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After leaving the shop, Evan and Namikaze Minato walked to a quiet spot and stopped.
Minato looked at Evan thoughtfully.
Evan's honesty had surprised him a little — in a good way. He appreciated it, even felt a bit grateful.
And of course, he'd also understood perfectly well what Futaki Ryusei had said before leaving.
Besides, Minato had no intention of taking Evan's jutsu without giving something in return.
Ever since the Third Hokage made the suggestion, Minato had already been mentally prepared for this conversation.
That said, he'd never actually thought about taking on a disciple.
He was only fifteen or sixteen himself — hardly old enough to start teaching anyone.
Giving Evan a few pointers, though? No problem there.
In fact, he quite enjoyed talking with the kid. Evan didn't act like a five- or six-year-old at all.
He was mature.
After their exchange earlier, Minato had already started treating Evan more like an equal than a child.
After a moment of silence, Minato smiled." Evan, you've got real talent — sharp instincts, and a natural feel for ninjutsu."
"But even though I'm a jōnin, I don't think I've got enough experience to be your teacher. So I can't officially take you as a student."
"Of course, you're always welcome to come talk ninjutsu with me. Coincidentally, I've made a bit of progress with Water Release lately."
Evan wasn't surprised. He grinned and said quickly,"Then I'll be taking you up on that offer, Minato-senpai."
Minato waved his hand with a laugh."Just call me Minato, or Minato-nii if you like."
"Oh, and while I can't take you as a disciple myself, I can introduce you to my teacher — Jiraiya-sensei."
"Whether he decides to take you on, though… that's up to him."
Evan's heart leapt. He bowed deeply."Thank you so much, Minato-nii!"
No sense in pretending to be modest now that he'd said it.
Minato chuckled. "No need to thank me. It's nothing special."
"Oh, and here — take this."
He reached into his tool pouch and pulled out a small scroll."The Rasengan is an amazing technique. I can't just accept it for free."
"This scroll contains a few Water Release jutsu I've learned. They might not match the Rasengan in power, but they should suit you well."
Evan rubbed his hands together, hesitated for just a second, then took the scroll."Thanks, Minato-nii. I'll gladly accept."
Minato couldn't help but laugh at his enthusiasm."Go on, take a look. If you've got any questions, ask me anytime."
Evan nodded eagerly and unrolled the scroll right away.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
He recognized that one immediately — he'd seen plenty of people use it in his memories.
Kakashi, Darui… even the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
The most vivid memory was of Tobirama himself.
Most people would just spew water forward, forming a vertical wall to block attacks.
There were similar techniques — like Kakuzu's Water Curtain Barrier — same principle, different style.
But Tobirama's Water Formation Wall surrounded him completely — the water rose and wrapped around him, forming a hollow column that defended from every direction.
He remembered clearly the Edo Tensei battle where Tobirama used it against the Third Hokage.
What stood out most, though, wasn't just Tobirama's unique version of the jutsu — it was his hand seals.
Tobirama had only used two, maybe three seals.
Normally, the Water Formation Wall required six: Tiger–Snake–Tiger–Snake–Tiger–Snake.
That was exactly what Evan saw written on the scroll now.
But in Tobirama's case, Evan recalled that his first seal looked like the "Zen" mudra from the Kuji-in, while the second didn't match any of the standard twelve hand signs perfectly.
It wasn't even in the Kuji-in either.
Probably a customized seal — the kind you could only create once you'd completely mastered a technique.
Like how Naruto's Shadow Clone Jutsu used the "ram" seal, but he made it so casually it barely counted as a seal at all.
Lately, Evan had been studying hand seals closely, and he was starting to think Tobirama's second seal might have been a fusion of the "Zai" mudra and the "Snake" seal.
He'd have to test that later.
After all, if you could pull it off with two seals instead of six — why wouldn't you?
And, honestly… it just looked cool.
Evan scrolled further down.
The second jutsu appeared: Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!
He couldn't help but twitch an eyebrow.
Forty-four seals — that infamous version from Zabuza and Kakashi's duel — truly the stuff of legend.
Minato noticed his expression and smiled."What's wrong? Something about the Water Dragon technique?"
Evan grinned. "It's a B-rank jutsu — I just expected it to have a more complicated sequence of seals."
In truth, this version only had four — the one developed by Tobirama and Gokai.
If it had been Zabuza's forty-four-sign nightmare, he wouldn't have even bothered learning it.
Minato didn't catch the joke hidden in Evan's words. He smiled back."The Water Dragon Bullet isn't too complex, but it's not easy either. This version was simplified by the Second Hokage himself."
"Ryusei-sensei mentioned you've got a talent for Water Release — and a knack for studying seals. That's why I picked this one for you."
Perfect, Evan thought.
They spent a bit more time exchanging insights about Water Release before Minato finally took his leave.
Before going, though, he gave Evan his home address — and reminded him that he could use the Rasengan as a trade with the village to exchange for another jutsu of the same rank.
That opened up a whole new source of techniques for Evan.
Once Minato was gone, Evan unrolled the scroll again to study the two jutsu carefully.
At first glance, trading the Rasengan for two B-rank Water Release techniques seemed like a bad deal.
But in truth, he'd gained far more than that.
For one, he'd earned Minato's friendship — which meant he could seek his advice anytime.
And behind Minato was Uzumaki Kushina.
Not to mention, Minato had promised to introduce him to Jiraiya.
Even if Jiraiya never accepted him as a student, just knowing the man was already a powerful connection.
In this world, relationships were everything.
"These ties… I'll have to maintain them carefully."
"Being a genius really does open doors."
"Still — in the end, it's all about one thing: benefit."
Without mutual gain…
A genius?
Who cares?
As for why Minato hadn't traded him an A-rank Water Release in return, Evan could pretty much guess why.
Minato probably didn't know Water Severing Wave at all.
In all the memories Evan had of him, Minato never once used Water or Wind Release techniques.
With the Flying Raijin at his disposal, he didn't need them — and the Rasengan was already the perfect match for it.
"So right now," Evan mused, "he must've already started mastering the Flying Raijin, and he's looking for jutsu that can sync perfectly with it."
"Man… what a monster."
Evan rolled the scroll back up slowly.
He now had three Water Release jutsu under his belt — Water Shock Wave, Water Formation Wall, and Water Dragon Bullet — two offensive, one defensive.
Should he trade the Rasengan for Water Severing Wave, the high-powered A-rank technique?
He thought about it for less than a second — and dismissed the idea.
Not because he doubted his skill.
But because he didn't trust his chakra reserves to handle it.
"..."
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