Chapter 6: The Arrival of Minato Namikaze
Gōenji gritted his teeth and forced himself onward with the others.
The pain was still unbearable.
Every step sent a dull ache through his body, and he couldn't help wondering how much longer it would take for Konoha's reinforcements to arrive. At this point, he just wanted proper treatment and a few hours without feeling as though his entire body were being torn apart.
Even so, he didn't allow the pain to dull his vigilance.
His Sharingan continued scanning their surroundings for potential threats.
Inuzuka Gaku was the only sensory-type shinobi in their squad. If they were ambushed again, Gōenji couldn't afford to relax.
He had no idea how much more punishment his body could take.
Fortunately, his unusually powerful mind allowed him to divide his attention between several things at once. While watching for enemies, he also observed how the Konoha shinobi around him used the Body Flicker Technique.
The D-rank Body Flicker Technique was one of the basic techniques taught at the Ninja Academy. Almost every shinobi learned it.
Its principle was simple: chakra was used to enhance the body's physical movement, allowing the user to cover considerable distances in a short time.
In the hands of someone who understood how to use it properly, however, the technique could be surprisingly effective.
For someone who used it poorly, the increase in speed was much less impressive.
Gōenji naturally wasn't going to waste an opportunity to improve his own survival chances.
He carefully observed the way the other shinobi moved, paying particular attention to their footwork and the way they distributed chakra through their bodies.
The Sharingan was called the Copy Wheel Eye for a reason.
It could perceive chakra while its extraordinary dynamic vision allowed Gōenji to observe subtle movements in muscles and joints that ordinary people would never notice.
With his enhanced mind processing everything he saw, he quickly began understanding the principles behind the Body Flicker Technique.
Then he started adjusting his own technique.
The basic D-rank Body Flicker Technique was somewhat like stepping on a spring.
By manipulating chakra beneath the feet and releasing it in a controlled burst, a shinobi could propel themselves forward. The amount of acceleration depended largely on chakra control.
So that's how it works.
As his understanding deepened, Gōenji quickly realized how much more the technique could do.
By adjusting the amount and timing of chakra released through his feet, he found a rhythm that suited his own body.
Too much chakra would be wasteful.
Too little would disrupt his momentum.
The key was balance.
This D-rank technique is actually much more useful than the original story ever made it seem.
He had often thought back to the events of Naruto and realized just how different the real world was from the anime.
The Body Flicker Technique had barely received any detailed explanation in the original story. It was treated almost like a basic movement skill that everyone simply knew.
Only after using it himself did Gōenji realize how much there was to learn from it.
"Are you all right?"
Uchiha Tekka noticed Gōenji's strange movements.
"Why do you keep moving like that? Are your injuries worse than you thought?"
Gōenji shook his head.
"I'm fine. Just thinking about something."
Before Tekka could ask anything else, Gōenji suddenly turned his head.
"Someone's coming."
His Sharingan rotated slowly as he stared into the distance.
A figure was approaching at incredible speed, little more than a blur at first. But as his Sharingan tracked the movement, the figure gradually came into focus.
Blond hair.
Konoha forehead protector.
A familiar face.
Gōenji's eyes widened slightly.
"The Yellow Flash..."
"Minato Namikaze."
Minato had already become a legendary figure on the battlefield.
Even someone who had never read the original story would have recognized him by reputation alone.
But seeing him in person was another matter entirely.
That speed...
With his Sharingan's extraordinary dynamic vision, Gōenji could clearly track Minato's movements.
Even without using the Flying Thunder God Technique, Minato's movement speed was comparable to that of an ordinary shinobi using the Body Flicker Technique.
And that wasn't even his most terrifying ability.
As expected... Minato's strength isn't limited to the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The title of the Yellow Flash wasn't simply the result of his teleportation technique.
His Body Flicker Technique was also extraordinarily fast.
"Reinforcements!"
Someone shouted in relief.
The oppressive atmosphere that had weighed on the squad finally eased.
For the past several hours, every moment had carried the possibility of another attack from Kumogakure.
Only around twenty combat-capable shinobi remained.
They had already been pushed dangerously close to annihilation.
But now the Yellow Flash had arrived.
Everyone knew what that meant.
"Code."
Inuzuka Gaku immediately stepped forward.
Minato gave the appropriate code in response.
Only after confirming each other's identities did Gaku finally relax.
Behind him, Gōenji silently observed the exchange.
He had already memorized the chakra usage behind Minato's Body Flicker Technique.
So every shinobi village has its own identification codes.
The exchange was clearly part of Konoha's system for confirming the identities of personnel in the field.
If Gōenji himself had stepped forward and given the code, however, it wouldn't have carried the same credibility.
Inuzuka Gaku was the squad leader.
His identity was already established.
A transformed shinobi could easily imitate someone's appearance, but impersonating a trusted commander and passing every identification check was another matter entirely.
Minato looked over the battered group.
His expression gradually became more serious.
"What happened to all of you?"
The answer was already obvious from the number of wounded and missing shinobi.
They had suffered heavy losses.
Inuzuka Gaku shook his head.
"The enemy had our intelligence. We paid a heavy price during the engagement."
Minato frowned.
Kumogakure possessing information about their movements was clearly abnormal.
"We'll return to the rendezvous point first," Minato said. "Once the situation is stable, we'll discuss what happened with Kumogakure."
With Minato leading the way, the group began moving toward the designated rendezvous point.
With the Yellow Flash personally escorting them, the journey was considerably safer.
Before long, they reunited with the other Konoha forces and reached the new temporary camp.
Only after they had arrived did the surviving shinobi finally have time to breathe.
Uchiha Tekka stared at Minato for a long moment.
"So this is the Yellow Flash..."
Even an Uchiha couldn't help feeling a certain pressure when standing before someone with Minato's reputation.
Gōenji found his reaction amusing.
Minato's reputation really was extraordinary.
His strength was already comparable to that of Sakumo Hatake, the legendary White Fang.
There were even rumors that encountering the White Fang or the Yellow Flash was enough to make an enemy abandon a mission entirely.
Even legends such as Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha hadn't inspired the same kind of battlefield reputation during Gōenji's era.
Gōenji couldn't resist teasing his companion.
"Tekka, what are you mumbling about? You're an Uchiha, and you've awakened the Sharingan. Where's that pride of yours?"
He grinned.
"You should aim to surpass him. How about becoming the Uchiha's Yellow Flash?"
"..."
Tekka rolled his eyes.
"An Uchiha shouldn't become an idiot just because he's an Uchiha. Have some self-awareness."
"Does that mean you don't want to surpass him?"
"It's not that I don't want to."
Tekka's voice carried a hint of bitterness.
"I simply don't have the talent."
He glanced at Gōenji's Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
"Maybe you do. You've already awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan."
Deep down, however, Tekka didn't truly believe Gōenji could surpass Minato.
Not even with the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
At present, the Uchiha clan's strongest shinobi was Uchiha Fugaku, the famed Evil Eye.
Yet even Fugaku didn't possess a reputation that could make enemy shinobi abandon their missions simply by hearing his name.
Gōenji smiled.
"Three years."
Tekka frowned.
"What?"
"That's how long it took Minato to build the reputation he has today."
Gōenji glanced toward the blond shinobi in the distance.
"What do you think?"
He wasn't merely boasting.
His Sharingan had already allowed him to observe Minato's Body Flicker Technique in detail.
The inspiration alone was invaluable.
With that kind of talent and the ability to learn from the strongest shinobi around him, Gōenji refused to believe he couldn't eventually surpass Minato.
When the time came, he would make the world recognize the name Uchiha Gōenji.
As if sensing his gaze, Minato suddenly turned around.
The blond shinobi smiled at him.
For a brief moment, Gōenji felt as though he were looking at a small sun.
He stared back.
And, despite himself, a strange thought surfaced.