As soon as class ended, the girls in the room immediately swarmed around Minato. They crowded his desk, their voices overlapping in a desperate bid for his attention.
"Hey, Minato-kun, do you want to have lunch with me? My mom packed a really delicious bento today!"
"No, thank you. I brought my own lunch today." Minato maintained a polite smile, though his internal monologue was far less patient. He looked at the girl with a gaze that seemed warm but was actually gauging the most efficient way to dismiss her without ruining his reputation.
"Namikaze-kun, where do you live? Do you want to walk home together after school is over?"
"I'm sorry, I'm already heading back with a friend, so it wouldn't be very convenient." Minato's smile was becoming a bit forced. These girls were far too blunt with their affection, and even with his practiced patience, he was starting to find the constant attention irritating. They were obstacles, noise that interfered with his focus.
"Could everyone please move aside for a moment? I need to go to the restroom."
"Oh, I actually need to go too!"
"It's on the way, let's all go together!"
A few girls continued chattering excitedly. Hearing this, Minato could only brace himself and leave the classroom, physically surrounded by a large group of admirers who followed him like a loyal retinue.
Just after the crowd vanished down the hallway, another Minato quietly poked his head out from behind the teacher's podium. He watched the group leave with a cold, calculating expression before the facade of the "Golden Boy" returned to his features.
"What? A Clone? You kid, have you already mastered the Clone Jutsu?"
Shinnosuke looked completely surprised as he watched the second Minato emerge. Before the school year had even started, Minato had already bested him in Taijutsu. Shinnosuke had been certain he could win back some of his dignity in other areas of ninja training.
He had placed his hopes on Ninjutsu. As the son of the Hokage, Shinnosuke had been tutored at home and had mastered the Three Basic Jutsu long before the first day of school. He had even managed to learn the Dragon Fire Jutsu.
Although the flames it produced were small—only enough to burn some firewood—being able to release a C-rank Ninjutsu at the age of $5$ was an incredible feat. He had expected to be the only one in the class with such skills.
Minato nodded simply. "I learned a bit of it a while ago."
"Damn it, I couldn't even beat you at this?"
Shinnosuke felt a wave of frustration, but his competitive nature quickly took over, filling him with renewed fighting spirit. "Let's have another match sometime soon!"
"Next time for sure."
Minato responded with his signature gentle smile and walked back toward his seat. Internally, he noted that Shinnosuke was loud and predictable, a simple tool that would be easy to manage as long as he kept him motivated by rivalry.
"Namikaze-kun, you're so amazing."
Yakushi Nono looked up at Minato as he approached. "I didn't expect you to have already learned the Clone Jutsu. I'm not even proficient at extracting Chakra yet."
Minato smiled modestly, his eyes softening in a way that felt entirely sincere. "I just happen to have a bit of talent. If you practice hard, I'm sure you can do it too."
"Do you really think so?"
Yakushi Nono looked genuinely happy at the encouragement. "I hope it turns out exactly as you say, Namikaze-kun."
"Just call me Minato."
Minato kept the gentle smile on his face, looking her directly in the eyes. "Is it okay if we address each other by our first names?"
Yakushi Nono nodded shyly, her cheeks flushing. According to the customs of the Ninja World, using first names was a sign of a very close relationship. Of course, there were girls like the ones in the hallway who tried to force that closeness, but for a boy to suggest it was different. If a boy did it without permission, it could be seen as harassment, so he had to ensure he had her consent first.
"I studied some Ninjutsu before I entered the academy, so if you ever have any questions, Nono-chan, you can ask me whenever you like."
Minato wasn't entirely sure if Yakushi Nono's presence in his class was a coincidence or a deliberate arrangement by those in power, but he felt it was a perfect opportunity to test the waters and build an ally.
Yakushi Nono looked a bit embarrassed by the offer, but she didn't turn him down. "Then thank you very much, Minato-kun."
"You're very welcome. Classmates should always help each other, shouldn't they?"
Minato's smile was bright and sunny, causing Nono's face to turn a deeper shade of red. She whispered "helping each other" to herself, feeling a sense of warmth from the boy who, in reality, was merely calculating her future utility.
In the Hokage Office Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat with a pipe clenched between his teeth. His eyes were full of gratification as he watched the scene. Dressed in comfortable, casual clothes, he sat cross-legged on a tatami mat. The classroom was projected clearly inside the crystal ball sitting on the floor in front of him.
A knock suddenly sounded at the door. Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately dismissed the Telescope Technique, and the image of Minato and Nono vanished from the crystal's surface.
"Come in."
"Pardon the intrusion, Hokage-sama."
Iruka Umino walked into the room and quickly knelt on one knee in a show of respect.
"Ah, it's you, Iruka."
Hiruzen Sarutobi asked in a cheerful tone, "How is Shinnosuke performing in class?"
"Shinnosuke's performance..."
Iruka Umino hesitated for a second, choosing his words carefully. "He isn't being very serious. Perhaps it's because he studied the material before entering the school, but he's quite distracted. He seems to be focusing most of his attention on Minato Namikaze."
"Hahaha, is that how it is?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi slapped his forehead with a helpless laugh. "He is just a child, after all. Starting earlier than his peers always leads to a bit of pride. What about the other boy, Minato?"
"He is very serious!"
At the mention of Minato, Iruka's voice shifted to a tone of genuine admiration. "That child has already memorized all the knowledge we've covered in class. His personality is very steady and grounded, though he might be a bit too gentle for his own good."
"Gentle, is he..."
Hiruzen's expression became unreadable as his mind drifted to a certain good-for-nothing disciple of his. Two days ago, Jiraiya had suddenly approached him with a request to go to Mount Myoboku to cultivate for a long period.
The Jiraiya he saw then felt different than the man he had known. His expression was dejected and his aura seemed listless, yet his eyes held a resilience and a seriousness that hadn't been there before.
Hiruzen had originally assumed his student had suffered a personal setback, perhaps being rejected by Tsunade yet again. After agreeing to the training trip, Hiruzen had called Tsunade into his office. He had hoped to hear some gossip about his disciples, but instead, he learned the truth.
Jiraiya had been verbally dismantled by a five-year-old boy. Minato had broken his master's defenses until the man's spirit crumbled. Specifically, when he heard about Minato's "Who cares?" response from Tsunade, even the Hokage felt a burning sensation of shame for his student.
This child isn't as gentle as he seems on the surface. His underlying aggressiveness is actually quite strong.
Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but let out a short laugh. "Iruka, how is your own cultivation of Chakra Nature Transformation progressing?"
"I have successfully mastered the Earth-attribute Nature Transformation, but I still need more time to refine the technique."
The sudden question about his personal training made Iruka Umino feel a bit nervous.
"I see. In that case, Iruka, I need you to be able to educate that child properly."
Hiruzen held his pipe, looking thoughtful for a moment before he continued speaking slowly.
"To be honest with you, Minato's talent is so extraordinary that even my disciple Orochimaru falls short of his potential. It is exactly because he is so gifted that he needs the correct guidance right now."
"Wait, me?"
Iruka Umino was stunned. "If his talent is more outstanding than Orochimaru's... I'm afraid that with my limited ability..."
"No, you misunderstand. The child is Tsunade's disciple; she will be the one to teach him his actual combat cultivation."
Hiruzen spoke with a serious edge to his voice. "Normally, with your seniority and record, you should have been promoted to Tokubetsu Jonin by now. However, I looked at your mission history and found that every teammate you've ever had has a very high opinion of you."
"Frankness, honesty, selflessness, diligence, and integrity... these qualities are why I transferred you to the Ninja Academy. I hope you can pass these precious traits on to the next generation, especially to Minato."
"You can consider this a bit of selfishness on my part, especially since Shinnosuke is also in your class."
"As compensation for holding back your promotion process, I will teach you some new Ninjutsu later and personally guide you through the cultivation of a second Chakra Nature Transformation."
Hearing this, Iruka Umino's expression turned solemn and determined. "Yes! I will definitely not let down your expectations, Hokage-sama!"
"There's no need to put so much pressure on yourself."
Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed with a sense of gratification. "Minato's character is already very outstanding. In comparison, Shinnosuke is the one who probably needs more of your concern."
"But regardless of which child it is, I hope you can treat all of them fairly. Do not let this mission affect the education of the other students."
"Yes, sir!"
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