Naruto - Minato Namikaze SI

[Chapter Size: 2000 Words.]

Third Person POV

Konoha, Year 40.

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"We're parting ways, so…" Duy began to cry in the training area where Team 7 used to train.

Minato smiled faintly in front of him, a somewhat melancholic expression on his face. "Don't worry. This war won't last much longer… We'll be heading back to Konoha soon, and we'll meet there." He spoke during their small meeting. After all, today was the day they would return to the Western Border, everyone except for Duy.

The war had calmed down by now. There hadn't been any further attacks from the Cloud Village since the previous battle, and three months had passed since then. Minato was no longer taking on missions, dedicating all his time to training since the current situation allowed him to focus on it. He continued to develop his Armament Haki, while Duy had also started training with the Fifth Gate, though he was still far from mastering the technique.

"I'm a little sad about this, but I'm sure we'll meet again in the village like you said. I'll prove to you that I've gotten stronger!" Duy exclaimed.

"I'm sure you will, Duy. When we meet again in the village, we'll fight. I hope you're much stronger, maybe even with the Sixth Gate mastered," Minato replied.

"Yes, I'll do my best!" Duy confirmed.

"Great. Let's head back to the camp and get ready. We need to say goodbye to a few people and then go to the central camp, where Commander Sakumo is waiting for us," Minato said.

The girls, who had been silent during the conversation, nodded.

They couldn't deny that they, too, had grown significantly during this time. They had mastered various techniques of their non-natural elements over the course of the year-long training.

Hanabi had refined her mastery of the Wind element to the point where her arrows became incredibly destructive, creating craters up to 10 meters in diameter at the point of impact.

Meanwhile, Mikoto had learned an S-rank jutsu directly taught by Minato—the Kirin—a technique that her future son would also develop. Mikoto had already mastered the jutsu, making her power comparable to Sasuke's before he acquired his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, despite being only 14 years old.

As for Minato, he had taken his skills to a new level, managing to keep them active for much longer periods. However, he knew he still needed to improve further and planned to do so throughout the remainder of the war.

"Let's go. Everything's ready," Minato said once they were back at the camp, watching as the tents were taken down and everything was stored in scrolls. The girls had honed their skills in Fuinjutsu to handle this task, which wasn't Duy's strong suit—not that he needed it.

Thinking about the girls' development in Fuinjutsu made Minato reflect. He clenched his fist as he looked at his bare arm, adorned only with storage-seal bracers. Hidden Fuinjutsu markings were embedded in his skin, only visible when activated. Over the past year, he had mastered a chakra absorption technique he had developed himself.

Although it wasn't comparable to the Rinnegan's ability to absorb any jutsu, his technique was sufficient to drain some chakra from enemy ninjas upon contact. Additionally, he had modified the Hiraishin seal to accumulate chakra constantly, functioning like a parasitic siphon. Anyone marked by his teleportation seal would have their chakra gradually drained, allowing Minato to teleport to them, touch the seal, and absorb the stored chakra. There were flaws in the system, but he was working to improve it. To perfect it, he would need Naruto-level control, akin to when his son distributed Kurama's chakra across the entire ninja alliance. This was something he planned to experiment with later.

In the end, the three of them, along with Duy, headed to the main tent.

"So, you're leaving, Minato? It's a shame we won't have our hero around," some Jonin remarked as they saw him preparing to leave.

The news of Minato's departure had already spread, as his popularity had soared since his battle with the Raikage. After all, it wasn't every day that a 14-year-old ninja defeated a Kage and injured him severely, effectively ending an entire conflict.

The Cloud Village faced many problems because of this. In addition to having the Nibi sealed by a group of Fuinjutsu specialists, the Hachibi had been released after its Jinchuuriki's death shortly afterward. It was expected that the Raikage would handle the situation, but being gravely injured, he was out of commission. This left the Cloud ninjas to deal with the chaos.

It was said that the Hachibi confronted everyone in its path, crossing the Border and reaching the Land of Hot Springs, leaving destruction in its wake. After much effort and countless sacrifices, they managed to seal it again.

As for the Raikage, there was no news. Everything seemed quiet, but Minato knew he was gravely injured, trying to recover. Minato was certain the Raikage would seek revenge in the future, but there was nothing he could do about it for now. He had done his part, and with the Nibi in Konoha's hands, they would have to negotiate.

After the battle, Minato received a title for the first time. Due to his fight, with many witnesses claiming he glowed yellow, thinking he used the Raijin in the forest, he ended up being called the "Yellow Flash of Konoha." This nickname, already destined for him, soon spread.

Many considered that he had even surpassed Sakumo Hatake after that battle, being recognized as the strongest ninja on the Northern Border. This title boosted the morale of all the camps across all the Borders.

In this war, legendary names had emerged, such as Sakumo Hatake, the "White Fang"; Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru, the "Legendary Sannin"; and now Minato, the "Yellow Flash of Konoha." The latter could barely walk through the camp without being stopped by ninjas wanting to bid farewell.

Minato greeted everyone he could as he made his way to the command tent.

"Well, it's good to see you. A shame you're leaving... at least most of you," Commander Aburame murmured upon seeing them. Minato, Mikoto, and Hanabi were returning to the Western Border, but Duy would remain there. He would continue his training, as Konoha, observing his results and evolution, decided to keep him under direct supervision. The Hokage had taken great interest in Duy, planning to continue his personal training for the rest of the war and further develop the technique mentioned in the reports.

Minato believed that, with more than a year of practice, Duy could master even the Sixth Gate.

"Duty calls us to the Western Border, Commander," Minato said in a calm tone in response to Commander Aburame's comment.

"Yeah, I know. I heard that Jiraiya-sama is in the Land of Rain on a personal mission after being cleared by the Hokage," the Commander said. There was pressure coming from the northern border camp, as there was no other ninja as powerful as Jiraiya to lead them. Moreover, the village's own ninjas were pressuring the Hokage to bring Minato back.

It was strange for Minato, but it seemed they wanted him to take his sensei's place. Even so, he felt a bit lost with the idea. He wasn't sure if he was ready to lead an entire camp yet, especially since taking over an advanced post was nothing compared to an entire camp, which carried far greater responsibilities.

"I know what you're thinking, kid, but your presence alone greatly boosts the morale of the ninjas. I'm sure you'll do a great job on that border," Commander Aburame commented, seemingly reading the blond's thoughts. The Commander knew how young and promising Minato was. His potential exceeded that of any other ninja in Konoha, and everyone could see it.

"Thank you for the kind words, Commander," Minato said, while the Commander nodded and turned his attention to the two girls and Duy.

"Well, I have one more piece of good news for you all. You've all been recommended to become Jonin, and the village accepted due to your contributions," the Commander said, surprising everyone.

"Me too?" Duy couldn't help but be astonished, pointing to himself, almost unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Yes, your performance has been extraordinary in training, and you've defeated several enemy Jonin-level ninjas. You managed to go from a Genin to a Jonin in just one year since you started training. Your skills have been recognized by the Hokage himself, and it's time to acknowledge you as a high-ranking ninja of the village," the man explained as Duy began to tear up with emotion, something characteristic of him.

The conversations continued for a while, as the commander shared a few more pieces of information.

"Thank you for everything, Commander. I hope to see you in the village once the war is over," Minato commented with a small smile.

"Do you think I might die? I'll do my best to ensure that doesn't happen," the commander replied, offering a slight smile in return. "Anyway, I hope to see you in the village as well, Minato. Maybe we'll arrange a barbecue or something to celebrate the end of this war."

Minato nodded, and the three bid their farewells. Duy, as always, cried but maintained his determination and spoke with confidence as they parted ways.

With the goodbyes done, Minato and the two girls left the camp and advanced toward the main camp. Using the Hiraishin, they appeared near Sakumo's camp.

"You're finally here," Sakumo remarked, greeting them as soon as he learned of their arrival.

"Yes. Here are some reports sent by Commander Aburame, along with the Hokage's orders," Minato said, handing over the documents as Sakumo quickly skimmed through them before setting them aside.

"Very well. You're cleared to return to the Western Border. I hope to see you there soon," Sakumo commented.

The Hokage had decided to position Sakumo at the Southern Border to handle Suna, while Orochimaru would take command of the Northern Border. With the success of Tsunade's program, they had begun assigning leaders to study the strategies of medical ninjas embedded in each team.

"Thank you, Commander. I also hope to see you there," Minato replied.

"That's good, kid. Have you heard about my son?" the commander asked suddenly.

Minato shook his head. "No." But he already had an idea of what it might be.

"The boy asked for early graduation. He passed at just five years old. He's now acting as a Genin. He's doing very well, but without any missions in the war," he said, and Minato nodded.

"I see... And you're not very happy about it?" Minato asked.

"Of course not. But there's nothing I can do," the commander murmured, clearly displeased. It was evident that his son was walking a path he didn't approve of. Despite breaking academy records and wanting to grow quickly—even surpassing Sakumo himself—the boy was becoming practically an emotionless tool, following orders without question. Sakumo disliked the notion that ninjas were merely tools focused solely on the success of missions.

"I understand. Well, I'm sorry," Minato commented, shrugging lightly.

"Don't be. But I'll talk to him soon. And I'd very much like you to think again about what I asked of you a long time ago," he said, and Minato nodded.

"Anyway, you're dismissed. Good luck!" he said in conclusion.

After that, Minato, Hanabi, and Mikoto said their goodbyes. With Minato using the Raijin on the entire team, they teleported directly to the Western Border, using some seals maintained by the Western ninjas for Minato's return to the camp. With that, Minato and his companions moved forward to the final stage of the war.

Author's Note: Sakumo was placed at the Western Border with the intention of having him kill Sasori's parents, as it happened. Minato also finally received his title.

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