Early the next morning, in the northwest training area of Konoha Village—specifically, Training Ground Number Six.

A silver-haired young man with a calm, composed demeanor walked steadily ahead. It was none other than Hatake Kyūjō. Right behind him followed a slightly shorter blond youth, his steps slightly uncertain.

That blond boy was Namikaze Minato.

Minato had been feeling puzzled ever since Kyūjō had shown up out of nowhere at the crack of dawn, barely explaining anything before dragging him all the way out here. And now, standing in the middle of the empty training field, that confusion only deepened.

“Kyūjō, what’s going on?” Minato finally asked, staring at his friend’s back as they came to a halt.

Kyūjō turned around with a faint smile. “Nothing bad. Actually, it’s good news.”

He didn’t beat around the bush and continued straight to the point, “Jiraiya-sensei is back in the village. He asked me to bring you here. He should be arriving any moment now.”

Kyūjō patted Minato on the shoulder and grinned. “By the way, I heard you and Kushina are officially dating now. Haha, congrats, Minato.”

Hearing that, Minato’s cheeks flushed pink. He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, flashing a sheepish smile.

“I should be congratulating you instead. You got promoted to jōnin before me,” Minato replied with a chuckle, half-teasing.

Kyūjō shook his head slowly. “You don’t need to worry about that, Minato. I know your abilities better than anyone. You’re just as capable as any jōnin in the village. The only reason you haven’t been promoted yet is because the Third Hokage hasn’t found the right timing.”

He paused, then added, “But from what I’ve heard, the elders are planning to recognize your years of dedication to the village. They’re thinking of giving you access to one of the techniques from the Scroll of Seals.”

His piercing blue eyes, laced with traces of lightning, held a deep and meaningful gaze.

“The Scroll of Seals… that’s not something just anyone gets to read, Minato. Don’t waste the opportunity.”

One of the techniques stored within that scroll—Flying Thunder God Technique, an S-rank space-time ninjutsu—would one day become the key that propelled Namikaze Minato, a civilian-born genius, to the very peak of the shinobi world as the Fourth Hokage.

This was the beginning of the legend known across the world as the Yellow Flash of Konoha.

Minato… I will change your fate. Including Kushina’s… and Naruto’s.

— — —

Hearing that news, Minato nodded silently, a soft smile playing on his lips.

Truth be told, the Third Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen—had already mentioned something about it in passing. Maybe to ease his doubts.

After all, he and Kyūjō had been teammates for a long time, and they’d completed almost the same number of missions together. So why was Kyūjō already a jōnin, while he was still a chūnin?

But Minato had never cared much about titles. Whether chūnin or jōnin, he’d give his all for the village just the same.

Still… the chance to study a technique from the Scroll of Seals was undeniably exciting. As someone from a civilian background, Minato didn’t have any clan-exclusive jutsu like those from the major families.

The Nara had their shadow techniques. The Yamanaka had mind arts. The Akimichi had their body-expansion secrets.

And his own teammate, Hatake Kyūjō, hailed from the renowned Hatake clan.

The Hatake’s sword style wasn’t something just anyone could learn. The name of the White Fang of Konoha had already echoed throughout the shinobi world.

While the White Fang’s reputation wasn’t solely because of their sword techniques, there was no doubt that their unique jutsu played a big role.

In the world of shinobi, power wasn’t just about talent or effort—it also depended on whether you inherited a signature technique or not.

That’s why choosing the right jutsu from the Scroll of Seals was a decision not to take lightly.

Minato, a civilian-born ninja, felt unsure. But thankfully, he had a trusted friend from a noble clan to ask for advice.

He turned to Kyūjō, expression serious. “Kyūjō, what kind of jutsu do you think I should choose?”

Without hesitation, Kyūjō answered firmly, “The Flying Thunder God Technique.”

Minato blinked, a bit caught off guard. Kyūjō continued.

“It’s a space-time ninjutsu created by Lord Tobirama, the Second Hokage. It’s incredibly difficult to master… but its power and potential are phenomenal.”

“Minato, I believe you can handle it. If you trust me, then choose that jutsu. You won’t regret it.”

Minato nodded slowly. In his eyes, there was a flicker of determination.

If it was Kyūjō who said so—then that was enough for him.

He, Namikaze Minato, would always trust Hatake Kyūjō.

— — —

As the two continued talking, the sound of sluggish footsteps approached them, accompanied by a long yawn. A white-haired man with wild hair, reeking of sake, shuffled into view.

“Yaaawn… Minato, it’s been a while. You guys are way too early…” Jiraiya grumbled, yawning again. The smell of alcohol practically followed him like a cloud.

Kyūjō’s sharp sense of smell twitched in discomfort. With a flick of his fingers, he formed a single hand seal.

A burst of wind surged from behind him, instantly slamming into Jiraiya’s body.

The gust nearly twisted Jiraiya’s face sideways. He stumbled, eyes wide. “Wha—?! Hey! What the hell, Kyūjō?! I was just a bit late! Why’d you hit me with a Wind Release?!”

Kyūjō let out a helpless sigh. “Let me guess. You were drinking with Tsunade again last night, weren’t you?”

“Jiraiya-sensei… do you really think playing dice and getting drunk with Tsunade will win her over? Wooing that woman isn’t that easy!”

“Eh… then how do I— Wait! That’s not important right now!” Jiraiya quickly shook his head. “Let’s change the subject! I’m here to teach you guys something amazing!”

He puffed out his chest proudly. “A super advanced technique that only I, Jiraiya the Legendary Sannin, can teach! Hahahaha!”

Watching his teacher act like a clown, Kyūjō could only shake his head wearily. At this rate, even with Kato Dan still out of the picture, did this guy really stand a chance with Tsunade?

— — —

“I’m going to teach you something called Sage Mode!”

“But first… Kyūjō, Minato. Do you know how Chakra is formed in the body?”

Without waiting for their answer, Jiraiya continued, “You were probably taught in the academy that Chakra is made by mixing spiritual and physical energy.”

“But here’s something most people don’t know—besides those two, there’s a third energy. It’s called Natural Energy.”

“Normally, Chakra is made of 99% internal energy—your body and spirit—and just 1% Natural Energy. But without that 1%, your Chakra won’t be stable.”

“Natural Energy comes from outside the body. It exists everywhere in the shinobi world. You can’t see it or sense it normally. Its concentration differs depending on the location.”

“That’s why most shinobi can’t detect it. And the core of Sage Mode training is balancing all three energies in a perfect 1:1:1 ratio.”

“That creates a new kind of Chakra: Senjutsu Chakra!”

“But here’s the catch—training in Sage Mode is extremely dangerous. If you fail to balance the energies, the Natural Energy will take over your body. If your will and body aren’t strong enough, you’ll be… turned to stone.”

“Kyūjō. Minato. Do you still want to proceed? If so, I’ll take you to a very special place.”

Jiraiya looked at them seriously. If either of them hesitated, he wouldn’t let them continue.

Training in Sage Mode wasn’t for the faint of heart. If you weren’t ready to risk death, you had no business even trying.

But neither Kyūjō nor Minato flinched.

Both nodded firmly, eyes burning with resolve.

Jiraiya said nothing more. He bit his thumb, drawing blood to prepare the Summoning Technique.

Thick smoke exploded around them—and in the next moment, a towering red toad, pipe in mouth and giant blade at his side, loomed over the training field.

Jiraiya pointed. “Relax. This is my partner, Gamabunta. He’s from one of the Three Great Holy Lands—Mount Myōboku. That’s where we’re headed.”

“Like I said, Natural Energy levels vary across regions. At Mount Myōboku, it’s dense. You’ll be able to absorb it and train to master the Senjutsu Chakra the toads use.”

— — —

As Gamabunta stood imposingly before them, Kyūjō smiled faintly.

Mount Myōboku, huh…

He couldn’t help but wonder—would the Great Toad Sage be able to read his power?

This would be his first encounter with one of this world’s most ancient and mysterious beings.

The Great Toad Sage, true name Gama Maru, was a wise and ancient creature who had lived for over a thousand years—since the era when Kaguya Ōtsutsuki still walked the Earth.

As the founder of Mount Myōboku, he resided in a hidden temple deep within the sacred land of the toads. Revered by all the inhabitants, he bore the title of Great Toad Sage, symbolizing his unparalleled wisdom and power.

According to shinobi history, he possessed not only astonishing clairvoyance, but also mastered Senjutsu, wielding power said to rival even the Sage of Six Paths himself.

In his youth, he had fought beside Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, the first human to ever bear that title. During the monumental battle to seal away Kaguya, he had joined forces with Hagoromo and Hamura, helping them in their long war that ended with her being imprisoned on the moon.

Since then, for thousands of years, Gama Maru had remained friendly toward humans who sought training at Mount Myōboku.

He’d dispatched his trusted disciples, Fukasaku and Shima, to evaluate worthy candidates—and guided those who passed his trials, teaching them how to master Sage Mode.

Furthermore, those deemed worthy could form summoning contracts with the inhabitants of Mount Myōboku—via the Summoning Jutsu: Toad Contract.

Of course, learning Sage Mode came with risks.

Failure meant being turned into stone—not just any stone, but one shaped like a frog. A side effect of failing to adapt the human body to pure Natural Energy.

Even those who succeeded often showed physical traits of transformation—changes in skin tone, eyes, or body structure, mimicking toads.

The less control you had, the more drastic the changes. After all, this power wasn’t meant for humans in the first place—it was originally designed for toads alone.

So using a human body to wield it was, at its core, an unnatural act.

But… what other choice did they have?

— — —

“Kyūjō. Minato. Don’t resist,” Jiraiya said calmly.

“We’re heading to Mount Myōboku.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he signaled to the red giant behind him.

Gamabunta extended his long tongue, instantly wrapping it around all three of them—Jiraiya, Hatake Kyūjō, and Namikaze Minato.

In the next moment, the massive toad’s body began to fade.

And just like that—they vanished from the surface of Konoha… as if swallowed by the air itself.

The teleportation to Mount Myōboku had begun.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

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