Chapter 44 Strength

Tanzaku Castle.

At the training ground,

Swish!

The fist and the kunai quickly approached Kazuki who after the initial surprise seemed to have calmed down, making a quick hand sign and water column rising from all his sides.

BOOM!

The fist and the kunai hit the water column and successfully penetrated through it but only to hit nothing after.

"Huh?"

"Jump Kushina!"

The red haired girl who had tried to punch kazuki was confused at this development but the yellow haired boy next to her seemed to have noticed something with in the water column and yelling.

Without having a second thought believing in the judgment of the yellow haired boy Kushina jumped high and next second the ground where she just stood burst and two hands appeared out.

"Got you!"

The yellow haired boy seeing the hands appearing out of the ground seemed to have spotted a opportunity.

SWISH!

At an incredible speed, leaving an afterimage the boy appeared next to hands and bend down to grab them.

"Got him!!"

Even the red haired girl still mid-air seeing the yellow haired boy about to get a hold of kazuki cheered with a look of joy on her beautiful face.

Poof!

But just at this moment the hands out of the ground burst into white smoke, the complexions of both the attackers changing.

Suiton: Suikusari no Jutsu {Water Chains Technique}

From the ground where the white smoke still lingered water shaped into numerous dense chains rushed out.

Swish!

Kushina who just landed back on the ground didn't even get the time to stabilize herself, the chains coiling around and bounding her in an instant.

Clink!

With no intent to give up despite being bound, Kushina began to mobilize chakra in her body as a yellow glow appeared around her but before she could fully launch whatever jutsu she was building, a kunai was placed on her neck.

Swish!

Minato moved around nimbly evading the water chains trying to bound him, also cutting those he couldn't avoid with the kunai attached with wind chakra in his hands.

Doton: Rikujou Douyou no Jutsu {Earth Release: Ground Shaking Technique}

But the skilled movements of Minato suddenly came to a halt as the ground began to tremble fiercely like a serious earth quake had hit suddenly, the other shinobi training on the huge ground also feeling the movements.

"I lost…"

Minato lost his balance immediately and before he could stabilize himself, a water chain coiled around and bound him instantly, Minato with a wry smile speaking out.

The water chains bounding Minato moved and lifted him up to bring him next to the bound Kushina.

"That really isn't a good way to greet someone."

Removing the kunai from the neck of Kushina, Kazuki spoke up in a funny tone with his eyes focused at the bound duo before him.

This duo before him really had a loose screw, as from academy days they have been pulling such attempts on him, always trying to best him.

"We almost had you!" Said Kushina in a sulking manner, frustration easy to spot on her face.

"Haha…you are strong as always, Kazuki-Kun."

Minato though seemed embarrassed and letting out a dry laugh praised Kazuki, an innocent look in his blue eyes.

…

Seeing one acting tough and the other embarrassed, Kazuki just shook his head with a speechless face and made a hand sign, removing the water chains that bound them.

Huh?

"What? You became a chunin!!!?"

Now free from the chains, Kushina's gaze fell on the jacket Kazuki was wearing and with yelled out with an unbelievable face.

She easily recognized the jacket officially for chunin, she couldn't believe kazuki who just graduated a month ago was already a chunin.

Both of them graduated a year earlier and were still genin.

"Although Jiraiya-sensei did mention a little about what happened at sand front but still…amazing."

Minato who was told a little about the deeds of Kazuki at sand front by Jiraiya still found it amazing, someone who just became a genin a month ago was now a chunin.

"Well~ a lot happened"

Said Kazuki with a forced smile on his face, whenever someone talked to him about getting promoted he had to act happy despite mad inside.

"Anyways, didn't you guys just got sent back to village a month ago? Back on the frontline so quickly."

Changing the topic from his promotion, Kazuki with a curious look inquire about their presence here, he particularly was curious about Kushina's presence here.

Although he knows Iwagakure has four tails and five tails but Kushina who couldn't even control nine tails chakra properly would be of not much use.

If she goes berserk it might even end up in hurting konoha, the plan backfiring.

Rather than Kushina, Third Hokage himself or Danzo who although a weaker but was still a kage rank shinobi could have been a lot more useful.

Naturally Minato and Kushina acting on orders came here and didn't have any details for Kazuki, none of them could have guessed what happened with Danzo which forced Sarutobi to take the risky move of sending Kushina.

Read chapters ahead on P@treon.com/Gojo6666.