The time had finally arrived for Team Minato's first C-rank mission briefing in the morning.
A C-rank mission—a task where injury was possible.
And also a task that might require ninja combat.
Early in the morning, the three little ones gathered at Konoha's main gate.
The gatekeeper was still a Hyuga, but this time, the trio didn't encounter any trouble.
They stood confidently in front of the village gate, waiting for Minato Namikaze's arrival.
"Strange, why's Minato-sensei so slow today?"
Uchiha Obito grumbled as usual.
"We're just too early."
Kakashi Hatake muttered beside him, sounding a bit down.
All three of them had dark circles under their eyes, the result of staying up all night.
Yuto Souta's safe return to the village and the story behind it had become the topic that kept the three of them talking through the night.
Though Yuto Souta leveraged his science nerd logic to craft a thrilling tale of "using a transformation technique to disguise himself as a rock, fooling the enemy, and sneaking away," Uchiha Obito clearly couldn't wrap his head around it.
Turn into a rock... and the Iwa ninjas didn't see it?
What kind of rock did you turn into? A pebble? Or some other stone?
How did you end up getting back to Konoha?
One question after another forced Yuto Souta to explain for the entire night.
They barely made it to dawn, planning to catch some sleep, when Uchiha Obito started showing off his Sharingan...
Left with no choice, Yuto Souta revealed his double-tomoe Sharingan, hoping it would shut Uchiha Obito up.
But that clearly backfired.
Uchiha Obito's face instantly filled with defiance, and even Kakashi Hatake's fighting spirit was ignited.
And so...
Three pairs of dark circles ended up standing in front of Konoha's gate.
Yuto Souta, though, was fine.
Staying up all night was a basic skill for a scientist.
And this mental exhaustion actually had its benefits for him... at least he didn't have to worry about those nagging troubles.
It was the perfect chance to refine the development of Hydrogen Release and Wood Release.
"Kakashi, give me an Earth Flow Wall—don't make it too tall, just desk height."
Yuto Souta pointed to an empty spot and said slowly.
"What are you up to?" Kakashi Hatake was puzzled but still formed the hand signs.
"Earth Release! Earth Flow Wall!"
A stone table only half a meter high appeared.
Yuto Souta silently walked over, pulled a small notebook from his ninja pouch, and started scribbling furiously.
Kakashi Hatake and Uchiha Obito exchanged a glance, tacitly giving him space.
That familiar feeling...
It had been a while since they last saw this guy ignore everything and just write.
Yuto Souta's behavior was something they'd long grown used to.
Whether eating, training, or even in the middle of a fight, this guy would start writing whenever he felt like it and stop just as abruptly.
And the stuff he wrote was bizarre... They'd tried sneaking a peek before, but they couldn't make heads or tails of it.
Those weird symbols—were they chakra flow patterns?
Or maybe theories for developing those oddball ninjutsu?
No idea. Couldn't understand.
The two quietly stepped away from Yuto Souta, careful not to disturb his groove, but their gazes landed on the Hyuga guarding the gate.
Kakashi Hatake rested his hand on the short sword strapped to his back, pulling it out slightly, his cold eyes fixed on the Hyuga gatekeeper.
Uchiha Obito was even more straightforward.
His Sharingan flared, his panda-like eyes glowing red, darting back and forth between the Hyuga's arms...
Dare to peek, and I'll dare to beat you!
Time ticked by, second by second.
It was nearly time for Team Minato's scheduled meeting.
Yet today, Minato Namikaze was unusually late, so the three of them just kept standing at Konoha's gate.
Yuto Souta's thoughts grew sharper.
This state was often a sign of an impending major breakthrough.
The Kannabi Bridge mission had given him more gains than he could count...
Earth Release, Hydrogen Release, Wood Release, double-tomoe Sharingan, and a slew of temporary bug-exploiting skills.
When given enough time and the right mindset to integrate all these things, a theoretical breakthrough was practically inevitable.
[Hydrogen Release Development—Guided Long-Range Bombardment and Theoretical Framework for Precision Detonation.]
[Switching ninjutsu forms—using Fire Release: Flame Dragon Ray's structure to create a guided Hydrogen Release cannon. Is it feasible?]
[Using Earth Release as a base to create an environment, completing the Hydrogen Release reaction underground—can Earth Release ninjutsu carry and transport Hydrogen Release chakra?]
[Excluding the Fire Release chakra needed to ignite the hydrogen, can hydrogen be carried by Water Dragon Nitrogen?]
[Mixing Hydrogen Release and Earth Release chakra at a 9:1 ratio—can high temperature and pressure alter carbon molecule forms?]
[Is converting Wood Release into Diamond Release viable?]
The pen moved faster and faster.
The boy's gaze grew increasingly intense!
Among the many theories, beyond practicality, Yuto Souta also spotted another possibility.
Another... way to maximize bug exploitation!
Hydrogen Release required Lightning Release, Water Release, and Fire Release chakra all at once.
It was essentially three ninjutsu, earning three boosts from the ninjutsu master perk.
But... if he combined Hydrogen Release with Wood Release, using its high-pressure and high-temperature principles to compress carbon molecules and transform Wood Release into Diamond Release,
He'd start with four boosts!
Yuto Souta suddenly felt a surge of excitement...
Four boosts, each at 1.6x... that's a 6.4x amplification!
A 6.4x amplified 998 Diamond Buddha Hands?
World peace was one step closer...
The scientist kept scribbling furiously.
And Minato Namikaze finally arrived, fashionably late.
His face still bore that sunny smile, though it turned a bit helpless when he saw the state of his three students.
"Uh... sorry, I'm late."
"How about we gather up first?"
"I've got good news and bad news—which do you want to hear first?"
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