Naruto: Paws and Whiskers

"Sensei, are you saying the Rasengan still has room for further development?"

Obito and Kakashi asked in unison.

As soon as the words left their mouths, they exchanged glances, then turned their heads in opposite directions, feigning disinterest.

"Of course. But to be honest, I haven't figured out how to advance it further. Over the years, all I've managed is to refine it in terms of quantity .i.e. size" Namikaze said, stretching out his hand, chakra gradually began to spin in his palm.

Obito seized the moment. The instant Minato formed the Rasengan, he activated his Sharingan. Though he only had one three-tomoe eye, its perception was far sharper than before.

"Amazing!"

He couldn't help but exclaim as he observed the Rasengan's inner workings.

At first glance, it appeared stable, but beneath the surface, chakra churned violently in chaotic rotations-a miniature typhoon compressed into a single point.

If that hit someone...

Whoo! That's terrifying.

"This is the standard Rasengan. I've reached this stage, but I haven't gone beyond it. That's why I consider it incomplete. The only recent improvement I've made is this."

Minato increased the chakra output.

In response, the Rasengan, unable to withstand the overwhelming surge of energy, expanded instead of compressing-swelling into a much larger sphere.

"The power increases, but so does the chakra consumption, meow!"

Takeshi remarked, raising his right paw. A moment later, a Rasengan even larger than the cat himself spun in his grasp.

The same effect.

"Wait, how do you know it too?!"

Obito exclaimed in surprise.

"Don't make a fuss."

Kakashi shot him a cold glance. "What, just because you have a Sharingan, you think you're the only one who can figure things out? Show-off."

"Because it's very simple, meow~"

"..."

As expected, this cat was here just to be infuriating.

For once more, Obito and Kakashi found themselves in complete agreement.

"Reaching this stage isn't particularly difficult. This Rasengan is just larger and more draining, and since my fighting style prioritizes speed, I rarely use it."

Minato allowed the chakra in his palm to dissipate.

For him, speed and efficiency took precedence. A Rasengan that took longer to form and drained more chakra wasn't practical-better to teleport in and end the fight with a kunai.

No point in wasting time in middle of combat where even milliseconds count.

And yet... it was exactly this line of thinking that left him with no way to counter the Nine-Tails.

Takeshi mused over this silently.

"Takeshi, earlier you mentioned a Wind Release fusion with Rasengan. Does that mean you already have an idea?"

Kakashi honed in on the key detail.

Takeshi had asked him before about Lightning Release, suggesting he integrate it with his swordsmanship to develop his own unique jutsu. That advice had given him tremendous inspiration.

Of course, not long after, Takeshi himself had picked up Ice Release...

A truly aggravating memory.

Kakashi sighed in exasperation as he waited for Takeshi's response.

"That's right, meow. Wind Release's nature transformation is all about cutting. So, what if we use Wind chakra to reshape the Rasengan into something like a shuriken?"

Takeshi declared with confidence "his own idea".

Minato had struggled to figure out how to integrate Wind Release with Rasengan. Besides, once he mastered the Flying Thunder God, he had shifted his focus toward refining his teleportation techniques, putting further Rasengan advancements on hold.

In general, Takeshi had too many techniques at his disposal. If, like Naruto, his strongest moves revolved solely around Rasengan and Taijutsu, then refining and improving Rasengan would be his only path forward.

"Shuriken? That's not a bad idea." Minato fell into thought.

Already a master of Rasengan and Wind Release, he immediately grasped Takeshi's suggestion and began considering ways to evolve the technique.

After a brief walk, he extended his hand, forming a Rasengan.

This Rasengan was different-it had four small, curved blades protruding from its edges.

"Did you complete it?" Obito asked, his eyes wide with amazement.

"It's just a variation, the power isn't much different, but it's a promising direction. Thanks, Takeshi." Minato smiled faintly.

"Meow~ We can exchange ideas more often."

Takeshi waved a paw nonchalantly. After all, the best way to harvest wool is to keep the sheep well-fed. If he could witness the birth of Rasenshuriken firsthand, maybe the system shop would even grant him a discount.

"Today's priority is training Obito and Kakashi, so let's put this idea on hold for now."

If not for his duty as a teacher, Minato would have already started experimenting. He wasn't an obsessive researcher, but the fact that he developed Rasengan proved his talent and enthusiasm for innovation.

Obito felt deeply moved.

Even now, his teacher still thought of him first. As expected, the bond between them was unshakable.

"Meow?" Takeshi tilted his head, confused.

No wonder they were up so early-they were heading out for training. Was it too late to sneak back and get more sleep? Obviously, yes.

Minato firmly pressed his hand against the cat's back, preventing any escape. As they left the camp, he continued, "Obito, do you want to focus on Taijutsu or Ninjutsu?"

"Can't I do both?" Obito asked hesitantly.

"Both? Hmm, not impossible. Taijutsu takes time, but your Sharingan can help you accelerate Ninjutsu mastery."

"You've unlocked the first gate Gate of Opening, right? You can still use Ninjutsu in the beginning, but once you push past a Third gate Gate of Life, it becomes impossible, meow." Takeshi raised his paw knowingly.

This was information from the system-beyond the third gate, the body's energy would grow too unstable, make chakra control impossible.

"First Gate… Third Gate? From the Eight Inner Gates?" Minato's expression darkened. "Obito, where did you learn that? Eight Inner Gates is a forbidden technique!"

The Eight Inner Gates were a known taboo. Tobirama had dabbled in researching them before, but the information had long since been sealed away.

Hmm… supposedly, this was even before he became Hokage.

"T-The Eight Inner Gates… Guy and Duy-san taught me." Obito's face turned pale.

'Forbidden technique? Was it really that dangerous? Duy-san and Guy never mentioned anything like that!'

"The Eight Inner Gates? Duy-san?" Minato was momentarily stunned. He was well aware of Might Duy, the man who had remained a Genin for over twenty years. But to think he had mastered such a forbidden technique...

"Meow~ My cat clan has similar techniques. Forget it, I'll take over and teach Obito."

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