Morning sunlight bathed the earth, bringing comfortable warmth and awakening vibrant life all around.
"I'm heading out!"
From a small courtyard in Konoha village came a clear, youthful voice. A six or seven-year-old boy brimming with energy began his brand-new day.
Minato woke up early and made his way toward Konoha's Ninja Academy.
He didn't feel tired at all after yesterday's tough training. In fact, his body felt strangely light—so much so that it surprised him.
A kid his age shouldn't be able to make this much chakra, let alone recover this fast. Minato thought his reserves were already pretty impressive compared to others his age, yet even so, his recovery rate still shouldn't have been this quick.
He just couldn't figure it out.
"Looks like I'll need to ask Teacher Kouda when I get to the Ninja Academy!" The "Teacher Kouda" Minato mentioned was his instructor at the Ninja Academy—a Chunin named Moto Kouda.
To Minato, a first-grader, the ninja world was still full of mysteries. And for now, the knowledge of a Chunin seemed extremely profound.
In truth, Moto Kouda really did possess considerable knowledge and broad learning. It was said that even the Third Hokage had taken special notice of him.
Of course, that referred to Kouda Moto's academic knowledge, not his combat abilities.
The Third Hokage was undoubtedly the most powerful ninja in Konoha, and also the most learned scholar—earning the title "Ninjutsu Guru." Rumors claimed he had mastered an unimaginable number of ninjutsu techniques, his strength formidable enough to make the other Kages from the four great hidden villages wary.
It was precisely because such powerful figures existed that Konoha and the Land of Fire could enjoy peace.
It was also said that the Third Hokage had three apprentices who were extremely formidable themselves. However, to Minato, those important figures still felt distant.
But since he'd already set his sights on becoming Hokage himself, he would need to chase after and surpass those who came before.
He wouldn't waver on this path!
On Konoha's morning streets, numerous pedestrians bustled about. Shop owners along both sides of the road had risen early too. For ordinary civilians, there was nothing better than living in peace like this.
Feeling this atmosphere, Minato couldn't help but let a slight smile surface on his face.
"Minato," suddenly a light, melodious voice called out. Minato stopped and slightly turned around.
What met his eyes was an extremely delicate face. This was a girl about Minato's age with long black hair and equally dark pupils filled with a refined, spiritual aura.
"Mikoto, good morning!" Seeing her, Minato revealed a warm smile. The girl standing before him belonged to the Uchiha clan and was Minato's classmate.
In the Hidden Leaf Village, the Uchiha name symbolized strength, and many children from the clan naturally carried an air of arrogance. Mikoto Uchiha, however, was a notable exception.
She was an exceptionally kind girl. Minato, being cheerful by nature, had many friends in class—including Mikoto.
"Good morning," she smiled gently at him. Minato turned his gaze to her and noticed the bag in her hand.
"Did you have breakfast?" Mikoto asked, pulling out a rice ball from the bag and placing it in front of Minato.
"I made these yesterday—Mother taught me how. I was planning to share them during lunch, but would you like to try one first? I'm afraid they might not taste very good..."
Her voice softened shyly as she spoke—clearly unsure about her cooking skills.
Minato simply grinned confidently. "If it's made by you, Mikoto, it'll definitely be good."
Her expression flickered with surprise at his unwavering belief, but looking into his bright blue eyes filled with trust, her nervousness slowly faded away.
There was something especially infectious about Minato's smile—a natural invitation for others to believe in him.
"Mm!" Mikoto nodded, smiling.
Minato chuckled. "Then save some for me during lunch break. Anything you make should be shared—it'll taste even better that way."
"Okay." Mikoto quietly agreed, putting the rice ball back into her bag before walking with Minato toward the Ninja Academy.
They were classmates in the same first-grade class. When they arrived, though, the classroom was still completely empty—the kids their age were notorious for sleeping in, and truthfully, they had indeed come quite early.
Mikoto went back to her seat, excited about sharing her handmade rice balls with the class, while Minato pulled out a ninja manual from his desk drawer and started flipping through it.
After a short while, a young man entered the room—wearing the standard Konoha forehead protector. He wasn't particularly handsome, but he gave off a scholarly aura, more like an academic than a shinobi.
"Good morning, Teacher Kouda-sensei."
Noticing the newcomer, both Minato and Mikoto stood up and bowed respectfully. Respecting teachers was fundamental in the world of shinobi—many renowned ninja had been trained by exceptional mentors. The Third Hokage himself had learned directly from the First Hokage, who founded the Hidden Leaf Village during the chaotic warring era, and the Second Hokage, who later established the Ninja Academy system. The saying "Like teacher, like student" clearly applied here—it was no wonder why the Third was so formidable.
"Good morning, Minato, Mikoto," Moto Kouda-sensei kindly replied. He held a soft spot for these two polite, high-achieving students.
After exchanging greetings, Mikoto returned to her seat while Minato stepped forward and bowed again respectfully before Moto Kouda.
"Minato, what's on your mind?" Moto Kouda asked as he noticed the boy approaching.
Minato nodded politely. "Sensei Kouda, do you have a moment? I have some questions I'd like to ask you."
"Of course," Moto Kouda replied with a smile. "As a teacher, it's my duty to help my disciples overcome their doubts." Minato was the first student to actually seek him out—it made him a lot more likable than the other kids who just played around all day.
Minato then told him about some strange occurrences he had experienced after training, though he carefully avoided mentioning the actual content of his practice, only stating that he had been doing some routine exercises.
In his opinion, the training methods he was using were already beyond what the Ninja Academy taught, and Minato didn't want to attract attention—that could lead to unnecessary trouble.
After listening, Moto Kouda first praised Minato for his diligence and hard work. For someone his age, putting effort into training was quite rare.
He then gave Minato a quick check-up and found nothing unusual. "There's no need to worry too much about this," he said. "While chakra refinement should ideally progress step by step, sometimes an increase comes a bit faster than expected, and that's not unheard of. It's not harmful, just remember to balance your training with enough rest—after all, you're still growing."
Hearing this, Minato nodded, feeling relieved from his concerns.
He then bowed deeply to Moto Kouda and thanked him. "Thank you very much, Sensei Kouda."
"You're such a polite child..." Moto Kouda understood Minato's character well—always courteous like this, treating every classmate warmly regardless of who they were.
Afterward, as Minato turned to return to his seat, Moto Kouda added, "We'll be welcoming a new transfer student in our class today. Be sure to get along well with them."
Mikoto, seated in the classroom, heard the remark. Both she and Minato nodded quietly in response.
With personalities like theirs, it was hard to imagine anyone they couldn't get along with...
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