Naruto: Maelstrom Of The Uzumaki

"Quick! Inform the village—there's a large number of Iwa-nin crossing the border and heading toward the Land of Fire!"

At the start of October, the Iwa-nin troops stationed along the Fire Country's border for nearly a month finally began to move. Thousands of ninja seemed to have received their orders, advancing rapidly toward the Land of Fire.

Simultaneously, in the southeast, the Land of Water secretly dispatched its ninja forces, targeting the Land of Whirlpool, the Fire Country's closest ally.

BOOM! BOOM!

At noon, as the sun reached its zenith, its dazzling light illuminated the Uzumaki clan's dojo, where two figures clashed fiercely.

"Konoha Whirlwind!"

Raiden shouted dramatically as he executed a sweeping kick. Though it was an ordinary back kick, yelling the move's name seemed to energize him. For some reason, whenever Raiden sparred with Minato, he couldn't resist indulging in his dramatic flair, calling out every move like he was in a tournament.

"Ora! Ora! Ora!"

Despite his young age, Raiden's kicks packed a surprising amount of power, forcing Minato to block with both hands. Raiden capitalized on his momentum, following up with a flurry of punches while shouting enthusiastically.

Sitting to the side of the dojo, Kushina and Sarutobi Shinnosuke sipped tea, observing the sparring match with interest.

"This kid is incredible. He's already starting to suppress Minato," Shinnosuke muttered, cold sweat running down his face. This was the fifth time he'd watched Raiden practice taijutsu this month. As teammates, he, Minato, and Kushina often came to the Uzumaki residence when they weren't on missions to help train Raiden. Yet, Minato seemed more like a sparring partner than a mentor.

At first, Minato could easily control the flow of the fight. But with each sparring session, Raiden's skill improved dramatically. His strength and speed didn't change significantly, but the fluidity of his moves and his ability to counter Minato's techniques grew sharper. Raiden's strategies seemed tailored to dismantle Minato's style, forcing Minato to rely on his superior speed and strength to stay ahead.

In the middle of the dojo, Minato found an opening and landed a precise palm strike to Raiden's abdomen, immediately retreating to create distance. Despite the hit, Raiden had partially anticipated the move and minimized the impact by dodging.

"Let's take a break," Minato called out, raising his hand to pause the match.

"I'm not tired. Let's keep going," Raiden replied, his expression puzzled. As an Uzumaki, his stamina was exceptional, and sparring for hours barely fatigued him. He couldn't understand why Minato, a 12-year-old, seemed winded.

Minato wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I didn't sleep well last night, so I'm a bit off today."

"Sleep late? What were you doing?" Kushina asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing much, just working on a new jutsu," Minato replied casually, shooting a quick glance at Shinnosuke.

"Ah, already researching the Flying Thunder God?" Kushina asked, nodding in understanding.

Hearing this, Raiden's eyes lit up. If Minato was indeed studying the Flying Thunder God, Raiden knew he couldn't let this opportunity slip. He had memorized the technique's formula from the Scroll of Seals but struggled with its complexities. He'd hoped mastering Uzumaki sealing techniques would help, but the hurdles remained. Learning alongside Minato could be the breakthrough he needed.

However, with Shinnosuke present, Raiden refrained from bringing up the topic. He decided to wait for a better opportunity to discuss collaborating with Minato.

"Alright then, Brother Shinnosuke, could I trouble you to guide me in taijutsu?" Raiden asked, turning his attention to Shinnosuke. "As the son of the Third Hokage, your skills must be exceptional."

Shinnosuke hesitated. "Me? Minato's the expert here. I'm good, but I can't guarantee I won't hit you too hard."

"It's fine. Getting hit is part of training," Raiden replied nonchalantly, waving off Shinnosuke's concerns.

Seeing Raiden's determination, Shinnosuke finally agreed. As he stood, Minato whispered a quick warning: "Be careful. Raiden's stronger than he looks. Don't hold back."

Shinnosuke nodded, appreciating the advice. Facing Raiden, he felt an unexpected weight in the air. The boy exuded a presence far beyond his age, a result of experiencing battles and bloodshed.

"So, he really is different," Shinnosuke thought, his expression growing serious. "I can't underestimate him."

"Come on!" Shinnosuke shouted, both to alert Raiden and to pump himself up. The next second, the match began with an explosion of movement.

(End of Chapter)