As soon as class ended, Minato was immediately surrounded by the girls in the class.
"Hey, hey, Minato-kun, do you want to have lunch together? My mom's bento is really delicious!"
"No, thank you, I brought a bento..."
"Namikaze-kun, where do you live? Do you want to walk home together after school?"
"Sorry, I'm going back with a friend, so it's not very convenient..."
Minato's smile was a bit forced; these girls were too forward in expressing their affection, and even he was starting to find it a bit annoying.
"Could everyone please make way for a moment? I need to go to the restroom."
"Eh, I happen to need to go too!"
"It's on the way, let's all go together."
A few girls were chattering away.
Hearing this, Minato could only brace himself and leave the classroom, surrounded by a large group of girls.
Just after everyone left, another Minato quietly poked his head out from behind the podium.
"Eh? A clone? You kid, you've even mastered the Clone Jutsu?"
Shinnosuke looked surprised upon seeing this.
Before school started, although Minato had beaten him in Taijutsu, he believed he could definitely win back some face in other areas.
Like Ninjutsu!
As the Hokage's son, he had already mastered the Three Basic Jutsu before school started, and had even learned the Dragon Fire Jutsu.
Although its power was a bit weak—only enough to burn some firewood—being able to release a C-rank Ninjutsu at the age of five was already quite a remarkable feat.
Minato nodded.
"I learned a bit before."
"Damn it, I couldn't beat you in this either?"
Shinnosuke was a bit frustrated, but then immediately became full of fighting spirit.
"Let's have another match sometime!"
"Next time for sure."
Minato responded with a smile and turned back to his seat.
"Namikaze-kun is so amazing."
Nono Yakushi looked at Minato.
"I didn't expect you to have already learned the Clone Jutsu; I'm not even proficient at extracting chakra yet."
Minato smiled modestly.
"I just have a bit more talent; if you practice hard, you can do it too."
"Really?"
Nono Yakushi looked very happy.
"I hope it's as Namikaze-kun says."
"Just call me Minato."
Minato had a gentle smile on his face.
"Is it okay if we address each other by our first names?"
Nono Yakushi nodded shyly.
According to the customs of the ninja world, only those with a close relationship addressed each other by their first names.
Of course, there were also those like the group of fangirls who attempted to close the distance with others by using their first names.
However, this was usually done by girls.
If a boy did it, it would be considered harassment, so he had to get the other person's consent first.
"I already learned some Ninjutsu before entering school, so if you have any questions, Nono-chan, you can ask me anytime."
Minato wasn't sure if Nono Yakushi's appearance was a coincidence or a deliberate arrangement, but he felt he could test the waters a bit.
Nono Yakushi was a bit embarrassed, but she didn't refuse.
"Then thank you very much, Minato-kun."
"You're welcome. Classmates should help each other, shouldn't they?"
Minato smiled brightly, his sunny face making Nono Yakushi's pretty face turn slightly red...
"Helping each other..."
In the Hokage Office Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi held a pipe in his mouth, his eyes full of gratification.
Dressed in casual clothes, he sat cross-legged on a tatami mat, the scene inside Minato's classroom projected in the crystal ball before him.
A knock suddenly sounded at the door.
Hiruzen Sarutobi dismissed the Telescope Technique, and the image on the crystal ball immediately vanished.
"Come in."
"Pardon the intrusion."
Iruka Umino walked into the room and knelt on one knee.
"Lord Hokage."
"It's you, Iruka."
Hiruzen Sarutobi asked cheerfully, "How is Shinnosuke's performance?"
"Shinnosuke's performance..."
Iruka Umino hesitated for a moment.
"Not very serious. Perhaps because he had already studied before entering school, he's a bit distracted in class, focusing most of his attention on Minato Namikaze."
"Hahaha, is that so?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi slapped his forehead helplessly.
"After all, he's just a child. Starting earlier than his peers inevitably leads to feelings of pride. What about that child, Minato?"
"Very serious!"
At the mention of Minato, Iruka Umino's tone carried a hint of admiration.
"That child has memorized all the knowledge from class, and his personality is very steady, though perhaps a bit too gentle."
"Gentle, huh..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression became unreadable as he thought of a certain good-for-nothing disciple of his.
Two days ago, Jiraiya suddenly proposed to him that he wanted to go to Mount Myōboku to cultivate for a while.
The Jiraiya at that time felt different to him than ever before.
His expression was dejected and his aura listless, but his eyes were a bit more resilient and serious than in the past.
He originally thought the other party had suffered some setback, like being rejected by Tsunade after a confession.
So, after agreeing to it, Hiruzen Sarutobi called Tsunade over.
He had wanted to hear some gossip among these disciples, but instead learned from Tsunade that this kid had actually been verbally dismantled by Minato until his defenses crumbled!
Especially when he heard Minato's "Who cares?" from Tsunade, even he felt his face burning.
This child isn't as gentle as he appears... his aggressiveness is actually quite strong.
Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but laugh.
"Iruka, how is your training in Chakra Nature Transformation going?"
"I have already mastered the Earth-attribute Nature Transformation, but I still need time to refine it."
Suddenly asked about his training, Iruka Umino felt a bit nervous.
"Hmm... in that case, Iruka, I need you to educate that child well."
Hiruzen Sarutobi held his pipe, pondered for a moment, and slowly spoke.
"To tell you the truth, Minato's talent is so extraordinary that even my disciple Orochimaru falls short."
"It is precisely because of this that he needs more correct guidance."
"Eh? Me?"
Iruka Umino was full of surprise.
"Talent even more outstanding than Orochimaru's... with my ability, I'm afraid..."
"No, that child is Tsunade's disciple; Tsunade will teach him cultivation."
Hiruzen Sarutobi said seriously, "Normally, with your seniority, you should have been promoted to Tokubetsu Jonin by now."
"However, I looked at your previous mission records and found that everyone who has been your teammate has a very high opinion of you."
"Frankness, honesty, selflessness, diligence, integrity... this is also why I transferred you to the Ninja Academy."
"I hope you can pass on these precious qualities to the next generation of students, especially that child, Minato."
"This can be considered a bit of selfishness on my part, since Shinnosuke is also in your class..."
"And as compensation for delaying your promotion, I will teach you some Ninjutsu later and guide you in completing the mastery of a second Chakra Nature Transformation."
Hearing this, Iruka Umino's expression turned solemn.
"Yes! I will definitely not let down your expectations!"
"There's no need to put so much pressure on yourself."
Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed with gratification.
"Minato's character is very outstanding. In comparison, Shinnosuke is the one who needs more concern."
"But regardless of which child it is, I hope you can treat them fairly and not let the mission affect the education of the other children."
"Yes!"
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