In front of the cracked giant rock, the three surrounded the Sand ninja.
"Cough, cough... I didn't expect... that one day I would be defeated by... you... brats," he said disjointedly.
His upper garment had vanished, and there was a large, gaping hole in his abdomen. His internal organs were already a pulpy mess. In this condition, even if Tsunade herself were present, it would be difficult to save him.
Nawaki and Minato, seeing this scene, let out a long sigh of relief and then softly slid to the ground, their energy spent.
Kyuushin, however, took out a kunai and, with a swift motion, stabbed it directly into the Sand ninja's heart. Only after confirming he had breathed his last did Kyuushin, like his teammates, deactivate his Gene Lock and completely relax.
"You two," he said, his voice trembling slightly from the strain, "remember this. Never relax when an enemy ninja hasn't taken their last breath. Understand?" Although the time wasn't long, pushing the Gene Lock to its limit had left him with some after-effects. Kyuushin constantly reminded himself to be cautious. If he lost his life due to carelessness, he couldn't guarantee he would have another chance.
Nawaki and Minato both felt a bit embarrassed after hearing Kyuushin's words.
"Sorry, Kyuushin, I was careless. I won't make that mistake again," Minato said earnestly. Nawaki, beside him, also nodded repeatedly in agreement.
"Indeed, you two have such potential. You haven't disappointed me."
Suddenly, a slightly hoarse voice came from above the giant rock. They quickly looked up.
"Orochimaru-sensei? Why are you here?" Nawaki asked, surprised.
Orochimaru leaped down from the rock and walked over to them, checking their bodies as he spoke. "Think with your brain. I'm your squad's Jonin. When you go on missions, how could I not follow? I have no desire to experience Tsunade's fist."
"So, even if we really couldn't defeat that Sand ninja, you would have saved us, right?" Nawaki said, a look of dawning realization on his face.
"Heh heh." Orochimaru chuckled but said nothing more. After checking their injuries, he said, "None of your injuries are very serious. Only Nawaki has two hairline fractures. Since that's the case, you can make your own way back to Konoha." After speaking, he used the Body Flicker Technique and instantly disappeared.
"Hey—Sensei!" Nawaki still wanted to say something, but it was already too late.
"Phew! Orochimaru-sensei really comes and goes in a hurry," Kyuushin said helplessly, and Minato beside him also nodded.
After resting for a while, the three gradually recovered their strength. They first sealed the Sand ninja's body into a storage scroll, then went to retrieve the mission objective they had hidden earlier. After that, the three slowly made their way back to Konoha.
On the way, Nawaki asked Kyuushin curiously, "When did you practice such an advanced ninjutsu? I don't think I've ever seen it before."
After using the Rasengan, Kyuushin no longer intended to hide it. "I named this jutsu the Rasengan," he said. "The reason you haven't seen it is because I invented it, but I haven't mastered it very well yet, so I haven't told you."
"Ah?" Nawaki was instantly dumbfounded. Minato, beside him, also looked surprised.
"Inventing a ninjutsu at nine years old... I've never heard of such a thing. Kyuushin, you really are a genius," Minato said.
However, Kyuushin felt a bit guilty hearing Minato's praise. He couldn't very well say, "This is your future ninjutsu that I plagiarized," could he?
The Rasengan, for a speed-type ninja like Minato, was undoubtedly a huge enhancement.
"This jutsu is quite difficult to learn, but I've thought of some simplified steps. When we return to the village, I can teach you," Kyuushin told them. A mere Rasengan was actually nothing. Teaching it to Nawaki and Minato would strengthen their abilities, which indirectly strengthened the entire squad. If they encountered a Jonin again, it wouldn't be as difficult as it was today.
"Really? Kyuushin, can we learn it too?" Nawaki recovered from his surprise and said excitedly.
Kyuushin nodded. "Of course. In terms of learning difficulty, this jutsu is roughly A-rank and requires extremely high chakra control. However, with the steps I give you, the learning difficulty will be greatly reduced."
"Kyuushin, this is too precious, I..." Minato said with a troubled expression.
Kyuushin naturally knew Minato's thoughts and directly said, "Don't decline, Minato. Your increased strength is also good for me. What's more, this ninjutsu is more suitable for you to use than for me."
"That's right, Minato, don't decline," Nawaki also chimed in.
Minato still looked conflicted. As a commoner, he knew all too well what a high-level ninjutsu meant, but his conscience wouldn't allow him to gain something without effort. As a descendant of the Senju clan, Nawaki had no shortage of resources. Only he had nothing to offer in return. But after a moment, he still made up his mind and said sincerely to Kyuushin, "From this day forward, my strength is yours."
"Don't be so serious, Minato," Kyuushin said, patting his shoulder. "Actually, this ninjutsu isn't complete yet. It's currently only a change in shape. If Nature Transformation could be incorporated, it might even grow into an S-rank ninjutsu. Among the three of us, you are currently the strongest in Nature Transformation. When the time comes, you can perfect this jutsu and then teach it to me."
"Mmm, I definitely will," Minato said firmly.
"But why do you say this jutsu is more suitable for Minato?" Nawaki asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Firstly, it's a hand seal-less ninjutsu," Kyuushin explained. "And Minato is the fastest among us. Think about it, if he had known this jutsu just now, combined with his Wind Release acceleration, that battle might have ended much sooner."
"That's true, hahaha." Nawaki scratched his head and laughed.
*Flying Thunder God combined with Rasengan, high mobility plus high lethality,* Kyuushin thought. *The Rock ninja who encountered him would directly abandon their missions. How could he have earned the title of "Yellow Flash" if he were an ordinary ninja?*
Now that he had the Rasengan, Kyuushin wondered if Minato would have the aptitude to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique when the time came.
Walking and chatting, they soon returned to Konoha as evening approached.