The days following the talent show victory settled into a comfortable routine for Minato. School was enjoyable, filled with the innocent chatter and budding friendships with Mina and Kirishima. His mornings, however, remained his secret training ground with Touya, where the older boy, though still reserved, had started to share more of his troubled thoughts, occasionally even listening to Minato's seemingly simple, yet impactful, advice. His Minato Namikaze Template slowly, steadily, ticked upwards, now displaying 5.8%, a silent testament to his persistent chakra control exercises.
The concept of wall walking had become Minato's latest challenge. He spent hours in his room, meticulously arranging pillows around the walls, determined to master the technique. It was frustrating at first; his chakra control, while sufficient for the leaf exercise, was still raw for such a complex feat. He'd stick for a few shaky steps, then tumble onto the soft cushions with a huff of exasperation, only to immediately try again. But with each fall, a new lesson was learned, a subtle adjustment made to his chakra flow.
That weekend, true to her word, Minato's mother helped him set up a simple video recording. They chose a bright spot in the living room, and Minato, clutching his acoustic guitar, once again played "Blue Bird." His performance was as flawless as it had been on stage, every note resonating with clear precision. His mother, beaming behind the camera, captured every moment.
After a bit of editing (mostly done by his mother, with Minato offering enthusiastic suggestions), the video was ready. "Are you sure you want to put this out there, Minato?" his mother asked, a hint of maternal concern in her voice. "Anyone can see it."
Minato's sunny smile was unwavering. "Yes, Mom! I want to share it! Kirishima said it was going to be a hit!" He clicked "upload," and the little video, featuring a four-year-old playing a hauntingly beautiful song, was sent into the vast digital expanse of HeroTube.
The next few days were normal. Minato continued his training, his wall walking attempts showing slow but definite progress. The template increased to 6%. School remained a pleasant distraction. He didn't think much about the HeroTube video. It was just a small thing, a fun memory.
Then, during lunch on Tuesday, Mina bounced over to their table, her pink eyes wide with excitement. "Minato! Kirishima! You won't believe it!"
"What is it, Mina?" Kirishima asked, taking a bite of his sandwich.
"Your video, Minato! The 'Blue Bird' song! It's everywhere!" Mina practically shrieked, pulling out her phone. "Look!"
She held out the phone, and Minato's eyes widened. On the screen was his video, but beneath it, the view count was skyrocketing. Not just hundreds, but thousands, then tens of thousands, then hundreds of thousands. Comments were flooding in:
"Is this kid for real?! That's insane talent for a toddler!"
"His Quirk must be music! Or perfect pitch!"
"The song itself is so beautiful, where is it from?"
"Forget heroes, this kid is a future pop star!"
"Seriously, who IS this Minato Namikaze? He's a prodigy!"
Minato stared, dumbfounded. He hadn't expected this.
Kirishima leaned in, his jaw dropping. "Whoa, Minato! You're famous! This is super manly!"
Mina giggled, "See? I told you it was awesome! Now everyone knows about the Blue Bird!"
The unexpected surge in popularity was a peculiar feeling for Minato. He'd used to lonely in his past life. This was new, a public recognition for something he considered a simple hobby. He realized then that his quiet, disciplined training in this new life might not always remain so quiet after all. His life was changing, far more rapidly than he'd anticipated.
After talking excitedly about the video for a while, Minato excused himself, feeling the need to use the washroom. As he made his way down the quiet school corridor, a faint, muffled sobbing sound caught his ear. He paused, his sharp senses, refined by his previous life, immediately picking up on the distress.
He followed the sound, tracing it to a secluded corner near a rarely used storage closet. Peeking around the corner, he found a girl, clearly older than him, perhaps six or seven. She was sitting with her knees tucked tightly to her chest, her chin resting on them, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Her hair was a blonde, unruly mess, and her clothes looked a little disheveled.
Minato's sunny demeanor softened. He approached her cautiously. "Are you okay?" he asked gently, his voice carrying genuine concern.
The girl flinched, startled, and quickly wiped her eyes. She looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy. "I'm fine," she mumbled, her voice thick with tears.
Minato didn't move. "If you're fine, then why are you crying?" he pressed, his head tilted.
The girl hesitated, then fresh tears welled in her eyes. "Everyone... everyone keeps saying my Quirk is villainous," she choked out, her voice breaking. "Even my parents tell me that I shouldn't use my Quirk. They... they tell me it's dangerous."
Minato's innocent face hardened slightly, a flash of resolve showing through. He sat down beside her, cross-legged. "That's stupid," he stated, his voice firm and clear, surprising the older girl. "No Quirk is villainous. It depends on who uses them. And if you stop using your Quirk, who knows what will happen in the future? What if you need it to protect someone? What if you need it to help someone? Then what?"
He looked at her with an intensity that belied his age. "A Quirk is just a tool. A knife can be used to cook a meal, or to hurt someone. It's the person holding the knife that decides." He paused, a thoughtful expression on his face. "And if you don't practice, how will you ever learn to control it? How will you make it something good?"
The girl stared at him, her sobbing slowly subsiding, replaced by a dawning realization. No one had ever put it to her like that before. They had only ever told her to suppress it, to hide it. This small boy, a stranger, was telling her to understand it, to use it, to control it.
Minato offered her a gentle, reassuring smile. "My name's Minato. What's yours?"
The girl hesitated for a moment, then took a shaky breath. "Himiko," she whispered. "Himiko Toga."
Minato's internal world jolted. Himiko Toga? From canon? The villain? His mind raced, connecting the dots of her name and the reputation of her future self. A flicker of concern crossed his features, quickly masked by his habitual sunny smile. This was a critical point.
"Himiko-chan," Minato said, keeping his voice calm and encouraging. "Can you tell me about your Quirk? What does it do?"
Himiko looked uncertainly at him, but something in his eyes, perhaps his complete lack of judgment, made her open up. "My Quirk... it lets me transform into other people," she explained, her voice still quiet. "I can look just like them and even sound like them. But... I need to drink their blood to do it. The more blood I drink, the longer I can stay transformed." She finished, bracing herself for his disgust.
Minato, however, didn't flinch. His eyes lit up with genuine interest. "Wow!" he exclaimed, his voice full of wonder. "That's so cool, Himiko-chan! You could use that Quirk to infiltrate villain hideouts and easily foil their plans! Imagine, you could pretend to be one of them, learn all their secrets, and then report back to the heroes! That's an amazing Quirk for a hero!"
Himiko's eyes widened, tears forgotten. No one, absolutely no one, had ever reacted to her Quirk like that. They had always recoiled, called it gross, dangerous, villainous. This boy was seeing it as... heroic? A spark of hope ignited in her desolate heart.
New Friendship, Old Habits
Minato extended his hand, his smile bright and unwavering. "So, can we be friends, Himiko-chan?"
Himiko stared at his outstretched hand for a long moment, then slowly, tentatively, nodded. A small, genuine smile, free of any forced cheer, touched her lips. "Yes," she whispered, her voice still a bit shaky but distinctly lighter.
"Great!" Minato said, jumping up. "Wait here for a second, I'll be right back after the washroom. Then you can come meet my other friends!"
He quickly darted into the washroom, and just as swiftly returned. "Come on!" he urged, gently taking Himiko's hand. He led her back towards the cafeteria, a new sense of purpose in his stride. Mina and Kirishima looked up as he approached, their conversation pausing.
"Mina-chan, Kirishima-kun, this is Himiko-chan! She's our new friend!" Minato announced proudly, completely oblivious to the older girl's momentary awkwardness and then tells them about her quirk.
Mina's pink face immediately brightened. "Hi, Himiko-chan! It's so nice to meet you! you have a super cool Quirk!"
Kirishima, ever the enthusiastic one, grinned. "Yeah! You could be an awesome hero! That's so manly!"
Himiko, still a bit shy, managed a small, hesitant wave. "H-hello," she stammered, overwhelmed by their immediate warmth.
"So, Himiko-chan, what kind of hero do you want to be?" Mina asked, leaning forward eagerly.
Himiko looked down at her hands, then back up at Minato's encouraging smile. "I... I want to be a hero who understands people," she said, finding a surprising confidence in her voice. "And... and maybe help them if they're sad."
Minato nodded. "That's a really good goal, Himiko-chan! Your Quirk would be amazing for helping people in tricky situations."
The conversation flowed easily from there. Himiko, initially hesitant, slowly started to relax in their company. She found herself laughing at Mina's animated stories and nodding along to Kirishima's enthusiastic pronouncements of "manliness." Minato, meanwhile, watched her with a quiet satisfaction. He'd seen the potential, the genuine desire to connect, beneath the fear and the misguided self-perception. Maybe, just maybe, he could help steer her towards a different path.
The lunch break passed, followed by the afternoon classes. Himiko seemed a little less withdrawn, a subtle shift noticed by her own teachers, though they couldn't pinpoint the cause. The rest of the school day finished without further incident, the usual end-of-day rush filling the corridors. Minato, Mina, Kirishima, and now Himiko, walked out together, their laughter echoing through the school grounds.