The three arrived at the Root Training Base.
Minato and Mikoto stood facing each other. Beside them, Orochimaru's raspy voice sounded, carrying a subtle warning: "Mikoto, Minato's strength is formidable. Give it your all and don't underestimate him."
"Yes, Teacher!" Mikoto responded softly, forming the opposing hand seals. Behind her mask, her eyes remained focused. "Please guide me."
"Please guide me," Minato replied, his voice clear and calm.
The moment his words fell, a pair of crimson Sharingan eyes silently materialized in Mikoto's eyes. The instant they met Minato's gaze, she unleashed a Genjutsu!
Yet almost simultaneously, a faint ripple of Chakra surged through Minato's body. The Genjutsu dissolved into nothingness, like a clay ox sinking into the sea.
Such speed!
How could he instantly detect and nullify it?
Mikoto's heart tightened. There was no time for surprise. With a flick of her wrist, she held several shuriken between her fingers and threw them in a series of elegant arcs.
The shuriken collided in mid-air, then shot toward Minato from all directions at even greater speed.
"Uchiha-style shuriken... how beautiful!"
Minato praised her, slightly shifting his body to dodge several shuriken. He then extended his right hand, inserting his index finger into the center of the last one.
Simultaneously, he formed a hand seal with his left hand and flicked it casually, sending the spinning shuriken back.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
Swish-swish-swish—
In an instant, countless shuriken rained down on Mikoto like a storm!
A single-handed hand seal?!
Mikoto's expression changed. Though inwardly startled, she reacted swiftly, forming hand seals with both hands: "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Boom!
A scorching heat erupted as a fireball over ten meters in diameter engulfed all the incoming shuriken, continuing its charge toward Minato.
Watching the massive fireball approach, Minato gently clapped his hands together, and a thick earthen wall rose from the ground, effortlessly blocking the attack.
Genjutsu first, then Shuriken Technique—and her Shuriken Technique is exceptional.
Ninjutsu is well-practiced, and her hand seals are swift.
Her responses to the enemy's movements are timely—she'd be considered good even among Chūnin.
Minato silently evaluated her.
So that left... Taijutsu!
In the next instant, Minato surged from behind the earthen wall, appearing before Mikoto in the blink of an eye.
Mikoto seemed prepared for this, drawing her kunai and meeting his charge.
She dodged his straight thrust with a sidestep, and Minato's fist landed a punch on her right ribs.
A flicker of pain crossed Mikoto's eyes, but her movements remained fluid. With a subtle shift of her fingers, she reversed her grip on the kunai and thrust it toward Minato's neck.
Minato blocked with his right hand and kicked her flying backward.
Mikoto cried out in pain, rolling twice on the ground before scrambling to her feet, her brow furrowed beneath the mask.
So fast...
Even the Sharingan can't track her!
Minato nodded inwardly. Her Taijutsu was decent enough to barely keep up with his restrained speed.
Nawaki would have been down after the first punch.
From this exchange, her Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu seem well-balanced.
"Do you have any other tricks?" Minato asked gently.
Mikoto gasped, clutching her aching ribs as she struggled to stand.
Staring at the boy across from her—half a head shorter, yet effortlessly crushing her in combat—she felt a complex mix of emotions.
Early that morning, the clan head had appeared at her doorstep with Orochimaru.
With solemn gravity, he informed her that to bridge the long-standing rift between the village and the clan, they needed a truly outstanding young member to take on the responsibility of fostering communication.
And now, Senior Orochimaru, the leader of Root, had chosen her from the Uchiha's younger generation and offered to take her as his disciple.
The reason—maintaining the relationship between the clan and the village—was noble enough.
As a member of the Uchiha Clan, she felt a deep loyalty to her family and was willing to shoulder this responsibility.
Not to mention that Orochimaru, as the Third Hokage's disciple and the leader of Root, was an opportunity too precious to pass up.
So, she accepted without hesitation, followed him to the Root Training Base, and donned the standard Anbu armor and short sword. She chose her mask and codename: Cat!
But before she could even begin her first mission, she encountered Minato.
This being, whose strength was so utterly at odds with his appearance, had rendered her nearly incapable of fighting in just two moves.
The thought left her deeply discouraged.
She had only just become Orochimaru's student, yet she had been so easily defeated by a child four years her junior.
Though she could tell from her teacher's reaction that the opponent's strength far surpassed her own, such a swift and humiliating defeat still made her worry. What if I've disappointed Teacher? Will I be expelled from the clan, kicked out of Root, or worse?
To be kicked out less than half a day after joining would be truly embarrassing.
"That's enough. Let's stop here."
Orochimaru clapped his hands lightly and stepped forward, interrupting her spiraling thoughts.
"I'm sorry, Teacher. I've disappointed you."
Mikoto lowered her head, unable to meet Orochimaru's gaze.
"Quite the opposite. Your performance was remarkable. Your ninjutsu and genjutsu are well-balanced, with no obvious weaknesses. Your defensive tactics were also flawless."
Sensing her unease, Orochimaru smiled and offered gentle reassurance.
"In time, you'll understand that losing to Minato-kun is nothing to be ashamed of. Even I would have only struggled a little longer. Look on the bright side—at least you had a chance to fight back."
Hearing this, Mikoto's pupils contracted, and she stared at Minato in shock.
She had already overestimated his strength as much as she could, but she never imagined he would be this powerful!
No wonder she has the privilege of freely entering and exiting the Root Base...
Orochimaru turned to Minato. "Minato-kun, I'll entrust Mikoto to you for the time being. Have her serve as your bodyguard."
"I still need a bodyguard?" Minato hesitated. "Wouldn't that be inconvenient? I could send a Clone to guide the Root members instead."
"War is approaching," Orochimaru explained. "In the coming days, there's a risk of assassination attempts targeting your Wood Release Bloodline Limit. While your strength is undeniable, the enemy might target Nawaki and Kushina instead."
He continued, "Moreover, Mikoto only recently advanced to Chūnin. Her skills haven't yet met Root's standards. If she remains at the base, the other members might perceive my decision as unfair."
"But staying by your side to help look after the dead weight should be fine. You can also assign her tasks like surveillance or running errands."
"Is that so? Then... alright."
Minato nodded. He decided to follow Orochimaru's suggestion and put Nawaki through special training. He wanted to make the boy feel the threat of death up close, to understand that only those who survived deserved to contribute.
After all, teaching one person is the same as teaching two.
Yet for some reason, he felt Orochimaru seemed intent on pushing Mikoto his way.
But he didn't voice his suspicion. Asking would make him sound self-absorbed...
Please Support me by becoming my patreon member and get 10+ chapters.
[email protected]/Ajal69
change @ with a
Thank You to Those who joined my Patreon