Geniuses always stand apart from the crowd—like dazzling stars that shine alone in the vast sky.
Just like those prodigies who enter university at age twelve, they crave deeper knowledge to satisfy their ever-expanding hunger to learn.
For Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, the academy's curriculum no longer held anything for them.
Staying there any longer would only be a waste of precious time.
Hikaru tapped his fingers on the desk, deep in thought.
He understood that these two didn't just need a teacher—they needed guidance on a completely different level.
"So, has their jōnin instructor already been assigned?" Hikaru asked.
Izuna nodded. "Yes. Jiraiya-sensei will be their mentor."
Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "And the third member of their squad?"
In Konoha, standard genin teams consist of three students and one chūnin or jōnin.
This setup not only fosters teamwork but ensures the genin's safety during missions.
Jiraiya's squad would be no exception.
"It's Pakura from Sunagakure," Izuna replied.
"Though her talent doesn't quite match Minato and Kushina, she's three years older, and she's already awakened the Scorch Release kekkei genkai."
"In terms of both strength and experience, she's a solid pick."
Hikaru nodded approvingly at the arrangement.
Though Pakura didn't have their potential, she was still a minor prodigy in her own right.
Graduating early at age fifteen was no small feat.
And as a bloodline user, her ceiling was undoubtedly higher than the average ninja.
This lineup ensured the squad was balanced—no weak links. Hikaru thought it was a good call.
Speaking of Jiraiya, Hikaru found himself a little curious about how the man was doing lately.
After all, he'd planted a special seal on Jiraiya once—specifically to stop his bad habit of peeping.
He wondered: after all this time, had Jiraiya finally broken that troublesome habit?
At the mention of Jiraiya, Izuna couldn't help but chuckle:
"Ever since you placed that seal on him, he hasn't dared peep even once."
"It became a village-wide story, actually. Lots of women were practically in tears thanking you."
"That said… Jiraiya still has a habit of 'rescuing' damsels in distress. Every time our Uchiha patrols sweep through red-light districts, they catch him red-handed."
Hikaru gave a helpless smile. So long as he wasn't peeping, he wouldn't interfere too much.
Consensual matters were none of his business.
Still, one thing puzzled him: how did Jiraiya pass Mito's vetting?
Kushina was Mito's relative. With her personality, how did she end up approving someone like Jiraiya as Kushina's teacher?
To ensure the three students received proper training, Hikaru decided to step in personally.
Besides, he had free time lately.
Having just returned from another world, his System's World Gate was still on cooldown while it searched for the next target world.
He might as well use this downtime to contribute to Konoha's future.
After all, raising the next generation of ninja was part of his duty as Hokage.
"I'll take these three myself," Hikaru said without hesitation. "I don't have much going on anyway."
Izuna nearly collapsed from sheer disbelief.
He groaned inwardly:
'You've got nothing going on because I do everything! I'm drowning in paperwork over here and you've never helped once!'
Still, despite his silent grumbling, Izuna had to admit—this was the best outcome.
With Hikaru's power, having him as their sensei was ideal.
"Fine," Izuna said, nodding. "But you better teach them properly. They're Konoha's future."
Hikaru smiled confidently. "Don't worry. I'll give it my all."
With that, he signed his name next to the three students on the roster, officially becoming their instructor.
Then he turned his attention to the others—specifically Hashirama and Madara.
Pulling out the full list, Hikaru studied it briefly and filled in the team arrangements:
Madara's squad: Fugaku Uchiha, Mikoto, and Rasa
Hashirama's squad: Nawaki, Hiashi Hyūga, and Hizashi Hyūga
That's right—Nawaki had finally reached graduation age.
Thanks to Hikaru's interventions and guidance over the years, Nawaki had grown far beyond his original counterpart.
No longer the tragic heir who would fall to an explosive tag, he had become a true prodigy of the Senju Clan.
As for Rasa, the future Fourth Kazekage—nicknamed the "Mine Boss" for his obsession with gold—Hikaru saw immense potential in him.
And the Hyūga Clan… they'd undergone a massive transformation in recent years.
The exposure of the Ōtsutsuki Clan on the moon had awakened the Hyūga to a vital truth:
The Byakugan could evolve.
With the world united and the shinobi realm trending toward peace, the Caged Bird Seal had lost its justification.
Thanks to Hikaru's efforts, the seal was abolished, becoming nothing more than a relic of the past.
Without that shackle, the Hyūga began to flourish. Many young talents emerged, and their Gentle Fist was further refined and modernized—cementing their clan's place at the heart of the shinobi world.
Freed from the chains of tradition, the Hyūga began embracing innovation faster than any other clan.
They no longer clung to outdated customs, but welcomed reform in pursuit of a greater future.
At the same time, both Orochimaru and Tobirama, after returning from the parallel world of the Outcast World, had gained inspiration from seeing firearms—weapons even ordinary people could use.
Together, they developed a revolutionary new weapon: chakra-powered firearms.
These guns used chakra to enhance bullet propulsion, greatly improving both range and firepower.
In particular, when paired with the Byakugan's x-ray vision, these weapons became terrifying assassination tools within a five-kilometer range.
With unmatched stealth, surprise, and lethality—they were without equal.
Of course, the tech was still new. There was plenty of room for improvement.
And since they were currently lab prototypes, mass production wasn't feasible yet. Their price? Astronomical.
As a result, only the Hyūga Clan's top graduates this year were granted access to these chakra-powered guns.