Naruto: Aizen's Shadow in Konoha

"You're incredibly strong, truly impressive!" Minato praised his nameless opponent.

Among his peers, excluding Senju Nawaki and Uchiha Fugaku, you were the third-worthy opponent. Most importantly, you were the first to genuinely pressure me across all combat aspects. Your taijutsu prowess, ninjutsu mastery, and jutsu release timing were all flawless! Like a perfectly balanced hexagon warrior, excelling in every area.

While nicknamed "Little Sun" for his cheerful demeanor at the academy, Minato wasn't without his own share of genius-level pride. Until now, he hadn't fully acknowledged Aizen.

"May I know your name? Someone with your strength shouldn't be unknown," Minato inquired, curious.

It was rather awkward that he still didn't know the name of the person he was fighting.

"Aizen, from Class C," Aizen replied simply.

In each grade at the ninja academy, Class A was considered the elite class, with the others being regular classes. While called "elite," not all talented students made it in.

The original Aizen, before the soul transmigration, definitely possessed the skills to be in the elite class. However, there was a factor called "connections."

Elite classes boasted the best teachers, learning resources, and instructors post-graduation, attracting many children of ninja nobility. As a result, these classes became entangled in social politics.

In fact, even Konohagakure's leadership, with the esteemed Sarutobi Hiruzen as the honorary academy headmaster, was well aware of this unspoken issue.

But there's no easy solution. Almost all of Konoha's elites hail from noble families. Especially at this time, the Hokage lineage hasn't fully solidified its power. Offending them now would likely force Sarutobi Hiruzen's hand.

Minato could enter Class A mainly because his reputation as the top student was too dazzling to ignore. The elite class simply wouldn't live up to its name without him!

"Class C... Aizen?!" Minato carefully recalled the name, muttering under his breath.

"I'll remember that name!" After a moment, Minato declared solemnly.

"Really? That's an honor," Aizen said with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"But..." Aizen suddenly turned, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Since the water from Water Rush has almost receded, are you ready to resume?"

As they spoke, the vast amount of water Aizen had manipulated had gradually dispersed. Now, both Minato and Aizen stood back on solid ground.

Minato's smile faltered slightly, replaced by a sheepish grin. After their previous fight, he recognized Aizen's mastery of Water Style jutsu, particularly the disadvantageous watery environment created by Water Rush for a speed-based ninja like him.

On one hand, he genuinely wanted to know Aizen's name during their conversation, and on the other, he also aimed to stall for time, rendering the large-scale Water Rush attack ineffective.

"No denying it, Aizen," Minato admitted with a wry smile. "Your strength is undeniable. In a Water Style environment like before, defeating you is practically impossible for me."

The intense chakra drain from controlling the water shockwave nearly depleted a third of his reserves. The following taijutsu battle with Aizen further ate into his chakra, leaving him with less than half remaining.

In truth, Aizen's chakra reserves weren't much better. Both Water Barrier and Water Rush were large-scale jutsu that devoured a significant amount of chakra.

However, his exceptional physical condition allowed for rapid chakra recovery and minimal chakra expenditure during physical combat. This enabled him to fight Minato despite having genin-level chakra reserves at that moment.

From his perception, Minato's chakra was already dangerously low, bordering on genin levels.

"Let's settle this quickly. Dragging it out will only lead to a war of attrition, beneficial to neither of us," Aizen stated with a narrowed gaze.

"Agreed!" Minato responded with a solemn nod.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

Aizen seized the initiative. Hand seals formed, a bulge appeared in his mouth, and a scorching fireball half a meter in diameter materialized!

While this jutsu lacked visual appeal, it made up for it in speed. The fireball would detonate on impact, causing a large-scale explosion with decent power.

The heat wave intensified, and the flames illuminated Minato's youthful face.

"Using a wide-range attack to force me, a speed-based ninja, to reveal dodging flaws? Clever," Minato remarked calmly. It mirrored Aizen's earlier use of water waves.

"But Aizen, a ninja's attack patterns can't be entirely predictable," Minato said, a confident smirk forming on his lips as he raised his eyes.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

Minato's hands flashed as he opened his mouth, unleashing a powerful hurricane!

In the world of Naruto, fire is typically considered strong against wind. However, exceptions exist.

Great Breakthrough, a top-tier C-ranked jutsu, could occasionally be seen used by even Kage-level fighters. Its power far surpassed that of an ordinary Fireball Jutsu.

The swirling hurricane roared through the air, instantly shattering the fireball. But that wasn't all. The gust of wind, now laced with fragments of the destroyed fireball, swept towards Aizen!

Fire feeds on wind, and wind aids fire! The combined attack's power nearly reached B-rank jutsu level. Additionally, the vast area of effect made dodging at Aizen's previous physical combat speed impossible.

"Aizen, after our last exchange, you're incapable of another large-scale Water Style jutsu like Water Barrier. What will you do to defend against this?" Minato scrutinized Aizen.

Just as Aizen had analyzed Minato, Minato had nearly unraveled Aizen's capabilities. It was a battle with almost no hidden cards left.

A barrage of powerful wind and exploding firebombs engulfed the area around Aizen, spanning dozens of meters. The resulting explosions were deafening.

When the smoke and dust finally cleared, only a ravaged landscape remained. Aizen was nowhere to be seen.

"Impossible! He couldn't have dodged that attack," Minato exclaimed, bewilderment etched on his face as he surveyed the empty space.

"Unless..." A sudden realization dawned on Minato, his eyes widening in shock.