sounding casual. "Of course, I'm just talking theoretically. The Tailed Beast Ball isn't exactly easy to copy."
But Minato's eyes suddenly lit up.
"I think your idea, Mugetsu, is completely possible!" Minato said, voice rising with excitement. "They're both Ninjutsu—there's no reason only Tailed Beasts can use them! We can absolutely develop a human version of the Tailed Beast Ball."
"Theoretically, that's true," Mugetsu agreed.
"The Tailed Beast Ball is spherical, and it doesn't seem to rely on any of the five basic Nature Transformations. We could start by forming a normal Chakra sphere to imitate its structure, and then…"
Minato's mind raced with possibilities. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that humans could replicate a Tailed Beast Ball with enough control and precision.
"The food's ready. You should deliver it soon," Mugetsu said, interrupting Minato's thoughts as he handed him the packed meal.
Snapping back to reality, Minato quickly thanked Mugetsu and hurried off to bring the food to Kushina.
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