The Valley of the End stretched before Renjiro like a canvas of legend; the towering statues of Madara and Hashirama stood on opposite sides of the raging river, their stone faces frozen in eternal conflict. He remained within the fully manifested Armoured Susanoo, his mind still processing everything he had learned; the Naginata of the Wicked, the Great Aegis of Dominion, the ability to consume natural energy, and the immense sensory network that the shield provided. He had tested the individual systems, understood their capabilities, and begun to imagine how they could be integrated into a coherent battlefield strategy. But now, as the silence of the valley settled around him, he began to think about what it all meant.
If I can protect nations, win wars, build armies, see everything, and fight like this, he thought, his internal voice carrying the weight of his reflection, how much do I truly need other shinobi anymore?
He did not have an answer, but the question lingered, pressing against his consciousness like a physical weight. He had become something more than a shinobi; he had become a force of nature, a living god of war. The Susanoo was not just a weapon; it was a revolution in military doctrine, a command center that could see everything, feel everything, and redirect power to where it was needed most. He could protect nations, win wars, and build armies without ever leaving his position. The implications were staggering.
Then his EMS detected an extremely familiar chakra signature approaching at incredible speed. Before he even turned, he smiled.
Only one person moves like that.
The Fourth Hokage appeared on a cliff overlooking the Susanoo, his yellow hair catching the fading light, his blue eyes fixed on the enormous construct. There was no fear in his gaze, only admiration, the particular appreciation of someone who understood the magnitude of what he was witnessing. He stood calmly, his hands in his pockets, his posture relaxed, as if he had simply stepped out for an evening stroll.
"So… you finally obtained it," Minato said, his voice carrying across the distance with the particular clarity of someone who had no need to shout.
"That explains the chakra I felt."
Renjiro's voice emerged from the Susanoo, calm and composed.
"Did Kushina tell you?"
Minato laughed, shaking his head.
"She never told me. I felt the massive chakra construct from an enormous distance. The chakra was impossible to ignore. I simply followed the biggest chakra signature in the Land of Fire."
Renjiro's eyes widened slightly; internal realisation struck him like a physical blow.
The Susanoo broadcasts chakra. Every competent sensor could potentially notice this. The construct isn't subtle. If enemy villages had elite sensors, my location would become obvious.
Without another word, he dismissed the Susanoo. The enormous emerald construct dissolved into chakra, its massive form fading into nothing, leaving only the man standing at the centre of the valley. Silence returned, broken only by the distant roar of the waterfalls.
Minato descended from the cliff, landing a few meters away. He studied Renjiro with the particular intensity of someone who had seen many impossible things and was not about to be surprised by another.
"Seeing it from close range," Minato said, his voice carrying the weight of his observation, "it is vastly stronger than the incomplete Susanoo you used against Kushina during your spar a while ago. The pressure alone is incomparable. Its chakra quality feels completely different."
Renjiro nodded slowly, no bragging, just acknowledgement.
"It is different," he said. "The EMS changed everything."
Minato smiled and then delivered an unexpected proposal.
"Care for a spar?"
Renjiro blinked, his expression shifting from surprise to curiosity.
"A spar?"
"Not a duel," Minato clarified. "Not a serious fight. I want to see your EMS perception and reactions. I want to see how they compare against the Flying Thunder God."
Renjiro sighed internally; the particular resignation of someone who had become the one being dragged into experiments.
So this is how Kushina felt every time I challenged her, he thought, his internal voice dry with amusement.
"I'd like to," Renjiro said, "but the Valley of the End is famous, visible, and relatively close to civilisation. A battle here could attract unwanted observers, especially after the Susanoo display."
Minato nodded, his expression thoughtful.
"I understand."
He walked over and placed one hand on Renjiro's shoulder. The Flying Thunder God activated; instant teleportation.
The world dissolved; space folded, time compressed, and reality snapped into a new configuration. Renjiro briefly lost orientation, his senses struggling to adapt to the sudden shift. Then the world snapped into existence; a different landscape, remote, massive, and empty. No villages, no people, no witnesses.
Renjiro asked, his voice carrying the weight of his disorientation.
"Where are we?"
Minato's answer came with a smile.
"Somewhere we won't bother anyone."
Renjiro smirked, his expression carrying the particular warmth of someone who was about to enjoy himself.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?"
Minato laughed, the sound carrying the weight of genuine amusement.
"After the war, Hokage paperwork, administration, and politics, I have accumulated a great deal of frustration. A good spar sounds refreshing."
Renjiro's smile widened.
"Then I won't make it easy for the Hokage."
His EMS activated; the sigils spun, emerald glow illuminated his eyes, and calm activation followed with no pain. He felt the familiar surge of power, the connection to his new eyes, the integration of his chakra network.
Minato immediately became serious; his posture shifted, his hands moved to his kunai pouch, his blue eyes sharpened with focus.
Renjiro manifested the Susanoo for the second time; the process was faster now, smoother, almost instinctive. Emerald chakra erupted from his body, forming the skeleton, muscles, helmet, Naginata, and Shield in a seamless sequence. The construct took shape in moments, its obsidian armour gleaming with emerald veins, its helmet crest bearing the Uzumaki-Sharingan rotational sigil. It felt practised after only one prior manifestation.
Minato looked upward, his expression shifting from seriousness to something like helpless amusement.
"What a troublesome ability," he said, his voice carrying the weight of his observation. "You're making this difficult already."
He immediately started thinking tactically; readers could see the calculations running behind his eyes, the strategic mind that had made him legendary.
Renjiro laughed, his voice emerging from the Susanoo. He could not sense anyone close and wondered where the hell Minato had teleported them to.
How does the Flying Thunder God solve this? he thought, his internal voice analytical. The Susanoo is enormous, armoured, nearly impenetrable, and carries an absolute shield. I genuinely want to see Minato's answer. Since this is basically the first time he's had to face it.
Without warning, Minato disappeared. No dramatic buildup, no attack, simply gone. Renjiro's EMS began searching, his perception extending in every direction, scanning for any trace of the Hokage's chakra signature.
Nothing.
Then a voice spoke from beside him.
"Maybe this works."
Minato was standing inside the Susanoo, right beside Renjiro. The Flying Thunder God had bypassed the Susanoo entirely by teleporting directly into its interior.
Renjiro's internal reaction was immediate, sharp.
Impossible. He bypassed the armour, the chakra shell, and every defensive layer. I should have remembered he marked me.
Before he could counter, Minato placed one hand on Renjiro's shoulder. Flying Thunder God activated; another flash, another instant teleportation.
Renjiro found himself outside the Susanoo. His god-like armour still stood, its obsidian plates gleaming in the fading light, its emerald veins pulsing with power. But he was no longer inside it. The Susanoo was now an empty shell, its creator standing outside, staring at his own creation with shock.
He stared, his expression carrying the weight of his surprise.
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