"Good morning, Kuro. I'd like to ask you for a favor."
Minato looked unusually serious; determination practically burned in his eyes. Slightly surprised by the tone, Kuro raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"You're way too serious for a kid, Minato," he replied lazily, crossing his arms over his chest. "What exactly do you need?"
"Fight me using all your strength," Namikaze stated without hesitation.
Nara didn't answer right away. He carefully looked at his classmate, assessing his resolve. This wasn't just a desire to test himself — he was planning something more.
"And what for? Did second place in the class really hurt that much?" Kuro asked, stepping aside and watching a light breeze sway the tree leaves.
"I'm going to submit an application for early graduation from the Academy," Minato explained calmly. "I'm sure I'm ready. But if I leave without being the best even among my peers, it'll look… wrong."
Nara smiled. This guy had always seemed too mature to him before, and now — such boyish ambitions. In its own way, it was even amusing. Unlike many kids their age, Namikaze was driven and knew exactly what he wanted.
"I see… so you want to check whether you're really ready to leave?" Kuro drawled thoughtfully. "And for that, you need a fight with me?"
Minato nodded.
"If I can't defeat you, then it's too early for me to think about real missions."
Nara silently studied his face. Of course, he had no intention of revealing Sukuna's power, but going all out physically? Why not. It was a good opportunity to test how far he'd come after months of training with Tsunade. Besides, early graduation really wasn't a bad idea. Minato had already learned everything the Academy could offer him — without a strong mentor and real combat experience, he'd stagnate. He definitely wouldn't have training issues like Kuro did, so…
"Alright," he finally said. "Let's see how strong you are."
Namikaze smiled slightly, a spark of excitement flashing in his eyes. A clash awaited them — one that could push them both forward.
They chose a training ground Minato often used. It greeted them with a familiar landscape: sparse trees, a flat field with several targets, and traces of past sparring sessions on the ground. The morning sun shone in the sky, casting long rays, while a light breeze played with the leaves, adding to the tense anticipation.
"Ready?" the blond asked, taking a fighting stance.
Kuro lazily nodded, rolling his neck.
"Go on. Show me how strong you are."
"Don't hold back," the boy replied with a smile filled with excitement.
"We'll see how much you can take," Nara smirked in response.
Minato didn't hesitate — the next instant, a dozen shuriken flew toward Kuro from different angles, aiming to cut off his escape routes. However, for Nara, this attack posed no threat. Drawing a kunai, he instantly deflected all the projectiles, sending them flying aside. But that was only a distraction — Namikaze had already used the Clone Technique and now charged at him alongside five of his intangible copies.
Kuro frowned irritably. These attacks seemed far too weak to him. Without wasting time, he formed hand signs and used a Water Release technique — Raging Wave. A powerful torrent burst from his mouth, flooding the training ground in an instant and washing away the incorporeal clones. But Minato himself was nowhere among them. He had used the Substitution Technique, leaving behind only a log.
The real blond was already in the air, throwing shuriken once more — this time wrapped in crackling bluish lightning chakra. Seeing this, Nara didn't try to deflect them. Instead, he flipped backward rapidly, deftly avoiding the strikes. When the last shuriken whizzed past, he raised his head and looked for his opponent — but Minato had vanished, leaving only swirling leaves behind.
Before Kuro could fully react, movement sounded behind him. The restless youth appeared instantly, rushing forward with a raised kunai. But Nara reacted flawlessly. He spun sharply and grabbed the opponent's wrist holding the weapon. Shock flickered across Minato's face — he clearly hadn't expected this outcome. Yet even surprise didn't stop him from instantly assessing the situation and twisting free to deliver a kick aimed at Kuro's head.
But in close combat, he had no chance at all. Kuro recalled his recent training with Tsunade and, concentrating chakra into his fist, delivered a decisive blow. Namikaze tried to block with his free hand, but the force of the strike exceeded all expectations. He was sent flying far back, crashing into the nearest tree. Grimacing from the pulsing pain, he tried to rise — only to see not one opponent before him, but three.
"Clones… but they're different," Minato thought, clenching his fists. Unlike the basic technique that created mere illusions, these copies could attack.
From that point on, the fight became one-sided. Namikaze fought with everything he had, using his speed, reflexes, and agility, but Kuro surpassed him in nearly every aspect. He even managed to dispel one clone by striking it with a kunai, but that was his last success. Soon, the battered blond lay on his back, breathing heavily and staring up at the cloudless blue sky.
"Looks like I'm still too weak…" he murmured.
Nara stood nearby, looking down at the future Hokage. He tilted his head slightly, as if thinking about what to say. Consoling the defeated had never been his strong suit, so he simply smirked and replied:
"You're a good opponent, Minato. But I'm better."
At that, Minato's eye twitched — and a moment later, they both burst out laughing.
"Hahahahahaha!"
Kuro extended a hand to Minato, helping him up. The blond sat up with difficulty, wincing from the pain throughout his body, but a satisfied smile still played on his face.
"Come on, let's go eat," Nara suggested, stretching. "After a fight like that, ramen from Ichiraku will taste even better."
"Hm… Ichiraku?" Minato looked at his friend in confusion.
"Just trust me."
"Why not."
They headed toward the ramen stand, strolling leisurely through Konoha's streets. Namikaze kept glancing at his arm, which still throbbed slightly after Kuro's punch. He massaged his forearm and asked:
"That… was that what the Senju Princess taught you?"
Nara raised an eyebrow in surprise and looked at him.
"How do you know?"
"Well…" his classmate smirked. "From Nawaki."
Kuro let out a loud sigh and shook his head.
"Of course, from Nawaki. I shouldn't have expected anything else. He blabbered everything — typical of him. Though honestly, compared to Tsunade, we both still have a long way to go. If it were her strike, you definitely wouldn't be walking this calmly right now."
Minato shuddered involuntarily, imagining what it would feel like to take a direct hit from such a powerful kunoichi.
"By the way, that technique you used… That was Shunshin, right?"
"Yeah," Namikaze nodded. "Jibi taught me. We're both from the orphanage, after all. Even if we didn't interact much before, we should help each other."
Kuro nodded, deciding not to pursue the topic. He'd long known Minato had talent for high-speed techniques — with his reflexes, it made sense. Now it all clicked: training with a chunin had paid off.
Soon, they reached Ichiraku. There were only a couple of customers inside, and Teuchi, spotting them, smiled warmly.
"Oh, Kuro! Long time no see! Who's this with you?"
"My classmate. The usual for me," Nara replied, sitting at the counter. Minato ordered the same, rubbing the back of his head with a smile.
A few minutes later, bowls of hot, steaming ramen were placed before them. Kuro picked up his chopsticks first and began eating, savoring the taste. Minato followed suit.
"This is really delicious!"
"Told you."
"Oh, I'm glad young shinobi appreciate my cooking so much," Teuchi said. "Since it's your first time here, you get a discount."
"Thank you!" Minato replied, bowing his head slightly — but soon his expression turned serious.
"Kuro," he said after a few minutes of silence. "Why don't you want to graduate early from the Academy? With your strength, it'd be easy."
Nara didn't answer right away. He set his chopsticks on the edge of the bowl, leaned his elbows on the counter, and looked thoughtfully at his companion.
"Our entire future as shinobi will be filled with blood, sweat, and death," he finally said. "I don't want to deprive myself of a peaceful, happy childhood."
Minato fell silent, pondering his words. He'd never thought about it that way. For him, the shinobi path had always seemed natural — a logical continuation of his studies. But now… perhaps there really was no need to rush.