Chapter 22: Rasengan!
Ryo’s hand was looking like he was starting Chidori.
“Is it Chidori? No. This is changing in shape!” Minato has observed Chidori before. He knew it well as it was a technique used by Kakashi.
In Ryo’s hand, Chidori gradually changed into: [Lighting Beast: Tracking Fang]! Right after the Lightning Hound was made, he used his Ice escape and teleported right behind Minato!
“Space-Time Jutsu!?” Ryo’s sudden disappearance looked a lot like his own signature technique, Flying Thunder God Jutsu! But as master of that technique who was very sensitive to space fluctuations, he sensed none of that, making him feel that this is different.
The Lightning Hound technique is a shape transformation of Chidori. Ryo altered his initial technique’s shape into a wolf. The wolf has the speed of lightning, while being controllable from a distance. Ryo knows that he wasn’t marked before by Minato, so he tried this combo.
He was exhausted, standing behind Minato; but he gathered his last reserves of chakra and once again formed Chidori.
Ryo was really interested in seeing how Minato would handle the double Chidori/Thunder Hound attack without pre-marking him. He had his Sharingan set on him waiting for his next move.
“Ryo, you’re really good, I’ll give you that! But I won’t lose to you.” Minato used his Flying Thunder God Jutsu and created a great distance between himself and Ryo.
Ryo’s Chakra was being depleted. He could no longer use his Ice Escape to follow Minato, and he couldn’t really maintain the Chidori for long enough. That distance that Minato created put a nail to a lot of his efforts. Not to be unexpected, with the gap between Ryo and the future Hokage, who had on top of his immense talent, a great deal of experience as well!
But Ryo still had the Lightning Hound! After Minato’s teleportation, it followed him with its lightning speed and in no time, it was on his back!
Minato knew of the presence of a wolf behind him. Right is it was about to hit him, a pale blue Chakra sphere appeared in his left hand.
Ryo instantly recognized it: This is Rasengan! In the anime, it was stated that it took Minato 3 years to fully develop it. But they didn’t really precise the time period that this happened in. Ryo’s has always thought that it was completed during the 3rd world war. He didn’t expect it to be completed by the year 40.
Rasengan and the Lightning Hound collided, cancelling each-other off.
“Ryo, I think I won!” Minato Smiled to his opponent on the other side!
“Well… nii-san… you did win indeed!” Ryo was gasping as he replied. “What was that last technique?”
“That’s a Jutsu that I’m working on, Rasengan!”
“Isn’t it complete yet?”
“Well, I can’t seem to get it stable enough. I can condense it, but I can’t seem to maintain it for enough time to use it at will.”
Hearing this Ryo understood that its development was actually almost reaching completion.
With Rasengan, You collect Chakra in your hand, continuing to condense it relying on High speed rotation. This creates a massive tearing force that can inflict a lot of damage. Someone being hit by Rasengan doesn’t just get physically damaged; it also disrupts one’s Chakra making it harder for him to use Ninjutsu. (Translator’s note: Not sure about this point in particular to be honest, tell me what you think!)
And Rasengan also requires no seals, and has many possible variants. Naruto was able to combine it with his Chakra’s nature affinity: The wind, thus creating: “Futon: Rasenshuriken!”
The development of this Jutsu isn’t completed now. If Ryo assists Minato in doing it, he would be able to use it openly later on. This will also help Minato evolve, as he will be able to finish this technique earlier in his life.
Ryo rested to restore his Chakra, and chatted with the other three.
“Ryo so the Chidori is your Jutsu? I always thought it was developed by Kakashi’s old man!”
Ryo nodded and said that Chidori and its derivative Ninjutsu were developed by him. Then he asked Minato:
“Nii-san, can you show me the Rasengan one more time?”
Recognizing Ryo’s talent and great achievement as he developed Chidori, Minato thought this kid might actually help him with stabilizing his Justu.
As he started forming it, Ryo stared at it with his Sharingan. To help Minato perfect it, he should 1st recognize what is missing.
The Rasengan disappeared after only 3-4 seconds of its creation. With Ryo’s Sharingan, and his past knowledge from the anime, he realized that what was not enough is speed.
“Minato nii-san, this technique seems to revolve about Chakra being condensed and rotated.”
Minato was surprised looking at the young lad. He studied this technique for two years, and this kid sees through it in seconds!
“Minato nii-san, I think I know the key to making it last longer. Kakashi, bring me some balloons and fill them with water, and also some rubber balls.” Kakashi went to bring them.
The 6 year old was fast. He came in no time with a scroll that he opened, taking out ball and balloons filled with water out of it.
Ryo looked enviously at Kakashi’s scrolls. This was an expensive item that he couldn’t afford.
Kushina noticing the look in Ryo’s eyes, she looked down on those scrolls as if they were nothing.
“So nii-san, break these water balloons by injecting chakra within them to make the water flow irregularly. Kakashi’s you can also try.”
Minato did it, and also Kakashi followed. It took no time for the two geniuses to find out the trick. After Minato broke about a dozen, Ryo proceeded:
“Now repeat the same thing, with a ball this time. Use the Chakra spin to tear the ball!”
Minato followed what Ryo’s has said. After breaking three balls, his face changed!
Within the balls, Rasengan was being formed. The one formed inside the 3rd ball didn’t dissipate: the Rasengan was finally complete!