The day after their hot spring trip, Minato learned from Tsunade that Jiraiya had gone into seclusion at Mount Myōboku for training and planned to stay away from Konoha for some time.
"I guess I really hit a nerve with him," Minato said, stirring dinner in the kitchen while Tsunade cleared the used prep plates nearby.
"Don't worry about it. It's actually a good thing," Tsunade replied with a soft chuckle. "That pervert may be lecherous, but he's not foolish. He probably realized something and wants to refine his mental state through training."
"Refine his mental state?"
"Exactly. Ninja are people of great perseverance, capable of enduring what ordinary people cannot. That's why cultivating one's mental state is crucial," Tsunade explained patiently. "The path of a ninja is never smooth. Hunger, pain, slaughter, even death—these are inevitable experiences for a ninja. You'll need to cultivate this aspect of yourself as well."
"Then why become a ninja at all?" Minato asked. "I've never really understood. Water Release can irrigate crops, Earth Release can build houses, and the Wind, Fire, and Lightning attributes—even Chakra itself—can be used as direct energy sources."
"Ninjas possess the power to accelerate the progress of entire eras. Why waste their time and energy on violence and slaughter?"
Tsunade paused, surprised by Minato's question. After a moment's thought, she replied, "It's probably because of hatred..."
"Does hatred arise out of nowhere?" Minato pressed. "A envies C's thriving business, believing C is stealing his clients, so he hires B to assassinate C. When C learns of this, he hires D for protection. In the ensuing battle, B is killed by D. Who do you think is at fault here, Sensei?"
Tsunade answered without hesitation. "A, of course! And B shares blame for accepting the mission."
Minato continued, "Then, after B's death, who do you think B's children will hate?"
Tsunade fell silent, her expression darkening as if lost in thought. Her mood visibly soured.
"Ah—!!!"
After a long pause, Tsunade suddenly shouted, grabbing Minato and vigorously ruffling his hair.
"Where do you get all these questions, brat?"
"Huh? I was just chatting..."
"Even casual conversation isn't allowed!"
Tsunade pinched Minato's cheeks, pulling them apart, and looked at him with a serious expression.
"I don't care! People must be accountable for their actions! Since you brought up this question, you'll be the one to resolve it! Hm! Consider it your final assessment before you graduate from my tutelage!"
"Huh—?!"
Minato stared in shock.
He had merely intended to subtly express his disdain for the ninja system. In his view, both the ninja code and the Will of Fire were nothing but empty ideals, and he had no intention of adhering to such rules.
But what on earth was this woman talking about?
It was like saying, "The world has been increasingly unstable lately, especially in the Middle East," and then responding, "Well then, the responsibility for maintaining global peace falls on you. Go mediate their conflicts."
"Heh heh heh~ Just kidding!"
Seeing Minato's shocked expression, Tsunade burst into laughter and ruffled his hair.
"But seriously, it's not entirely a joke. You possess the Wood Release, and your future is destined to be extraordinary. Even if you long for a peaceful life, sometimes circumstances will force you beyond your control."
"If you truly intend to shoulder the trust of the people in the future, you might want to consider my proposal today."
Minato nodded in response.
Tsunade's words held truth. In the future, he would have family and friends, and trouble would inevitably come knocking at his door.
Sometimes, even if you don't want it, countless people will push you to greater heights.
But thinking about such things now was still a bit premature...
Two days later, the Ninja Academy opened its doors.
Today was the freshmen's enrollment ceremony.
Early in the morning, Tsunade brought the two to the school.
As soon as they arrived, Minato heard someone calling his name.
"Hey! It's me, Shinnosuke! Namikaze Minato!"
Sarutobi Shinnosuke stood among the freshmen, his excitement surging when he saw Minato. He waved vigorously, "Over here!"
"Oh, hey..."
Minato nodded calmly and turned to walk toward the freshmen's line.
"Hey, don't ignore me, you jerk!"
Shinnosuke's face twitched as he sidled up to Minato and muttered under his breath, "I got Dad to arrange for us to be in the same class. Next time, I definitely won't lose to you again!"
"Alright, good luck," Tsunade said.
Even if I hadn't asked, he probably would have put us in the same class anyway...
Minato smiled politely, waved at Tsunade, and she turned to leave, yawning as she headed home to catch up on sleep.
Shinnosuke seemed to want to say more, but before he could open his mouth, someone suddenly bumped into him, causing him to stumble.
"Damn it, who—?"
Shinnosuke's expression darkened, and he was about to snap when a swarm of girls rushed over to surround Minato.
"Hi, Minato-kun! I'm Koyabukuro Kaoru. Please look forward to working with you!"
A sweet-looking black-haired girl extended a friendship request to Minato.
"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you," Minato replied with a courteous smile.
"Ah— Minato-kun, your smile is so handsome!"
"And his sense of style is amazing too..."
The girls chattered excitedly around Minato, their enthusiasm making Shinnosuke's lips twitch involuntarily.
"What the hell? This guy is way too popular!"
Seeing the swarm of enthusiastic girls surrounding him, Minato also looked a bit overwhelmed.
Fortunately, a teacher stepped forward to restore order, noticing the commotion.
"Quiet down! Everyone, return to your class lines immediately!"
"Eh—"
The surrounding girls grumbled reluctantly but obediently returned to their class lines.
"Is that Tsunade-senpai's disciple?"
Minato's commotion had drawn considerable attention. In the third-year line, a boy with a pineapple hairstyle tilted his head, studying Minato.
"That's right! Shikaku, listen to me—Minato is incredibly strong! Don't even think about provoking him!" Nawaki warned earnestly, his voice filled with conviction. He knew his friend had long harbored a crush on his older sister.
"As if I'd be that bored..." Shikaku replied lazily, patting the back of his head.
It was true he admired Tsunade, but it wasn't as if he was unique in that regard. The men of Konoha who admired Tsunade could form a line stretching from one end of the village to the other. Even if someone did pick a fight, it wouldn't be his place to challenge him. Besides, he wasn't foolish enough to underestimate him.
Moreover, for Nawaki to call him "incredibly strong" meant this newcomer far surpassed even him in skill. He wasn't someone Shikaku could afford to provoke.
Considering his overwhelming popularity among the girls, this guy was clearly a major headache!
As the young heir of the Nara Clan, Shikaku's mind worked swiftly, quickly sorting through the implications.
Just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived on the field with the teachers, delivering his signature annual speech—the Will of Fire!
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