read my new story : American Fast & Furious NSFW
"Senior Katō has misunderstood. I am not questioning your teaching ability."
Minato shook his head gently, his tone remaining peaceful, yet carrying a certain unquestionable certainty.
"It's just that every ninja's talent and heritage are different. For example, Senior Katō, are you proficient in the Senju clan's hereditary ninjutsu?"
Dan Katō's face froze. Minato paused, his calm gaze looking straight into the shadow at the bottom of the other's eyes, and continued.
"Or the Third Hokage's five-attribute nature transformation techniques? Sensei's medical ninjutsu and Monstrous Strength? The summoning contracts of the Three Great Sage Regions? The Uzumaki clan's sealing jutsu? Or can you even guide him to find the Wood Style power that might exist in his bloodline?"
As soon as these words came out, the air seemed to stagnate for a moment.
The gentle smile on Dan Katō's face completely stiffened. A trace of offended anger flashed deep in his eyes, along with unconcealable embarrassment.
His pride as a Jonin, and the mask of ease he had maintained in interpersonal relationships for a long time, seemed to be gently torn open by Minato's words.
Dan Katō was a Jonin, but only a civilian Jonin.
The ninjutsu he could practice were extremely limited. Just as mentioned before, he had no background.
No background meant no power, and no power meant the intelligence he could obtain was very limited.
For example, he didn't know that the little blond boy in front of him had once single-handedly destroyed the entire Root, including Danzo, with thunderous means, nor was he clear about what terrifying level his true strength had reached.
In his inherent cognition, for him, an experienced Jonin, to have the patience to communicate with an eight-year-old child was already giving face to the other party's Wood Style and Tsunade.
But seeing Minato's stubborn appearance, he obviously didn't plan to back down easily.
Moreover, the other party seemed to be sure that he was unwilling to let Nawaki leave the team.
Could it be that he saw through my purpose?
Dan Katō's pupils trembled slightly. In his vision, deep in Minato's azure eyes, there seemed to be a hint of playful mockery.
Looking at the little blond boy in front of him, a stifling anger suddenly rose in his chest.
Damn brat, he keeps provoking me!
Relying on talent and background, he really doesn't take his seniors seriously!
Taking a deep breath and trying hard to suppress the surging emotions in his heart, Dan Katō tried to make his voice sound peaceful, but anyone could hear the stiffness barely maintained.
"Minato-kun, it seems difficult for us to reach an agreement like this, each sticking to his own version."
Saying that, he glanced at Nawaki, who was somewhat at a loss, out of the corner of his eye, and then fixed his gaze on Minato's face again, making the final decision—since logic wouldn't work, he would solve it in the most direct way of a ninja.
"How about this? To avoid unnecessary disputes and to convince both of us, how about we have a simple spar?"
Speaking of this, Dan Katō's tone became more composed: "If you, Minato-kun, can show strength that I approve of in this spar, then I will have no objection to Nawaki's withdrawal later and will fully cooperate."
"Conversely..."
Dan Katō's tone deepened slightly: "If I am lucky enough to win, then Minato-kun, please... temporarily stop interfering with our Team 7's normal missions, how about it?"
As the voice fell, Dan Katō also breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
He absolutely couldn't let go of Nawaki. The other party was his only channel to approach Tsunade now.
He had given up the plan to approach Tsunade through Minato. Minato gave him a very wrong feeling. Those azure eyes seemed to be able to pierce through people's hearts, making him feel faintly creepy.
However... that ends here!
Minato is indeed a genius, but he is only eight years old after all.
Chakra volume, combat experience, ninjutsu reserves... which one can compare with him, a Jonin in his prime?
This was entirely his judgment based on common sense!
In this way, he could beat this boy who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth, maintain his authority as a leading Jonin, and keep Nawaki in the team.
Although there might be suspicion of bullying the small with the big, after all, Minato interfered with their mission first. He could also explain that it was to send the child away, which wasn't excessive.
What's more, ninjas ultimately have to rely on strength to speak.
Dan Katō's proposal stunned everyone present.
Mikoto's beautiful eyes widened slightly, then turned into intense curiosity.
She had just personally experienced the tip of the iceberg of Minato's terrifying strength, and now a Jonin actually offered to spar.
She couldn't help holding her breath, secretly looking forward to seeing what level the strength of this genius, whom even Teacher Orochimaru admitted he was inferior to, had actually reached.
"Ah?"
Compared to Mikoto's expectation, Nawaki was completely stunned.
He looked at Dan Katō, who looked like everything was under control, and then at Minato, whose face was calm and waveless, his face full of astonishment.
Nawaki didn't know Dan Katō's specific strength, but he knew all too well how outrageous Minato's strength was!
Long ago, Tsunade had complained that Minato's strength had surpassed hers, giving her no sense of accomplishment as a teacher at all.
Looking at Minato's expression, which was calm to the point of indifference.
Big Brother Dan, you are running into the muzzle of the gun!
Thinking that Dan Katō had taken good care of him these two days, Nawaki opened his mouth and was about to stop it when he saw Minato slowly raise the Seal of Confrontation!
"Good!"
For ninjas whose main method was assassination, the Seal of Confrontation was actually a very formal etiquette for inviting a battle.
It represented politeness, and also represented unquestionability.
Either admit cowardice or accept the move; there were only these two choices.
Minato took a step forward and said lightly, "Okay, very fair."
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, sprinkling on his golden hair tips. No anger could be seen on his handsome face.
But Nawaki could clearly feel a trace of chill from the depths of the other party's overly calm eyes.
Oh no, this guy is definitely angry!
Nawaki swallowed the persuasion that was on the tip of his tongue, looked awkwardly at Dan Katō who consciously thought he had the victory in hand, and reminded dryly in a low voice, "Then Big Brother Dan... you... be careful."
His tone was sincere and his eyes were complicated, as if he had already foreseen the scene that would follow.
Dan Katō didn't notice Nawaki's reaction. At this moment, he was full of puzzlement.
Agreed!
He actually really agreed!
Eight years old fighting twenty-five years old. Is this kid so confident?
Thinking of this, a wave of annoyance at being looked down upon rushed to his heart, so he also raised the Seal of Confrontation with a cold face.
Dan Katō said to Nawaki and the other two, "You guys stand further away first."
No matter what, Minato was the legendary Wood Style genius after all. If they stood here, they might get caught in the crossfire.
On the other side, without Minato's reminder, Mikoto had already flickered to a tree canopy not far away.
"I won't hold back, Minato-kun."
As Dan Katō spoke, his figure disappeared abruptly, and appeared behind Minato in an instant.
After all, still just a child...
Looking at Minato's back, who seemed to have not reacted yet, Dan Katō scoffed in his heart, and the kunai in his hand moved towards Minato's neck.
It's over, kid!