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Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't show up at the scene. Instead, he quietly returned to the Hokage's office.
After a moment of contemplation, he gave an order. "Tell Minato to come see me."
Fifteen minutes later, Namikaze Minato knocked on the door and stepped inside."Lord Third!"
"Ah, Minato."Hiruzen looked up with his usual calm expression. "How's your new jutsu coming along?"
Minato froze for a moment before replying, "I'm still experimenting, sir. I haven't found a real breakthrough yet."
Hiruzen nodded slightly. "Have you heard about the genius who's been making waves at the Academy lately?"
"Uh…" Minato scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Sorry, I've been buried in research lately. Haven't really kept up. Did someone graduate early?"
He figured the Hokage might be asking him to take on a new genin.
"There is someone who graduated ahead of schedule," Hiruzen said. "Sakumo's son, Kakashi—you know of him."
"Of course," Minato nodded. "But I assume that's not who you meant?"
Hiruzen's eyes glimmered faintly. "No. I'm talking about another one—a boy at the Academy whose name is mentioned alongside Kakashi's. His name is Evan."
Evan?
It was the first time Minato had heard the name.
"This child," Hiruzen continued, "has created a new jutsu. It might give you some inspiration."
He didn't explain much more than that.
Even though Minato found it hard to believe, he knew the Third wouldn't joke about something like this. He nodded firmly. "Understood."
"Go see Ryusei about it," Hiruzen said.
"Yes, sir."
Minato bowed slightly, then vanished in a blur.
Outside the Hokage building, Minato paused in thought for a moment before heading off to find Ryusei Futaki.
Meanwhile, at a small dango shop, Evan was helping his parents serve customers.Before he knew it, the morning rush had nearly passed.
Suddenly, he looked up and froze—two figures stood at the entrance.
Namikaze Minato!
In an instant, Evan understood what this was about. He quickly walked out to greet them."Teacher Ryusei, here for some dango?"
He glanced at the blond man beside him. "And this is…?"
Ryusei chuckled. "Not for dango today. We're actually here for you."
"This is Jonin Namikaze Minato."
Evan immediately straightened and bowed. "It's an honor, Minato-senpai!"
Minato smiled and raised a hand. "No need to be so formal."
"Sorry to show up out of nowhere," he added, "but there's something I'd like to ask you about."
Evan scratched his head, pretending to be puzzled.
Ryusei laughed. "Evan, if you've got some time, how about we talk over lunch? My treat."
Minato quickly waved him off. "No, I'll treat. What would you like to eat, Evan?"
Evan thought for a moment. "Then… Ichiraku Ramen?"
"Perfect," Minato said at once.
"Just give me a second, both of you." Evan hurried back into the shop and called toward the kitchen, "Mom, Dad! I'm heading out for a bit—don't wait up for lunch!"
He grabbed his jacket and jogged out the door.
Ichiraku Ramen.
Teuchi was still young, and his little ramen stand had only been open for a short while.
Between bites, Ryusei asked, "Evan, are you planning to graduate early?"
Evan slurped his noodles and shook his head. "Not yet. I'm nowhere near Kakashi's level."
"You're selling yourself short," Ryusei said. "But you're right—there's no rush. A solid foundation is what really matters."
"You're absolutely right, sensei."
They chatted casually as they ate, while Minato mostly listened, chiming in here and there. He didn't bring up the reason he'd come—at least, not yet.
After lunch, the three of them made their way to a quiet, empty rooftop.
"I'll leave you two to talk," Ryusei said with a grin. "Evan, Minato here is one of Lord Jiraiya's disciples—one of the legendary Sannin, you know. He's already an incredible shinobi for his age, so make sure you learn what you can."
Minato waved his hands modestly. "Please, you're flattering me."
Ryusei just chuckled, formed a quick hand seal, and vanished in a swirl of leaves.
The rooftop fell silent except for the wind.
After a moment, Minato spoke. "The Third told me you created a new jutsu. Coincidentally, I've been working on one myself."
Evan raised a hand, and a spiraling sphere of chakra formed instantly in his palm."Are you talking about this, Minato-senpai? The Rasengan?"
Minato's pupils contracted sharply.
That—! That was exactly what he'd been trying to create.
"How… how did you do that?" he asked, unable to hide his astonishment.
He'd been working on it for months without success.
Catching himself, Minato cleared his throat, looking a bit embarrassed. "Sorry, Evan. The jutsu I've been developing is pretty similar to yours, but I haven't managed to complete it yet. 'Rasengan'… that's a fitting name."
Evan smiled. "Minato-senpai, have you ever seen a drill?"
Minato blinked, then nodded, curious.
"And a whirlpool?" Evan asked again.
Another nod.
"Then please, come with me."
Without another word, Evan leapt away. Minato followed, intrigued.
He trailed the boy all the way to a shop where Evan bought a large water jar, then carried it down to the riverbank. There, Evan formed hand seals and used Water Release to fill the jar.
"Incredible control… and those hand signs—so precise," Minato thought to himself, impressed.
"Minato-senpai, have you ever played this little game before?" Evan plunged both hands into the jar, stirring the water with quick, circular motions. The liquid began to spin faster and faster, forming a strong vortex.
When the speed peaked, Evan suddenly slammed his hands down—the water expanded outward violently, and the jar shattered into pieces.
Minato's eyes lit up. "I see now…"
His own inspiration for the Rasengan had come from observing a Tailed Beast Bomb. He'd been experimenting from scratch for over a year, but hadn't yet finished the technique.
Watching Evan's demonstration made everything click.
"My inspiration came from this," Evan explained. "But controlling chakra that precisely is incredibly difficult. You have to keep compressing it to build up destructive power."
He sighed. "So I came up with an idea: fill a balloon with water, then infuse it with chakra. Make the water spin until it bursts. Once you can pop the balloon, you switch to a thicker one—and keep going."
Minato couldn't help but grin and give a thumbs-up. "Brilliant."
"Come on, Minato-senpai, I want to show you one more thing."
They walked into a small yarn shop nearby. Evan picked up a ball of yarn and held it out.
"To make chakra rotate and compress properly is hard," he said. "But look at this yarn. See how it twists and loops together?"
Minato stared at it for a moment—then his eyes widened in realization."So the chakra needs to move like the threads—spinning and intertwining in random directions, layer upon layer, all pulling toward one central point!"
Evan nodded with a bright smile. "Exactly. Just like when you first learn to gather chakra through focus—no matter which way it flows, it all converges at the center. That's how you make it solid."
Minato couldn't help but laugh in admiration. "No wonder the Third calls you a genius!"
"..."
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