Chương 79: Ambush

Nawaki's eyes filled with tears, unable to contain his emotion, "Chen, I... I don't know what to say. Thank you. Really, thank you so much."

The tears began to roll down his cheeks, taking Chen by surprise.

Chen felt discomfort and slight embarrassment seeing him in such a pitiful state. Trying to maintain composure, he responded, "Come on, Nawaki, control yourself. If you keep this up, I'm going to change my mind about teaching you."

The threat had an immediate effect. Nawaki, with eyes still moist, hurried to dry his tears with his jacket sleeve. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! See? Not a tear more. I'm ready to learn, seriously."

"Here you go," said Chen, "This is the Rasengan training scroll."

He knew his relationship with Nawaki went beyond being simple teammates. Not only did they share a bond of friendship, but Nawaki, as Tsunade's brother, was practically his brother-in-law.

While Nawaki unrolled the scroll with trembling hands. Although it wasn't classified among the most powerful S-rank jutsus, its true value lay in its versatility and potential for development. In the right hands, the Rasengan could evolve into a myriad of forms, each more powerful than the last.

"The Rasengan is like a seed," he explained. "What I'm giving you is the most basic form. How far you can develop it will depend entirely on you, on your creativity."

Nawaki nodded, however, the reality of their current situation quickly imposed itself. The cave didn't offer ideal conditions for the type of training that the Rasengan required.

Meanwhile, Minato, who had been observing the interaction between Chen and Nawaki from a corner of the cave, approached slowly. His body, still recovering from previous exhaustion, moved with some stiffness.

"Uh, Chen... I was wondering if..." he paused, as if searching for the right words. "Do you think you could teach me too? The Rasengan, I mean."

Looking at Minato with a barely perceptible expression of surprise crossing his face. For a moment, he seemed to consider the request in silence. In his mind, he remembered that in another timeline, this same Minato would be the one to develop the Rasengan. An almost imperceptible smile formed on his lips before responding:

"You know, Minato, I have a feeling this jutsu is somehow destined to be yours." Observing Minato's reaction. "The scroll is with Nawaki now, but why don't you make a copy for yourself?"

Minato's eyes lit up. Unable to contain his excitement, he bowed deeply in front of Chen, "Chen. Thank you! Really, thank you so much. I don't know how to repay you for this."

Making a dismissive gesture with his hand. "It's not a big deal, Minato. Something tells me you'll do great things with this technique. Consider it an investment for the future."

Minato nodded vigorously. He turned to Nawaki, who was watching curiously.

"Nawaki, do you mind if...?" Minato began.

Chen's decision to share the knowledge of the Rasengan with Minato was unexpected, even for Minato himself. He had anticipated rejection. However, Chen surprisingly accepted.

Although in another timeline Minato would be the creator of the Rasengan, he knew that future was still far away. The development of such a complex technique as the Rasengan, despite its apparent simplicity, would require years of research and practice if Minato had to create it from scratch.

By providing the training method, he was significantly accelerating Minato's progress, saving him years of trial and error.

After a day of rest and recovery, the reality of their situation reasserted itself. Shikaku proposed that it was time to depart. His suggestion to return to the village as soon as possible was met with unanimous agreement.

With renewed energy, the group prepared for the final stage of their journey.

The next three days were a constant challenge. However, the determination to reach home drove them forward.

Finally, on the third day, they crossed the border into the Land of Fire. The change in the landscape was subtle but unmistakable.

Recognizing the place, Shikaku let out a sigh of relief.

"Don't let your guard down so quickly. Crossing the Land of Fire border doesn't mean we're safe from the enemy," Chen said with a warning tone.

Even with relief on his face, Shikaku shook his head. "Come on, Chen, you're being too paranoid. We're in friendly territory now. No foreign ninja would dare follow us here."

"Oh, really?" Chen sketched an enigmatic smile. "What if I told you the enemy could also be from the Land of Fire?"

"Impossible!" Nawaki, with eyes wide open, "How could our own ninjas be the enemy?"

Shikaku, however, remained silent, his mind working quickly to process this possibility: "Chen has a point. We're still far from Konoha. We can't let our guard down until we're inside the village walls."

"Exactly," Chen nodded. "Let's get back to the village as soon as possible. That's where we'll really be safe."

Six days later, the group finally reached the main road leading to Konoha. The familiarity of the landscape brought a sense of relief to everyone, but it was short-lived.

Suddenly, Chen stopped abruptly, "Stop!"

Nawaki, surprised by Chen's abruptness, asked nervously: "What's wrong, Chen?"

"There's no need to keep moving forward. They're waiting for us."

"What?!" Exclaimed Shikaku.

As if on cue, a masked figure emerged from the shadows, "Well, well, kid. Your perception skill is impressive. You arrived earlier than I expected."

The Blood Eagle, accompanied by a group of masked ninjas, surrounded the group.

Nawaki and the others, with quick movements, pulled out their kunai.

"We're at the gates of Konoha. Are you really so arrogant as to attack us here? Or don't you care that the entire force of our village will fall upon you?" Shikaku calmly addressed the Blood Eagle.

Chen, however, maintained an unsettling calm. "Come on, Shikaku, don't waste your breath on these clowns. What can they really do? They're like dogs barking behind a fence."

The Blood Eagle, visibly irritated by Chen's defiant attitude, growled, "Insolent brat, you're playing with fire. You have no idea who you're messing with."

"Oh, I think I know perfectly well. You're a very loyal dog, aren't you? Too bad your master keeps you on such a short leash." Far from being intimidated, he sketched a provocative smile.

Despite his vast experience in dangerous missions and his familiarity with death, he found himself unable to maintain composure in the face of Chen's provocations.

The words of this ninja child had touched a sensitive nerve.

The Blood Eagle's fury manifested, his chakra bursting in a visible display of power and rage. With impressive speed, he launched himself at Chen, his killer intent palpable in the air. His goal was clear: to decapitate the insolent boy and appease his anger with blood.

Chen, in contrast to his opponent's unleashed fury, remained calm. Without even deigning to look directly at the Blood Eagle, he raised his fist with casualness. This gesture, apparently trivial, was loaded with confidence.

Chen's apparent lack of respect only served to further fuel the Blood Eagle's anger. The idea that a child barely ten years old would treat him with such disdain was more than his pride could bear.

In his mind, he was already savoring revenge: first he would break the boy's arm, then subject him to slow and painful torture.

Wrapping his own fist in chakra, he prepared to launch a devastating blow. Taijutsu was his specialty.

A cruel smile formed on his lips as he approached Chen.

The sound of impact resonated in the air, a dull roar that marked the clash between the Blood Eagle's massive fist and Chen's apparently fragile fist.

Boom!

Against all odds, Chen remained motionless, showing no signs of pain or effort. Instead, the Blood Eagle staggered backward, taking a dozen unsteady steps.

His arm now hung limp at his side, a painful tingling running from his knuckles to his shoulder.

"Well, at least you could withstand my blow. I guess you deserve to have your name written in my notebook." Chen flexed his fingers and slightly shook his arm.

An enigmatic smile formed on his face, "When I become the god of the World, perhaps future generations will remember you as someone who faced me."

These words, more than a simple provocation, were a humiliation.

Nawaki and the others looked at Chen with secondhand embarrassment. Although impressed by his power, the audacity of his statements seemed excessive to them.

Fighting against the pain, Blood Eagle let out a forced laugh. "Ha... ha... ha... I didn't know stupidity had no limits. God of the world? How absurd."

However, despite his disdain, a seed of doubt had been planted in his mind. The strength demonstrated by Chen was undeniable, and the potential it suggested was terrifying. In fear, he shouted to his subordinates:

"Attack all together! Kill this brat first. If we let him live, he'll become an unstoppable enemy in the future."

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