Two days later, the official admission list was posted for everyone to see. Unsurprisingly, Minato successfully enrolled in the academy. It's worth mentioning that the admission requirements for the Ninja Academy are actually not that high at all. First, they look for those who deeply love the Village and have a strong sense of belonging to it. Second, they want children who possess a resilient spirit. Third, they require those who are physically and mentally healthy. Simply put, as long as they're considered children from good families in Konoha, they basically meet the basic admission requirements.
However, meeting the requirements doesn't necessarily mean one can actually enroll. Among the applicants, most are just ordinary people without any real talent as a Ninja. At the school gate, many children burst into tears on the spot, wailing loudly or leaving despondently with their parents. Of course, there were also people like Tsuchiya Naoto who felt extremely frustrated. He believed he was only slightly worse than those on the list and planned to go back and train for a year before taking the exam again.
"That's great, Minato!" Nawaki excitedly pumped his fist into the air. "You've been admitted!" As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Minato and Tsunade looking at him with speechless expressions. Nawaki froze for a moment. Thinking of the other's dual Bloodline Limit talent, he couldn't help but let out a dry laugh. "Well... although it's not surprising, it's definitely something worth celebrating."
Tsunade smiled and rubbed Nawaki's hair affectionately. "These past two days, Minato has either been cultivating or cooking for us. As a celebration, let's relax today!"
"Relax..." Nawaki looked at Tsunade hesitantly. "It's not going shopping with you, is it? Or maybe gambling or something like that?"
"What are you talking about? How could I take a child to a casino?" Tsunade flicked Nawaki's forehead with a sharp snap. "I plan to take you guys to buy some new clothes, then have a big meal, soak in a hot spring, and so on. Of course, if you're not willing..."
"I'm willing, I'm willing! I'm more than willing!" Nawaki grinned and quickly stated his position to avoid her wrath. "I knew Big Sister was the best!"
"Heh, cut it out!" Tsunade rolled her eyes at him and turned her attention to Minato. "Minato, what do you want to eat for lunch?"
"Hmm... how about sukiyaki?" Minato thought for a moment. He kind of wanted to eat Sichuan hotpot, but it didn't exist in the Ninja World. He didn't know how to make it from scratch, so he could only settle for something similar.
"Alright! Sukiyaki it is! I happen to know a place that makes great sukiyaki!" Tsunade waved her hand with authority. "Now—off to the Shopping District!"
"Oh—!!" Nawaki pumped his fist again, full of energy. Seeing the two of them looking over, Minato had no choice but to awkwardly raise his own fist. "...Oh!"
The three arrived at a clothing store in the Shopping District. The shop looked a bit old, and the proprietress appeared to be in her fifties. Tsunade pushed Minato forward and said to the proprietress, "Hello, please help me pick out some clothes for this child."
"Oh my, what a handsome little guy..." The proprietress looked Minato over with a warm smile. "What color clothes do you like to wear, young man?"
"Black and white..." Minato spoke politely. He wasn't very good at matching clothes, but black and white was always a safe bet for his needs.
"I thought only teenage boys had this kind of style. Isn't it a bit early for you? Children should be bright and lively." The proprietress chuckled softly. Despite saying that, she still picked out a pure white T-shirt for Minato. "How about this one?"
"Too plain." Before Minato could even speak, Tsunade shook her head in disapproval.
Minato looked at Tsunade. "Um... actually, I think it's quite good."
"See, what do kids know about picking clothes?" Tsunade immediately put on the face of an overbearing adult. She tilted her chin up and glanced at Minato. "Just do as I say!" There was no way she would pass up the chance to dress up such a cute boy. Even a tomboyish girl like her had feminine instincts when it came to this.
"Then how about trying black?" The proprietress picked out another black T-shirt from the shelf.
"This one is worth a try." Tsunade gestured for Minato to change. Minato smiled helplessly and walked into the fitting room. It was just a T-shirt, so he came out quickly. The deep black fabric made his blonde hair look even more vibrant. His aura seemed more aggressive and sharp than before.
"Not bad, wrap this one up!" Tsunade's eyes lit up. She waved her hand slightly, looking like a powerful female CEO. "Pick a few more for him!"
Nawaki glanced at them and tiptoed behind a clothes rack, silently picking out clothes he liked for himself. Minato, meanwhile, was pulled around by Tsunade like a puppet. He played dress-up over and over again as she critiqued every look.
"Orange is quite good! It feels so energetic!"
"Yes, yes! But it's also because this child is good-looking; it probably wouldn't look as good on anyone else."
"Wrap it up!"
"Eh? Blue looks great too, it gives off a sunny beach vibe..."
"Oh, you really have an eye for this!"
"Wrap it up!"
After buying several outfits in a row, Tsunade looked at Minato and frowned slightly. For some reason, even though Minato looked good in everything, she always felt like something was missing. It was an indescribable feeling, like scratching an itch through a thick boot, making her increasingly frustrated with the selection.
Minato looked at the growing mountain of shopping bags and advised, "Sensei, these clothes are enough. I'll have to buy more when I grow taller in a while."
"No, wait a bit..." Tsunade picked up a light green hoodie and measured it against Minato. She shook her head and put it back. Her fingertips idly flipped through the clothes rack. Suddenly, she paused. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw an Uchiha passing by outside the window. The moment her gaze fell on that high-collared hoodie, her brain felt like it had been hit by electricity. She looked at the proprietress with sudden excitement. "Do you have any high-collared clothes here?"
"...Yes." The proprietress looked at Minato thoughtfully. She seemed to suddenly understand the vibe Tsunade was looking for. Soon, she brought over a white coat. The fabric of the coat wasn't thick and had a light texture. It was open-fronted without buttons, featuring a slightly high collar and short sleeves. Its length was no different from a normal coat.
Seeing the garment in the proprietress's hands, Minato was also stunned. Except for the length, the overall style looked exactly like the Yondaime Hokage's Gods Robe from the series!
"Try it on; my eye for this won't be wrong!" The proprietress looked at Minato, her eyes eager for his reaction.
Minato nodded and was about to take the coat when she suddenly grabbed a black long-sleeved shirt hanging nearby. She stuffed it into his hands as well. "Change into both of them."
A moment later, when Minato finished changing and stepped out of the fitting room again, the two women in the shop became visibly excited.
"That's the feeling!" Tsunade pushed Minato in front of the full-length mirror. Looking at himself in the mirror, Minato was also slightly dazed. At this moment, it was as if he truly saw the Yondaime Hokage from his memories—just a younger version.
"So handsome!!" Behind the row of clothes racks next door, Nawaki was also stunned when he saw Minato.
"Is this the Gods Robe?"
The proprietress chuckled softly. "I told you my eye wouldn't be wrong. After all, even the haori of the past Hokage were sewn by me, stitch by stitch."
"Eh—?!!" Let alone Tsunade and Nawaki, even Minato was shocked at this revelation.
----------------
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion